Iowa State offensive lineman transfer Joey Ramos comes home
As a standout offensive lineman locally for Glendale Deer Valley High School, Joey Ramos was well familiar with the Sun Devils, who recruited him in earnest in Herm Edwards’ first year in Tempe. Therefore, it was probably only natural that once Ramos put his name in the transfer portal that, Arizona State would be his eventual destination.
“Coach Edwards joked around with it when I told him I committed,” Ramos said, and he was like, ‘Damn, it only took you four more years, ah? So, yeah, I feel it was supposed to happen. In high school, they were kind of late with me into the recruiting game. But with the school being close to home, I always was like, ‘Damn, that'd be nice.’ And I've always wondered what it would be like if I went there. When I did end up committing to Iowa State, I called coach Edwards just to tell him out of respect that I was going commit to Iowa State. And he was like, ‘Hey man, congratulations. But remember this no matter what, you have a spot here when you want to come home. And that's always stuck with me. I was thinking, ‘Damn, that's awesome.’
“So when it came down to the decision to leave Iowa State, I was really hoping that they would get in contact with me, and they did. That meant the world to me because it’s awesome to be close to home, and this is a great opportunity that I have right here.”
After redshirting his freshman year of 2018, Ramos proceeded to play in 32 games the next three seasons. In 2020 he saw action in eight games at right tackle and registered his only five career starts for the team. He was part of a starting five that broke the Cyclones’ school record for rushing touchdowns (31) and post the second-best scoring offense (32.9) in school history. Iowa State’s offensive line that season also allowed the fewest sacks in the Big 12 with 14.
Ramos’ versatility, a trait he displayed in Ames playing multiple positions on the line, was certainly one trait that attracted the ASU staff and its offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh.
“He definitely likes the fact that I can bring diversity to the offensive line,” Ramos stated, “and I have film at three different positions, at left tackle, right tackle, and center. I practiced all five positions at the collegiate level. It brings a different mindset to the table, that I’m ready to roll at several other positions. He (Cavanaugh) thinks that this helps me with the potential of making it to the NFL; he said, ‘you can be that dude that they can count on to play multiple positions.’
“The thing I really like about coach Cavanaugh is that he knows a lot about technique. And he knows that some of the technique that I use doesn't fit other players. But he thinks some of the technique that I use can also help other players open their eyes and more of the offensive line game. He really likes how fast my hands are and how quick my feet are. He told me that I have the abilities a lot of linemen don’t have. I like how he hammers away at the fundamentals and technique and playing your own game because every position on the offensive line is completely different. Everyone has their own specific skill sets that they are able to master further more than others.
"I liked when I watched film was just the ability that everybody had and being able to fine-tune everyone's best traits. Seeing that he was able to hammer away at technique really perked my ears up about him as a coach. I guess the biggest thing for me is development, and as long as I can continue to develop every single day, I think I'm just gonna be just fine.
Ramos, who has two years of eligibility left as a grad transfer, also considered Bowling Green and Tulsa. Education played a significant role in his thought process and was an element that Arizona State presented very well during the visit he had with the team over the weekend.
“The biggest takeaway I had was definitely the academic part,” Ramos described. “Getting in and meeting with some of the head people of ASU’s MBA program was great. I know that football only lasts so long for us, and the NFL isn't guaranteed. Nothing else after football is guaranteed, and everyone's one snap away from it all being over. Being able to meet with the school’s academic squad and get through and actually learn the fine details of their MBA program that I'm looking at was a huge plus for me this past weekend. That's really all I wanted to focus on.
“As a local kid, I've seen ASU's old football facility, I was there when they were building their new one, and I saw it after they finished it. So I know the ins and outs of their facilities and all that stuff. My visit was mainly just meeting with the coaches, understanding their philosophies, and meeting with the academic staff.”
And as familiar as the lineman was with the program, it helped Ramos quite a bit to be in close contact with a current player on the team while ASU was pursuing him. To no one’s surprise, that one individual was also the leader of this year’s front five, LaDarius Henderson.
“I met LD when I went down on my unofficial visit,” Ramos commented, “and I was introduced to him, and we stayed in contact through this. He was my main source of insight on how coach Cavanaugh, how the strength staff is, and how Herm Edwards is. He definitely was a big part of the process for me.
“The main thing that I took away from LD was just that these coaches are real, and they're gonna treat you like a man, they're not going to treat you like a child. He was telling me, ‘these dudes aren't going to talk any bullshit to you. They're going to tell you how it is. And you either learn to love, or you learn to let you learn to hate it. And then the people that learn to hate it, they end up leaving.’ So I saw that this is a team that has coaches that are respectable and treat you like grown-ass men.”
There’s no doubt that any grad transfer, let alone one who played in high school football some 20 miles away from ASU's campus, perhaps arriving with a higher level of expectations than most other newcomers. Ramos certainly doesn’t come across as a player who will shy away from those notions of great anticipation now that he’s a member of the Sun Devils.
“My approach coming in is definitely to hit the ground sprinting,” Ramos admitted. “I'm definitely going to do everything in my power to fine-tune my ability. So when I get there, I sponge up the offense, I learn it, and drill it into my head to where I have no doubts about it so that I can make an impact. That's the biggest thing that I'm after is making an impact.
“I don't want to be off the field. I've been on and off the field at Iowa State, and I didn't enjoy it. Now, it's my time to make that impact and be the difference-maker.”
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