David Ruter

Ruter, originally of Irene, S.D., is the all-time leading rusher in USF school history. During his four years on the Cougars football team, including three as a starter, Ruter helped the Cougars roll up a 44-6 record, including winning the school’s first national championship (NAIA) in 1996.

In those four seasons, Ruter play a central role as USF had an 8-3 playoff record with the national title in 1996 and a national semifinal berth in 1997. Selected MVP of the SDIC Conference in both 1997 and 1998, Ruter was a three-time all-league player. He earned first-team All-American honors in 1998 and was second team All-American in 1997. Ruter, arguably USF’s greatest running back ever, finished with a school record 4,783 yards rushing on 677 carries for a 7.1 yard average (school record) in 50 games. He totaled a school record 22, 100-yard rushing games and had 5,865 yards of total offense in his career. Ruter had 1,452 yards rushing and 29 TDs; 1,445 yards and 23 TDs as a junior; and a single season school mark of 1,726 yards and 19 TDs as a sophomore for the 1996 national champions. Ruter, who also had 79 catches for 1,082 yards and 12 TDs, had a school record 85 career TDs, setting an NAIA record that still stands of 518 points. He was just the third player in college football history at any level to accomplish that mark. Additionally, he is the only player in school history to rush for over 300 yards in a single game, doing it twice (33-315-4 TDs vs. U-Mary, 11-23-1996; 29-304-4 TDs vs. Olivet Nazarene, 11-21-1996). 

Ruter, who operates Ruter Contracting in Irene, S.D., is married to Stephanie and has five children, Dylan, Taylor, Ella, Lane and Logan.