He played college football for the Texas Longhorns, earning first-team All-American honors as a lineman in 1983.
[1] During his 10-year professional career, he played primarily with the NFL's Atlanta Falcons and went to Super Bowl XXIV with the Denver Broncos.
He also played for the Los Angeles Express and the St. Louis Cardinals and spent a year with the Minnesota Vikings.
In early 1984, Ruether was selected by the Houston Gamblers of the USFL and then traded to the Los Angeles Express along with Mark Adickes for two future picks.
He played for the Los Angeles Express of the USFL, where he snapped the ball to future Hall of Famer Steve Young in 1984 and 1985 before entering the NFL with the Cardinals in 1986.