Photo by: Joe Camporeale
Where R They Now: Ramel Meekins
Apr 09 | Football
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The stingy 2006 Rutgers football defense held opponents to 14.3 points and 252.2 yards of total offense per game in propelling the program to as high as No. 7 nationally, the Scarlet Knights' first bowl championship and an 11-2 final record. Anchoring the defensive line up front was Ramel Meekins, who is part of RU's history of walk-ons becoming captains.
A native of Westwood, New Jersey, Meekins was named Most Valuable Player of the defense in 2005 and 2006, both instrumental seasons in the rise of Rutgers football. He ranks tied for eighth in program history with 17 career sacks. That includes 3.5 in the 2005 victory over Cincinnati, second in the school's single-game record book. Another highlight was forcing three fumbles in the 2006 shutout at Navy, which is the most in a contest in RU history and ties for the second-most in an FBS game since 2000.
Part of a state championship team at Westwood High School in 2000, Meekins joined the Scarlet Knights as a walk-on and immediately rose to second on the depth chart at defensive tackle to become one of 10 true freshmen to see action in 2003. In addition, Meekins was a member of the Rutgers wrestling program and earned a spot at NCAA Championships after placing fourth at the EIWA Championships as a rookie.
Meekins continued to make strides and recovered a pair of fumbles to go with five solo tackles in the Insight Bowl against Arizona State, the program's first bowl appearance since 1978. He then earned All-Big East honors and his fourth letter during the memorable 2006 season, capping his career with the triumph over Kansas State in the Texas Bowl.
Finishing with 142 tackles with 29 for loss in four years on the gridiron, Meekins signed with the Indianapolis Colts and also saw action in the Canadian Football League.
Meekins returned to Piscataway following his playing days and became an academic advisor for Rutgers football. Most recently, the program saw 46 student-athletes recognized on the Fall Academic All-Big Ten list, the most for the Scarlet Knights since joining the conference. The team posted its highest GPA ever as a program during the spring 2020 semester.
"Ramel has been my advisor for the last four years and I can't say enough good things about him," said Tyshon Fogg, a three-time Academic All-Big Ten and two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. "Having the ability to get advice and guidance from a Rutgers defensive legend is an honor and it's something I'm truly grateful for. From personal conversations, scheduling classes, and even talking about his good ol' days, it's a pleasure to be around a guy like Ramel every single day."
ScarletKnights.com recently caught up with Meekins to reflect on his time as a student-athlete, playing for head coach Greg Schiano, the academic mission of the program and more…
What are you up to now in your professional life?
"I'm entering my 10th year serving as an academic advisor for Rutgers football student-athletes. It has been a surreal experience, and a great privilege to provide advisement and mentorship within the same program that helped me achieve my personal goals and develop into the professional I am today."
How did your time at Rutgers help prepare you for life after football?
"I grew up quickly. I was able to use that time to determine and solidify what type of person, athlete and student I wanted to strive to become. Being a student and Division I athlete at Rutgers University came with a great amount of responsibility and expectation, and I had to become a mature individual to meet that responsibility. I learned how to work efficiently and how to prioritize each aspect of my life. We learned that there weren't going to be any shortcuts to success. Obtaining success takes a certain degree of knowledge, preparation, opportunity, and the most valuable asset is learning that the level of your effort will strongly influence your results. We were strengthened in so many different areas of our lives, not just in athletics, academics was important, who you were as a person was valued, and it wasn't solely about football, but what type of man you should esteem to be. Every day was treated as an opportunity to learn and get better. Within the team and throughout my own personal experiences, I was able to see the direct results of resiliency and perseverance. All of the character-building skills we learned were placed in front of us not only to enhance our lives at that present time, but also stood as a fundamental foundation for our future endeavors."
What lessons that you learned playing football at Rutgers still guide you today?
"A lot of it is mindset. It starts with your attitude and how you choose to approach things in life. Mental focus will always be a vital key to successfully completing tasks. Having an intention to do things at a high level by being detail-oriented, result driven and focusing on the process of things. I understand that people will remember you not just for the things you did, but how you did them, so it's important to carry yourself in a manner that highlights your character and integrity. Every time I took the field, I knew that I represented all those that came before me and have worn the Scarlet uniform and all those who will come after me. I was a representation of my school, my teammates, my family as well as myself. I try to conduct myself in the same manner with all of my interactions to this current day. The most valuable lesson that I carry with me is that outlasting and enduring difficult situations not only helps change your current circumstances, but also prepares you for challenges in the future."
What are some of your greatest accomplishments and memories while playing at Rutgers?
