Mike Ruth

{{Short description|American football player (born 1964)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Mike Ruth

| image = Mike Ruth and BC Teammates 1984 Spring Game Alumni Stadium foto by Andy Hemmer Cincinnati.jpg

| caption = Mike Ruth (No. 68) with his BC teammates circa 1984

| number = 65, 62

| position = Defensive tackle

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1964|6|25|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Norristown, Pennsylvania, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 2

| weight_lb = 266

| high_school = Methacton
(Fairview Village, Pennsylvania)

| college = Boston College (1982–1985)

| draftyear = 1986

| draftround = 2

| draftpick = 42

| pastteams =

• New England Patriots ({{NFL Year|1986|1987}})
• Houston Oilers ({{NFL Year|1989}})*
• Barcelona Dragons (1991–1992)

| highlights =

• Outland Trophy (1985)
• Consensus All-American (1985)
• 3× First-team All-East (1983, 1984, 1985)
• Boston College Eagles No. 68 retired

| statlabel1 = Sacks

| statvalue1 = 1.0

| statlabel2 = Fumble recoveries

| statvalue2 = 1

| pfr = R/RuthMi20

| CollegeHOF = 2416

}}

Michael Joseph Ruth (born June 25, 1964) is an American former professional football defensive tackle. He played college football for the Boston College Eagles, where he won the Outland Trophy as college football's best lineman in 1985.{{Cite web |url=http://www.collegefootballpoll.com/awards_outland.html |title=Outland Trophy, College Football Awards |access-date=2012-01-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161110000038/http://www.collegefootballpoll.com/awards_outland.html |archive-date=2016-11-10 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web|url=http://www.bceagles.com/genrel/ruth_mike00.html|title = Boston College Athletics - Story Archives}}

After two seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the New England Patriots, who drafted him in the second round of the 1986 NFL Draft,{{Cite web |title=1986 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1986/draft.htm |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} he finished his professional football career with the Barcelona Dragons of the World League of American Football (WLAF) in 1991 and 1992.{{Cite web|url=http://www.funwhileitlasted.net/2014/03/14/1991-2003-barcelona-dragons/|title = 1991-2003 Barcelona Dragons|date = 14 March 2014}}

Ruth was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in December 2017.{{cite web |url=http://www.footballfoundation.org/News/NewsDetail/tabid/567/Article/55799/nff-announces-star-studded-2017-college-football-hall-of-fame-class.aspx |title=NFF Announces Star-Studded 2017 College Football Hall of Fame Class > National Football Foundation > NewsDetail |website=www.footballfoundation.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301203331/http://www.footballfoundation.org/News/NewsDetail/tabid/567/Article/55799/nff-announces-star-studded-2017-college-football-hall-of-fame-class.aspx |archive-date=2017-03-01}} He is the 10th former Boston College player or coach enshrined in the National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame.{{Cite web|url=http://bceagles.com/news/2017/1/9/mike-ruth-named-to-college-football-hall-of-fame.aspx?path=football|title = Mike Ruth Named to College Football Hall of Fame}}