Mike Ruth to be Inducted into College Football Hall of Fame

[BostonCollege1]

MIKE RUTH
Boston College
Nose Guard, 1982-85

The recipient of the 1985 Outland Trophy as the most outstanding interior lineman in the nation, Mike Ruth terrorized offensive lines with his combination of strength and quickness. He becomes the seventh Boston College player to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

A consensus First Team All-American as a senior, Ruth led the Eagles to three bowl games, including a win in the 1985 Cotton Bowl against Houston. Boston College would finish the 1984 season ranked No. 5 nationally. A three-time All-East and All-ECAC selection, he led the Eagles to back-to-back Lambert Trophies as the best FBS team in the East in 1983 and 1984.

A team captain as a senior, Ruth amassed 344 career tackles, 29 sacks, seven forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries during his remarkable career. In 1986, he received Boston College’s highest athletic honor when he was named Eagle of the Year. A teammate of College Football Hall of Famer Doug Flutie, Ruth is a member of Boston College’s Varsity Club Hall of Fame and his No. 68 jersey was retired by the program.

Ruth was drafted in the in the second round of the 1986 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots and spent two seasons with the franchise. He also spent two seasons with the Barcelona Dragons in the World League of American Football.

After his football career, Ruth worked in insurance for more than a decade and earned a master’s in education from Harvard University. He has served as president of Mike Ruth Consulting since 2003, and he currently teaches and coaches at Everett High School in Massachusetts.

[hansen]

MIKE RUTH
Boston College
Nose Guard, 1982-85

The recipient of the 1985 Outland Trophy as the most outstanding interior lineman in the nation, Mike Ruth terrorized offensive lines with his combination of strength and quickness. He becomes the seventh Boston College player to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

A consensus First Team All-American as a senior, Ruth led the Eagles to three bowl games, including a win in the 1985 Cotton Bowl against Houston. Boston College would finish the 1984 season ranked No. 5 nationally. A three-time All-East and All-ECAC selection, he led the Eagles to back-to-back Lambert Trophies as the best FBS team in the East in 1983 and 1984.

A team captain as a senior, Ruth amassed 344 career tackles, 29 sacks, seven forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries during his remarkable career. In 1986, he received Boston College’s highest athletic honor when he was named Eagle of the Year. A teammate of College Football Hall of Famer Doug Flutie, Ruth is a member of Boston College’s Varsity Club Hall of Fame and his No. 68 jersey was retired by the program.

Ruth was drafted in the in the second round of the 1986 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots and spent two seasons with the franchise. He also spent two seasons with the Barcelona Dragons in the World League of American Football.

After his football career, Ruth worked in insurance for more than a decade and earned a master’s in education from Harvard University. He has served as president of Mike Ruth Consulting since 2003, and he currently teaches and coaches at Everett High School in Massachusetts.

Who are the other five besides flutie and Ruth?

[angrychicken]

MIKE RUTH
Boston College
Nose Guard, 1982-85

The recipient of the 1985 Outland Trophy as the most outstanding interior lineman in the nation, Mike Ruth terrorized offensive lines with his combination of strength and quickness. He becomes the seventh Boston College player to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

A consensus First Team All-American as a senior, Ruth led the Eagles to three bowl games, including a win in the 1985 Cotton Bowl against Houston. Boston College would finish the 1984 season ranked No. 5 nationally. A three-time All-East and All-ECAC selection, he led the Eagles to back-to-back Lambert Trophies as the best FBS team in the East in 1983 and 1984.

A team captain as a senior, Ruth amassed 344 career tackles, 29 sacks, seven forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries during his remarkable career. In 1986, he received Boston College’s highest athletic honor when he was named Eagle of the Year. A teammate of College Football Hall of Famer Doug Flutie, Ruth is a member of Boston College’s Varsity Club Hall of Fame and his No. 68 jersey was retired by the program.

Ruth was drafted in the in the second round of the 1986 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots and spent two seasons with the franchise. He also spent two seasons with the Barcelona Dragons in the World League of American Football.

After his football career, Ruth worked in insurance for more than a decade and earned a master’s in education from Harvard University. He has served as president of Mike Ruth Consulting since 2003, and he currently teaches and coaches at Everett High School in Massachusetts.

Who are the other five besides flutie and Ruth?

Reggie Bushes 2.0 thru 6.0

[twballgame9]

MIKE RUTH
Boston College
Nose Guard, 1982-85

The recipient of the 1985 Outland Trophy as the most outstanding interior lineman in the nation, Mike Ruth terrorized offensive lines with his combination of strength and quickness. He becomes the seventh Boston College player to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

A consensus First Team All-American as a senior, Ruth led the Eagles to three bowl games, including a win in the 1985 Cotton Bowl against Houston. Boston College would finish the 1984 season ranked No. 5 nationally. A three-time All-East and All-ECAC selection, he led the Eagles to back-to-back Lambert Trophies as the best FBS team in the East in 1983 and 1984.

