DailyPress.com. "We just sat up there and watched," Martin, now retired, recalls. I did believe. Not once, but twice, both teams were sent back to their respective locker rooms to allow the crowd to file into the stadium. "I just felt like I was the oldest cat in the house," he says. 6'1", 195 lbs. Rutledge led Montgomery Bell Academy to a 41-17 record from 20022006, with two state titles in 2002 and 2003 and a #15 ranking in the final USA Today Super 25 poll in 2003. In the 1980s, Banks High School -- home of those mighty Jets for all those years -- was closed as part of a city schools reorganization and it became Banks Middle School. . "It wasn't hard to grab a piece of it. Their two-year reign as 4A state champs also ended with a 12-0 shutout loss to eventual champion Homewood in the first round of the playoffs. "I was running down the baseline trying to follow my guy around, and, all of a sudden, they set a pick and this guy's elbow hit me in the eye and that cured my basketball desire," Nathan says. Experienced backup quarterbacks can be valuable when injuries strike. ''But this is tough on the family. How tall is Jeff Rutledge? Woodlawn, meanwhile, had a nice streak going, too, winning 11 in a row since it fell to Banks 17-7 in 1973. jeff rutledge wife - holyfamily.schoolmerchcanada.com And to himself. I don't remember that whole week. A three-year starter, he also led Alabama to the #2 National ranking in 1977. . At the age of 32, starting his 11th season as a National Football League quarterback, Rutledge was not sure he would make the Giants. In 2006, the Birmingham Board of Education decided to close the deteriorating middle school, too, saying it was unsafe and an eyesore. BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Forty years later, the details have gotten fuzzier and the legends have grown larger. ''My first year in the league, with the Rams, it was hairy because they had so many quarterbacks in camp. "People drove up, saw the lines outside and just went on by. When the teams ran back onto the field for the third time, the lower bowl of Legion Field was practically full. "I came to stay until Tony makes up his mind," Bryant replied. He was the starting quarterback on the 1978 National Championship team. Many of the players on both teams grew up playing pee-wee football together at East Lake and Wahouma parks, and as teenagers, they hung out together at Eastwood Mall. By Frank Litsky, Special To the New York Times. So it was almost like it was the state championship game that night.". Unbeknownst to either one of them at the time, she would later marry one of the game's biggest heroes. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. One of them said on the phone, 'What did you get me?' The unsung hero, though, was a little linebacker named Greg Muse, who had transferred to Banksafter living in Texas. Quarterback Jeff Rutledge played 13 seasons for 3 teams. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. He is survived by his beloved wife of nearly 38 years, Traci (Ellis) Rutledge and their four children, Hannah, Jacob, Marilynn, and Haylee Rutledge; his two granddaughters, Amelia and Ramona Banerjee as well as his many nieces, nephews, and their families-all of whom he cherished greatly. I still get chills thinking about it.". After Nathan got out of coaching, another one of his former Dolphins teammates, guard Ed Newman, told him he had the perfect job for him. , money, salary, income, and assets. The purchase date corresponds with most of the transfers from Mr. Slaughter's account, according to the suit. (Birmingham News file/Robert Adams). When it came time to pick a college, Nathan considered going to Oklahoma, where renegade coach Barry Switzer was lighting up the scoreboard with a high-powered wishbone offense that was the talk of college football. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Tony Nathan will sign copies of his new book, "Touchdown Tony: Running With a Purpose," at 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, at the Alabama Booksmith, 2626 19th Place South, Homewood. The regular season game was played in . And Then There Were Three. Rutledge, 58, who was the quarterbacks coach of the Cardinals in their only Super Bowl season, said Alabama never stopped aspiring to the biggest heights in college football since he left. He had to meet with Coach Bryant to get him to sign off on it, too. "We had a ball. "In high school, he was the best quarterback in the state of Alabama, and Coach Bryant did his job and the recruiters did their jobs to get him to go to Alabama," Nathan says. Even though the Dolphins eventually lost in overtime, the play lives on in Miami lore. "I played with older guys, and I wanted to be able to play on their level," Nathan says. After Friday morning's practice, they will break camp and return to Giants Stadium, where practices are closed to the public. On Monday night, the Los Angeles Rams lost their backup, Mark Herrmann, for six to eight weeks with broken ribs. | Learn more about Jeff . A creative problem solver with refined approach to crisis communications and media management. The following Friday night, Woodlawn closed out its season on a cold, rainy night at Fair Park, defeating Carver 12-0. In overtime, he hit Art Monk with a vital 40-yard p* on third and 15 to help set up Chip Lohmiller's game-winning field goal. Once the game did start, Banks built an 18-0 lead on a pair of 21- and 16-yard touchdown runs by fullback Jerry Murphree