That year, the Cardinals made a late season run and earned a Super Bowl berth, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23. Commissioner Rutledge, a native of Newport, graduated from Newport High School and earned a B.S. "I played with older guys, and I wanted to be able to play on their level," Nathan says. ", 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." Description above from the Wikipedia article Jeff Rutledge, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia. "We were just talking about it. See the article in its original context from. While it has been reported that only one gate was open that night, Walter Garrett, who was the stadium manager at Legion Field for 38 years, says that both gates 7A and 7B at the south entrance to the stadium were open, as was customary at all Birmingham high school games there. 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. 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. "I don't even know if he realized how good he was back then. All rights reserved (About Us). #Jeff #Rutledge #Wiki Biography #Age #Height #Wife #Net #Worth #Family Tags: Age Biography Family Height Jeff Net Rutledge Wife Wiki Worth 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. We definitely love Miami. William Nathan was sold, though, and eventually, so was his son Tony. Jeff Rutledge was born on 22 January, 1957 in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, is an American football coach and former quarterback. Rutledge played collegiately at Alabama, where he was a member of three SEC Championship teams under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. 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). As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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. They got at least part of that right. View the profiles of professionals named "Jeff Rutledge" on LinkedIn. In 2006, the Birmingham Board of Education decided to close the deteriorating middle school, too, saying it was unsafe and an eyesore. 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. 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. Tony started playing pickup basketball games with some older boys in the neighborhood, and he was good enough that he was recruited to play in a rec league at Huffman Park. . Plan B was the system under which each N.F.L. His zodiac sign is Aquarius More about Jeff Rutledge Photo Gallery Jeff Rutledge Jeff Rutledge Quarterback Jeff Rutledge played 13 seasons for 3 teams. He also led the Crimson Tide to two Sugar Bowl appearances and two SEC Championships. 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. Former Buyer/Planner at Rutledge Properties LLC. 6'1", 195 lbs. 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. I did believe. He got permission from his academic advisers to drop his courses with a withdraw-passing grade and come back to finish his degree later. 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. Woodlawn never beat Banks during Nathan's three years on the varsity. "But at that time, I had a concussion. His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. The Nathans go to the same church, New Testament Baptist Church, with his former Alabama and Miami teammate McNeal and his wife, Rhonda. ", Tony Nathan runs behind his Miami Dolphins teammate Jeff Toews in a game against the New York Jets. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. His most notable play with the Giants came in Super Bowl XXI in the third quarter. Something else special happened that week, too. 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. I do believe. 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. Simms is the Giants' starter and Jeff Hostetler is No. 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. I was so elated that he did it, and I thank the Lord that he did.". 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?'" Newton and football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant stand behind Tony Nathan as he signs his scholarship to attend the University of Alabama. "All I had ever seen of football games was everybody falling on each other and piling on each other," she says. ', "I said, 'I will do that. The next year, they got Bert Jones. I remember it was good we didn't start when we were supposed to because they were at their peak. jeff.rutledge@mcmillanvantage.com. (Linebacker) Barry Krauss could play today. "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. The other day, Rutledge called his wife and told her to wait. '", So just think, if Louise Nathan hadn't put her foot down, maybe no one would have ever heard of "Touchdown Tony.". "I was like, 'What?'" When the teams ran back onto the field for the third time, the lower bowl of Legion Field was practically full. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Birmingham, AL. 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. The year before, Logan had coached at rural Locust Fork High School in Blount County. 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. Today, Ken O'Brien, the Jets' starter, broke a toe. team protected 37 players during the off season and made the unprotected players available to other teams. "Greg was not very big but he had a huge heart and he gave Tony fits that night. About Jeff Rutledge is a 66 year old American Football (American) Player born on 22nd January, 1957 in Birmingham, AL. "He's very respected here," McNeal says of his old teammate. All three of Nathan's daughters have their college degrees - Nichole from South Florida and Natalie and Nadia from Alabama - as does his wife. 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. 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. "But it didn't bother me that I was forced to go to Woodlawn because a lot of my friends were at Woodlawn, too.". BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Forty years later, the details have gotten fuzzier and the legends have grown larger. Jeff was in the flooring business and owned Vintage Wood Floors, Inc. 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. They made great souvenirs, too, and fans mobbed him after the games to get a piece of Nathan's jersey. Jeff Rutledge date of birth: January 22, 1957. That 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game would be Shorty White's 100th win at Banks, and his last. "That was neat, that she had just come up (for the game), not knowing anything that was going to happen years later," Rutledge says. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. Tony Nathan, left, talks with Jeff Rutledge, right, after the famous Woodlawn-Banks high school football game at Legion Field in 1974. It was Geralds, Nathan would say later, who talked him out of quitting football, and for that, Nathan remained forever grateful. 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. Hoover, Alabama. It hardly seemed like a swan-song performance. I bought them last week. Unfortunately, he doesn't remember anything about it. The film builds to a finale where Woodlawn meets crosstown rival Banks, quarterbacked by Jeff Rutledge, who would eventually play at Alabama with Nathan. 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. "I get to meet a ton of people -- lawyers, defendants, victims -- and they all are different," Nathan says. "I did accept Christ in my life at that time, they say," Nathan says. ''That may make the Giants think,'' said Rutledge. "I wanted some kind of meat to serve him," William Nathan remembers. 2. Experienced backup quarterbacks can be valuable when injuries strike. Those were the days when running backs wore tear-away jerseys, which ripped when opposing players tried to bring down the ball carrier by grabbing ahold of his jersey. 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. 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. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). "They do a great job of keeping us involved in what's going on and keeping us involved with the fans. The unsung hero, though, was a little linebacker named Greg Muse, who had transferred to Banksafter living in Texas. "It wasn't hard to grab a piece of it. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). By WARNER HESSLER Staff Writer. (Birmingham News file/Robert Adams). 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. The main building, built in 1922, was a grand, three-story structure that always looked more like a palace than a schoolhouse. "But I was raised in the church anyway. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). 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. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. After games, fans mobbed Nathan to get a piece of his jersey. The Colonels had something else going for them, too. He had to meet with Coach Bryant to get him to sign off on it, too. Rutledge served as the quarterbacks and tight ends coach for the New York Sentinels of the United Football League in 2009. Jeff Rutledge takes a breather during the 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game at Legion Field in Birmingham. On one particular visit, Bryant brought his overnight bag, Tony's father remembers. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). Football was going to be it. William Nathan asked, referring to Bryant's bag. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. He resigned in the Spring of 2012 to return to Arizona to spend time with his family. . 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 . 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. But there was one catch. UNEASY LIES THE HEAD OF NO. After seven seasons at Vanderbilt, Rutledge became the head coach at Montgomery Bell Academy, a school for seventh to 12th grade boys in Nashville. As depicted in the upcoming "Woodlawn" movie, droves of players, Nathan included, stepped forward to commit their lives to Christ that night. Though Rutledge was available, no other team signed him. "It was weird," he says. Menu Log In Sign Up . We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. "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. Nathan says. A few years ago, though, Nathan realized one thing was missing in his life. Jeff Rutledge Wiki: Salary, Married, Wedding, Spouse, Family Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. 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. "He looked like he had a jet pack on his back," Baumhower recalls. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. You could call it inspiration, you could call it whatever you like. Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Once he started playing, though, she never let him quit. Jeff Rutledge Biography. I knew when I came to training camp that it would be tough. Tony Nathan holds his youngest brother, Cedric, after he announces in December 1974 that he will attend the University of Alabama. "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. ''The first game Phil Simms goes down, they've got to get a quarterback. At 65 years old, Jeff Rutledge height not available right now. We were playing in front of 20,000 people regularly, so we were getting some big crowds.". Even though the Dolphins eventually lost in overtime, the play lives on in Miami lore. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 22 January. His parents met at the University of Arkansas, and when he was almost four his family moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Birmingham News file) In the 1980s,. ", The Banks players huddle around head coach Shorty White during the 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game at Legion Field in Birmingham. Unbeknownst to either one of them at the time, she would later marry one of the game's biggest heroes. So, how much is Jeff Rutledge worth at the age of 65 years old? Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. [2] Rutledge spent most of his career as a back-up quarterback and a holder on kicks. Established network of influencers, political staff, department officials and media, supporting sound execution of public affairs initiatives. They've been married for going on 37 years now, with three children and nine grandkids. Rutledge lived up to his star billing that night, completing 9 of 10 passes for 188 yards and that touchdown to Grefseng. "Some do come in with attitudes, and you just have to diffuse them before they go in front of the judge. 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. A creative problem solver with refined approach to crisis communications and media management. 