A team captain as a senior, Ruth amassed 344 career tackles, 29 sacks, seven forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries during his remarkable career. In 1986, he received Boston College’s highest athletic honor when he was named Eagle of the Year. A teammate of College Football Hall of Famer Doug Flutie, Ruth is a member of Boston College’s Varsity Club Hall of Fame and his No. 68 jersey was retired by the program.

Ruth was drafted in the in the second round of the 1986 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots and spent two seasons with the franchise. He also spent two seasons with the Barcelona Dragons in the World League of American Football.

After his football career, Ruth worked in insurance for more than a decade and earned a master’s in education from Harvard University. He has served as president of Mike Ruth Consulting since 2003, and he currently teaches and coaches at Everett High School in Massachusetts.

Who are the other five besides flutie and Ruth?

Too bad Jim Clark hasn't invented something to answer questions like this.

Mike Holovak, George Kerr, Gene Goodreault, Chester S. Gladchuk, Sr., Charlie O'Rourke and former coaches Frank Cavanaugh, Gil Dobie, and Frank Leahy.

[Supahfan99]

Going to guess off the top of my head Art Donovan for sure. Maybe Mike Holovak.

[dtwalrus]

MIKE RUTH
Boston College
Nose Guard, 1982-85

The recipient of the 1985 Outland Trophy as the most outstanding interior lineman in the nation, Mike Ruth terrorized offensive lines with his combination of strength and quickness. He becomes the seventh Boston College player to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

A consensus First Team All-American as a senior, Ruth led the Eagles to three bowl games, including a win in the 1985 Cotton Bowl against Houston. Boston College would finish the 1984 season ranked No. 5 nationally. A three-time All-East and All-ECAC selection, he led the Eagles to back-to-back Lambert Trophies as the best FBS team in the East in 1983 and 1984.

A team captain as a senior, Ruth amassed 344 career tackles, 29 sacks, seven forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries during his remarkable career. In 1986, he received Boston College’s highest athletic honor when he was named Eagle of the Year. A teammate of College Football Hall of Famer Doug Flutie, Ruth is a member of Boston College’s Varsity Club Hall of Fame and his No. 68 jersey was retired by the program.

Ruth was drafted in the in the second round of the 1986 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots and spent two seasons with the franchise. He also spent two seasons with the Barcelona Dragons in the World League of American Football.

After his football career, Ruth worked in insurance for more than a decade and earned a master’s in education from Harvard University. He has served as president of Mike Ruth Consulting since 2003, and he currently teaches and coaches at Everett High School in Massachusetts.

[MF73-Eleazar]

Before my time, but Ruth must've been amazing.

[hansen]

MIKE RUTH
Boston College
Nose Guard, 1982-85

The recipient of the 1985 Outland Trophy as the most outstanding interior lineman in the nation, Mike Ruth terrorized offensive lines with his combination of strength and quickness. He becomes the seventh Boston College player to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

A consensus First Team All-American as a senior, Ruth led the Eagles to three bowl games, including a win in the 1985 Cotton Bowl against Houston. Boston College would finish the 1984 season ranked No. 5 nationally. A three-time All-East and All-ECAC selection, he led the Eagles to back-to-back Lambert Trophies as the best FBS team in the East in 1983 and 1984.

A team captain as a senior, Ruth amassed 344 career tackles, 29 sacks, seven forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries during his remarkable career. In 1986, he received Boston College’s highest athletic honor when he was named Eagle of the Year. A teammate of College Football Hall of Famer Doug Flutie, Ruth is a member of Boston College’s Varsity Club Hall of Fame and his No. 68 jersey was retired by the program.

Ruth was drafted in the in the second round of the 1986 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots and spent two seasons with the franchise. He also spent two seasons with the Barcelona Dragons in the World League of American Football.

After his football career, Ruth worked in insurance for more than a decade and earned a master’s in education from Harvard University. He has served as president of Mike Ruth Consulting since 2003, and he currently teaches and coaches at Everett High School in Massachusetts.

Who are the other five besides flutie and Ruth?

Too bad Jim Clark hasn't invented something to answer questions like this.

Mike Holovak, George Kerr, Gene Goodreault, Chester S. Gladchuk, Sr., Charlie O'Rourke and former coaches Frank Cavanaugh, Gil Dobie, and Frank Leahy.

I did a quick search and didn't come up with anything.

