Del Rutz graduated from Highland High School in 1958. Del received a scholarship from Millikin College in Decatur, graduating in 1962.

In his senior year Del led the Bulldogs to the Illinois Elite Eight in both basketball and baseball. Highland was the only school in Illinois in 1958 to accomplish this feat and it is the only time in HHS history two teams have advanced to the Elite Eight in the same school year. In 1958, Illinois had only one class and one state champion in each sport. Del was a five sport star at Highland High School. He played, lettered and excelled in football, basketball, baseball, track and cross country. He was named to multiple Midwest Conference all-conference teams and St. Louis Post-Dispatch all-area teams. Del was a four-year starting quarterback for the football Bulldogs. He was also a four-year starter for the baseball Bulldogs. He played shortstop and was the pitching ace of the Bulldogs. Del was a two-year starter on the Bulldogs basketball team. He is the only athlete in HHS history to be named Athlete of the Year twice, in 1957 and in 1958. At Millikin, as at HHS, he was twice named the school’s Athlete of the Year. A quarterback and linebacker he led the Big Blue football squad to its last undefeated season in 1961. He lettered in football three years and was named to three College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin all-conference teams. In both his junior and senior seasons, he was all-conference as both a quarterback and a linebacker. While the Millikin baseball team didn’t have the team success as the football team, Del’s accomplishments drew notice. He was a four-year starter on the baseball team and two-time captain. He played shortstop when he as wasn’t pitching and was among the nation’s best hitters in 1962, when he posted a .389 batting average. He was all-conference CCIW selection in his junior and senior seasons. Del was elected into the College’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989.

His athletic career didn’t end after graduation. The San Francisco Giants signed his to a minor league contract. He played one season of minor league baseball before moving on to coach both high school football and baseball at Stephen Decatur High School. He coached 12 years for the Reds and in 1970 was named the Decatur Area Coach of the Year. He was found time to play shortstop on a Decatur softball that went to the national slow pitch finals twice. In 1975, Del and family relocated to California. He turned his coaching talents to soccer, a game he’d never played nor coached. After familiarizing himself with the rules and a few plays, he guided the San Juan Club team to consecutive second place finishes in the California Club Soccer State Championships. Ten of his players received scholarships to play soccer in college. His team sports activity is now limited to watching his granddaughters play sports and seeing his beloved St. Louis Cardinals whenever he can, He plays golf a couple of times a week and has a seven handicap. Last year he celebrated his 71st birthday with a career low, one under par 71.