Before he was throwing touchdown passes to Larry Fitzgerald at Pitt, Rod Rutherford was one of the most gifted athletes Western Pennsylvania had ever seen.

At Perry Traditional Academy, Rutherford wasn’t just a football player. He excelled in football, basketball, and baseball at a time when playing multiple sports was still common. His combination of size, athleticism, leadership, and competitiveness made him one of the most respected high school athletes in Pittsburgh.

Rutherford’s success earned him Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Athlete of the Year honors and attracted interest from major college football programs across the country. Ultimately, he stayed home and chose the University of Pittsburgh.

At Pitt, Rutherford became one of the most productive quarterbacks in school history. During the 2003 season, he threw for 3,679 yards and 37 touchdowns while helping Larry Fitzgerald put together one of the greatest seasons ever by a college wide receiver. Together, the duo became one of the most dangerous quarterback-receiver combinations in the nation. Fitzgerald finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting while Rutherford cemented his place among Pitt’s all-time great quarterbacks.

While many remember the touchdowns, the records, and the wins, Rutherford’s story is also a reminder of an era when elite athletes didn’t specialize in one sport at an early age. He represented the best of Pittsburgh athletics: toughness, versatility, and the willingness to compete in anything.

Today, Rod Rutherford remains one of the greatest athletes ever to come out of Perry High School and Western Pennsylvania and one of the most underrated sports figures Pittsburgh has produced.

 

Q: Growing up at Perry, which sport came most naturally to you: football, basketball, or baseball?

A: Not to sound too crazy, but all three sports came naturally to me. The first sport I fell in love with was baseball.

 

Q: What made Perry athletics so special during your era?

A: Just like any other place, it was our tradition. The guys before us laid a solid foundation for what Perry sports should look like. We also had guys who were able to come together at a time in our city when gang violence was at a high.

 

Q: Do you think athletes today miss out by specializing in one sport too early?

A: 100%! I believe each sport can help you develop in the other sports. The better you are as an athlete, the better you will be at the sport you decide to play long-term.

 

Q: What colleges recruited you the hardest coming out of high school?

A: Football: Michigan State, Penn State, Syracuse, Maryland, Indiana, Miami, Florida State and Pitt. Not all were recruiting me to play quarterback. Basketball: Robert Morris, Duquesne, UMass, Xavier and Dayton. Baseball: Clemson and Wake Forest.

 

Q:  Why did you ultimately decide to stay home and attend Pitt?

A: I had a kid in high school, and our head coach at that time had once coached in the NFL as a quarterback coach. I wanted to be around a guy who knew what the NFL was looking for.

 

Q: What was it like being teammates with Larry Fitzgerald during his historic seasons?

A: Larry is a freakish athlete. He’s another guy who was—and still is—a very good basketball player with great hand-eye coordination, as we already know! But when you’re in the moment and locked in, you really don’t realize what’s going on. Now, looking back and reflecting on everything, knowing I actually played with an NFL Hall of Famer is insane.

 

Q: When did you realize Fitzgerald was different from every other receiver you had played with?

A: You were able to see it from day one on the field. Definitely a big, physical athlete at the receiver position.

 

Q: Pitt fans still talk about the 2003 season. What memories stand out the most?

A: Statistically, it was my best season. Without knowing the exact numbers, I may have been in the top 10 in all the major categories for quarterbacks.

 

Q: Looking back, what was the toughest defense or toughest player you faced in college?

A: That Miami defense in 2002.

 

Q: As a Pittsburgh kid, what did it mean to represent your city at the University of Pittsburgh?

A: To be truly transparent, I didn’t know how many eyes were on me or how big of an impact I was making on the city. I just loved playing sports.

 

Q: Do you think Perry athletes get enough recognition for their contributions to Pittsburgh sports history?

A: I don’t think the City League as a whole gets enough recognition in the city or Western Pennsylvania.

 

Q: What advice would you give young athletes trying to balance multiple sports today?

A: No matter if you play one sport or you play three, you have to do more than just train. You have to understand how to play as a teammate and not as an individual.

 

Q:  If you could go back and relive one game from high school or college, which would it be and why?

A: I would definitely go back and revisit our game against Miami in ’02 at the Orange Bowl. I felt like we really had a chance to shock the world. The score doesn’t show it, but we lost by seven points, I believe. On the field, you could tell they weren’t expecting us to play them that tough!

 

Q: Who were some Pittsburgh athletes you admired growing up?

A: Baldy Goodwine (NVH), Randall Cunningham, Steve Young, Barry Sanders, Westin White (NVH), Barry Bonds and, obviously, Michael Jordan, just to name a few.

 

Q: What do you want your legacy to be when people talk about Rod Rutherford years from now?

A: No matter what sport I was playing, I played with something to prove.