"Coming in as a walk-on, my main goal was to get on the field, which would eventually lead to starting and ultimately being awarded a full athletic scholarship. I'll never forget the joy it brought my mother knowing that I reached that goal I set out for myself, and that my education was going to be paid for because of my football abilities. The main goal was accomplished, but the focus during that time was to try and contribute to the team's success in any way that I could. Being named captain was a great honor, and even before that time I wanted to establish myself as a leader on our team. I received tremendous support from my teammates and they helped motivate me to become the best player I could be. My first start was a heartbreaking loss where we had the lead, and ended up losing by a small margin. That's most memorable to me because I feel like that was the catalyst that led to the CHOP mantra. We ended up being invited to the Insight Bowl, and finishing the season with a winning record, that also was the beginning of a long bowl streak for the program. I'll never forget all the time spent with my teammates, traveling across the country, early morning wake ups, all of the grueling workouts, long days of preparation, sacrificing so much for the opportunity to succeed, celebrating our victories and we did all of it together. Being able to compete in two Division I sports as a football player and wrestler is something that I take a lot of pride in, and I'm thankful I had the opportunity to do so for my home state.
"I can't leave out the 2006 Louisville game my senior year, and the eruption at the sound of the final whistle. It was a euphoric experience that we'd all been waiting for, and it arrived in an exploding fashion. The fans storming the field (twice) was incredible. I'd like to give them credit not only for their support, but being able to do something that no one in the conference did, which was knock me over…!"
What was it like playing for Coach Schiano?
"Playing for Coach was one of my most challenging yet rewarding experiences. I really learned how to take advantage of the mental part of football. Coach placed a heavy emphasis on not only the physical aspects of the game, but mental as well. We learned the proper way to watch film and prepare for games, how to study an opponent's tendencies and how to critique ourselves on film. We spent a lot of time analyzing film, and we learned first-hand from Coach that preparation is a huge key to success. I feel like our whole team was able to develop a high football IQ, which is in direct relation to the time he put in to teaching us the finer points of football. He magnified every fine detail of the game which elevated our level of play. I learned so much from Coach as a defensive player, and how each individual piece fits into our one system. He set the standard for so many areas in our lives, the most impactful example he set out for us was with his leadership and work ethic. Our job was to follow that leadership and go out and execute. The level of intelligence, focus and intensity that he exemplified was a great benefit to not only my development as a football player, but our team as a whole. As a player, you have a role on the team, whatever your respective position, you need to find a way to execute and get that specific job done, he was there to show us the way, and he did everything within his power to ensure that you had the physical and mental capacity to get the job done. I appreciated the tireless effort he put in to helping us all strive to become better football players, but also the attention he would put towards developing us into becoming better men. Coach Schiano was tasked with preparing us to go play football, but also with preparing us for life, which is a job he took very intensely and seriously."
What do you think of when you hear the words F.A.M.I.L.Y and Chop?
"I think of the motivating factor behind doing all of the things that I did as a student-athlete, and now as a member of the support staff for the program. All of the time and effort put into becoming the best player I could be was due to the fact that I wanted to see my school and teammates succeed more than anything. Those were my brothers that I spent some of the most memorable times of my life with. It wasn't just a phrase, it was a bond strengthened by our values and core beliefs. Our core values were built on Trust, Belief and Accountability. Throughout the process, I trusted that my brother was going to do what was expected of him, we believed in each man's ability to uphold their responsibilities, and we held ourselves and each other accountable to the standard that was expected. The more we collectively bought into those values, the more successful we became as a team. We all witnessed the shift, and it was a direct result of that belief system becoming a majority amongst our team members. It was the respect of honoring each other, through hard work, sacrifice and laboring in love. At the end of the day, it was about all of us. The name etched on the front of our uniforms came before anyone else.
"Chop was a big part of our program's culture, it was a situational mindset that helped us focus on the process of getting our jobs done, that eventually evolved into a way of life. It was a simple concept that required a tremendous level of focus. Regardless of the situation, distractions or any other outside factors, I am going to focus solely on what I need to do to complete the task at hand. To Chop, is to work in an efficient manner and simply put it just means to do your job. The emphasis on preparation for completing that task helped us do it efficiently. It was a lifestyle that we embraced, whenever faced with any particular challenge, obstacle or task, it was met with a Chop mentality. Chop was not only something we did on the football field, it became a part of our daily lives because our responsibility extended past the 60 minutes in a football game. It was offseason training, balancing your commitments as a student-athlete, your preparation throughout the week leading up to the game, how you approach every single rep in practice, and maximizing each opportunity you have to give your team a chance to be successful. It was reinforced throughout every defeat and triumph. It was a decision we made at the start of every day…to Keep Choppin'."