[hansen]

MIKE RUTH
Boston College
Nose Guard, 1982-85

The recipient of the 1985 Outland Trophy as the most outstanding interior lineman in the nation, Mike Ruth terrorized offensive lines with his combination of strength and quickness. He becomes the seventh Boston College player to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

A consensus First Team All-American as a senior, Ruth led the Eagles to three bowl games, including a win in the 1985 Cotton Bowl against Houston. Boston College would finish the 1984 season ranked No. 5 nationally. A three-time All-East and All-ECAC selection, he led the Eagles to back-to-back Lambert Trophies as the best FBS team in the East in 1983 and 1984.

A team captain as a senior, Ruth amassed 344 career tackles, 29 sacks, seven forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries during his remarkable career. In 1986, he received Boston College’s highest athletic honor when he was named Eagle of the Year. A teammate of College Football Hall of Famer Doug Flutie, Ruth is a member of Boston College’s Varsity Club Hall of Fame and his No. 68 jersey was retired by the program.

Ruth was drafted in the in the second round of the 1986 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots and spent two seasons with the franchise. He also spent two seasons with the Barcelona Dragons in the World League of American Football.

After his football career, Ruth worked in insurance for more than a decade and earned a master’s in education from Harvard University. He has served as president of Mike Ruth Consulting since 2003, and he currently teaches and coaches at Everett High School in Massachusetts.

well done, lambert

[twballgame9]

MIKE RUTH
Boston College
Nose Guard, 1982-85

The recipient of the 1985 Outland Trophy as the most outstanding interior lineman in the nation, Mike Ruth terrorized offensive lines with his combination of strength and quickness. He becomes the seventh Boston College player to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

A consensus First Team All-American as a senior, Ruth led the Eagles to three bowl games, including a win in the 1985 Cotton Bowl against Houston. Boston College would finish the 1984 season ranked No. 5 nationally. A three-time All-East and All-ECAC selection, he led the Eagles to back-to-back Lambert Trophies as the best FBS team in the East in 1983 and 1984.

A team captain as a senior, Ruth amassed 344 career tackles, 29 sacks, seven forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries during his remarkable career. In 1986, he received Boston College’s highest athletic honor when he was named Eagle of the Year. A teammate of College Football Hall of Famer Doug Flutie, Ruth is a member of Boston College’s Varsity Club Hall of Fame and his No. 68 jersey was retired by the program.

Ruth was drafted in the in the second round of the 1986 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots and spent two seasons with the franchise. He also spent two seasons with the Barcelona Dragons in the World League of American Football.

After his football career, Ruth worked in insurance for more than a decade and earned a master’s in education from Harvard University. He has served as president of Mike Ruth Consulting since 2003, and he currently teaches and coaches at Everett High School in Massachusetts.

Who are the other five besides flutie and Ruth?

Too bad Jim Clark hasn't invented something to answer questions like this.

Mike Holovak, George Kerr, Gene Goodreault, Chester S. Gladchuk, Sr., Charlie O'Rourke and former coaches Frank Cavanaugh, Gil Dobie, and Frank Leahy.

I did a quick search and didn't come up with anything.

I did a cursory search and came up with the answer you just quoted.

[hansen]

MIKE RUTH
Boston College
Nose Guard, 1982-85

The recipient of the 1985 Outland Trophy as the most outstanding interior lineman in the nation, Mike Ruth terrorized offensive lines with his combination of strength and quickness. He becomes the seventh Boston College player to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

A consensus First Team All-American as a senior, Ruth led the Eagles to three bowl games, including a win in the 1985 Cotton Bowl against Houston. Boston College would finish the 1984 season ranked No. 5 nationally. A three-time All-East and All-ECAC selection, he led the Eagles to back-to-back Lambert Trophies as the best FBS team in the East in 1983 and 1984.

A team captain as a senior, Ruth amassed 344 career tackles, 29 sacks, seven forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries during his remarkable career. In 1986, he received Boston College’s highest athletic honor when he was named Eagle of the Year. A teammate of College Football Hall of Famer Doug Flutie, Ruth is a member of Boston College’s Varsity Club Hall of Fame and his No. 68 jersey was retired by the program.

Ruth was drafted in the in the second round of the 1986 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots and spent two seasons with the franchise. He also spent two seasons with the Barcelona Dragons in the World League of American Football.

After his football career, Ruth worked in insurance for more than a decade and earned a master’s in education from Harvard University. He has served as president of Mike Ruth Consulting since 2003, and he currently teaches and coaches at Everett High School in Massachusetts.

Who are the other five besides flutie and Ruth?

Too bad Jim Clark hasn't invented something to answer questions like this.

