Rice Football Signs 7-Year-Old Leukemia Patient Ziggy Stovall-Redd

The Rice University football program experienced an unexpected windfall Wednesday morning with the signing of 5-star recruit Fre’derick “Ziggy” Stovall-Redd. 

A seven-year-old playmaker battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Ziggy made his decision alongside Rice head coach David Bailiff at a packed press conference on the school's Houston campus. 

CollegeSpun.com’s Matt Hladik spotted video from the presser. Bailiff couldn’t say enough about the young man and what he brings to the team.

“This young man’s been wrestling with this decision, and he has finally made the choice. He’s chose Rice University,” Bailiff said. “We’re so excited and we want to welcome Ziggy to Rice University and the Rice football family. Thank you, Ziggy.”

Ever the one to let his play on the field do the talking, Ziggy kept his comments short and sweet. 

“Thank you for letting me be part of the team,” Ziggy said.

Ziggy comes as a rare import to Rice’s program. Bailiff told the Houston Chronicle that he doesn’t usually recruit outside of the state, but after seeing tape of Ziggy, a Mississippi native, he couldn’t help but reach out to the 5-star quarterback recruit:

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We don’t normally [recruit] out of state but after looking at his academic transcripts and how he performs on the football field we thought it was just for us to go into the state and try and get him here. ...

... Ziggy will always be part of the Rice University football family. He has 100 brothers and 10 granddads that are always going to be here for him. We will be with him every step of the way.

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Ziggy’s leukemia is currently in remission, and he appears ready to throw ropes at Rice’s Blue-Gray spring game on Friday. Just when the Owls quarterbacks were getting comfortable, Coach Bailiff brings in the grade school equivalent of Sunshine and no one’s job is safe.

Dan is on Twitter. Rice is bowl-bound, baby.