As ADM football begins day number four of official practices for the 2017-18 season, it’s also the fourth official practice for new ADM defensive coordinator and strength coach Chris Rupe.

As the players and coaches at ADM have come to know very well by now, coach Rupe brings quite a lot to the overall athletic table. After all, aside from being a football star, the 2008 Ottumwa high graduate was also a Greco-Roman wrestling champion and a four year letter winning track and field star. Despite his many passions and skills, as he currently sits in the position of ADM football defensive coordinator, it’s quite apparent that his biggest passion has and always will reside in football.

Raccoon Valley Radio got the chance to catch up with coach Rupe as he traced back his origin for his love of football.

“I think it all started with Ottumwa. I had the opportunity to play for a legendary coach in Iowa, his name is Tom Kopatich. His last year as a head coach was my senior year of football so it was kinda special for us to have our last year’s together. One thing that really stuck out to me at Ottumwa was effort and toughness; athletic ability has nothing to do with those two components. We kind of prided ourselves on a foundation of effort and toughness,” stated coach Rupe

From there his football journey was taken to a new level and coach Rupe found an even bigger passion for the defensive side of the ball at St. Cloud State University. There as both a player and a graduate assistant, Rupe talked about his exposure to a multitude of experiences which he says helped him to be a better overall coach.

“Jim Lewis was the defensive coordinator there and ran a 4-2-5 style defense and ran out of a cover three and then when I became a graduate assistant, he eventually went to Grand Valley State. The we brought in a new D-Coordinator and it was great because he brought in a 3-4, cover four style of defense and it was great for me because I became a more holistic coach. I not only knew the four down system but the the three down system as well. It was great, I got a little bit of everything from high school to college and in coaching as well,” explained coach Rupe.

Coach Rupe and the Tiger football team begin day number two with contact above the waist permitted.