Mike Holovak, George Kerr, Gene Goodreault, Chester S. Gladchuk, Sr., Charlie O'Rourke and former coaches Frank Cavanaugh, Gil Dobie, and Frank Leahy.

I did a quick search and didn't come up with anything.

I did a cursory search and came up with the answer you just quoted.

I guess I need to get better at using those fancy search machines.

[twballgame9]

MIKE RUTH
Boston College
Nose Guard, 1982-85

The recipient of the 1985 Outland Trophy as the most outstanding interior lineman in the nation, Mike Ruth terrorized offensive lines with his combination of strength and quickness. He becomes the seventh Boston College player to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

A consensus First Team All-American as a senior, Ruth led the Eagles to three bowl games, including a win in the 1985 Cotton Bowl against Houston. Boston College would finish the 1984 season ranked No. 5 nationally. A three-time All-East and All-ECAC selection, he led the Eagles to back-to-back Lambert Trophies as the best FBS team in the East in 1983 and 1984.

A team captain as a senior, Ruth amassed 344 career tackles, 29 sacks, seven forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries during his remarkable career. In 1986, he received Boston College’s highest athletic honor when he was named Eagle of the Year. A teammate of College Football Hall of Famer Doug Flutie, Ruth is a member of Boston College’s Varsity Club Hall of Fame and his No. 68 jersey was retired by the program.

Ruth was drafted in the in the second round of the 1986 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots and spent two seasons with the franchise. He also spent two seasons with the Barcelona Dragons in the World League of American Football.

After his football career, Ruth worked in insurance for more than a decade and earned a master’s in education from Harvard University. He has served as president of Mike Ruth Consulting since 2003, and he currently teaches and coaches at Everett High School in Massachusetts.

Who are the other five besides flutie and Ruth?

Too bad Jim Clark hasn't invented something to answer questions like this.

Mike Holovak, George Kerr, Gene Goodreault, Chester S. Gladchuk, Sr., Charlie O'Rourke and former coaches Frank Cavanaugh, Gil Dobie, and Frank Leahy.

I did a quick search and didn't come up with anything.

I did a cursory search and came up with the answer you just quoted.

I guess I need to get better at using those fancy search machines.

Yes. And shutting up.

[hansen]

MIKE RUTH
Boston College
Nose Guard, 1982-85

The recipient of the 1985 Outland Trophy as the most outstanding interior lineman in the nation, Mike Ruth terrorized offensive lines with his combination of strength and quickness. He becomes the seventh Boston College player to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

A consensus First Team All-American as a senior, Ruth led the Eagles to three bowl games, including a win in the 1985 Cotton Bowl against Houston. Boston College would finish the 1984 season ranked No. 5 nationally. A three-time All-East and All-ECAC selection, he led the Eagles to back-to-back Lambert Trophies as the best FBS team in the East in 1983 and 1984.

A team captain as a senior, Ruth amassed 344 career tackles, 29 sacks, seven forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries during his remarkable career. In 1986, he received Boston College’s highest athletic honor when he was named Eagle of the Year. A teammate of College Football Hall of Famer Doug Flutie, Ruth is a member of Boston College’s Varsity Club Hall of Fame and his No. 68 jersey was retired by the program.

Ruth was drafted in the in the second round of the 1986 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots and spent two seasons with the franchise. He also spent two seasons with the Barcelona Dragons in the World League of American Football.

After his football career, Ruth worked in insurance for more than a decade and earned a master’s in education from Harvard University. He has served as president of Mike Ruth Consulting since 2003, and he currently teaches and coaches at Everett High School in Massachusetts.

Who are the other five besides flutie and Ruth?

Too bad Jim Clark hasn't invented something to answer questions like this.

Mike Holovak, George Kerr, Gene Goodreault, Chester S. Gladchuk, Sr., Charlie O'Rourke and former coaches Frank Cavanaugh, Gil Dobie, and Frank Leahy.

I did a quick search and didn't come up with anything.

I did a cursory search and came up with the answer you just quoted.

I guess I need to get better at using those fancy search machines.

Yes. And shutting up.

We all know that ain't going to happen.

[Eaglekeeper]

Art Donovan and Ernie Stautner are BC's only players in the NFL HOF, hard to believe that they are not in the College HOF. Ernie can't even get his BC jersey retired!