Why did you want to become an academic advisor?
"As a student I had always considered the possibility of working as a guidance counselor or coaching at the high school level, so there was an initial interest during my undergrad years to find a role similar to that of an academic advisor. I think another big reason that attracted me to this role was the close relation to coaching. We get the opportunity to teach students, motivate and serve as an important resource to them. During my time as a student-athlete, I was faced with a lot of challenges both athletically and academically, and the support staff around the program helped me overcome a lot of those challenges, specifically the support I received within the academic department. I developed a very close relationship with my academic advisor at the time and that was a driving force behind my desire to become one as well. I appreciated the collaborative nature of the relationship, and having access to speak with someone any time that I was presented with an academic or personal issue was very settling for me. Currently, I enjoy the opportunities I have to help students see the value in education and assist them in overcoming the challenges they meet balancing their commitments with both football and academics. Finding balance between the two can be a difficult task, especially during the early stages of transition from high school to college, and I'm glad I have the opportunity to be there as an advocate and resource for our student-athletes at Rutgers University."
What are the academic goals for Rutgers football?
"The ultimate goal is for our students to obtain a degree from Rutgers University, while making strong connections that will benefit them in the future. We want our student-athletes to compete in the classroom with high character and integrity, finishing each semester with a strong and competitive GPA. Their academic careers are built on a semester by semester basis, so we want to approach each semester as a building block to degree completion. If our students are meeting the criteria for All-Big Ten Academic honors, or being recognized for the Dean's list, that is a great goal to strive for each semester. Our aim is to nurture the development of skills that will suit them after their athletic careers have concluded. The hope is for our student-athletes to use this time to explore areas of interest and excel academically. That level of degree will vary for each student, but we want them all to consistently work at increasing their academic capabilities and embrace the challenges that come from being a college student. Our vision is not just about playing football, it is about taking advantage of the resources in front of them and using Rutgers as a platform to help them be successful in life. The process starts with creating daily habits of being successful in all that they do. We place a high value on education, and if our student-athletes equip themselves with the skills to excel in football, they can do it in the classroom, and throughout their life, which will reach far beyond the football field."
Follow Rutgers football on Twitter (@RFootball), Facebook (/RFootballShow) and Instagram (@rfootball) for the latest news and updates. Also subscribe to the YouTube channel and bookmark Rutgers.Football, the Scarlet Knights' dedicated recruiting site.
A native of Westwood, New Jersey, Meekins was named Most Valuable Player of the defense in 2005 and 2006, both instrumental seasons in the rise of Rutgers football. He ranks tied for eighth in program history with 17 career sacks. That includes 3.5 in the 2005 victory over Cincinnati, second in the school's single-game record book. Another highlight was forcing three fumbles in the 2006 shutout at Navy, which is the most in a contest in RU history and ties for the second-most in an FBS game since 2000.
Part of a state championship team at Westwood High School in 2000, Meekins joined the Scarlet Knights as a walk-on and immediately rose to second on the depth chart at defensive tackle to become one of 10 true freshmen to see action in 2003. In addition, Meekins was a member of the Rutgers wrestling program and earned a spot at NCAA Championships after placing fourth at the EIWA Championships as a rookie.
Meekins continued to make strides and recovered a pair of fumbles to go with five solo tackles in the Insight Bowl against Arizona State, the program's first bowl appearance since 1978. He then earned All-Big East honors and his fourth letter during the memorable 2006 season, capping his career with the triumph over Kansas State in the Texas Bowl.
Finishing with 142 tackles with 29 for loss in four years on the gridiron, Meekins signed with the Indianapolis Colts and also saw action in the Canadian Football League.
Meekins returned to Piscataway following his playing days and became an academic advisor for Rutgers football. Most recently, the program saw 46 student-athletes recognized on the Fall Academic All-Big Ten list, the most for the Scarlet Knights since joining the conference. The team posted its highest GPA ever as a program during the spring 2020 semester.
"Ramel has been my advisor for the last four years and I can't say enough good things about him," said Tyshon Fogg, a three-time Academic All-Big Ten and two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. "Having the ability to get advice and guidance from a Rutgers defensive legend is an honor and it's something I'm truly grateful for. From personal conversations, scheduling classes, and even talking about his good ol' days, it's a pleasure to be around a guy like Ramel every single day."
ScarletKnights.com recently caught up with Meekins to reflect on his time as a student-athlete, playing for head coach Greg Schiano, the academic mission of the program and more…
What are you up to now in your professional life?
