17 miles per hour: Saints' guard Cesar Ruiz reflects on the play that had his cell phone buzzing

New Orleans Saints center Cesar Ruiz (51) is reflected in the visor of running back Alvin Kamara, second from right, after Kamara scored on a touchdown run against the Dallas Cowboys during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Jerome Miron) Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Cesar Ruiz wasn’t sure why his cell phone was buzzing like it was Sunday when he got back to the locker room after the New Orleans Saints’ 44-19 thrashing of the Dallas Cowboys.

When an offensive lineman gets this kind of attention, it’s usually for something negative like a holding penalty or a false start. That wasn’t the case this time. His phone was blowing up because of the speed he showed on Alvin Kamara’s 57-yard touchdown on a screen play.



Ruiz, the Saints’ 6-foot-4, 316 pound right guard, was running step for step with Kamara on the play. According to Next Gen Stats, Ruiz clocked 17 miles per hour on the play, making him the first lineman to hit that speed in a game this season. "This went viral?” Ruiz though to himself when he checked his messages.

"At the time I was running, I was just playing ball. But out of the corner of my eyes I kept looking to the left and thinking ‘Am I running past these dudes?’ Was there a flag or something?’ I was trying to find somebody to block. I saw there was nobody near Alvin so I was hoping there was no flag behind me.

” There were no flags and it was one of four touchdowns on the day for Kamara. It was yet another solid day for the Saints’ offensive line, a unit that entered the season as the team’s biggest question mark. Ruiz provided the unit’s biggest highlight.

“It was cool to see,” Ruiz said. “Just trying to give effort and lay it all out there. Just trying to leave it all on the field.

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