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Members
KEN RUETTGERS
Life Athletes Biography
Ken Ruettgers
Green Bay Packers, NFL
Ken Ruettgers is a Green Bay Packer, a Life Athlete, and an author! Even
though Ken, the team's offensive left tackle, had to officially retire
from football in the middle of the 1996 season (bad knee pain made playing
unbearable), he was on the sidelines amid the thrill of victory in Super
Bowl XXXI. The Packers' 35-21 victory over the New England Patriots
brought the Vince Lombardi trophy home-- Green Bay was the team that the
legendary Lombardi coached so successfully!
What do football, the Life Athletes fellowship, and writing have in common
for Ken Ruettgers? He probably didn't dream of doing any of the three
when he was a kid!
Surprisingly, this first round draft choice, 89 Packers' Offensive MVP,
and 12-year NFL veteran did not set his sights on a pro career until he
was almost there. I was not a big fan of pro football. I just enjoyed the
activity in sports. I liked being competitive in whatever level I played
at, says Ken. His career at Central Valley High School in Bakersfield,
California was focused on the immediate fun and immediate challenges. Not
until his junior year did Ken even find out that colleges would pay for
your education if you would come play football....he learned about
"football scholarships", decided that was a good goal, and he got it! Ken
joined a strong USC squad and was on the offensive line protecting USC
runner and Heisman trophy winner Marcus Allen. Other teammates were Bruce
Matthews and Rodney Pete... but for Ken, being a USC star paled in
comparison to the fun he was having on the field!
Ken's pro career is summed up by the word consistent. Facing the best
pass rushers in the league every week, guys like Richard Dent and Lawrence
Taylor, Ken's job was to beat the odds. Ken's 12-year stint itself beat
the odds... his NFL career endured longer than average... most of his
former USC teammates had retired before 1996!
It sounds like Ken Ruettgers' football days taught him a lot, and even
prepared him to join Life Athletes. One thing is that I am a guy who
likes the challenge of beating the odds. The biblical story of David
slaying Goliath sums up my approach. I am also a guy who would go the
other direction. Conformity is easy, but to stand up above the crowd, you
often need to walk the other way.
The Life Athletes challenge, the commitment to its 4 points, Ken says, is
not an easy challenge! Then again, nothing great comes from doing
anything easy. David had assurance in the provisions of God. The same
approach will work for the four points, no matter how hard they are. To
Life Athletes who are daunted by the possibility of failure, Ken says:
Straying and getting back on track is a whole lot better than not giving
it a shot!
Ken Ruettgers' book, Home Field Advantage, is about fatherhood. Parents
have a "home field advantage" over other social forces that might
negatively impact children.
Ken's life has taken many turns since his Central Valley High days. Now
that Ken is retired, we all wait to see what he will do next!
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