[Dick Rosenthal]

In order to be inducted into the College Football HoF a player has to have been a 1st team All-American from one of the recognized "major" organizations (AP, UPI, MacArthur Foundation in the old days, (now AP, ESPN, USA Today). Given that Stautner and Art Donovan played at BC in the immediate aftermath of WWII when vets were allowed to play despite in many cases (like Donovan) being in their early 20s and there was simply a glut of college football talent along the D-Line (George Connor, Leon Hart, Chuck Bednarik, Bill Fisher, Joe Steffy, John Ferraro, Ziggy Czarobski, Bud McFaddin, Bob Gain, etc.) my guess is they never made 1st team on any of the recognized All-America teams. There is no shame in it, Joe Montana, despite a heralded college career, wasn't even a 3rd team AA (behind Art Schlister, Marc Wilson and Paul McDonald) his senior year and thus will never be eligible for the CFHoF. For that matter neither will Tom Brady and a legion of legendary NFL players.

[Eaglekeeper]

Very interesting read, sounds like the CHOF needs to adjust their criteria slightly. Joe Montana should absolutely be in the CHOF.

[flyingelvii]

Why? It's for college achievements, not pro. He was fairly mediocre as a college QB.

[Dick Rosenthal]

Why? It's for college achievements, not pro. He was fairly mediocre as a college QB.

As usual, Easterbrook loses the solid footing he could have had in supporting the proposition that Montana does not belong in the CHoF and instead says something utterly stupid and ill informed. Montana was "mediocre" in college? You are a f**king moron. Montana was an outstanding college quarterback by any measurement, he simply wasn't an All-American:

1. Statistically well above average? Check.
2. Lead his team to a National Championship replete with statiscally impressive performances (i.e., he wasn't the college version of Trent Dilfer). Check.
3. Pulled of some legendary and improbable comebacks racking up passing yards and passing TDs over the course of his career? Check.

Montana was a superior college quarterback by any measure. He just happened to play the position at a time when Marc Wilson had started the BYU tradition of posting statiscally ridiculous passing stats and Art Schlister and Paul McDonald (who perfectly fit the description of game manager type QBs) were leading statiscally ridiculous offenses at tOSU and USC. And just to educate you a little more, Montana slipped to the 3rd round of the NFL draft not because of his performance as a college quarterback (and slipping to the 3rd round would suggest he was still viewed as far better than mediocre) but rather because he had a poor pro day performance (this was before the combine existed) that raised questions about his arm strength.

Now if you want to talk about a mediocre college quarterback, Brady would fit that bill--sitting behind Brian Griese during the 1/2 National Championship season and repeatedly being benched in favor Drew Henson during his time as a starter. His emergence as one of the best of all time (but certainly not the GOAT) is a truly remarkable story.

[TobaccoRoadEagle]

glenn foley for cfhof

[claver2010]

1. Statistically well above average? Check.
2. Lead his team to a National Championship replete with statiscally impressive performances (i.e., he wasn't the college version of Trent Dilfer). Check.
3. Pulled of some legendary and improbable comebacks racking up passing yards and passing TDs over the course of his career? Check.

sounds like everett golson

[Dick Rosenthal]

1. Statistically well above average? Check.
2. Lead his team to a National Championship replete with statiscally impressive performances (i.e., he wasn't the college version of Trent Dilfer). Check.
3. Pulled of some legendary and improbable comebacks racking up passing yards and passing TDs over the course of his career? Check.

sounds like everett golson

Not really. Montana's team won the MNC blowing out #1 Texas at the Cotton Bowl--essentially doing to Texas what Alabama did to Notre Dame. Outside of the Pitt game in 2012, I can't recall Golson leading any comebacks--Tommy Riese came off the bench to beat Purdue and Stanford that year. As far as stats go, Golson would have above-average stats if he had died suddenly at the end of the Florida State game. Unfortunately, the eleventy billion turnovers he committed over his last six games before being benched in favor of Malik Zaire kind of screw up that narrative.

[innocentbystander]

1. Statistically well above average? Check.
2. Lead his team to a National Championship replete with statiscally impressive performances (i.e., he wasn't the college version of Trent Dilfer). Check.
3. Pulled of some legendary and improbable comebacks racking up passing yards and passing TDs over the course of his career? Check.

sounds like everett golson

Not really. Montana's team won the MNC blowing out #1 Texas at the Cotton Bowl--essentially doing to Texas what Alabama did to Notre Dame. Outside of the Pitt game in 2012, I can't recall Golson leading any comebacks--Tommy Riese came off the bench to beat Purdue and Stanford that year. As far as stats go, Golson would have above-average stats if he had died suddenly at the end of the Florida State game. Unfortunately, the eleventy billion turnovers he committed over his last six games before being benched in favor of Malik Zaire kind of screw up that narrative.

so by this logic, Tim (2 national championship teams, Heisman) Tebow who flunked out of the NFL after trying with at least 2 or 3 teams makes the CFHOF some day, but Petyon (0-4 vs Florida, no national championships, no Heisman, never won the big college game) Manning, an elite NFL QB and two time Super Bowl winner, would not? Or has Peyton already made it?

on edit....

http://www.ncaa.com/news/football/artic ... -hall-fame

....it appears Peyton is getting in. Good. He should be in.

