A native of Coupar Angus in Scotland, Sutherland got his start in football by playing end at the University of Pittsburgh, commonly known as Pitt, under legendary coach Glenn Scobey "Pop" Warner.

[5] The dental students on the 1917 team included Sutherland,[6] Katy Easterday,[7] Skip Gougler,[8] "Tank" McLaren[9] and "Jake" Stahl.

[10] Sutherland also lettered in wrestling and captained the track and field team at Pitt for which he specialized in the hammer throw, discus, and shot put.

However, he soon left the team and began his head coaching career at Lafayette College from 1919 to 1923, leading the Leopards to the 1921 Eastern Collegiate Championship.

Sutherland, who was described as "a national hero" in a Saturday Evening Post article,[13] became a highly admired and influential coach at the university while compiling a record of 111–20–12.

[24] Sutherland later coached in the National Football League with the Brooklyn Dodgers for two seasons, 1940–41, before leaving the team to serve the United States during World War II.

[26] Upon returning to the United States, Sutherland landed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he was head coach and team vice president.

While on a scouting trip for the Steelers in April 1948, Sutherland was found in his car in Bandana, Kentucky, where he was experiencing confusion and was then taken to a hospital in Cairo, Illinois, where he was initially diagnosed with "nervous exhaustion".