"But this particular year, we were both undefeated going in. 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. "His jersey would just be hanging on him," Woodlawn teammate Brad Hendrix says. Probably, Tony Nathan never would have gone on to play for Paul "Bear" Bryant at the University of Alabama, and without him, it's possible the Crimson Tide might not have won that 1978 AP national championship. "We don't have any of the highlight reels from the '70s that they have from Bo Jackson's day, but Tony did some phenomenal things on the football field and on the basketball court. 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. I bought them last week. (Birmingham News file) In the 1980s,. He resigned in the Spring of 2012 to return to Arizona to spend time with his family. Wore number 17 for the New York Giants. Jerry McDonald, a split end and defensive back, turned down college football offers and decided to play baseball instead after he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Jeffery Joseph Rutledge | Obituaries | koamnewsnow.com His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. Center Dwight Stephenson and defensive back Don McNeal, who were a year behind him, would join the Dolphins the next year. I did believe. Rutledge earned MVP honors at the 1978 Sugar Bowl and also earned All-SEC honors in 1978 and 1979.[4]. Electronic version of this article was lost during the computer . Jeff Rutledges income source is mostly from being a successful Player. As a senior, he was a member of the 1974 Parade High School All-American team. Jeff Rutledge Career Stats | StatMuse "We both started to laugh.". 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. ''But this is tough on the family. 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". ''My wife is frustrated,'' said Rutledge. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. When the Cardinals hired a new offensive coordinator at the end of that season, Rutledge and most of the offensive staff were fired. According to our records, Jeff Rutledge is possibly single. Wasn't it 14-0? So I ended up saying, 'Thanks, coach, but no thanks.' "What are you doing with that grip?'" . "It touched me," he says. 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. Unbeknownst to either one of them at the time, she would later marry one of the game's biggest heroes. It all built up to Nov. 8, 1974, when Woodlawn, which had won 11 games in a row, met its old nemesis Banks, which was riding a 34-game unbeaten streak, at Legion Field. The legend of Tony Nathan: From Woodlawn to Alabama to the NFL The night after that chat, in an exhibition game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Rutledge completed all 8 of his passes for 156 yards. New York Giants. I think Tony could definitely play today. But there was one catch. Simms is the Giants' starter and Jeff Hostetler is No. Description above from the Wikipedia article Jeff Rutledge, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia. Like Jackson, Nathan excelled at just about any sport he played. So he signed again with the Giants, but for less than the $400,000 he made last year. The main building, built in 1922, was a grand, three-story structure that always looked more like a palace than a schoolhouse. Once he started playing, though, she never let him quit. Jeff Rutledge, of Newport, represents the White River and his term expires in 2024. "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. Woodlawn students used to yell, ''Rip those Sugar Jets," which was a reference to this brand of cereal. 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. Rutledge lived up to his star billing that night, completing 9 of 10 passes for 188 yards and that touchdown to Grefseng. 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. "It was Banks-Woodlawn. "All I had ever seen of football games was everybody falling on each other and piling on each other," she says. Contact . The easygoing Nathan had the ideal temperament for the job, Newman told him. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. 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. Woodlawn, meanwhile, had a nice streak going, too, winning 11 in a row since it fell to Banks 17-7 in 1973. Tony could have gone anywhere. As a senior, he was a member of the 1974 Parade High School All-American team. . Newton stood behind Nathan as he sat next to his parents and got his picture taken signing his letter of intent. Finished career at Alabama has the school's leading passer, surpassing Joe Namath. 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. Nov 09, 1990 at 12:00 am. Jeff Rutledge date of birth: January 22, 1957. By Frank Litsky, Special To the New York Times. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). "It was just that time. 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. Carden Jefferson "Jeff" Rutledge - Wages and sons The film builds to a finale where Woodlawn meets crosstown rival Banks, quarterbacked by Jeff Rutledge, who would eventually play at Alabama with Nathan. "They had the best running back in the state and we had the best quarterback," former Banks head coach George "Shorty" White remembers. Tony Nathan, left, goes to midfield for the pre-game coin toss with his Woodlawn High School teammates Mike Allison, center, and Peyton Zarzour, right. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). One of them said on the phone, 'What did you get me?' We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. They've been married for going on 37 years now, with three children and nine grandkids. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Experienced backup quarterbacks can be valuable when injuries strike. He is a member of famous Player with the age 65 years old group. According to our Database, He has no children. 1972 His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. Rutledge spent most of his career as a back-up quarterback and a holder on kicks. "But it didn't bother me that I was forced to go to Woodlawn because a lot of my friends were at Woodlawn, too.". Something else special happened that week, too. If they cut me and someone picks me up, they would have to get someone else not familiar with their system.'' To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Dunn and Anthony Murray and that would go on to make it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, losing to eventual champion Indiana. "It was odd to see people react and want a piece of cloth off of somebody else who was wearing it. Tony Nathan holds his youngest brother, Cedric, after he announces in December 1974 that he will attend the University of Alabama. We just couldn't put the icing on the cake.". He also led the Crimson Tide to two Sugar Bowl appearances and two SEC Championships. 