ATHLETE

CHAD RUF

Omaha Westside (Class of 2005)

In Darin Ruf’s four years at Omaha Westside, the Warriors won a state championship in baseball and finished as Class A runners-up in basketball. Adding in football, he earned seven varsity letters. He was named All-Nebraska in both football and baseball as a senior. At Creighton, he started at first base for four years and was the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year as a sophomore. Drafted by Philadelphia in 2009, he played for the Phillies from 2012 to 2016. After three years with the Samsung Lions in the Korean League, he resurrected his MLB career with San Francisco. His three seasons with the Giants included a 452-foot, game-tying home run against Los Angeles in the 2021 playoffs. His nine-year MLB career ended with 67 homers and 205 RBIs.