AURORA — Twelve games into the 2010 football season, Logan Rutt’s father finally was able to witness him in action.
Neither complained last Friday night, when Cherokee Trail handled Ralston Valley 14-2 in the Class 5A quarterfinals.
“Everybody was really happy to see him. They were just excited about it,” said Rutt, the Cougars’ left tackle.
Added Cougars right tackle Tyler Patrick: “It was great to see him, but I never thought that big of a guy could get hurt. We just hope he continues to get better.”
Tom Rutt showed up in a wheelchair, but he may as well have been walking on air. The English teacher and veteran assistant coach at Cherokee Trail made his first appearance after a motorcycle accident left him with a broken vertebra and seven fractured ribs.
The former offensive lineman for the Montana Grizzlies shared special moments with the team prior to the game, and coach Monte Thelen didn’t see an eye move or a head turn.
“It was awesome for our kids,” Thelen said.
Truth be told, wife Melissa Rutt said, “It may have been even better for us.”
On Father’s Day, Tom and Melissa Rutt, while in Strasburg, probably had a motorcycle highway peg catch a curb during a turn. While Melissa said she was able “to pop right up” after the bike went down, Tom remained on the ground and indicated he was having trouble breathing.
Five months, multiple hospital stays and hundreds of hours of rest and therapy later, Tom has resumed walking, but his strength and endurance still require building. He’s at the Spalding Rehabilitation Hospital in Aurora and is hopeful of returning home by next month, although no date has been sent.
“First, it was a couple of weeks, then a couple weeks more,” Melissa Rutt said. “It’s frustrating, and you have to be patient.”
He does, however, plan to attend Saturday’s semifinal game at undefeated Regis Jesuit. Logan Rutt, who has brought his father videos of previous games to critique, said he will settle for his father’s return over the holiday break.
“Coach is not the kind of guy who likes crowds, but he was happy to see everybody and see one of his son’s games in his senior year,” Cougars center Blake Brown said.
Now, he’ll be able to view another, possibly two. A Cougars victory Saturday would include a trip to Invesco Field at Mile High and their first shot at a title.
Despite being without his father and coach, Logan Rutt, whose grade-point average is better than 4.0, has carried himself well, according to Thelen.
“He has handled all of it very well,” the coach said. “I’m really proud of him.”
