WAHPETON, N.D. (AP) — A North Dakota junior college has a senior statesman on its football team. North Dakota State College of Science has a 49-year-old backup defensive lineman named Ray Ruschel. He is a freshman who is a year older than his coach. The Army veteran is a night-shift mechanic at a local sugar beet factory. He is seeking a degree in business management after his most recent deployment with the National Guard. He hopes to become a supervisor at work. For now, he is holding his own with 19- and 20-year-old football players on a team with national title hopes.
Defensive lineman Ray Ruschel, gesturing at center, a 49-year-old college freshman at North Dakota State College of Science, works on rushing techniques during practice on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, in Wahpeton, N.D. Ruschel who spends his nights working as a mechanic at a local sugar beet factory, is seeking a business management degree at the junior college in hopes of becoming a supervisor at the plant. He plays a dozen snaps or more a game. (AP Photo/Dave Kolpack)
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