KANSAS CITY, Mo — For the lucky fans who made their way down to the NFL Draft Experience, they may have come across Ricardo Torres. He has been cutting hair for free as fans make their way to the festivities.
“We got blessed to have the NFL Draft right here so I said 'why not man, let’s go out there and cut some free hair' and hopefully I can change somebody’s life with the haircut,” said Torres.
Torres is at the draft because he has a story to tell. It is about second chances, grit and becoming someone worth looking up to. He says his barber’s chair and the razor in his hand is how he ministers.
“One day when I was praying, God told me like 'hey, you’re gonna get out of here, become a barber, you’re gonna have your own barber shop and you’re gonna help other people, you know, that have been through the same troubles as you.' I laughed at that,” said Torres. “I walked in as a drug dealer, came out as a barber.”
It has been almost four years now since Torres got out of a federal prison for selling illegal drugs. The journey back to civilian life was anything but easy, especially with the onset of the pandemic.
After years of dedication and hard work, he now owns The Kings Barbershop in Kansas City, Kansas and dedicates his life to being the best father he can be.
“There’s 300,000 people here. You never know who you’re gonna bump into. Somebody could be having a terrible day that's walking in here, Ricardo gives them a cut, he looks good, he looks in the mirror you know that really help for his own esteem,” said customer, Andrew Meriwether.
Torres says the work is not over until he gets a Chiefs player in his seat. But as a life-long Chiefs fan, being at the draft cutting hair feels full circle.
“If I can share a little bit of time with somebody and change their life, well then memories is what you take with you anyway so, hopefully I can leave a good legacy behind,” Torres said.
