LI's Jeremy Ruckert ready to make most of his MetLife Stadium debut with Jets

Jeremy Ruckert remembers the ride from Lindenhurst to the Meadowlands, spending time with his mother, father and brothers, tailgating in the parking lot and throwing around the football before Jets games.

Those memories from Ruckert’s youth still stick with the tight end, a lifelong Jets fan who dreamed of one day running out of the tunnel and onto the field wearing the same green and white colors he donned on game days as a boy.

Ruckert is about to make another memory and fulfill his dream.

The rookie from Ohio State will play his first home game at MetLife Stadium in front of family and friends when the Jets face the Falcons in a preseason game on Monday night. Ruckert is trying not to make the moment too big, though.

“The general thought this whole time has just been how grateful I am to be in this position,” he told Newsday. “At the same time, I’m just trying to be a professional about it and just do what got me here. There’s a reason I’m in this building and fighting to get better every day. I just focus on that and limit the distractions because obviously there’s a lot of that being [because I am] from here.

“Any time I get off the field or back home, I just think about how blessed I am to be in this situation. Just trying to make the most of it and be here as long as I can.”

Ruckert, 22, went to Jets practices at Hofstra and attended games at Giants Stadium and MetLife Stadium. Ruckert wouldn’t call the old building “Giants Stadium,” though. What else would you expect from a real Jets fan?

Ruckert is doing a good job of staying on an even keel right now, but he said he’s definitely excited for the game. It may only be the preseason, but it is Monday Night Football, which he grew up watching.

“It’s pretty special to be the game of the week and having all your peers watching you play,” Ruckert said. “It’s pretty cool. I’m just trying to make the most of it. It’s going to be home and I’ll have some people come up and support me. At the same time, just trying to get the job done and execute the best I can.”

Ruckert, a third-round pick, has a strong support system in his family and friends.

His father, Bill, is always fired up about the Jets, and even more so now. Jeremy wants all the people close to him to enjoy this, but he said they understand that his primary focus is his job. He leaves all of the ticket requests to someone else.

“I have a great support system,” he said. “I put the burden of everybody reaching out to me on other people. They’re very supportive in that aspect. Not being disrespectful, obviously they want to be a part of it, and they want to come and watch me. At the end of the day, I have a job to do.

“They’ve been Jets fans their whole life. I respect it and I want them to live through this with me, but at the same time, I just got to focus on what’s important for me. Having that support system to be able to handle all the off-the-field stuff is helping out a lot.”

Ruckert also appreciates the help and support he’s gotten from former Chaminade star and Jets guard Greg Van Roten, who also grew up a Jets fan on Long Island. Van Roten has reached out to Ruckert “a bunch of times” to see if there’s anything he needs.

Ruckert’s time as a Jet didn’t start the way he had hoped. He missed all of OTAs and the first week-plus of training camp with a foot injury he suffered in the Senior Bowl. Now he’s trying to make up for lost time with his work in the classroom and on the field.

The Jets love Ruckert’s toughness and ability to block in the running game and believe he can be a productive receiver. Ruckert delivered some key blocks and caught two passes — one for a touchdown — in the Aug. 12 preseason game in Philadelphia.

Tight ends coach Ron Middleton, who coached the Senior Bowl, was high on the 6-5, 250-pound Ruckert right away and believes “the sky’s the limit” for him.

“He passes the look test, no question,” Middleton said. “He’s big, athletic-looking. Once I saw him move and to be his size, you know you got something to work with. And then being around the guy, he’s really smart, has a real high football IQ and he knows the game. He knows football. He checks a lot of the boxes for you.”

Ruckert said he’s picking up things from veterans C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin and all of his teammates in the tight end room. He said their professionalism, how hard they work and their focus on small details is helping him.

“I just want to gain the trust of the coaching staff and my teammates and execute whatever I’m asked to do,” Ruckert said. “It doesn’t matter what it is. I just want to be a part of it. I love being out there and executing and working as a team. Whatever they ask me to do, I’ll do it and just do that the best I can.”

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.