Navy linebacker Ram Vela?s claim to fame prior to the season was for something that happened off the field.
When Navy visited the White House to meet President Bush this past spring as a reward for winning the Commander-in-Chief?s Trophy, Vela briefly was detained by the Secret Service after a background check revealed he had the same name as one of the most wanted criminals in the country.
“That was very scary at the White House,” he said. “I thought I had done something really bad. It?s been almost a year, and I?m still getting grief over it.”
This year, the 5-foot-9, 196-pounder nicknamed “The Fugitive” by his teammates because of the mistaken identity episode, has gained attention for all the right reasons. The sophomore from San Antonio who is one of the nation?s smallest players at his position, gained instant acclaim in a 46-44 triple-overtime win over Notre Dame.
Notre Dame faced a fourth-and-8 from Navy?s 24-yard line with 45 seconds remaining in regulation when Velaleapt over running back Armando Allen and slammed quarterback Evan Sharpley. Sharpley stumbled into the arms of defensive end Chris Kuhar-Pitters for the sack, but Vela?s play has been immortalized on YouTube, as it has been viewed more than 31,000 times worldwide.
Vela hopes to continue his inspired play on Saturday at noon at M&T Bank Stadium when Navy (7-4) faces Army (3-8) in the teams? 108th meeting.
“That [leap] was a once in a lifetime kind of thing,” Vela, who has 48 tackles, said. “It wasn?t planned or anything like that. I just went off my instincts.”
Vela?s ascension up Navy?s depth chart has been unique. The economics major came to Annapolis as a slotback out of Taft High School, but was switched to defensive back in the spring before moving to linebacker earlier this season.
“Everyday I have to prove myself,” Vela said. “This spot is never secure and you?re always working to hold on to it.”
His play against Notre Dame was noticed across the country, as Minnesota Viking and former Maryland linebacker E.J. Henderson credited Vela after he made a similar play against the San Diego Chargers.
“I was watching the last part of Navy?s game, and this kid jumped over a blocker and went flying at the quarterback and he stopped Notre Dame,” Henderson told reporters following the Vikings? win. “I came through and saw the blocker going low and thought, ?If that kid from Navy can do it, I can do it.?”
Vela?s play even inspired Rudy Ruettiger, the undersized former Notre Dame football player whose career is documented in the 1993 movie that bears his name.
“It was like the whole Navy team was a bunch of Rudys,” Ruettiger said. “I was at the Navy-Notre Dame game and when I watched him make the leap to make that tackle, it showed that off all the players on the field, he wanted to make the play the most. He wasn?t the biggest player on the field, but he was the most passionate.”
MIDSHIPMEN (7-4) VS. ARMY BLACK KNIGHTS (3-8)
» KICKOFF: Saturday, noon
» WHERE: M&T Bank Stadium
» TV/RADIO: CBS, 1090 AM, 1430 AM
» TICKETS: Sold out
