Tim Ruskell
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Tim Ruskell (born 1956) is the President of Football Operations of the NFL's Seattle Seahawks. He is regarded as an exceptional evaluator of talent, particularly with respect to the NFL Draft. Ruskell was born in Yokohama, Japan where his father was stationed in the Army but spent his high school and college years in the Tampa Bay, FL area. He graduated with a degree in communications from the University of South Florida in 1978.
Ruskell has spent more than 20 years in professional football. He started his career as a scout for the CFL Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1983, moving to the USFL Tampa Bay Bandits in 1985 before landing in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1987. In 1992 he was promoted to Director of College Scouting, and in 2001 to Director of Player Personnel. While in Tampa Bay Ruskell was a protege of Rich McKay and when McKay left to become the President and General Manager of the Atlanta Falcons in 2004 Ruskell went with him as the Assistant General Manager. In 2005 Paul Allen tapped Ruskell to replace the fired Bob Whitsitt at the top of the org chart in Seattle.
In his first season in Seattle Ruskell remade the Seahawks roster, bringing in free agents and drafting college players that played pivotal roles in the Seahawks run to Super Bowl XL and further solidifying his reputation as a master personnel executive.
Tim and his wife, Linda, have a daughter, Samantha, and a son, Jack.
[edit] References
- Tim Ruskell: Seattle Seahawks bio. Seattle Seahawks. Retrieved on August 16, 2006.
- Tim Ruskell: Atlanta Falcons bio. Atlanta Falcons. Retrieved on August 16, 2006.
- Mike Sando (2006). Ruskell scales NFL after unlikely journey. News Tribune. Retrieved on August 16, 2006.
