By Owen Gotimer
LoCoSports Editor-in-Chief
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Ashburn (February 7, 2016) — Briar Woods High School senior Ryan Rutkowski has made a commitment to continue his football career at Towson University starting in the 2016-2017 school year.
“Ever since eighth grade it was a dream of mine to play DI football,” the 6-foot-2, 185-pound Rutkowski said. “It’s a relief to have clarity of where I’m going after all the camps and visits I attended.”
While searching for a place to play his collegiate football, Rutkowski looked at a bunch of criteria including location, school size and coaching staff.
“Towson has great academics and a great football team with great coaches. I like coach Ambrose and coach Moyseenko a lot, and I want to play for coaches that I really like and have good relationships with,” Rutkowski said. “Another reason I chose TU is because it’s not too far from home, but it’s also not too close.”
Just 85 miles northeast of Ashburn, Towson offered Rutkowski some distance from his hometown while also offering his friends and family the chance to watch him play at the next level.
Rutkowski’s next level will be as a part of the Division I FCS Tigers who finished 7-4 in 2015 including a 5-3 record in the Colonial Athletic Association. At Towson, Rutkowski – along with Stone Bridge graduate Tony Gallegos (2015) – will play for eighth-year head coach Rob Ambrose who led the Tigers to the FCS National Championship in 2013.
“I will add offensive depth, and I will be an offensive threat,” said Rutkowski who will play receiver for Towson. “I will be adding a very hard working and motivated student-athlete to the team and school.”
No newcomer to hard work and success, Rutkowski helped Briar Woods to a combined 26-14 record over his three years as a member of the varsity football team. In 2015, the Falcons finished 3-8 against one of the toughest schedules in the state playing six games against teams ranked in the top-5 of their respective regions and three other games against teams ranked in the top-10.
“I’m so grateful that I was part of such a great football program and had such great coaches. I will forever be thankful that I was a Briar Woods student-athlete,” Rutkowski said. “Playing for Briar Woods and coach Pierce really prepared me to play college football. Briar Woods taught me discipline, work ethic and to never give up.”
While Rutkowski learned certain qualities at Briar Woods, at one point, he had to overcome giving up the sport he will take with him to college.
“When I was in third grade my parents thought it would be a good idea to have me try out tackle football. I threw up before every single game in the parking lot with my dad comforting me, because I was so nervous. After that season I quit football for a while but then picked it back up in seventh grade and ever since then I’ve loved it,” Rutkowski said. “I simply play the game just because I enjoy everything about it. The friendships I’ve formed and the lessons I’ve learned are everlasting. I want to be the best I can be at what I do, and I want my family to be proud of me, that’s what keeps me motivated.”