[flyingelvii]

Montana threw 25 TDs and 25 INTs in his career. Given it was a different era but those aren't good stats in any era unless you played for the Jets in the 60s. His career was also essentially 1.5 seasons and his senior year makes him a slightly above average QB in the Big 10.

I don't think Brady was a particularly good college player either. But thanks for pointing that out.

[DrJackRyan]

He went through some rough times a few years ago:

Living in a downward spiral; Once thought to be on the cusp of a promising future, years later former Boston College football star Mike Ruth is ...:
Hohler, Bob. Boston Globe; Boston, Mass. [Boston, Mass] 22 July 2007: C.1.

"They say nothing happens that God doesn't allow and nothing is given to you greater than you can handle," Ruth said in an interview. "That [stinks] because if you're a good person or a strong person, you're going to get a lot to handle."

"I never claimed to be Snow White," Ruth said, "but that's all I'm going to say about it."

She alleged in May that Ruth's "current mental state is very alarming to me" and stated that a Catholic Charities social worker quoted Ruth as saying, "I wish I killed her when I had the chance." Ruth denied making the statement.


Full Text


In Mike Ruth's eyes, God has a plan for him. One of the greatest New England college football players in history, Ruth said he trusts God's plan, even though he has lost everything: his home, his health, his marriage, his livelihood, even his freedom when he has landed behind bars.

Ruth gained national celebrity as a theology major and prospective priest at Boston College in January 1985 when he helped Doug Flutie lead the football team to victory in the Cotton Bowl and later that year won the Outland Trophy as the nation's most outstanding interior lineman. He earned his degree, but he passed up the priesthood to marry his college sweetheart and play professional football, including two seasons with the New England Patriots.

A generation later, Ruth, 43, survives on faith, medication, and the kindness of friends. Enmeshed in a bitter divorce, he is fighting allegations by his wife, Judy, that his drug abuse, which she says began at Boston College with anabolic steroids, has caused him to engage in "irrational, delusional, abusive, and threatening behavior toward [her] and his children."

Ruth denied most of the allegations and said his wife is "trying to destroy me." The Ruths are wrangling in court over the custody of their six children between the ages of 5 and 19.

"They say nothing happens that God doesn't allow and nothing is given to you greater than you can handle," Ruth said in an interview. "That [stinks] because if you're a good person or a strong person, you're going to get a lot to handle."

Judy Ruth has alleged in court that her husband's behavioral issues in recent years have been caused by his abusing a prescribed amphetamine he takes for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Ruth denied the allegation.

He was less direct, however, about the assertion that he illegally used anabolic steroids when he played for Boston College. Judy Ruth said she saw him inject the drugs.

"I never claimed to be Snow White," Ruth said, "but that's all I'm going to say about it."

He declined to say whether he believes any of his health problems are related to his alleged steroid use.

"It's a non-issue," he said. "The whole topic is not worth getting into."

`He said, she said'

In a divorce case that a probation officer described as a classic "he said, she said," the Ruths have endured months of emotional and legal turmoil in the court fight for their children and property.

The toll for Mike Ruth has included suffering "a complete physical and emotional breakdown" in February, he said. He spent three nights last month in the Essex County Jail on a charge that he violated a protective order granted to Judy. He was evicted from his leased home in Andover by a sheriff's deputy the day he was released from jail for failing to pay his rent. And he said he has "had to beg and borrow for food."

Down to 260 pounds from his playing weight of 285, the 6-foot-2-inch former All-American has persevered with help from his former BC teammates, including Flutie, Gerard Phelan, and Jim Turner, as well as the school's chancellor, the Rev. J. Donald Monan, among other friends and charities.

"Mike is one of the most high-integrity individuals I have ever met," said Gerard Lorden, a former BC classmate who opened his Milton home to Ruth after his eviction and planned to help him secure another rental property. "He would rather starve than do something wrong."

Judy Ruth has filed documents in Lawrence District Court and Essex Probate and Family Court that cast a far more disturbing portrait. In raising the allegations of drug abuse, she stated Ruth failed to provide for his family as his emotional stability deteriorated after he lost his job with a Wilmington-based insurance company in 2003.

"What I've endured the last few years, no human being should have to go through," she said in an interview.

She alleged in May that Ruth's "current mental state is very alarming to me" and stated that a Catholic Charities social worker quoted Ruth as saying, "I wish I killed her when I had the chance." Ruth denied making the statement.

Judy Ruth also told the court in May that the Department of Social Services had supported three findings of child neglect against Ruth. He said he has appealed the findings.

