A three-time NAIA All-American from Culver-Stockton who became the first player in that classification's history to earn that honor at the same position three times.
Andrew Rupcich took the long road to the NFL, starring at NAIA level Culver-Stockton before working his way onto an NFL roster through the Tennessee Titans and now the New England Patriots. The massive interior lineman has carved out a career as a depth piece and practice squad standout on a team that reached Super Bowl LX.
Path to the league
Rupcich started all 48 games he played across five seasons at Culver-Stockton from 2017 to 2021, primarily at left tackle, without missing a snap. He was the only NAIA player invited to the 2022 NFL Combine and signed with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent that year.
Career highlights
Rupcich became the first player in NAIA history to earn first-team All-American honors at the same position three separate times, doing so in 2019, 2020 and 2021. He also won the Piesman Award for a 44-yard touchdown pass in 2019 and was a two-time All-Heart of America Athletic Conference selection. He made his NFL debut for Tennessee in November 2023, becoming just the third Culver-Stockton alum to play professional football.
2025 season recap
After a season-ending triceps tear with the Titans in 2024, Rupcich signed with the Patriots' practice squad in September 2025. He spent the year as a depth interior lineman and reserve, ultimately reaching Super Bowl LX with New England before agreeing to a futures contract with the club in February 2026.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Andrew Rupcich
- Patriots.com: Andrew Rupcich
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Guard
- Group
- offense
- College
- Culver Stockton
- Hometown
- Wonder Lake, IL, USA
- Age
- 27
- Status
- active