"I'm entering my 10th year serving as an academic advisor for Rutgers football student-athletes. It has been a surreal experience, and a great privilege to provide advisement and mentorship within the same program that helped me achieve my personal goals and develop into the professional I am today."
How did your time at Rutgers help prepare you for life after football?
"I grew up quickly. I was able to use that time to determine and solidify what type of person, athlete and student I wanted to strive to become. Being a student and Division I athlete at Rutgers University came with a great amount of responsibility and expectation, and I had to become a mature individual to meet that responsibility. I learned how to work efficiently and how to prioritize each aspect of my life. We learned that there weren't going to be any shortcuts to success. Obtaining success takes a certain degree of knowledge, preparation, opportunity, and the most valuable asset is learning that the level of your effort will strongly influence your results. We were strengthened in so many different areas of our lives, not just in athletics, academics was important, who you were as a person was valued, and it wasn't solely about football, but what type of man you should esteem to be. Every day was treated as an opportunity to learn and get better. Within the team and throughout my own personal experiences, I was able to see the direct results of resiliency and perseverance. All of the character-building skills we learned were placed in front of us not only to enhance our lives at that present time, but also stood as a fundamental foundation for our future endeavors."
What lessons that you learned playing football at Rutgers still guide you today?
"A lot of it is mindset. It starts with your attitude and how you choose to approach things in life. Mental focus will always be a vital key to successfully completing tasks. Having an intention to do things at a high level by being detail-oriented, result driven and focusing on the process of things. I understand that people will remember you not just for the things you did, but how you did them, so it's important to carry yourself in a manner that highlights your character and integrity. Every time I took the field, I knew that I represented all those that came before me and have worn the Scarlet uniform and all those who will come after me. I was a representation of my school, my teammates, my family as well as myself. I try to conduct myself in the same manner with all of my interactions to this current day. The most valuable lesson that I carry with me is that outlasting and enduring difficult situations not only helps change your current circumstances, but also prepares you for challenges in the future."
What are some of your greatest accomplishments and memories while playing at Rutgers?
"Coming in as a walk-on, my main goal was to get on the field, which would eventually lead to starting and ultimately being awarded a full athletic scholarship. I'll never forget the joy it brought my mother knowing that I reached that goal I set out for myself, and that my education was going to be paid for because of my football abilities. The main goal was accomplished, but the focus during that time was to try and contribute to the team's success in any way that I could. Being named captain was a great honor, and even before that time I wanted to establish myself as a leader on our team. I received tremendous support from my teammates and they helped motivate me to become the best player I could be. My first start was a heartbreaking loss where we had the lead, and ended up losing by a small margin. That's most memorable to me because I feel like that was the catalyst that led to the CHOP mantra. We ended up being invited to the Insight Bowl, and finishing the season with a winning record, that also was the beginning of a long bowl streak for the program. I'll never forget all the time spent with my teammates, traveling across the country, early morning wake ups, all of the grueling workouts, long days of preparation, sacrificing so much for the opportunity to succeed, celebrating our victories and we did all of it together. Being able to compete in two Division I sports as a football player and wrestler is something that I take a lot of pride in, and I'm thankful I had the opportunity to do so for my home state.
"I can't leave out the 2006 Louisville game my senior year, and the eruption at the sound of the final whistle. It was a euphoric experience that we'd all been waiting for, and it arrived in an exploding fashion. The fans storming the field (twice) was incredible. I'd like to give them credit not only for their support, but being able to do something that no one in the conference did, which was knock me over…!"
What was it like playing for Coach Schiano?
"Playing for Coach was one of my most challenging yet rewarding experiences. I really learned how to take advantage of the mental part of football. Coach placed a heavy emphasis on not only the physical aspects of the game, but mental as well. We learned the proper way to watch film and prepare for games, how to study an opponent's tendencies and how to critique ourselves on film. We spent a lot of time analyzing film, and we learned first-hand from Coach that preparation is a huge key to success. I feel like our whole team was able to develop a high football IQ, which is in direct relation to the time he put in to teaching us the finer points of football. He magnified every fine detail of the game which elevated our level of play. I learned so much from Coach as a defensive player, and how each individual piece fits into our one system. He set the standard for so many areas in our lives, the most impactful example he set out for us was with his leadership and work ethic. Our job was to follow that leadership and go out and execute. The level of intelligence, focus and intensity that he exemplified was a great benefit to not only my development as a football player, but our team as a whole. As a player, you have a role on the team, whatever your respective position, you need to find a way to execute and get that specific job done, he was there to show us the way, and he did everything within his power to ensure that you had the physical and mental capacity to get the job done. I appreciated the tireless effort he put in to helping us all strive to become better football players, but also the attention he would put towards developing us into becoming better men. Coach Schiano was tasked with preparing us to go play football, but also with preparing us for life, which is a job he took very intensely and seriously."
