Joe Rutgens
Encyclopedia
Joseph Casimiere Rutgens (born January 26, 1939 in Cedar Point
, Illinois
) is a former American football
defensive tackle in the National Football League
for the Washington Redskins
. He went to two Pro Bowl
s during his nine year career. He played college football
at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
and was drafted
in the first round (third overall) of the 1961 NFL Draft
. Rutgens was also selected in the first round (fourth overall) of the 1961 AFL Draft
by the Oakland Raiders
.
Cedar Point, Illinois
Cedar Point is a village in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. The population was 262 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
) is a former American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
defensive tackle in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. He went to two Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
s during his nine year career. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
and was drafted
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
in the first round (third overall) of the 1961 NFL Draft
1961 NFL Draft
The 1961 National Football League Draft took place on December 27–28, 1960. The league would later hold an expansion draft for the Minnesota Vikings expansion franchise, and the Vikings were also awarded the first selection position in this draft. This draft was also the first regular draft for...
. Rutgens was also selected in the first round (fourth overall) of the 1961 AFL Draft
1961 American Football League Draft
Because another league was in competition for the class of 1961 college stars, the American Football League draft for 1961 graduates was actually held in 1960, with a six-round telephone draft on November 23, that saw the Denver Broncos select New Mexico State's Bob Gaiters as the overall first...
by the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.