Patience Key For Ruhland
It’s been a long road for Trevor Ruhland but 6-foot-3, 295-pounder got his first start last weekend at Wake Forest.
“It was exciting,” Ruhland said. “I have always wanted to contribute to the team. Being out there for extended minutes and the whole game was awesome. It was a long process, and I worked really hard.
“It was fun to be out there with my teammates doing what I do every day.”
Ruhland came from a run-heavy attack (that might be an understatement) in high school, so the transition to Notre Dame’s scheme was going to take some time. However, a pair of freak injuries delayed his process over the last two springs.
“I’ve actually torn both of my pecs,” stated Ruhland. “Luckily, I didn’t need surgery, so I’ve missed the last two springs.”
Some might have called it quits, but Ruhland battled through and is reaping the rewards.
“It was a tough time for me, especially in the spring because I was doing pretty well rotating in,” explained Ruhland. “Injuries happen, but I knew I’d be ready for the season. It was about getting healthy and getting my strength back.”
Settling into a position has also helped Ruhland, who has played just about every spot on the offensive line.
“I’ve played a little bit of everything,” laughed Ruhland. “I played tackle my freshman year, guard my sophomore and junior year and center this year. I think I know my strengths and weaknesses at every position, so I have to play to my strengths and work on my weaknesses.”
The Cary (Ill.) native admits playing guard is a little easier than center, but also made a note it’s also easier to play next to captain Sam Mustipher.
“It’s a little bit easier when you don’t have to snap the ball, and you come off and play football,” said Ruhland. “It also helps to play next to the best offensive lineman in the country.”
Ruhland helped pave the way for the Irish running backs to rush for 241 yards at six yards per carry last weekend and he expects production to keep increasing in the coming weeks.
“I think it’s how hard they have been running,” Ruhland said of seeing growth from the running backs. “The last couple weeks they have been running over people, and I love to see that. Tony has really been getting after people. They have looked great in practice this week, so I’m looking forward to seeing them moving forward.”
Notre Dame will see a tough Stanford defense this weekend, but Ruhland knows a win starts with the offense’s preparation this week.
“They are all good,” Ruhland said of the Stanford defensive line. “The scheme is tough and something different than we usually see, so we’ve been working hard on it, and we’ll be ready for it.”