and a 32-yard TD pass from Rutledge to Grefseng, who also doubled as a back-up tight end. "I'm 57 years old, and I'll run into people that I haven't seen in years and years and years and they talk about that game, that they were there. Mike Perez was waived Tuesday, leaving Rutledge as the only other quarterback on the roster. On fourth down with a yard needed, he was sent by head coach Bill Parcells for a potential decoy play. "It was Banks-Woodlawn. "His jersey would just be hanging on him," Woodlawn teammate Brad Hendrix says. Jeff Rutledge - Wikipedia As a senior, he was a member of the 1974 Parade High School All-American team. His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. When the Cardinals hired a new offensive coordinator at the end of that season, Rutledge and most of the offensive staff were fired. He is married to his wife Laura and has 3 children.[7]. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). All three of Nathan's daughters have their college degrees - Nichole from South Florida and Natalie and Nadia from Alabama - as does his wife. I wasn't too sure about him running the wishbone at that time, but he did a very good job and it was great to play with him.". From his perch in the press box, Birmingham News sportswriter Wayne Martin could see the pedestrian bottleneck at the south entrance of Legion Field, as well as an unbroken strand of headlights from the long line of cars on Graymont Avenue, which was backed up all the way to downtown. 100.00 Down Payment and Houses with No Credit Check. Rutledge would never start an NFL game again but he did see spot duty in relief of returning starter Mark Rypien in the Redskins 1991 Super Bowl Championship season, including some playing time in the Skins last game of the regular season, again against the Philadelphia Eagles. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Where was Jeff Rutledge born? "It was odd to see people react and want a piece of cloth off of somebody else who was wearing it. Banks High School - named for school superintendent L. Frazier Banks - opened in 1957 in Birmingham's South East Lake neighborhood and fielded its first football team three years later. printers and related vendors. He was a basketball guy.". They got in the car, and she drove him back to the football field, where she told Woodlawn coach Tandy Gerelds to do whatever he needed to discipline her boy for skipping practice, just as long as he was allowed back on the team. Jeff Rutledge Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images But Norman, Okla., was cold and rainy when Nathan went to visit, and besides that, Switzer never bothered to come visit Nathan and his parents in Birmingham. The other day, Rutledge called his wife and told her to wait. Former Realtor at ReallivingAdavanceRealty. Jeff Rutledge. I do believe. Later, while at Belmont High School in Mississippi, Gerelds was diagnosed with brain cancer, and he died in 2003, coaching right up until the end. The quiet Nathan, who teammates say tried to shy away from all of the attention, was one of Birmingham's first superstar black athletes in a city that was still adjusting to integration. According to our records, Jeff Rutledge is possibly single. "That's a scary thought now," the 58-year-old Nathan says of what might have been. There are 90+ professionals named "Jeff Rutledge", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. After working as an assistant at Vanderbilt University and with the Arizona Cardinals in the NFL, Rutledge is now the head coach at Valley Christian High School in Chandler, Ariz. After four years at Alabama, Woodlawn's Tony Nathan was drafted in the third round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, where he played for nine seasons under Don Shula, including two Super Bowls. ''You gear up for a time when you're going to get together as a family. Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. He said he hadn't decided whether to keep two or three quarterbacks.''. Charles Rutledge Obituary (1938 - 2019) - Boiling Springs, SC - Legacy 1957 I bought them last week. Contents 1 Early years 2 College career 3 Playing career 4 Coaching career 5 Personal life 6 See also 7 References Early years Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. Six years later, he led the Tigers to an undefeated 15-0 season and a 4A state championship. The kids are disappointed. A Valuable Commodity. As big as it was, though, even in these days where everything is just a Google or YouTube search away, only a few accounts and descriptions from that night are available, mainly in school yearbooks and newspaper archives. [1], Rutledge played collegiately at Alabama,[2][3] where he was a member of three SEC Championship teams under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. By his senior season in 1974, Woodlawn running back Tony Nathan was one of the most sought-after high school football players in America. said Rutledge. Following his senior season at Alabama in 1978, Banks' Jeff Rutledge went on to play 13 years in the National Football League. All rights reserved (About Us). The name still resonates in the state, especially since Jeff Rutledge was homegrown (Birmingham) and in 2011 was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. (Birmingham News file) In the 1980s,. Newton stood behind Nathan as he sat next to his parents and got his picture taken signing his letter of intent. Though Rutledge was available, no other team signed him. "Some of