Rutherford leads Pitt into new era

Who knew that, entering his senior season, starting quarterback Rod Rutherford would still… Who knew that, entering his senior season, starting quarterback Rod Rutherford would still be remembered for a touchdown he scored three seasons ago – as a receiver.

In the final meeting between rivals Pitt and Penn State on Sept. 16, 2000, Rutherford, who was a redshirt freshman, was listed as the third string quarterback, behind John Turman and David Priestley.

A much-touted recruit from Perry Traditional Academy in Pittsburgh, Rutherford was considered to be the first big-time quarterback at Pitt since Dan Marino.

But in this high-profile game, Rutherford, who had been slapped with the “slash” title, lined up as a wide receiver to start the third quarter. On first and 10 from Pitt’s 38-yard line, Turman threw him a bullet on a slant pattern and, 62 yards later, Rutherford had broken the ankles of many Nittany Lions and scored the only touchdown of the game, sealing the last laugh in the heated rivalry for Pitt.

“I actually ran the sneak route the wrong way. I ran behind the linebackers, as opposed to in front of them,” Rutherford said. “Me and Turman were rooming together that year and, in the huddle, he told me no matter what I did, he was going to find me. He waited until I got through the linebackers and threw the ball to me, and it was like a kid having fun once I caught the ball.”

The recruiting battle

For Rutherford, the touchdown was special for many reasons.

“I took it personally because Penn State said Chris Simms was supposed to commit to them, so they just stopped recruiting me,” Rutherford said. “In my senior year [of high school], Simms decided to go to Texas, and all of a sudden, I got calls from Penn State.”

What made the catch even sweeter to Rutherford was the fact that Penn State had recruited him so vehemently and wouldn’t give up, even before the Pitt-Penn State game.

“Before the game, I was told by [a] Penn State [coach] I always had a place at home in Happy Valley, where it is happy,” Rutherford said. “I gazed at him and just walked away.”

Entering his senior season at Perry Traditional Academy, Rutherford was beginning to get many phone calls from top-notch football programs, including Miami, Penn State and Pitt.

But Rutherford wanted to stay close to home, and the decision eventually came down to Pitt or Penn State. When Rutherford visited Penn State in the fall of 1998, he got to talk to and meet with all the coaches and players, including head coach Joe Paterno. One specific coach took Rutherford into his office to ask him a few questions.

“We went into some building, and this recruiter asked me who my favorite defensive player was,” Rutherford said. “And after I answered him, with Charles Woodson, he told me I could be like that. That was a turnoff right there. I went along with it because I didn’t want to show any negativity.”

The following day was much of the same for Rutherford.

“The next morning, I got to meet with Joe Paterno,” he added. “Coach Paterno, I just think, is a major turnoff, because he just talks and talks and talks about a bunch of nothing. Coach Paterno would never even let me talk if I wanted to say anything. I just thought about how much I wanted to eat and leave.”

Then there was Pitt.

Pitt head coach Walt Harris, a former quarterbacks coach with the New York Jets, was in the process of turning years of disappointment at Pitt into a successful Liberty Bowl appearance in December 1997 and a promising future ahead. Harris promised Rutherford a chance to play at quarterback, and Rutherford quickly became a Panther.

“Coach [Harris] promised to give me a shot at being a quarterback and to teach me as much as he could,” Rutherford said.

Becoming a Panther

Entering fall camp in 1999, Rutherford was placed on the redshirt list, with Pitt already having three quarterbacks. This way, Rutherford could get acquainted with Pitt’s offense by practicing with the team and saving a year of eligibility on the playing field.

Rutherford watched as Pitt suffered a losing season in 1999, but some of the players he met and things he learned that fall helped him become the player he is today.

“When I first got here, Matt O’Connor was behind Turman and Priestley, but really, he taught me a lot of things about coach [Harris] and about the system he ran,” Rutherford said. “Matt O’Connor was also that dude that made learning a lot of fun my redshirt year.”

In the fall of 2000, Rutherford came prepared to play. He had one year of watching under his belt and was ready to help Pitt win ballgames.

However, Rutherford’s role as a redshirt freshman was to help Pitt win any way he could. That meant kick returning, running the option as a quarterback and also playing some wide receiver.

“I just wanted to do whatever I could to get on the field and help the team win,” Rutherford said. “We were just throwing in a morning practice, and I was playing receiver just for the fun of it, and coach was out there one day and saw me catch a pass.”

Rutherford got into eight games that year, including the Insight.com Bowl, and returned 12 kicks, averaging 21.5 yards per return, rushed for 77 yards and even scored a touchdown at quarterback in the bowl game. But it was the 62-yard reception against Penn State that instantly turned Rutherford into a household name at Pitt.

Keeping a low profile

While explosive on the field, Rutherford does not enjoy being in the spotlight. After games, he goes home to his mother and daughter and goes right to sleep. There is no partying with friends to celebrate a great game. In fact, Rutherford says he likes to be by himself.

Before games is no different.

Rutherford prefers to listen to his music to get pumped up for the day’s game. The hotel Pitt stays in on Friday nights before home games overlooks Heinz Field and, as preparation for play, Rutherford looks out over the stadium and imagines what is going to happen in the game.

When the fan-filled buses, which Pitt students ride to Heinz Field, drive up to the stadium on a game day, Rutherford can overlook the masses of people expecting a Pitt victory.

“You get goose bumps driving up to the game,” Rutherford said. “You have to do anything once inside the stadium to calm yourself down.”

And if it is superstitions you are looking for, you picked the wrong quarterback.

“During the season, I wear two rubber bands, which my mom calls my two gold bracelets,” Rutherford said. “I’ve been wearing them since high school, but I really don’t have any superstitions.”

The future comes now

In 2001 fall camp, a quarterback controversy arose between then-redshirt sophomore Rutherford and senior Priestley. In the end, Priestley came out on top, with Rutherford as a quick backup whenever needed.

Pitt started off 2001 with a 1-5 record and found itself one loss away from being ineligible for the post-season. However, the Panthers battled back and ended up winning their final seven games of the season, including a win in the Tangerine Bowl.

Rutherford played in all 12 games as a backup quarterback. He was used primarily for his speed and agility in goal-line situations. He scored six touchdowns and rushed 81 times for 255 yards. His biggest touchdown of the season came at the end of the first half in the Tangerine Bowl, where he ran in a touchdown to give Pitt a 24-10 halftime lead.

Entering 2002, Rutherford knew he was the starter.

There were doubts as to whether or not Rutherford could actually fit into the starting role. People questioned his throwing ability and asked why he wouldn’t fill the hole left by departing All-American wide receiver Antonio Bryant.

But Harris chose to put his confidence in Rutherford, and it paid off. Pitt went 9-4 – the Panthers’ first nine-win season in 20 years – and won the Insight Bowl.

Rutherford was the starter in every game, throwing 22 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions, while rushing for six touchdowns of his own. He passed for 2,783 yards and rushed for 398 more.

Now, with the start of the 2003 season two weeks away, Rutherford will once again lead Pitt onto the field, as the starting quarterback.

This year, he has a season of experience as a starter under his belt. This year, he doesn’t have people questioning his ability to throw the ball. This year is Rutherford’s last at Pitt, and if he has anything to do with it, it will be a memorable one.

“This year will be one of those years that Pitt is used to,” he said.