Now, Ragsdale is in his fourth season with the Red Storm, and playing football has been a big part of his life.

“It helps me get into the community and it teaches me discipline and how to be a young man,” Ragsdale said. “Coming from Hawaii, I didn’t know anyone here so it definitely helped me become part of this community.”

Ragsdale was nominated for USA Football’s Heart of a Giant Award on Monday. The award, which is presented by the Hospital for Special Surgery and the New York Giants, seeks to find and highlight high school football players, mascots, team managers and flag football players from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut who have all been nominated for the award by their coaches for their commitment, teamwork, will, character and dedication.

Ragsdale said he is happy to learn that his coach nominated him, and it was honor to a part of an award for a sport he loves.

“(Football has) just opened me up to a lot of different people,” he said.

Ragsdale was born and raised in Hawaii and after his parents split up, he moved to California for a while, before returning back to Hawaii. That was until his mother died in 2014, and he moved in with his father who had built a house in California — but later lost that home.

“I went to foster care for a while because he lost custody of me,” Ragsdale said. “Then I ended up here because my uncle and aunt were here.”

Saranac Lake varsity football coach Eric Bennett said he remembers seeing Ragsdale as a freshman, when he was playing on the junior varsity team.

“He just had a great vibe about him,” Bennett said. “I didn’t know his story at all, and he’s been a total weight room kid and he loves to be a part of the team.”

The Heart of a Giant Award is decided based an online vote through six weeks of nominees. The highest vote-getter each week will be named a finalist for the week — along with five other wild card nominees chosen by the sponsors. Ragsdale is a part of the sixth week of nominees.

Each finalist will receive $1,000 grant for their high school’s football program, with the grand prize winner’s school getting an additional $9,000 equipment grant. The grand prize winner and his coach will be honored on the field at a future New York Giants game this season.

When Bennett recently learned about Ragsdale’s story, he was immediately touched by it. So when the Heart of Giant Nomination form come out, he knew he had to nominate Ragsdale.

“I thought there really couldn’t be a better candidate this year than someone who is essentially in many ways on his own,” Bennett said. “He understands the importance of community and what it can do for him, but more importantly what he can do for it. Serving others is something that he embodies and I’m in awe of his maturity when it comes to things like that.”

In a press release, Bennett said Ragsdale’s will and dedication is in the top 3% of all athletes that I have coached over the past 20 years.

“Since losing his parents in the critical childhood years, Zane has been constantly trying to improve himself with the help of family and friends,” he said in a statement. “He is used school and football as a cornerstone on the path to continual self-improvement. Zane is always the last one to leave the field at the close of practice or the weight room. Often when others are ducking team responsibilities, Zane is there to pick up the slack and carry on. He does not complain and does not seek recognition.”

Bennett told the Enterprise that Ragsdale is an inspiration to his team.

“I think what it shows our athletes is that you might think you know people, but you don’t really know the burdens they carry or the experiences they’ve had,” he said. “When possible, treat people with dignity and respect because you don’t know their story.”

The voting period is currently open, and will close on Oct. 27 at 11:59 p.m. To vote, visit https://usafootball.com/heart-of-a-giant/vote.