The freshman class over at North Dakota College of Science got a little older this fall with the addition of this guy right here.
Yes, that's freshman nose guard Ray Ruschel, and he's not your typical "old man."
Ruschel is 49 years old, which for most prospective freshman student athletes, may pose too much a challenge. Not quite for the 17-year-long active duty member currently in the North Dakota Army National Guard.
As a military man, Ruschel is accustomed to being around young people, and he's in better shape at nearly fifty than some of the teenagers on the Wildcats roster.
And here's something funny: Head Coach Eric Issendorf played football for the Cats back in the nineties, but he's still an entire year younger than his freshman nose guard.
HIS FRESHMAN NOSE GUARD!!!
Ruschel, to his credit, just wants to "live life to the fullest" and he couldn't let a chance like this pass him by.
"I want to live life," Ruschel said. "If I had the chance and I didn't take it, I would regret it. I had a chance, and I'm taking it, and I'm living life to the fullest. And I'm having a blast with everybody playing. Out here playing with these young kids and actually being able to keep up! Surprising myself a lot."
Surprising yourself?
You're surprising us all!
The wildcats recently blazed through the playoffs, knocking off Minnesota State Community Technical College in the MCAC Championship. They'll play for the NJCAA DIII National Championship on December 3.
Ruschel, I have to assume, will be the oldest player to ever take the field in the NJCAA DIII National Championship.
