September 18, 2024
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McHenry West grad Andrew Rupcich agrees to free-agent deal with Titans

By Joe Stevenson
Culver-Stockton offensive lineman Andrew Rupcich, a McHenry West graduate, will play five games this fall, take a redshirt season and return next fall. His hope is that playing an extra season will entice NFL scouts to take a long look at his game.

Culver-Stockton offensive lineman Andrew Rupcich, a McHenry West graduate, signed with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent Saturday. (Photo provided)

Andrew Rupcich never got a call during the NFL draft but had plenty of interest right after it was over.

The 2017 McHenry West graduate, who played at NAIA Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Missouri, agreed to terms with the Tennessee Titans on Saturday evening as an undrafted free agent.

Rupcich (6-foot-6, 320 pounds) picked the Titans over three other teams who called his agent, Dave Butz of SportStars, with offers.

“It ended up being the best fit, the best money, opportunity,” Rupcich said. “It was the perfect opportunity all around for me.”

Rupcich’s father and stepmother, William and Bernadette Rupcich, his mother Candace Compton, grandparents Bob and Pat Rupcich and several other relatives joined him in Canton, a small town in northeast Missouri on the Mississippi River, for the weekend.

“It was long and stressful to be honest with you,” said Rupcich, a two-time NAIA All-American offensive tackle. “I was getting calls early in the week, feeling out calls. I got a couple texts early this morning that I was going to be in play for a couple of teams. I didn’t get drafted, but it came down to four teams at the end of it all. It all worked out at the end.”

Rupcich thrived at the small school, helping Wildcats coach Tom Sallay turn the program around. He played well enough that NFL scouts began taking notice before his senior season.

Rupcich was invited to play in the NFLPA All-Star Game, one of the premier college all-star games, in January in Pasadena. From there, he received an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine in March.

Although Rupcich did not become the first C-SC player to get drafted, it allowed him to pick a spot as an undrafted free agent.

“We had a lot of say [in which team].” Rupcich said. “We did well with ours. We knew I was going to be a highly undrafted guy. We got it done pretty much as soon as the draft ended. We had four teams put in offers and we got to pick from the four. That was a lot of thinking and choosing going on.”

Rupcich trained before the NFLPA game and the combine in Frisco, Texas, then returned to Canton and has been working out with his Wildcats’ teammates since. He will soon head to Nashville for rookie minicamp.

“I’m just super excited,” Rupcich said. “It’s already a dream come true, but I’m not done yet. I want to keep playing as long as I can. That’s not stopping until I’m ready to go.”