LHS grad Ruggieri gets NFL chance

It is not that often that someone in this area gets a chance to experience many an athlete’s lifelong dream—a shot at making it to professional sports.

Landon Ruggieri will have that chance, as he recently received a National Football League rookie minicamp invite, May 8-10, with the four-time Super Bowl champion New York Giants.

“It (the opportunity) means the world, my whole life, the NFL was my dream—but it always felt so far away,” said Ruggieri, who graduated from Lakeland HS in 2020. “Growing up here, I had never met anyone who played in the NFL or even Division I football. I hope that seeing me do it can give some of the kids who have the same dream in this area a realization that they can do it too.”

Lakeland football coach Ryan Shilling said that it means a lot to have a former Hornet be invited to an NFL rookie minicamp.

“For a player from Lakeland to get this opportunity with a storied franchise like the New York Giants—it’s a dream come true, not just for Landon, but for everyone who’s been a part of his journey,” Shilling said. “He represents what we preach at Lakeland: that with hard work, belief, and resilience, you don’t need to go to a powerhouse prep school to achieve big things. Landon is living proof that you can chase your dreams right here in Shrub Oak. He was a local kid who developed in our program, trusted the process, and never let setbacks define him. To see him now with a shot at the NFL, and with the Giants no less—it’s incredibly special and emotional for all of us. It validates everything we teach and shows the next generation that their goals are attainable.”

After a standout career in the green and gold, Ruggieri, a 6-foot-1, 207-pound wide receiver, played for Bryant University in Rhode Island, a member of the Northeast Conference. As a graduate student this past fall, he registered a career-high 69 receptions, 1,096 receiving yards, and 15 receiving touchdowns, the last of which led the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision in the regular season and tied a school record.

Ruggieri is just the second player in Bryant history to amass 1,000 or more receiving yards.

For his efforts, he was named to the Associated Press All-America second team, becoming the sixth player in Bryant history to be named AP All-American.

“It was important to me to have a season like that because I knew I had that ability since 2022, when I had a thousand yards,” Ruggieri said. “But then after a 2023 season where I kept battling injuries, having the grad year as a last chance, I was able to put it all out there and go for it.”

Ruggieri was an All-Section and All-League player at Lakeland, pulling down 26 receptions for 550 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns as a senior, all of which led the Hornets.

What was his fondest memory as a Lakeland player?

 “Definitely when we beat Our Lady of Lourdes HS my senior year,” Ruggieri said. “They were the big favorites, and nobody thought we had a chance.”

While a minicamp invite isn't a guarantee of making the team, it can be a path to a roster spot. According to CBS Sports, between 15 and 20 undrafted free agents make NFL rosters each year. In 2024, CBS noted that "more than a few players picked after the draft" had a strong chance of making a 53-man roster.

And for Ruggieri, overcoming long odds is nothing new. Despite his success as a senior and in college, his high school football career didn’t exactly go to plan early on.

As a sophomore, Ruggieri played JV and, at 5-foot-4, had yet to hit his growth spurt. Shilling, Hornets’ offensive coordinator at the time, recalled the future receiving star as being a role player at best.

Things were no easier the following year, testing Ruggieri’s resolve, and eventually showing how his determination could overcome setbacks.

“In his junior season, Landon was in a quarterback competition but ultimately lost the battle – partially due to an elbow injury – and ended up serving as a scout team wide receiver and defensive back,” Shilling said. “After the season, coach (Mike) Meadows and I met with him and told him he would no longer be considered for the quarterback role, and that we wanted him to transition to wide receiver and defensive back. That was a tough conversation. He was emotional—he actually cried and didn’t agree with the decision.

“But what came next showed exactly who Landon is,” the coach continued. “Just days later, he completely shifted his mindset. He bought in, hit the weight room hard, worked nonstop with our quarterback Tyler Santucci, and grew physically and mentally. He used this setback as motivation.”

That offseason, Shilling said that his development was unreal.

“After our first 7-on-7 at Carmel, I texted another assistant coach and said, ‘He’s not just our best player—he’s the best player on the field.’ That’s when it really hit me. He had a fire in him and a confidence that every ball was his. His senior year, he became our go-to playmaker and helped lead us to the sectional playoffs. He didn’t just rise to the occasion—he completely redefined what we thought his ceiling was. That belief, work ethic, and resilience have carried him all the way to an NFL rookie minicamp. It's not a surprise—he’s earned every bit of it.”

Ruggieri talked about the transition from quarterback to wide receiver.

“My dream my whole life was to be a quarterback, and when they told me I would never be I was devastated and wanted to give up for about a day,” Ruggieri said. “But then I decided I'm not going to just lay down and give up. So I decided to go all in on making the switch to receiver.” 

[Pull quote] ‘Landon is living proof that you can chase your dreams right here in Shrub Oak.’—Lakeland football coach Ryan Schilling.