"Coach Tandy Gerelds was a fine man and a fine coach, and he had a lot to do with a lot of players on that team coming to know the Lord," Brad Hendrix, a senior defensive end on the '74 team, says. He was indeed a basketball guy, but Tony Nathan would be playing football for a long time. In a 1982 playoff game with San Diego that became known as "The Epic in Miami," Nathan was the exclamation point on one of the most memorable plays in Dolphins' history -- dashing untouched into the end zone after receiver Duriel Harris caught a pass from quarterback Don Strock and then tossed it back to the streaking Nathan on a legendary hook-and-lateral play that ignited a dramatic Miami comeback. ''You gear up for a time when you're going to get together as a family. 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. 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. And when that happened, that movement, I was touched in my heart to do so again.". Now he is here and his family is there, and no one is happy. 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. "He ate a few pieces of it, but he didn't eat much.". 6'1", 195 lbs. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). I think Tony could definitely play today. Jeffrey Hunter was born Henry Herman McKinnies Jr. on November 25, 1926 in New Orleans, Louisiana, an only child. View Jeff Rutledge results in Munford, AL including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. In 2006, the Birmingham Board of Education decided to close the deteriorating middle school, too, saying it was unsafe and an eyesore. Manage Settings QB Born: January 22, 1957 in Birmingham, AL Drafted: 1979 Rnd 9, Pick 246 by LA: College: Alabama: Career Stats Career Stats Game Log Game Log Splits Splits. 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. Tony could have gone anywhere. And when the game finally did kick off a half-hour or so later, the crowd kept pouring in well into the second quarter. Banks quarterback Jeff Rutledge, who would later lead Alabama to a national championship and play on two Super Bowl-winning teams, and Woodlawn running back Tony Nathan, who would become Rutledge's teammate at Alabama and go on to play in two Super Bowls of his own, were the marquee attractions. "It was just that time. "We would go to the board of education and get tickets and we would be sold out in 30 minutes to an hour," Stearns says. Tony Nathan, left, talks with Jeff Rutledge, right, after the famous Woodlawn-Banks high school football game at Legion Field in 1974. I wanted him to have his degree. "I played with older guys, and I wanted to be able to play on their level," Nathan says. 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. This week, Birmingham filmmakers Jon and Andrew Erwin began shooting a movie, "Woodlawn," which takes place during Nathan's days at Woodlawn High School and focuses in on that 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game. View the profiles of professionals named "Jeff Rutledge" on LinkedIn. "They had the best running back in the state and we had the best quarterback," former Banks head coach George "Shorty" White remembers. Newton and football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant stand behind Tony Nathan as he signs his scholarship to attend the University of Alabama. "All three kids were raised here. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Jeff Rutledge takes a breather during the 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game at Legion Field in Birmingham. Roberts, the starting left guard, has a slightly sprained left knee, which was reported improved. Drafted in the ninth round of the 1979 NFL Draft (246th overall pick) by the Los Angeles Rams, Rutledge played in 14 NFL seasons from 1979 to 1992 for three different teams. His most notable play with the Giants came in Super Bowl XXI in the third quarter. 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. 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. On fourth down with a yard needed, he was sent by head coach Bill Parcells for a potential decoy play. Wasn't it 14-0? (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). Charles Tillman Rutledge, Jr. Boiling Springs, SC Charles Tillman Rutledge, Jr., 80, of 2558 Old Furnace Road, passed away Thursday, June 20, 2019, at Spartanburg Hospital For Restorative Care . "It was weird," he says. The game, though, was way bigger than its two stars, a pair of Parade All-Americans who were among the most sought-after high school recruits in the country. "I don't even know if he realized how good he was back then. Although Woodlawn had history on its side, Banks, by 1974, had the upper hand on the football field, winning state titles in 1965, 1972 and 1973 - all under Shorty White's leadership. "We have, I think, one of the best alumni associations in the NFL," Nathan says. "I said, 'If we win (the next game) and they win, we are both going to be undefeated when we play each other, and it's going to be the biggest high school crowd there ever will be,'" White recalls. By Friday, the excitement was at full-tilt boogie. 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.". He played college football at Alabama, where he was the team's starting quarterback for their 1978 National . 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. The kids are disappointed. Nathan played on the B-team his freshman year, and by his sophomore season, he earned a spot on the Woodlawn varsity as the starting free safety on defense. 