the other running backs didn't want to be that lead blocker. "Everywhere Tony lined up, there was Greg," Rutledge remembers. . On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. "We have, I think, one of the best alumni associations in the NFL," Nathan says. Discover Jeff Rutledge's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. PI Financial sued over unauthorized $1.5M withdrawal Jeff Rutledge Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge Position: QB Throws: Right 6-1 , 195lb (185cm, 88kg) Born: January 22 in Birmingham, AL (Age: 66-029d) More bio, uniform, draft, salary info 2x SB Champ 8 17 10 SUMMARY Career G 117 AV 8 QBrec 2-7-1 Cmp% 52.1 Yds 3628 Y/A 6.9 TD 16 Int 29 FantPt 151.0 Jeff Rutledge Overview Game Logs Career Postseason 1979 1980 So it's tough for her to hear that she should wait. It took him 36 years, but Nathan kept that promise to his coach. The next year, I was on injured reserve. His finest moment as a professional player came when as a member of the Redskins he came off the bench in a game versus the Detroit Lions in 1990. A backup for most of his career, he was a member of the New York Giants team that won a Super Bowl in Super Bowl XXI and the Washington Redskins team that won Super Bowl XXVI. "You go through life carrying that (lesson): If you start it, you better try to be the best at it, and finish what you've got to finish," he adds. "We were out there playing in the mud and the rain," Woodlawn's Ragland says. By Friday, the excitement was at full-tilt boogie. "There wasn't anybody that came to see me play or any of the other guys. So, how much is Jeff Rutledge worth at the age of 65 years old? Among those 42,000 who came to watch was a freshman sorority girl from the University of Alabama, who was there not because she had any allegiance to either team but just because she heard it was a big game and she wanted to see it and be a part of it. In the spring of 2007 Rutledge got his first NFL coaching job when he was hired as quarterbacks coach with the NFL's Arizona Cardinals, with direct charge over Kurt Warner. Established network of influencers, political staff, department officials and media, supporting sound execution of public affairs initiatives. Some of those who were in the stands that night can't say for sure who won, and even many of those who were on the fieldare hard-pressed to remember the final score. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. Although he was mostly used as a back-up, he has two Super Bowl rings - one from the New York Giants and another from the Washington Redskins. In April 2010, Rutledge agreed to become the head football coach at Pope John Paul II High School in Hendersonville, Tennessee; where he coached for two seasons, leading the Knights to a 4-18 record. New York Giants. As a senior, he was a member of the 1974 Parade High School All-American team. Rutledge earned MVP honors at the 1978 Sugar Bowl and also earned All-SEC honors in 1978 and 1979.[4]. "He ate a few pieces of it, but he didn't eat much.". He was part of a team that earned back-to-back state titles at L. Frazier Banks High School in Birmingham, Alabama. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? "It touched me," he says. "It was the thrill of my life," Louise Nathan says. Welcome. He had 274 completions in 526 attempts for 3,628 yards and 16 touchdowns. I think Tony could definitely play today. They came out in such numbers that the start of the game had to be delayed twice so folks could work their way through the jammed Legion Field turnstiles. Jeff Rutledge - Senior Consultant - McMillan Vantage Policy Group He received his degree from Alabama in Business Administration and in 2011, was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. With the arrival of head coach Tandy Gerelds in 1971, though, and the emergence of Nathan, who had a breakout junior season in 1973, Woodlawn started to level the playing field. He finished his college career with a 33-5 record as a starter, which currently ranks him as the University of Alabama's seventh all-time winningest quarterback. We just couldn't put the icing on the cake.". Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. He played college football at Alabama, where he was the team's starting quarterback for their 1978 National . Commissioner Rutledge, a native of Newport, graduated from Newport High School and earned a B.S. Soon enough, though, Tony would be all around the ball. He was part of a team that earned back-to-back state titles at L. Frazier Banks High School in Birmingham, Alabama. Nathan scored Woodlawn's only touchdown on a 13-yard run in the fourth quarter. By his senior year, it wasn't just folks in Birmingham talking about "Touchdown Tony." ''I talked to Bill after practice Saturday,'' said Rutledge. "They all looked at me like, 'OK, don't you think it's your time?'" I knew when I came to training camp that it would be tough. Jeff Rutledge | American Football Database | Fandom A month ago, Jeff and Laura Rutledge decided that today would be Reunion Day, the day Laura and their three children would leave their home in Mission Viejo, Calif., and fly east to join Jeff for the winter. If all that notoriety affected Nathan, none of his teammates could tell. He played college football at Alabama, where he was the team's starting quarterback for their 1978 National Championship victory, and was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the ninth round of the 1979 NFL Draft. ----DeOssie