A native of Houston, Texas, Rutledge attended Sam Houston High School and later the Texas Lutheran University, where he captained the school's 1974 NAIA Division II National Championship team and was a Kodak All-American linebacker for head coach Jim Wacker.
Michigan's 54th House district covers the eastern portion of Washtenaw County, and includes Superior Township and Ypsilanti Township, as well as the City of Ypsilanti.
In 2008, he argued before the Supreme Court in Irrizary v. United States.