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 played with older guys, and I wanted to be able to play on their level," Nathan says. So you go all out and do what you can do just to fit in.". "I didn't have to worry about cutting grass because they played all the time.". A title search shows that Mr. Rutledge and his wife bought a property in Naramata for $1.15-million on Oct. 31, 2016. If all that notoriety affected Nathan, none of his teammates could tell. 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. We were playing in front of 20,000 people regularly, so we were getting some big crowds.". I will make you that promise. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. There's something always new at the courthouse.". "There are people who went to that game that I've heard from all my life," Rutledge says. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. How tall is Jeff Rutledge? Since then, Rutledge has been mostly a backup. ", Alabama basketball coach C.M. Rutledge earned MVP honors at the 1978 Sugar Bowl and also earned All-SEC honors in 1978 and 1979. The purchase date corresponds with most of the transfers from Mr. Slaughter's account, according to the suit. "So it was a great lesson for me. Jeff Rutledge: Bear Bryant promised a national championship at Alabama A three-year starter, he also led Alabama to the #2 National ranking in 1977. View the profiles of professionals named "Jeff Rutledge" on LinkedIn. Jeff Rutledge - Biography - IMDb Rivals in high school, Nathan and Rutledge were teammates for four years at Alabama. "I told him, me being so far behind, I didn't want to flunk out. Where was Jeff Rutledge born? 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. Following his senior season at Alabama in 1978, Banks' Jeff Rutledge went on to play 13 years in the National Football League. "Some do come in with attitudes, and you just have to diffuse them before they go in front of the judge. 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. Or was it 17-7? At the age of 32, starting his 11th season as a National Football League quarterback, Rutledge was not sure he would make the. He will miss Saturday night's exhibition game against the Giants at Giants Stadium. 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. His wife, Laura, a former Miss . WE BUY HOUSES ANY PRICE ANY CONDITION CALL 205 966 4880 NOW. He was part of a team that earned back-to-back state titles at L. Frazier Banks High School in Birmingham, Alabama. Jeff Rutledge was born on 22 January, 1957 in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, is an American football coach and former quarterback. Jeff Rutledge Biography. 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. There was no mortgage. "I had some professors walk up to me and say, 'Hey, we were around when you were playing.'. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. DeOssie, who has been starting at inside linebacker, strained his back lifting weights. "It's been home a long time," Nathan says. jeff.rutledge@mcmillanvantage.com. Trivia (4) Quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams (1979-1981), New York Giants (1983-1989) and Washington Redskins (1990-1992). See the article in its original context from. He is currently the head football coach at Valley Christian High School (Chandler, Arizona) in Chandler, Arizona. On October 2, 2019, his wife gave birth to a daughter. The unsung hero, though, was a little linebacker named Greg Muse, who had transferred to Banksafter living in Texas. His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. In 2013, he married Laura McKeeman (who took Rutledge's name upon marriage), a reporter and host for ESPN and the SEC Network. "I remember going back and forth to get more tickets to sell. 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. "I did accept Christ in my life at that time, they say," Nathan says. We will update Jeff Rutledge's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible. But he made a great play and I just kept running, and he threw it and I caught it.". The regular season game was played in . Jeff Rutledge | American Football Database | Fandom Today, Ken O'Brien, the Jets' starter, broke a toe. Unfortunately, he doesn't remember anything about it. 66. 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. "He ate a few pieces of it, but he didn't eat much.". 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. 90+ "Jeff Rutledge" profiles | LinkedIn From Woodlawn, linebacker Rocha McKinstry signed with Auburn, and Hendrix, the defensive end, played with the University of North Alabama and later, the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers. [4], Rutledge is a Christian and attends Arizona Community Church in Chandler. Mike Perez was waived Tuesday, leaving Rutledge as the only other quarterback on the roster. The next Christmas, Santa Claus brought Tony his first official football. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). Louise Nathan, though, never was wild about her seeing her son get hit. Some of the choices Jeff Rutledge made during his journey to become an NFL assistant coach were difficult. "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. In 2006, the Birmingham Board of Education decided to close the deteriorating middle school, too, saying it was unsafe and an eyesore. "Including his wife. Woodlawn grads included Harry Gilmer, who was an All-American at Alabama and the MVP of the 1946 Rose Bowl, and Bobby Bowden, who coached Florida State to two national championships on his way to becoming the winningest coach in college football history. Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. "Everywhere Tony lined up, there was Greg," Rutledge remembers. No One Else Wanted Him. 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. Birmingham, AL. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). 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. 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. 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. (Photo courtesy of Banks High School Facebook page). He also led the Crimson Tide to two Sugar Bowl appearances and two SEC Championships. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge. Based in Dallas, Texas with over 20 years of experience in concept, design, art direction, and production of print and web materials including: magazine / newspaper ads, brochures, collateral, direct mail, email graphics, logos, signage, and web graphics. ''My first year in the league, with the Rams, it was hairy because they had so many quarterbacks in camp. 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. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. ", Woodlawn's Tony Nathan ran for 112 yards and scored a touchdown in the 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game, but Banks linebacker Greg Muse was all over him all night long. The family will receive friends from 12:00-1:30 pm, Wednesday, October 26, 2016 at . If it had been up to Louise Nathan, her son Tony never would have touched a football. "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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. "We had a ball. 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.". An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. He is married to his wife Laura and has 3 children. Banks came in riding a 34-game unbeaten streak, its last loss coming to Woodlawn, 21-18, three years before. Banks alums included Jimmy Sidle, an All-American quarterback at Auburn; Johnny Musso, an All-American running back at Alabama; and David Cutliffe, who became the head coach at Ole Miss and later, Duke. (Birmingham News file/Robert Adams). After playing in three college all-star games following his senior season, Nathan fell behind in his classes, and he was worried he might flunk out his spring semester. 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. They attended some of the same churches and dated some of the same girls. So, how much is Jeff Rutledge worth at the age of 65 years old? "When people say Tony Nathan, their ears go up. 2. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Jeff Rutledge Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. "It was an amazing thing to see all of those kids -- who grew up together and went to church together, played at Wahouma Park together - in that room together that night," Stearns says. , money, salary, income, and assets. After Friday morning's practice, they will break camp and return to Giants Stadium, where practices are closed to the public. "We were just talking about it. 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. The other day, Rutledge called his wife and told her to wait. "And then they told me that that guy (Nathan) was an All-American basketball player, and he wasn't going to be playing football. It wasn't so much the football I wanted. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. "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. An estimated 42,000 people poured into Legion Field that night -- a state high-school attendance record that still stands -- but as big as the game was, just as many people were curious to see its two superstars, Woodlawn's Nathan and Banks' Rutledge. I don't remember that whole week. That year, the Cardinals made a late season run and earned a Super Bowl berth, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23. His zodiac sign is Aquarius More about Jeff Rutledge Photo Gallery Jeff Rutledge Jeff Rutledge ", During his senior season at at Woodlawn High School in 1974, Tony Nathan was a Parade All-American and featured in Sports Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd." YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. "They all looked at me like, 'OK, don't you think it's your time?'" After completing the eighth grade, those students who would have gone to Banks instead went to Woodlawn High School, Banks' old rival. 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. It's been very interesting. | Learn more about Jeff . The two schools were just 10 minutes and less than four miles apart. The kids are disappointed. Jeff Rutledge, who played at Alabama after he graduated from Bank High School, is pictured here during the 1976 Alabama-Notre Dame game in South Bend, Ind. They got at least part of that right. ', "She said, 'No, but even more so, you're not going to be a quitter. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. "I don't even know if he realized how good he was back then. 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. 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. Rutledge's road back to NFL as Cards QB coach filled with ups and downs 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. 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. Rutledge served as the quarterbacks and tight ends coach for the New York Sentinels of the United Football League in 2009. He is not dating anyone. He was worn out, and he was just tearing the rest of his jersey off.". (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). Former Realtor at ReallivingAdavanceRealty. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). '", So just think, if Louise Nathan hadn't put her foot down, maybe no one would have ever heard of "Touchdown Tony.". By WARNER HESSLER Staff Writer. "I wanted some kind of meat to serve him," William Nathan remembers. His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. Tony is a very revered guy here in our community, here in our church community.". Discover Jeff Rutledge's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. "People drove up, saw the lines outside and just went on by. His parents met at the University of Arkansas, and when he was almost four his family moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. in Plant Science from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and a Masters in Agronomy (Weed Science) from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. ABOUT | Jeff Rutledge He got permission from his academic advisers to drop his courses with a withdraw-passing grade and come back to finish his degree later. he recalls. Woodlawn vs. Banks 1974: Remembering the biggest game in Alabama high Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. I knew when I came to training camp that it would be tough. 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. About Jeff Rutledge is a 66 year old American Football (American) Player born on 22nd January, 1957 in Birmingham, AL. 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.
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