Rutherford epitomized the term student/athlete in his days at Wayland High as a two-way lineman in football, a center in basketball and a shot putter and discus and javelin thrower in track. He was also an outstanding performer in the classroom.

Rutherford's football team won the Dual County League championship his sophomore season with the Warriors winning a state championship and a DCL crown his junior year and the league championship his senior year in basketball.

He was a DCL All-Star in all three sports and served as a captain in both football and track. He played in the Shriners Football Classic his senior year.

Rutherford played freshmen football at Princeton University before devoting his attention to heavyweight crew, a sport he captained for the Tigers his senior year. He graduated with a degree in civil engineering in 1996.

Adding both a masters and doctorate in computer science from the University of Colorado, Rutherford is currently an assistant professor of computer science at the University of Denver.

Rutherford and his wife are the parents of a daughter Maya (7) and a son Elliot (6).