Saturday will be a notable day for Malik Rutherford.
Not only will the sophomore be taking part in his third home opener for Georgia Tech, he’ll also celebrate his mother’s 47th birthday. And she is one of the reasons, if not the biggest reason, Rutherford is still playing for the Yellow Jackets.
“I’m one of the first people in my family to go to college,” Rutherford said. “I just got to finish the job just for her to put a smile on her face.”
A 5-foot-9, 165-pound wide receiver, Rutherford began playing football at the age of 3. He went to every practice and every game his two older brothers were a part of in the Liberty City neighborhood of Miami.
Rutherford mostly played running back during youth football until a switch to wide receiver as a high school freshman. That move, coupled with a transfer to the Champagnat Catholic School, gave Rutherford the platform to thrive.
Recruitment started to pick up for the relatively undersized Rutherford. He received scholarship offers from Indiana, Louisville, Maryland, Nebraska, Ole Miss and Syracuse, to name a few. His relationship with former Tech wide receivers coach Kerry Dixon, however, kept Tech at the top of his list.
Nearly four years ago, on Nov. 24, 2019, Rutherford announced his commitment to Tech as a junior.
“At the time, Georgia Tech was really the only school coming after me,” Rutherford said. “Then I saw the (transfer) departure of (former Tech wide receiver) Ahmarean Brown, so I just saw an opportunity at the time. I just stuck it out.
“And at the end of the day it wasn’t all about football. I was thinking about getting my degree, too. My mom really wants me to get my degree. Of course, I want to go to the NFL, but I also want to do that just for her.”
With his college commitment set, Rutherford had his entire focus set on playing a great senior year and leading Champagnat Catholic to another state title. But his world was shaken in June 2020 when Danny Clavijo, Champagnat Catholic’s defensive coordinator, died in a car accident.
Rutherford and Clavijo were extremely close.
“It was real hard seeing him go. I never had someone close to me pass,” Rutherford said. “It really touched me. He just gives me another reason to go hard and just keep going.”
Rutherford caught 32 passes for 510 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior and did indeed lead the Lions to yet another state title. Both on and off the field his thoughts never strayed too far from the memories of Clavijo.
In the 2020 Florida state championship game, Rutherford made a one-handed touchdown catch to seal the win over University Christian hours after taking a Clavijo memorial poster out to midfield for the pregame coin toss, according to the Miami Herald.
There was another moment, a week earlier, in which Champagnat Catholic’s two starting defensive backs went down with injury on the same play. Hector Clavijo, Champagnat Catholic’s head coach and Danny Clavijo’s brother, frantically looked on the sideline for a replacement. He found Rutherford standing next to him.
In three plays, Rutherford made two tackles and broke up a pass. He had never played defense before.
“He knew exactly where to be, when to be there,” Hector Clavijo said. “He was like, ‘It was almost like someone was carrying me to make those plays. It wasn’t even me moving.’ It was a very spiritual year for us that year. His bond with my brother has played a big role in his motivation.”
Rutherford already was an athlete who didn’t need much motivation. His small stature and light weight stacked the odds against him from an early age.
Clavijo said Rutherford’s work ethic allowed him to overcome those odds, to become the player he is today and the player he is becoming. Rutherford had five catches for 85 yards in Tech’s opener against Louisville and now has 33 grabs for 372 yards in his past 14 games for the Jackets.
“He was always the hardest worker I ever had,” Clavijo said. “I had to tell other guys, ‘Look at that guy and look at how small he is and why is he getting so much action recruiting and why is he so successful?’ Even to this day, now with the kids I’m currently coaching, I always bring him up and say, ‘This is the guy you got to model your game after.’
“His work ethic was just so unique to the point of I’ll never forget his senior year I would have to take away his helmet at practice because he would want to go on scout team, he would want to go and take every rep, he would want to go and train after practice. He had this crazy hard-working mindset and it’s the reason why he’s there without question.”
Rutherford is majoring in business administration and is undecided with what he wants to do in life after football, although he’s said the connections he knows he will make as a Tech student coupled with a Tech degree should afford him plenty of career opportunities. That’s, of course, if he doesn’t play professional football.
He’ll continue to strive toward that ultimate goal at 1 p.m. Saturday when the Jackets (0-1) face South Carolina State (0-2). Rutherford also will continue to play for those who are present in the stands Saturday, like his mother and his family, and those who are not, like Danny Clavijo.
Rutherford, he said, still writes Clavijo’s name on his face every game day.
“I put him in my prayers every time I pray,” Rutherford said. “‘In Jesus name I pray, in Danny’s name I play.’”
Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