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. We prayed together, and from then on, I respected them and they respected me. A three-year starter, he also led Alabama to the #2 National ranking in 1977. . "I think back about our team, and I think about the players who played then and who could play now in terms of their strength and speed and ability," Legg says. He started taking online courses through the University of Alabama's Bama by Distance degree program, and this past May, at 58, he graduated. DailyPress.com. ", Alabama basketball coach C.M. Meanwhile, Woodlawn High School stands majestically in the same location on First Avenue North, just like it has since 1922, and the football team is still sending players to the NFL, including Chris Davis, the Auburn cornerback who was the last-second hero of the 2013 Iron Bowl. "We dedicated our season to the glory of the Lord, and we played at a much higher level those two years (1973-74) than we probably should have. "What are you doing with that grip?'" The final count was an estimated 42,000 people -- roughly 10,000 more than the previous record crowd at the Crippled Children's Classic between Phillips and Woodlawn, also at Legion Field, in 1950. "Before Bo, there was Tony," Ragland says. The regular season game was played in . 100.00 Down Payment and Houses with No Credit Check. (Sugar Jets was a reference to a brand of cereal from the 1950s and '60s.). He is now a bailiff for Miami-Dade County Court Judge Edward Newman, a former Dolphins teammate. "It was supposed to be a quick pass but somebody got in there and almost sacked Jeff. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge. 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. 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. Jeff Rutledge, Nathan's old rival from Banks, was now his teammate, quarterbacking the Tide. "I had some professors walk up to me and say, 'Hey, we were around when you were playing.'. That was Laura Holmes, whom Rutledge later met when his Fellowship of Christian Athletes adviser suggested that he ask her to go with him to the team banquet following his freshman year at Alabama. . Bold denotes league leader. The two schools were just 10 minutes and less than four miles apart. 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. Everybody else was gone home for Christmas vacation, and I was like, 'What am I doing here?' By Frank Litsky, Special To the New York Times. How tall is Jeff Rutledge? 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. 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. He would just tear it off and throw it up in the crowd. Contact . He was just a humble high school athlete. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. WE BUY HOUSES ANY PRICE ANY CONDITION CALL 205 966 4880 NOW. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. 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. At the age of 32, starting his 11th season as a National Football League quarterback, Rutledge was not sure he would make the. As that 1974 season progressed and both teams kept winning week after week, that friendly rivalry between Banks and Woodlawn reached a new level, though. All rights reserved (About Us). 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. "Almost everybody who played in that (1974) game, you may not have been close friends with them, but you knew who they were," Grefseng, the Banks linebacker, says. On the bus ride to Legion Field, the Woodlawn players knew it was a big deal when they got a police escort to the game, which was also a first for them. Jeffrey Brooks Rutledge, Meg Rutledge, Christen Rutledge. He was part of a team that earned back-to-back state titles at L. Frazier Banks High School 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. 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. Jeff Rutledge, Nathan's old rival from Banks, was now his teammate, quarterbacking the Tide. "It's been home a long time," Nathan says. . (Birmingham News file). That same night, Banks' 35-game unbeaten streak came to an abrupt end when Rutledge blew out an ankle and the banged-up Jets lost 34-27 to West End. 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. After Thursday morning's practice, the Giants will leave for their annual welcome-home lunch at the Sheraton Centre. 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. Most likely, Tony would not have been drafted by the NFL's Miami Dolphins, and regrettably, he also would have missed out on starting in two Super Bowls, as well as being part of one of the most famous plays in Dolphins' history. Soon enough, though, Tony would be all around the ball. After Friday morning's practice, they will break camp and return to Giants Stadium, where practices are closed to the public. 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. "They had the best running back in the state and we had the best quarterback," former Banks head coach George "Shorty" White remembers. In 2013, he married Laura McKeeman (who took Rutledge's name upon marriage), a reporter and host for ESPN and the SEC Network. A three-year starter, he also led Alabama to the #2 National ranking in 1977. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). Six years later, he led the Tigers to an undefeated 15-0 season and a 4A state championship. We had a blast. 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. ", Tony Nathan strikes a Heisman-like pose as he tries to avoid a linebacker. He was worn out, and he was just tearing the rest of his jersey off.". (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). Only two practice sessions remain at the Fairleigh Dickinson campus here. He also led the Crimson Tide to two Sugar Bowl appearances and two SEC Championships. "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. And when that happened, that movement, I was touched in my heart to do so again.". He is married to his wife Laura and has 3 children.[7]. As a senior, he was a member of the 1974 Parade High School All-American team. 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. 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. He received his degree from Alabama in Business Administration and in 2011, was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. His two older sisters went to Banks, but after the Birmingham schools were desegregated, he was zoned for Woodlawn. And since Banks and Woodlawn were in the same region -- and both were competing in 4A, which was then the largest high school classification in the state -- only one of them would advance. Trailing 35-14 with 10:37 left in the third quarter Rutledge replaced an ineffective Stan Humphries and led a great comeback.
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