By Ruth's account, he has been diagnosed with ADHD and depression, both of which he said he treats with medication and therapy. He said he also takes medication for chest pains. In court documents, he stated that specialists who evaluated him as an inpatient at Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital would "attest to his positive mental health."

Ruth alleged in the Essex court that his wife "has been defaming me in the workplace and to family members and business associates such that she has had a serious and negative impact on my work efforts." He said Judy has cost him jobs by telling people he has engaged in abusive behavior and has a drug problem, among other allegations.

Lorden, a financial services executive who has tried to help Ruth find work, said Judy Ruth made such allegations to him.

"When somebody makes claims like that, a lot of people assume the worst," Lorden said. "I wasn't willing to do that."

Lorden, who has two young daughters, said he sought to corroborate Judy Ruth's assertions before he invited Mike to share his home.

"If I thought any inkling of it was factual, I wouldn't have let him within 100 feet of my house," Lorden said.

Courts get involved

Judy Ruth said she never has tried to hinder Mike's job prospects, which would be counterproductive since the family needs any money he could earn. She said her father, Joseph DiNardo, of Belmont, has supported the family for several years. As for Lorden, she said she spoke privately to him as a mutual friend, not as Mike Ruth's prospective employer.

Ruth, who once ranked among the strongest players in the National Football League, also alleged that his wife physically beat him, prompting him to obtain a temporary restraining order against her and press an assault charge (a judge dismissed the charge). Ruth stated his wife has punched him, kicked him, spit at him, and threatened to kill him, all of which she denied.

Judy Ruth, who weighs 130 pounds, described her alleged assault on Ruth as "a dope slap between his shoulder blades" when he was speaking ill of her on the phone to a priest.

For her part, Mrs. Ruth received a temporary restraining order against Ruth in 2005 from Lawrence District Court and last year was granted a protective order by the Essex court barring Ruth from the family home in Andover. She cited his behavior as becoming "erratic and increasingly frightening."

On June 1, two weeks after Judy Ruth received a six-month extension of the protective order, the conflict grew even more contentious, landing Ruth in jail. The incident began when he pulled into the driveway of the family home to pick up the three youngest children for a weekend visit. He was following a routine the Ruths had agreed on since he moved out of the house 16 months earlier.

This time, according to an Andover police report, Mrs. Ruth said she told her husband the vehicle he was driving - a modified Ford Bronco - was unsafe and informed him he could not pick up the children until he obtained another vehicle. She said he advanced to the front steps and called her derogatory names.

When police officers arrived and reviewed the protective order, they found no provision allowing Ruth to enter the driveway to pick up the children, and they arrested him. Because the arrest occurred on a Friday after the courts closed, Ruth spent three nights in the Essex County Jail awaiting arraignment.

Only later did Judy Ruth acknowledge Ruth was not driving a modified Ford Bronco. In fact, she said, he was driving a Nissan Maxima with no apparent safety problems. She described the episode as a regrettable misunderstanding, but it cost her the protective order.

Acting on a request by Mike Ruth, Essex Probate and Family Court Judge Mary McCauley Manzi revoked the order July 9, citing the driveway incident. The judge also ordered Mrs. Ruth to pay $1,250 in legal fees her husband incurred to seek the revocation.

Yet Ruth continues to face a criminal charge that he violated the protective order. And he confronts the reality of a life turned upside down.

Dependent on others

While the couple's tumultuous divorce has been painful for everyone involved, Ruth has gone from a football celebrity hailed in 1985 by Sports Illustrated as a would-be priest who "can quote Cicero but looks like Schwarzenegger" to an ailing individual dependent on charity.

The long weekend in jail posed a particularly stark contrast for Ruth, who holds a graduate degree in education from Harvard and began his post-football career as a counselor at the Norfolk County House of Correction in Dedham.

Ruth also gave motivational speeches after his football career, including one to Catholic men at an event presented by the Diocese of Fall River. His speech, according to the Providence Journal, "was filled with references to `headship,' the Promise Keepers' concept of men serving their families and spouses the way Jesus Christ served the disciples."

"We need to be leaders, but lead with love," Ruth told the crowd of 200, the newspaper reported.

By that time, however, Ruth's marriage already was rocky, his wife said. Judy Ruth said she remained "in denial" for many years while she tried to sustain the relationship. The situation became untenable, she said, after Ruth began using prescription amphetamines in 2000 and lost his job three years later.

As Ruth's income plunged and marriage deteriorated, his wife filed for divorce in February 2006. His financial position then became more perilous as he tried to meet his bills, including his $2,000 monthly rent, while paying $350 a week in court-ordered child support and alimony.

Mrs. Ruth's financial situation also grew more dire.