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. The attendance was out of this world.". "All I had ever seen of football games was everybody falling on each other and piling on each other," she says. They all came to see Tony.". Jeffrey Brooks Rutledge, Meg Rutledge, Christen Rutledge. 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. I bought them last week. Nathan is flanked by his parents William and Louise Nathan. "I wanted some kind of meat to serve him," William Nathan remembers. Jeff Rutledge, Nathan's old rival from Banks, was now his teammate, quarterbacking the Tide. 1-ranked Huffman Vikings -- Woodlawn fans started calling Nathan "Touchdown Tony" and began clamoring for pictures and autographs. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. This Korean War-era Sabre jet, which was loaned to Banks High School in 1961, was repainted in school colors and prominently displayed on campus. 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. Hoover, Alabama. '", So just think, if Louise Nathan hadn't put her foot down, maybe no one would have ever heard of "Touchdown Tony.". Some of the choices Jeff Rutledge made during his journey to become an NFL assistant coach were difficult. See also [ edit] Rule 5 draft results References [ edit] From Banks, defensive lineman Freddie Knighton signed with Alabama, running back Jerry Murphree went to LSU, and linebacker Bob Grefseng played at Ole Miss. . Bill Battle, the young coach at Tennessee, wanted Nathan to come play for him in Knoxville, and Vols star quarterback Condredge Holloway showed him around on his official visit. Drafted in the ninth round of the 1979 NFL Draft (246th overall pick) by the Los Angeles Rams, Rutledge played in 14 NFL seasons from 1979 to 1992 for three different teams. He was a two-time all-state guard on the Woodlawn basketball team, and as a centerfielder and first baseman on the baseball team, he got drafted by the Montreal Expos. . On Monday night, the Los Angeles Rams lost their backup, Mark Herrmann, for six to eight weeks with broken ribs. Like Jackson, Nathan excelled at just about any sport he played. ', "I said, 'I will do that. The night before the game, Stearns says, members of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapters from both teams gathered for a joint meeting at Woodlawn. Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. Anyone can read what you share. He and his wife, Johnnie, who was his high school sweetheart at Woodlawn and his college sweetheart at Alabama, still live in the same house they bought in 1983. He is from United States. On Nov. 8, 1974 -- 40 years ago this Saturday - the two-time defending state champion Banks Jets met their eastern Birmingham rivals the Woodlawn Colonels in front of what was then and remains today the biggest crowd to ever watch a high school football game in Alabama. Trailing 35-14 with 10:37 left in the third quarter Rutledge replaced an ineffective Stan Humphries and led a great comeback. A couple of weeks before their game, Banks' White alerted the Legion Field staff to expect a monster crowd. ', "She said, 'No, but even more so, you're not going to be a quitter. Trivia (4) Quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams (1979-1981), New York Giants (1983-1989) and Washington Redskins (1990-1992). "That Banks-Woodlawn game our senior year, that was all about Tony and Jeff Rutledge," Hendrix says. 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. 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. The purchase date corresponds with most of the transfers from Mr. Slaughter's account, according to the suit. 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. , money, salary, income, and assets. 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. It's been very interesting. 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. He is not dating anyone. Center Dwight Stephenson and defensive back Don McNeal, who were a year behind him, would join the Dolphins the next year. RELATED:See who plays Tony Nathan in 'Woodlawn'. So it's tough for her to hear that she should wait. Trailing 35-14 with 10:37 left in the third quarter Rutledge replaced an ineffective Stan Humphries and led a great comeback. "It's been home a long time," Nathan says. In the days leading up to the game, both The Birmingham News and the Birmingham Post-Herald played it up as not only a clash of the titans between Banks and Woodlawn but also a Rutledge vs. Nathan showdown. "Before I signed to go to Alabama, Coach Bryant told me, 'Well, look, you can try out (for basketball), but if you're not within the top six, you've got to come back out for spring ball.'''. Ragland recalls. Bold denotes league leader. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. (Birmingham News file). Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). "Some of the other running backs didn't want to be that lead blocker. The week of the game, Jerry Stearns, who was an assistant coach at Woodlawn that year and later became the head coach there, recalls selling advance tickets at the school, something he says never happened before. "I get to meet a ton of people -- lawyers, defendants, victims -- and they all are different," Nathan says. . So it was almost like it was the state championship game that night.". "It was a culmination of really four years of building up to that point," Woodlawn quarterback Denny Ragland remembers. