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The New Orleans Saints selected Michigan center Cesar Ruiz in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, and it didn’t take long for several big names in the local sports scene to reach out and welcome the rookie to the city.
One of Ruiz’s first teammates to contact him was someone he’ll become very well acquainted with once the Saints gather for training camp: quarterback Drew Brees. Brees interrupted a videoconference call between Ruiz and NFL Network’s Jane Slater, who shared the quarterback’s message on Twitter.
Sporting what appears to be a “quarantine beard,” Brees strolled into camera and excitedly greeted Ruiz, emphasizing how eager he is to get to work. See it for yourself:
How cool is this!!! Right as I’m interviewing new Saints OL Cesar Ruiz a goat crashes our interview. Hi @drewbrees Ruiz watched this twice 😂I expect there will be several more times! pic.twitter.com/75zEs3ll0O
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) April 24, 2020
If you’re wondering why Brees awkwardly staggered into view at the start of the clip, well, it’s him pulling a dad move. Brees was mimicking the dance moves Ruiz showed off on Thursday night when he learned that the Saints were picking him, which Saints coach Sean Payton joked, “This is what sealed it!”
This is what sealed it!
— Sean Payton (@SeanPayton) April 24, 2020
But Brees wasn’t the only New Orleans sports icon to reach out to Ruiz, though. New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson, the face of the franchise, also shared a message to Ruiz — “from one first-round pick to another.”
Interestingly, Williamson echoed the same advice that Brees shared with him after the Pelicans drafted him last summer: if you show New Orleans love, it’ll love you back.
From one first-round pick to another…@ZionWilliamson welcomes @_OverCees to New Orleans! ⚜️#SaintsDraft pic.twitter.com/4tUzrcH02S
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) April 25, 2020
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