and Roberts Out Steve DeOssie and William Roberts missed practice Wednesday. In May 2013, Rutledge was hired by Valley Christian High School in Chandler, Arizona as a full-time staff member and also to lead the football program. His wife, Laura, a former Miss . Description above from the Wikipedia article Jeff Rutledge, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia. When the Cardinals hired a new offensive coordinator at the end of that season, Rutledge and most of the offensive staff were fired. His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. RELATED:See who plays Tony Nathan in 'Woodlawn'. An experienced communications and public affairs professional, with a record of effective strategic planning, outreach and engagement. fatal car accident in tulare county / how to endorse a check for mobile deposit wells fargo / jeff rutledge wife. He was worn out, and he was just tearing the rest of his jersey off.". He was just a humble high school athlete. I told Coach Gerelds that I didn't want him to be anywhere near the ball.". So you go all out and do what you can do just to fit in.". While Nathan ran for 112 yards and scored a touchdown that night, the Colonels lost to the Jets 18-7, with Rutledge completing eight of nine passing for 185 yards and a touchdown. What is Jeff Rutledge's full name? That game meant that Rutledge got the nod to start the following week on Monday Night against the Philadelphia Eagles in a game that was to become infamously known as the "Body Bag Game". "I knew some of those guys, and I'm like, 'Why would y'all be out here in the hot sun watching freshman football?'" Jeff Rutledge date of birth: January 22, 1957. When the other team did not pick up on Rutledge, he took the snap and did a sneak up the middle for yardage that gave the Giants a first down that would eventually lead to a go-ahead score. So I ended up saying, 'Thanks, coach, but no thanks.' Add to that the fact that, back in those days, only one team from each region made the state playoffs. "It really did.". But, Knoxville, too, was a little too far from home for Nathan. In overtime, he hit Art Monk with a vital 40-yard pass on third and 15 to help set up Chip Lohmiller's game-winning field goal. "Some do come in with attitudes, and you just have to diffuse them before they go in front of the judge. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). He completed 30 of 42 passes for 363 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 12 yards for the game-tying touchdown with only 24 seconds remaining. William Nathan, who worked as millwright at Connors Steel in Birmingham, made his son Tony his first football by stitching together a strip of Naugahyde and stuffing it with rags and cotton balls. in Plant Science from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and a Masters in Agronomy (Weed Science) from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Louise Nathan roasted a raccoon that her husband, an avid hunter whom friends called "Coon Man," had bagged on one of his late-night coon hunts, and they invited Bryant to have dinner with them. It's tough for me to tell her to wait. . That game meant that Rutledge got the nod to start the following week on Monday Night against the Philadelphia Eagles in a game that was to become infamously known as the "Body Bag Game". he recalls. The easygoing Nathan had the ideal temperament for the job, Newman told him. Rutledge served as the quarterbacks and tight ends coach for the New York Sentinels of the United Football League in 2009. He completed 30 of 42 p*es for 363 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 12 yards for the game-tying touchdown with only 24 seconds remaining. You could call it inspiration, you could call it whatever you like. My parents raised me that way. It was Grefseng's only touchdown catch of his Banks career. So after his freshman football season -- while his football teammates were enjoying their break -- Nathan was on the basketball court the next day, trying to break into an Alabama lineup that featured Leon Douglas, Reggie King, T.R. "He's very respected here," McNeal says of his old teammate. There's something always new at the courthouse.". Playing in the wishbone -- a four-pronged attack with two tailbacks, a fullback and the quarterback all sharing carries -- Nathan never amassed huge numbers like Crimson Tide workhorses Bobby Humphrey or Shaun Alexander or Trent Richardson, but for his career, he averaged an eye-popping 6.4 yards every time he carried the ball at Alabama. . American football player and coach (born 1957) Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is a former American football quarterback and coach who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. Gosh, that game was 40 years ago, which is unbelievable.". They attended some of the same churches and dated some of the same girls. "You wouldn't have known him to be any different from any of the other players on the team," Hendrix, who went on to play briefly with the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers, says. Gerelds' plan to move Nathan to running back was paying off handsomely, too.Sometime during that junior season -- maybe it was after he ran for 231 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-12 upset of the No. Jeffrey Hunter was born Henry Herman McKinnies Jr. on November 25, 1926 in New Orleans, Louisiana, an only child. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is a former American football quarterback and coach who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. Tandy Gerelds left Woodlawn after the 1975 season to join his father in the family insurance business, but in 1984, he returned to coaching at Deshler High School in Tuscumbia. That University of Alabama sorority girl who was in the stands at Legion Field that night? American football player and coach (born 1957), Alabama Crimson Tide starting quarterbacks, Washington Commanders starting quarterbacks, 1978 Alabama Crimson Tide footballAP national champions, Alabama Crimson Tide football yearly statistical leaders, History of the New York Giants (19791993), "High School Football Database - All-American (Parade 1974)", "Jeff Rutledge Named as Football Head Coach - Valley Christian High School", "NFL vet Rutledge returning as high school coach", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jeff_Rutledge&oldid=1134094507, High school football coaches in Tennessee, Coaches of American football from Alabama, Players of American football from Birmingham, Alabama, Articles with dead external links from October 2010, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 00:15. A backup for most of his career, he was a member of the New York Giants team that won a Super Bowl in Super Bowl XXI and the Washington Redskins team that won Super Bowl XXVI. Rutledge, first, and then Stan Humphries were knocked out of the game, leaving emergency quarterback Brian Mitchell (a kick returner and former college quarterback) to finish the game. "Well, Shula knew what talent was," Nathan says. As the teams went through their pre-game drills, Woodlawn's Stearns noticed another assistant, Mike Logan, staring up into the stands with his mouth agape. In overtime, he hit Art Monk with a vital 40-yard pass on third and 15 to help set up Chip Lohmiller's game-winning field goal. The four of them -- Baumhower, Nathan, Stephenson and McNeal -- played in two Super Bowls together, but the Dolphins lost both games, to the Redskins in Super Bowl XVII and the 49ers in Super Bowl XIX. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 22 January. We prayed together, and from then on, I respected them and they respected me. "If we needed him to throw the football, I knew he could definitely do that. Jeff Rutledge Position: QB Birthdate: January 22, 1957 College: Alabama Draft: Selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 9th round (246th overall) of the 1979 NFL Draft Stats Gamelogs 300-Yard Passing Jeff Rutledge Stats Jeff Rutledge career stats with the Los Angeles Rams, New York Giants and Washington Redskins. Former Giant Jeff Rutledge Talks Playing and Coaching Tony -- the second oldest of five siblings -- used to wear out the grass playing ball with their neighbors in the backyard of their house in Parker Heights, near the airport. The Nathans go to the same church, New Testament Baptist Church, with his former Alabama and Miami teammate McNeal and his wife, Rhonda. Almost assuredly, Nathan would not be the featured character in the upcoming movie "Woodlawn," which opens nationwide on Oct. 16, and most definitely, he would not have written a book, "Touchdown Tony: Running With a Purpose," which comes out Tuesday. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). He received his degree from Alabama in Business Administration and in 2011, was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. At the age of 32, starting his 11th season as a National Football League quarterback, Rutledge was not sure he would make the. Jeff Rutledge's net worth And I don't know when that will be.'' Internal communications and employee engagement pro with a tech focus and multi-disciplinary background. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). William Nathan was sold, though, and eventually, so was his son Tony. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. "Somewhere, there is a videotape of that game," Grefseng says. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. See the article in its original context from. Birmingham police guessed another 20,000 gave up and went back home when they saw the long lines. Newman serves as a criminal court judge in Miami-Dade County, and six years ago, he hired Nathan to be a bailiff in his courtroom. About Jeff Rutledge is a 66 year old American Football (American) Player born on 22nd January, 1957 in Birmingham, AL. "There are people who went to that game that I've heard from all my life," Rutledge says. McNeal has been a pastor and counselor at the church, and he and Nathan are close, a friendship that dates back to their playing days at Alabama. Denny Ragland, who would become the Woodlawn starting quarterback during Nathan's senior season in 1974, knew something was up during freshman football practice, when most of the basketball team came out just to see what the 14-year-old Nathan could do on the football field. Nov 09, 1990 at 12:00 am. I remember it was good we didn't start when we were supposed to because they were at their peak. Another, a little fireplug of a linebacker who had moved to Birmingham from Texas the year before, became the surprise defensive star of the game. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. The main building, built in 1922, was a grand, three-story structure that always looked more like a palace than a schoolhouse. No one could be prouder, though, than the mother who wouldn't let him quit the football team back in the 10th grade, who taught him to always finish what he started.