Lynn’s Rushins heading to AIC

Lynn native and Bishop Fenwick all-time leading rusher Rufus Rushins has decided to play his college football next year for the Yellow Jackets of American International College in Springfield. Rushins racked up plenty of awards in addition to all his yardage and touchdowns in his four seasons with the Crusaders. He was a four-time Catholic Central League All-Star (2011-2014) and a two-time Item All-Star (2013, 2014), as well as the recipient of the Item/Agganis Foundation Offensive Player of the Year award in 2014. Rushins was selected to the Massachusetts Super 26 team (All-State team) in 2014, and was awarded Offensive Player of the Year.
Rushins is the all-time leader in rushing yards and touchdowns for Bishop Fenwick, despite not starting his freshman year with the Crusaders. He racked up 5,762 yards and 71 touchdowns on 770 carries for Fenwick by the time it was all said and done. The 5,762 yards also are good enough for fifth all-time in Massachusetts state history, and his 468 points scored are sixth all-time in the state.
As a junior, Rushins was one of the main cogs of the 13-0 Fenwick team that won the CCL title and eventually the Division 5 Super Bowl in 2013. He rushed for 1,441 yards and a career-high 23 touchdowns that season.
He came back his senior year and rushed for 1,897 yards and 20 touchdowns, leading the Crusaders to an 11-1 record and another CCL title. They lost to eventual Super Bowl champion Abington in the Division 5 Eastern Mass. final, ending Rushins? stellar high school career.
Before the loss to Abington, Rushins and the Crusaders had won 26 straight games.
Rushins, a 6-1, 240-pound bruiser, also made an impact on the defensive side of the ball. As a defensive end and linebacker, he made 222 tackles in his career. He also notched 12 career sacks and recovered six fumbles, two of which he brought back for touchdowns.
Rushins will be joining an AIC team that went 8-3 in 2014, including 8-1 in the Division 2 Northeast-10 Conference. The Yellow Jackets made it to the Northeast-10 championship game before falling to the Long Island University-Post Pioneers, 58-25.
AIC ranked third in the conference in rushing last season with 1,646 yards and 149.6 yards per game. But Rushins will look to make an immediate impact since the Yellowjackets? top running backs from the 2014 team will have graduated.Mike Alongi can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @m_alongi.