Mount Vernon's Reed Rus returns home for new football chapter at DWU

Aug. 14—MITCHELL — For Reed Rus, the decision to leave the University of South Dakota and continue his football career at Dakota Wesleyan University was about more than football. It was about coming home. Rus, a Mount Vernon native, made the move from the FCS-level Coyotes to the Tigers this spring, bringing three seasons of experience at USD with him to Mitchell. With Mount Vernon less than 13 miles away, the move gives Rus an opportunity to remain close to the community that helped shape him while continuing to play the game he enjoys. "Coming home was obviously a big part in my decision to come here, but just being around the community and all that fun stuff again has been awesome," Rus said. "My plan was always to come back near Mount Vernon and to Mitchell. I know this was a pretty tight group before I came here, and I just wanted to be a part of the family." The 6-foot-4, 230-pound linebacker is entering what is technically his senior year of school, but DWU head coach Alex Kretzschmar said Rus actually has four years of eligibility remaining. That combination of experience and remaining eligibility made Rus an attractive addition for the Tigers, who are looking to rebound from a 4-7 season last year, including a 3-7 mark in Great Plains Athletic Conference play. Rus spent the past three seasons learning the college game at the FCS level with USD. He saw action in six games over his final two seasons with the Coyotes, gaining valuable linebacker experience in a program that has enjoyed success in recent years. Now, he is hoping to bring those lessons to the NAIA level. "Obviously, USD has been pretty successful the last couple of years, so it's pretty fun to be able to go from a pretty dang good group and be able to bring what I learned from those guys here to try to make this group just as good as I can hopefully make them be," Rus said. Kretzschmar recruited Rus to help strengthen the Tigers' defense, particularly at outside linebacker. During fall camp, Rus has been working as a starting outside linebacker while also taking long snaps during practice for the punt and field goal units. Rus was a reserve long snapper for the Coyotes in his time in Vermillion. For a DWU defense that has plenty of room for improvement, Rus could become an important piece. The Tigers allowed 30.1 points per game last season, which ranked eighth in the conference. They also surrendered 172.5 rushing yards per game, a figure that ranked second-to-last in the GPAC. Kretzschmar believes Rus can help change those numbers, both through his physical play and his emerging leadership. "Rus has been awesome so far, and he has been doing such a great job with our defense and being one of the vocal guys on that side of the ball," Kretzschmar said. "He got here back in the spring semester, and when he first got here, he wasn't as vocal but he has definitely found his voice in that linebacker room." That voice has continued to develop as Rus has become more comfortable with his new team and defensive responsibilities. "I have always wanted to be a leader at the college level, but it's one of those things where you don't tell yourself you're a leader, you grow into that role a little bit," Rus said. "I have just been trying to push this team to be the best that they can be, and they are doing the same for me. It has been a smooth process getting used to the defense, and right now, we are just trying to get better every single day." Rus brings an impressive athletic background to Mitchell. During his prep career at Mount Vernon/Plankinton, he was a two-time all-state selection who made an impact on both sides of the football. As a senior, he rushed for 1,172 yards and 21 touchdowns while passing for 444 yards and four touchdowns. Defensively, he recorded 58 tackles, including 13 tackles for loss. Rus was also a standout basketball player for the Titans, becoming MVP's all-time leading scorer while also setting a single-game school record for assists. In track and field, he competed as a high jumper and hurdler and placed at the state meet three times. Now, that multi-sport athleticism is being put to work on a DWU defense eager to make a leap from last season. "He is one of those guys that is going to lead by example and make sure he is doing things the right way," Kretzschmar said. "He has been a great fit for us so far, just like we all expected, and so, I think he has shown up to work every day with a physical mindset and I am excited to see what he can do for us this year."