"Both parties rely heavily on the contributions of others for meeting their respective financial needs [the wife relies on income from her father and the husband relies on gifts from friends]," Ruth stated in May to the Essex court.

Ruth received help last year from a BC alumnus, Sam Conte, of the Andover Financial Group, and another friend, Sal Lupoli, of Sal's Pizza, who each paid some of his rent, according to court records. St. Theresa's Church of North Reading gave him furniture and the Salvation Army contributed $200 toward his gas bill.

But by last August, Ruth informed Manzi he was earning no income, facing debts greater than $21,000, and unable to meet his court-ordered payments. He tried to cover his expenses by securing a $50,000 loan against his share of the estimated $400,000 equity in the family home. But when he was unable to obtain the loan, his situation worsened.

Ruth's truck was repossessed. Manzi found him in contempt of court for failing to pay nearly $11,000 in child support and alimony. And Ruth fell behind in his rent, while his other bills continued to pile up.

"It got to the point where if I got out of bed, it was a great day," he said.

Continuing struggles

Then came some help. Ruth said Flutie and Phelan arrived at his door last Christmas, with Flutie buying him a car - Ruth said he has borrowed as many as 12 vehicles in the last year - and paying the insurance on a truck for his 19-year-old son, Michael Jr. Phelan also helped financially, as did Monan, who contributed a month's rent and reached out to other alumni on Ruth's behalf.

Ruth said Turner, an assistant football coach at BC, and Barry Gallup, BC's assistant athletic director for football operations, have helped in several ways, including trying to restore his reputation among members of the college community who had heard negative comments.

"Finally, I've got some good friends," Ruth said.

He recently was earning $18 an hour as a rigger for a Wilmington transportation company. And though Manzi in late May lowered Ruth's weekly child support and alimony payments to $312, including $50 to pay down his overdue obligations, he said he has little or no money remaining after the court-ordered payments.

Judy Ruth, a homemaker, said she remains dependent on her father.

"He has not made a mortgage payment in four years," she said of Ruth.

As the divorce case progresses, both parents said their primary concern is their children.

"I want to co-parent with him, but I can't in his current state," Judy said.

Ruth maintains he is fit to parent. And he said he believes God will sustain him, his faith as strong as it was in college. In addition to his 1985 Cotton Bowl ring, he wears two religious medallions, including an Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.

"God always has a plan," Ruth said. "If anything happens to me, he already has considered how he is going to take care of my kids."

Still, Ruth said, "I would really like to have a nice day one day."

To that, Judy Ruth said, "Wouldn't we all."

Bob Hohler can be reached at hohler@globe.com.

Credit: Bob Hohler GLOBE STAFF. Boston Globe

[twballgame9]

Did nospace just suggest that Tebow doesn't belong in the college hall of fame? Jesus fucksticks

[angrychicken]

Did nospace just suggest that Tebow doesn't belong in the college hall of fame? Jesus fucksticks

He would have been better off arguing that Tebow doesn't belong in the college hall of fame because he played for a UNIVERSITY.

[Brooklyneagle]

I had read some time ago that Ruth had fallen on hard times. Given that, I wonder what put it in the minds of those involved in choosing CFHF candidates to induct him. Do these guys just pore over old All America lists? Or, does someone (or a school) push a candidacy? The credible allegations about steroid use would seem to make his selection a surprise (at least to me).

The year after Flutie graduated, BC played BYU in (I think) the Kickoff Classic. (How low we have fallen in recent years.) Howard Cosell did the color for the broadcast and never stopped talking about how Ruth, then a senior, was going to become a priest -- after the NFL. Ruth was good bull rushing the BYU quarterback early in the game but then faded, as did BC. His awards at the end of that season owed a lot to the publicity he got, including that from Cosell. As is often the case with these awards.

Hope Ruth has straightened his life out. Wish him well.

[MF73-Eleazar]

Jesus, had no idea about Ruth's post-BC life.

Damn.

[Dick Rosenthal]

Montana threw 25 TDs and 25 INTs in his career. Given it was a different era but those aren't good stats in any era unless you played for the Jets in the 60s. His career was also essentially 1.5 seasons and his senior year makes him a slightly above average QB in the Big 10.

I don't think Brady was a particularly good college player either. But thanks for pointing that out.

Check your stats, the interceptions were thrown his sophomore year. His junior and senior years were outstanding.

[Dick Rosenthal]

Ruth was the product of better living through chemistry. He was the Rob Waldrop of the 80s. And just as there were very few Arizona Wildcats of the Dessert Swarm era were surprised that Rob was ineffective once he could not take the juice, nor were there many Eagles of the Flute era shocked that Ruth was ineffective once his back acne went away.