Rod Rutherford Rod Rutherford ( born December 12 , 1980 in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania ) is an American football coach and quarterback for the Western Pennsylvania Sting . Rutherford has spent time on both the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Carolina Panthers rosters , mostly as a practice squad player . Rutherford entered the NFL when he was signed by the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2004 . He won a Super Bowl ring with the Steelers the following year in Super Bowl XL as a practice team player . High school . Rutherford attended Perry Traditional Academy in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania and was a letterman in football . Rutherford was named " Pittsburgh Post - Gazette " " Athlete of the Year " in both 1998 and 1999 . He was heavily recruited by a number of Division I schools , including Pitt , Penn St , Miami ( FL ) , Michigan St , Indiana , and Syracuse . College years . At Pitt Rutherford led the Panthers to consecutive winning seasons as the starter in 2002 and 2003 , winning All - Big East honors for both efforts . However , early in his career he contributed in many other ways . After redshirting during his freshman season Rutherford was still fourth on the depth chart at quarterback , but his athleticism and desire earned him playing time as a kick returner , receiver , and running a few option plays from behind center . After chipping in situationally during his first two seasons Rutherford finally became the starter during his junior year in 2002 . The 2002 season culminated with a 38 - 13 win over Oregon State in the Insight Bowl and a # 18 ranking in the final Coaches Poll . The following year Rutherford had an even better season . The expectations were high for the Panthers as they reached a # 9 ranking early in the season , but inconsistencies , primarily on defense , prevented the Panthers from living up to the season ' s lofty expectations . Despite the Panthers ' struggles Rutherford still led the team to a winning record and a Continental Tire Bowl appearance . That season Rutherford set the single - season record for most passing yards in a season at the Pitt with 3 , 679 . Even with all of that success at quarterback the one play for which he will most likely be remembered by Pitt fans is a 66 - yard touchdown reception he had during his freshman season in a victory against Penn St . He finished his collegiate career with 458 completions in 840 attempts , passing for 6 , 725 yards and 60 touchdowns . Professional Years . NFL Years . Rutherford was undrafted upon entering the NFL , but was signed to the Carolina Panthers , where he spent the 2004 season on the practice squad . The following year saw Rutherford return to his hometown of Pittsburgh where he spent another season on a practice squad , this time with the Steelers . While with the Steelers he earned a Super Bowl ring as the Steelers won Super Bowl XL . Non - NFL Years . Without an offer to remain in the NFL , Rutherford spent 2007 in NFL Europa with the Hamburg Sea Devils . In 2008 he signed to play for the Erie RiverRats of the American Indoor Football Association where he selected to the all - AIFA squad after leading Erie to a 7 - 2 record in his nine regular - season starts , after he began the season playing for the Wilkes Barre / Scranton Pioneers of AF2http : / / www . oursportscentral . com / services / releases / ? id = 3567029 . In 2010 , he signed once again with Erie ( now known as the Explosion , formerly the Storm and RiverRats ) for his second tour of duty . In 2012 he signed with Western Pennsylvania of the UIFL . Coaching . After his 2007 season with Hamburg ended , Rutherford spent the remainder of the year as a volunteer quarterbacks coach under head coach Dave Wannstedt at his alma mater . Then , upon the conclusion of his 2008 season playing in the AIFA , Rutherford was hired as defensive backs coach at Saint Vincent College . Rutherford returned to the University of Pittsburgh as a defensive assistant coach in 2009 . In 2011 , Rutherford was hired by Curt Cignetti to coach wide receivers for the Indiana University of Pennsylvania .