Ken Ruettgers
{{Short description|American football player (born 1962)}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Ken Ruettgers
| number = 75
| position = Offensive tackle
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1962|8|20}}
| birth_place = Bakersfield, California, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 5
| weight_lb = 280
| high_school = Garces Memorial (Bakersfield)
| college = USC
| draftyear = 1985
| draftround = 1
| draftpick = 7
| pastteams =
- Green Bay Packers ({{NFL Year|1985|1996}})
| highlights =
- Super Bowl champion (XXXI)
- Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame
- First-team All-Pac-10 (1984)
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 156
| statlabel2 = Games started
| statvalue2 = 140
| statlabel3 = Fumble recoveries
| statvalue3 = 11
| pfr = RuetKe20
}}
Kenneth Francis Ruettgers (born August 20, 1962) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1985 to 1996. He played college football for the USC Trojans. He was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.
Early life
Ruettgers attended Garces Memorial High School (Bakersfield, California) and was a good student and a standout in football. His two younger brothers, Steven and Paul, graduated from Garces Memorial as well, while his younger sister Laura Jane Ruettgers graduated from Highland many years later.
College career
Ruettgers played college football at the University of Southern California, where he was named to the All-Pac-10 Conference Team in 1984. He blocked for Rodney Peete and Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Allen.
Professional career
After graduating from USC, Ruettgers was drafted in the first round of the 1985 NFL draft (seventh pick) by Green Bay where he remained throughout his professional career.{{Cite web |title=1985 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1985/draft.htm |access-date=October 5, 2023 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} He was the Green Bay Packers' 1989 offensive MVP. He began the 1996 season on the Physically Unable to Perform List. He was activated after four games, but injuries had taken their toll and he could not finish the season.
In December 2013, Ruettgers was named as an inductee into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.{{Cite web | url = https://www.packers.com/history/hof/ken-ruettgers | title = Ken Ruettgers | last = Christl | first = Cliff | author-link = Cliff Christl | website = Packers.com | access-date = September 20, 2023 | archive-date = May 24, 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230524002413/https://www.packers.com/history/hof/ken-ruettgers | url-status = live }} The induction ceremony took place on July 19, 2014, at the Lambeau Field Atrium. He became the 150th member to be inducted into the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame, along with Ahman Green.{{Cite web |last=Spofford |first=Mike |date=December 10, 2013 |title=Ahman Green, Ken Ruettgers are next to go into Packers Hall of Fame |url=http://www.packers.com/news-and-events/article-1/Ahman-Green-Ken-Ruettgers-are-next-to-go-into-Packers-Hall-of-Fame/1f9d6dc0-c6b6-4a0b-9a83-d27895122439 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212235602/http://www.packers.com/news-and-events/article-1/Ahman-Green-Ken-Ruettgers-are-next-to-go-into-Packers-Hall-of-Fame/1f9d6dc0-c6b6-4a0b-9a83-d27895122439 |archive-date=December 12, 2013 |access-date=December 11, 2013 |website=Packers.com}}
Post football
After a successful career in the NFL, Ruettgers moved to Oregon. After a brief stint in the publishing industry, he founded GamesOver.org, a non-profit group dedicated to help former professional athletes cope with the stresses of retirement.
Ruettgers has a B.A. in business administration from USC's Marshall School of Business, and an MBA from California State University, Bakersfield.Sports Illustrated, August 2, 2010, Where are they Now?, p.86, Published by Time Inc. He received a Ph.D. in sociology from Oxford Graduate School in Dayton, Tennessee, in 2007.Sports Illustrated, August 2, 2010, Where are they Now?, p.86-87, Published by Time Inc. Later, he began teaching sociology classes part-time at Central Oregon Community College.Sports Illustrated, August 2, 2010, Where are they Now?, p.87, Published by Time Inc. Students found out that he had been a football player when they found his Wikipedia entry.{{Cite episode |title=Good Morning Wisconsin |series=Good Morning Wisconsin |station=WLUK-TV |location=Green Bay, Wisconsin |date=December 11, 2013 |time=07:25 }} He has also begun coaching football at a local high school in Sisters, Oregon.{{Cite web |last=Nickel |first=Lori |date=2011-12-17 |title=Where are they now? Ken Ruettgers |url=https://archive.jsonline.com/sports/packers/135805753.html |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=JSOnline}}
Personal life
Ruettgers is married with three children. His oldest son, Matthew, died in a motorcycle accident in 2012.{{cite news |last1=Leeds |first1=Tyler |title=From the NFL to COCC |url=https://www.bendbulletin.com/home/1688638-151/from-the-nfl-to-cocc |access-date=April 23, 2019 |publisher=The Bulletin |date=January 16, 2014}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{1985 NFL Draft}}
{{Green Bay Packers first-round draft picks}}
{{Green Bay Packers 1985 NFL draft picks}}
{{Super Bowl XXXI}}
{{Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruettgers, Ken}}
Category:American football offensive linemen
Category:USC Trojans football players
Category:Green Bay Packers players
Category:Players of American football from Bakersfield, California
Category:People from Sisters, Oregon