Rutledge set to carry flag for Arkansas

SCOTT CAIN
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

FAYETTEVILLE -- Ordinarily, John Rutledge would have been playing flag football Thursday.
Instead, Rutledge spent his third day practicing as Arkansas' backup quarterback for Saturday's game against Ole Miss at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
If starting quarterback Zak Clark has to leave the game because of an injury -- and his ankle is tender -- then Rutledge would replace him, fulfilling one of the most improbable scenarios in the college football cosmos. From intramurals to SEC action in one week.
It's not that far-fetched.
Arkansas has had to change quarterbacks four times in the past two games because of injuries that began with sophomore Robby Hampton on Oct. 14 against South Carolina. Then Clark went down, then Jared McBride, and Hampton was forced back in. Then Hampton separated his shoulder Saturday against Auburn and Clark relieved him.
Clark still has not fully recovered from a high ankle sprain but is further along than expected, Coach Houston Nutt said. It's doubtful Hampton will be available Saturday, which is why Nutt called Rutledge on Monday.
Rutledge, a junior in eligibility from Searcy, walked on in 1997 under former Coach Danny Ford and then worked in Nutt's offense through the third game of 1999. The line of quarterbacks ahead of him was long, and Rutledge was ready to move on.
Since then, he has competed in flag football. Rutledge had been playing on his fraternity team and a coed team, both on campus, and on a local recreational team. There were games four days a week until this week.
"It's been fun getting back into it again," Rutledge said. "It's overwhelming, but you just kind of take it in stride and just have fun with it and not let it get to your head too much and keep it light."
One of the strangest angles of Rutledge's return is the other players don't see it as preposterous that they just might have to turn the offense over to a guy whose most recent triumph was in the Rogers Industrial League. That's because they saw him operate for 21/2 years.
"I wouldn't say bizarre," junior guard La'Zerius White said. "It's kind of like a necessity now. Rutledge came in with me in '97. We know he's someone we can count on."
Rutledge is playing at essentially the same build as when he left, about 6-1, 195 pounds. He's not in peak condition but he's still mobile, and that has allowed coaches to prepare a separate package of plays for him.
And Rutledge has absorbed the game plan quickly, coaches said. That's a major reason why Nutt didn't hesitate to call him.
One of the biggest adjustments has been trying to regain his passing accuracy.
"Throwing in pads is another world compared to throwing without them," Rutledge said.
But given the circumstances, it's been a smooth return.
"He comes out here in three days, picks up our game plan," Nutt said. "There's a good package for him, and he has done an excellent job of fitting in, snap count, signals, where you're not scared one bit to put him in the ballgame."
Rutledge never imagined that he would find himself back in college football. In the 13 months he was away from the sport, he said he didn't miss it.
"To be honest with you, I really didn't," Rutledge said. "As a player in any sport, when you make that move to step away you have to be totally confident to know that you're not going back. So when I left, I left with no regrets and knowing I was not coming back."
At least he thought he knew. When Nutt called, Rutledge had to think about the offer but only for a short time.
This was different than the traffic jam he left behind in 1999 when Arkansas had five scholarship quarterbacks and a few walk-ons. This time the head coach was coming to him, telling Rutledge the team needed him.
So there he was Tuesday, wearing a helmet and taking one-third of the snaps, more than he ever received with the varsity in his first go-round.
Some life rearranging had to be done to make the return work.
"Being a regular student, your main focus is school and grades and class," Rutledge said. "Considering it's my senior year [academically], I'm thinking about what I'm going to be doing when I get out. There's job interviews and things like that are what's going on in a senior's life.
"Now you're playing football again, and all of a sudden you're talking about a structured schedule and your time demand is a little bit different."
At least for the rest of the season, Rutledge will hang around. Any talk about whether he would return next year is premature, he said.
But stranger things have happened, like being summoned from the intramural field.

This article was published on Friday, November 3, 2000

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