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). Woodlawn High School had a much longer history that went back to 1916, when the community of Woodlawn was annexed into Birmingham. That year, the Cardinals made a late season run and earned a Super Bowl berth, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23. Relationships We have no records of past relationships for Jeff Rutledge. "The trouble is, it's on VHS cassette, and my VHS player died years ago.". 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. He was a backup in Super Bowl XIV as a member of the Los Angeles Rams, he was a backup to Super Bowl MVP Phil Simms in Super Bowl XXI as a member of the New York Giants, and was a backup in Super Bowl XXVI as a member of the Washington Redskins. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? "I was like, 'All right, it's that time.'". ''My wife is frustrated,'' said Rutledge. 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. "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. Jeff Rutledge Wiki: Salary, Married, Wedding, Spouse, Family Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. So I ended up saying, 'Thanks, coach, but no thanks.' 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. Perhaps that epic 1974 showdown at Legion Field between Birmingham high-school heavyweights Woodlawn and Banks would have been just another Friday night football game. he recalls. [4], Rutledge is a Christian and attends Arizona Community Church in Chandler. 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 last game of the regular season, again against the Philadelphia Eagles. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. . Birmingham police guessed another 20,000 gave up and went back home when they saw the long lines. "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. "We just sat up there and watched," Martin, now retired, recalls. ", The Banks players huddle around head coach Shorty White during the 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game at Legion Field in Birmingham. Rutledge earned MVP honors at the 1978 Sugar Bowl and also earned All-SEC honors in 1978 and 1979. He said, 'Well, make sure you promise me you're going to finish what you started. Jeff was in the flooring business and owned Vintage Wood Floors, Inc. Mike Perez was waived Tuesday, leaving Rutledge as the only other quarterback on the roster. He has established himself as a trusted advisor providing advice and direction to organizations in some of the most heavily regulated . Bryant paid several visits to the Nathan home, and he often brought with him an entourage of assistants and past and current Tide players, including Joe Namath, Johnny Musso and Ozzie Newsome. He received his degree from Alabama in Business Administration and in 2011, was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. White says he was assured by the Legion Field crew that it would be able to handle the crowd. I said, 'You have to wait until you see me.' The Colonels had something else going for them, too. "In high school, he was the best quarterback in the state of Alabama, and Coach Bryant did his job. 66. Meanwhile, Tuscaloosa was just an hour away, and one of the greatest coaches in the history of the game, Alabama's Paul "Bear" Bryant, had the Crimson Tide not just rolling again, but steamrolling. Rutledge earned MVP honors at the 1978 Sugar Bowl and also earned All-SEC honors in 1978 and 1979. As a senior, he was a member of the 1974 Parade High School All-American team. William Nathan asked, referring to Bryant's bag. Unfortunately, he doesn't remember anything about it. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). The athletic teams at Banks adopted the name Jets, and in 1961, the Alabama Air National Guard loaned the school a Korean War-era F-86D Sabre jet, which was painted in the school colors of Columbia blue and scarlet and prominently displayed on campus, making it an inviting target for practical jokers from rival schools. Meanwhile, the recruiting letters continued to pour in from schools such as USC, Notre Dame, Texas and Oklahoma, as well as SEC schools Alabama, Auburn, Georgia and Tennessee. "It was odd to see people react and want a piece of cloth off of somebody else who was wearing it. He has been a Giant since 1982, when he was obtained from the Los Angeles Rams after Phil Simms suffered a season-ending knee injury. Jeff Rutledge, Nathan's old rival from Banks, was now his teammate, quarterbacking the Tide. Experienced backup quarterbacks can be valuable when injuries strike. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. He had left the University of Alabama in the spring of 1979 without a diploma. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). After the Tide slipped to an uncharacteristic 9-3 in Nathan's sophomore season -- Alabama's worst record in his four years there -- the team bounced back to go 11-1 and finish runner-up to national champs Notre Dame in 1977 and to go 11-1 again and win it all in 1978. "People drove up, saw the lines outside and just went on by. He was the starting quarterback on the 1978 National Championship team. Simms is the Giants' starter and Jeff Hostetler is No. Jeff Rutledges income source is mostly from being a successful Player. of development through completion. His two older sisters went to Banks, but after the Birmingham schools were desegregated, he was zoned for Woodlawn. And much to the surprise of probably everybody who was there that night -- fans, players, coaches, cheerleaders and sportswriters -- neither one of the teams would go on to win it all that year. All three of Nathan's daughters have their college degrees - Nichole from South Florida and Natalie and Nadia from Alabama - as does his wife. "It was the thrill of my life," Louise Nathan says. After Thursday morning's practice, the Giants will leave for their annual welcome-home lunch at the Sheraton Centre. . He is currently single. The next year, I was on injured reserve. When the Cardinals hired a new offensive coordinator at the end of that season, Rutledge and most of the offensive staff were fired. When the Cardinals hired a new offensive coordinator at the end of that season, Rutledge and most of the offensive staff were fired. A three-year starter, he also led Alabama to the #2 National ranking in 1977. They attended some of the same churches and dated some of the same girls. After completing the eighth grade, those students who would have gone to Banks instead went to Woodlawn High School, Banks' old rival. ", In the lunchroom, the Woodlawn students would break into impromptu pep rallies, standing in their chairs and yelling, "Rip Jets, rip Jets, rip those Sugar Jets." And in the memories of those who were there. "The Woodlawn guys were like maniacs, and they were roaring all through their pre-game warm-ups. ''I talked to Bill after practice Saturday,'' said Rutledge. "We had a ball. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. 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. 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. He got permission from his academic advisers to drop his courses with a withdraw-passing grade and come back to finish his degree later. The Nathans go to the same church, New Testament Baptist Church, with his former Alabama and Miami teammate McNeal and his wife, Rhonda. "The other thing about the wishbone, if you were a truly good back in the wishbone, you had to block, too,'' says Murray Legg, who, as a defensive back on those Alabama teams, often went up against Nathan in practice. When he retired from football, Nathan also got into coaching - first with the Dolphins and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and then at Florida International University. "Somewhere, there is a videotape of that game," Grefseng says. fdar charting for blood transfusion $ 0.00 Cart. "And I didn't like that. That University of Alabama sorority girl who was in the stands at Legion Field that night? To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. 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. "I think (defensive lineman) Marty Lyons could play today. Following his senior season at Alabama in 1978, Banks' Jeff Rutledge went on to play 13 years in the National Football League. He is married to his wife Laura and has 3 children.[7]. Also learn how He earned most of networth at the age of 63 years old? "It was one heck of a game. 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. Football was going to be it. 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". See the article in its original context from. After seven seasons at Vanderbilt, Rutledge became the head coach at Montgomery Bell Academy, a school for seventh to 12th grade boys in Nashville. After games, fans mobbed Nathan to get a piece of his jersey. Internal communications and employee engagement pro with a tech focus and multi-disciplinary background. Rutledge was born to Tony and Cheryl Rutledge in Cullman, Alabama, on April 21, 1989. Newton stood behind Nathan as he sat next to his parents and got his picture taken signing his letter of intent. According to our records, Jeff Rutledge is possibly single. in Plant Science from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and a Masters in Agronomy (Weed Science) from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. (Sugar Jets was a reference to a brand of cereal from the 1950s and '60s.). Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). "His jersey would just be hanging on him," Woodlawn teammate Brad Hendrix says. All rights reserved (About Us). On fourth down with a yard needed, he was sent by head coach Bill Parcells for a potential decoy play. ''That may make the Giants think,'' said Rutledge. 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. Rutledge played collegiately at Alabama, where he was a member of three SEC Championship teams under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. That 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game would be Shorty White's 100th win at Banks, and his last. So, when Tony was in the 10th grade, and he came home one day and told his mother he had left the Woodlawn High School football team, she replied, in no uncertain terms, no, he had not. So I've never come to camp feeling confident I'd be in place. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. ", Tony Nathan runs behind his Miami Dolphins teammate Jeff Toews in a game against the New York Jets. At the age of 32, starting his 11th season as a National Football League quarterback, Rutledge was not sure he would make the. A three-year starter, he also led Alabama to the #2 National ranking in 1977. Ragland, the former Woodlawn quarterback, recently watched an ESPN documentary about another Birmingham-area sports legend, Bessemer's Bo Jackson, and it reminded of that 14-year-old kid he first met at freshman football practice.
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