What do you think of when you hear the words F.A.M.I.L.Y and Chop?
"I think of the motivating factor behind doing all of the things that I did as a student-athlete, and now as a member of the support staff for the program. All of the time and effort put into becoming the best player I could be was due to the fact that I wanted to see my school and teammates succeed more than anything. Those were my brothers that I spent some of the most memorable times of my life with. It wasn't just a phrase, it was a bond strengthened by our values and core beliefs. Our core values were built on Trust, Belief and Accountability. Throughout the process, I trusted that my brother was going to do what was expected of him, we believed in each man's ability to uphold their responsibilities, and we held ourselves and each other accountable to the standard that was expected. The more we collectively bought into those values, the more successful we became as a team. We all witnessed the shift, and it was a direct result of that belief system becoming a majority amongst our team members. It was the respect of honoring each other, through hard work, sacrifice and laboring in love. At the end of the day, it was about all of us. The name etched on the front of our uniforms came before anyone else.
"Chop was a big part of our program's culture, it was a situational mindset that helped us focus on the process of getting our jobs done, that eventually evolved into a way of life. It was a simple concept that required a tremendous level of focus. Regardless of the situation, distractions or any other outside factors, I am going to focus solely on what I need to do to complete the task at hand. To Chop, is to work in an efficient manner and simply put it just means to do your job. The emphasis on preparation for completing that task helped us do it efficiently. It was a lifestyle that we embraced, whenever faced with any particular challenge, obstacle or task, it was met with a Chop mentality. Chop was not only something we did on the football field, it became a part of our daily lives because our responsibility extended past the 60 minutes in a football game. It was offseason training, balancing your commitments as a student-athlete, your preparation throughout the week leading up to the game, how you approach every single rep in practice, and maximizing each opportunity you have to give your team a chance to be successful. It was reinforced throughout every defeat and triumph. It was a decision we made at the start of every day…to Keep Choppin'."
Why did you want to become an academic advisor?
"As a student I had always considered the possibility of working as a guidance counselor or coaching at the high school level, so there was an initial interest during my undergrad years to find a role similar to that of an academic advisor. I think another big reason that attracted me to this role was the close relation to coaching. We get the opportunity to teach students, motivate and serve as an important resource to them. During my time as a student-athlete, I was faced with a lot of challenges both athletically and academically, and the support staff around the program helped me overcome a lot of those challenges, specifically the support I received within the academic department. I developed a very close relationship with my academic advisor at the time and that was a driving force behind my desire to become one as well. I appreciated the collaborative nature of the relationship, and having access to speak with someone any time that I was presented with an academic or personal issue was very settling for me. Currently, I enjoy the opportunities I have to help students see the value in education and assist them in overcoming the challenges they meet balancing their commitments with both football and academics. Finding balance between the two can be a difficult task, especially during the early stages of transition from high school to college, and I'm glad I have the opportunity to be there as an advocate and resource for our student-athletes at Rutgers University."
What are the academic goals for Rutgers football?
"The ultimate goal is for our students to obtain a degree from Rutgers University, while making strong connections that will benefit them in the future. We want our student-athletes to compete in the classroom with high character and integrity, finishing each semester with a strong and competitive GPA. Their academic careers are built on a semester by semester basis, so we want to approach each semester as a building block to degree completion. If our students are meeting the criteria for All-Big Ten Academic honors, or being recognized for the Dean's list, that is a great goal to strive for each semester. Our aim is to nurture the development of skills that will suit them after their athletic careers have concluded. The hope is for our student-athletes to use this time to explore areas of interest and excel academically. That level of degree will vary for each student, but we want them all to consistently work at increasing their academic capabilities and embrace the challenges that come from being a college student. Our vision is not just about playing football, it is about taking advantage of the resources in front of them and using Rutgers as a platform to help them be successful in life. The process starts with creating daily habits of being successful in all that they do. We place a high value on education, and if our student-athletes equip themselves with the skills to excel in football, they can do it in the classroom, and throughout their life, which will reach far beyond the football field."
Follow Rutgers football on Twitter (@RFootball), Facebook (/RFootballShow) and Instagram (@rfootball) for the latest news and updates. Also subscribe to the YouTube channel and bookmark Rutgers.Football, the Scarlet Knights' dedicated recruiting site.
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