Ain’t No Philly in That Cheesesteak

The Story of “Philly Cheese” Ruiz

By: J J Krupitzer

Narrated by: Devon Ortega

FROM THE GRIDIRON TO THE GRIM REALITY. EVERY LEGEND HAS A START. FEW HAVE A FALL THIS HARD.

Jason "Philly Cheese" Ruiz had it all: the talent of a five-star recruit, the arrogance of a champion running back, and a life of wealth shielded from the world. Born into a tangled legacy of college football phenomenon and Hollywood glamour, Jason's future was supposed to be bright.

But beneath the surface of the Ruiz family home, a cycle of addiction and abuse—passed down from a WWII veteran grandfather to a bitter, injured father—threatened to devour him. When tragedy strikes his best friend and forces a move to the grimy streets of Philadelphia, Jason’s perfect world shatters. The all-star athlete spirals into the darkness, trading his cleats for crack, his ambition for oblivion, and his freedom for a prison sentence.

This is the raw, unflinching memoir of a man who lost everything—his family, his career, his faith, and his grandparents' final goodbye—to the streets he never wanted to call home. Can "Philly Cheese" claw his way back from the deepest hole of addiction and incarceration to find a light in the Lord, or is he destined to remain defined by the "soggy to-go-bag" of his past?

Dive into this gripping story of grit, shame, and the long, agonizing road to redemption. The cheesesteak might not have Philly in it, but the fight for Jason Ruiz's soul is as real as it gets.

©2025 J J Krupitzer (P)2025 J J Krupitzer