EDITOR’S NOTE: This story published in the 2016 edition of Gridiron Magazine. 

As a senior, Ke’Andrae Rutledge is one of the vocal leaders for the Southside football team, but being a leader is nothing new for him.

Rutledge is the oldest of five siblings, so he’s always been in a position where others are looking up to him. Around the house, he does his best to help out his mother Alfreda Murphy, who juggles work with taking care of five children.

“I’m told all the time that whatever I do around the house and in my life that they are looking up to me, so I try to set a good example,” Rutledge said. “Whatever I do, I try to do it in a positive way.”

Rutledge picks his two brothers, Keviyon Haynes and Kendolplous Haynes, and sisters Nyla Murphy and Neia Haynes up from school in the afternoon and takes them home before football practice gets underway.

He then returns to the field, where he puts on his helmet and transforms from big brother into one of the best players within Dallas County. Rutledge led the team last season with more than 100 tackles. He credits that number to his tenacity and effort.

“I’m going to try to make every tackle on every play on defense,” Rutledge said. “No matter if the play is on the opposite side of the field, I’m going to go try to make that tackle. I’m not going to stop.”

He’s not your normal, every day football player either because he’d rather play defense than offense. Rutledge will play running back for Southside this year, so he’ll have the ball in his hands on offense with a chance to score. Rutledge said he’d rather play linebacker and “stop somebody from scoring a touchdown” than score one himself. During his four years at Southside, the team has never finished with a record better than 3-7, but he’s excited about this year’s team.

“I want to look back at the end of the year and say I gave it my all and to be able to say I left it all on the field,” Rutledge said. “I don’t want to have any regrets and at the end of the year I want to say I earned myself a scholarship.”

Although Rutledge likely has a bright future in football, he also has the academics side covered. He said he has a 4.1 GPA and he plans to graduate with honors.

“I plan on graduating at the top of my class,” he said.