Wore number 17 for the New York Giants. Trivia (4) Quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams (1979-1981), New York Giants (1983-1989) and Washington Redskins (1990-1992). 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. 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. We were playing in front of 20,000 people regularly, so we were getting some big crowds.". He was part of a team that earned back-to-back state *les at L. Frazier Banks High School in Birmingham, Alabama. Jeff Rutledge, Nathan's old rival from Banks, was now his teammate, quarterbacking the Tide. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. Jeff Rutledge takes a breather 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. WE BUY HOUSES ANY PRICE ANY CONDITION CALL 205 966 4880 NOW. 1-ranked Huffman Vikings -- Woodlawn fans started calling Nathan "Touchdown Tony" and began clamoring for pictures and autographs. Jeff Rutledge was born on 22 January, 1957 in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, is an American football coach and former quarterback. 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. The other day, Rutledge called his wife and told her to wait. The legend of Tony Nathan: From Woodlawn to Alabama to the NFL 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. "I remember going back and forth to get more tickets to sell. Jeff Rutledge - Wikipedia "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. Jeff Rutledge - Facts, Bio, Favorites, Info, Family 2021 - Sticky Facts If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. 195 lbs (88.5 kg) Wife'S Suggestion of Retirement Lost on Rutledge Tony Nathan holds his youngest brother, Cedric, after he announces in December 1974 that he will attend the University of Alabama. "The touchdown was a busted play," he recalls. Jeff Rutledge. Or was it 17-7? Jeff Rutledge's net worth A couple of weeks before their game, Banks' White alerted the Legion Field staff to expect a monster crowd. Our defensive game plan was awesome.". On one particular visit, Bryant brought his overnight bag, Tony's father remembers. 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. Birmingham, AL. Jeff is survived by his wife, Dana; daughter, Payton Rutledge; son, Parker Rutledge; and several nieces and nephews. (Birmingham News file) In the 1980s,. The quiet, introverted Nathan didn't know quite what to make of all that attention. Bold denotes league leader. He also led the Crimson Tide to two Sugar Bowl appearances and two SEC Championships. "If we needed him to throw the football, I knew he could definitely do that. If all of the gates had been open, they would have had 60,000 people.". Also learn how He earned most of networth at the age of 63 years old? Mike Perez was waived Tuesday, leaving Rutledge as the only other quarterback on the roster. Rutledge earned MVP honors at the 1978 Sugar Bowl and also earned All-SEC honors in 1978 and 1979.[4]. 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. Banks coach Shorty White had assigned Muse to shadow Woodlawn's Nathan everywhere he went, and although Nathan finished with 112 yards on 31 carries, Muse was all over him most of the night. I wanted him to have his degree. Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. His most notable play with the Giants came in Super Bowl XXI in the third quarter. 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 talked to Bill after practice Saturday,'' said Rutledge. That spiritual awakening not only inspired the team, but it reverberated throughout the entire school, defusing some racial tension that Nathan says he felt his first couple of years at Woodlawn. 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. 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. 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. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). Something else special happened that week, too. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. 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. "What are you doing with that grip?'" DeOssie, who has been starting at inside linebacker, strained his back lifting weights. 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. 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. "Greg was not very big but he had a huge heart and he gave Tony fits that night. Manage Settings Trailing 35-14 with 10:37 left in the third quarter Rutledge replaced an ineffective Stan Humphries and led a great comeback. He was just a humble high school athlete. Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. 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. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Coach Bill Parcells will probably keep three this year, but there is no guarantee. 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. ''It's an odd world, isn't it?'' All rights reserved (About Us). To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. "I wanted some kind of meat to serve him," William Nathan remembers. 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. 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. "To be a 16-, 17-year-old kid, I had never seen anybody run and do the things Tony did athletically. The two schools were just 10 minutes and less than four miles apart. 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. According to our Database, He has no children. I told Coach Gerelds that I didn't want him to be anywhere near the ball.". Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. He received his degree from Alabama in Business Administration and in 2011, was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. ", Tony Nathan runs behind his Miami Dolphins teammate Jeff Toews in a game against the New York Jets. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? Jeff Rutledge Wiki Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family '", So just think, if Louise Nathan hadn't put her foot down, maybe no one would have ever heard of "Touchdown Tony.". Place kicker Ali Haji-Sheikh of the New York Giants kicks a field goal during a game against the New Orleans Saints at Giants Stadium on December 15,. Welcome. "They do a great job of keeping us involved in what's going on and keeping us involved with the fans. 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. His two older sisters went to Banks, but after the Birmingham schools were desegregated, he was zoned for Woodlawn. Last year, Nathan was inducted into the Dolphins' Walk of Fame, immortalized alongside such legendary Dolphins as Dan Marino, Bob Griese, Paul Warfield, Larry Csonka and Nick Buoniconti in the sidewalk outside Miami's Sun Life Stadium. And I don't know when that will be.'' If it had been up to Louise Nathan, her son Tony never would have touched a football. 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 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. 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. The following Friday night, Woodlawn closed out its season on a cold, rainy night at Fair Park, defeating Carver 12-0. Former Buyer/Planner at Rutledge Properties LLC. BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Forty years later, the details have gotten fuzzier and the legends have grown larger. 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. So you go all out and do what you can do just to fit in.". ', "I said, 'I will do that. Six years later, he led the Tigers to an undefeated 15-0 season and a 4A state championship. "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. Nathan scored Woodlawn's only touchdown on a 13-yard run in the fourth quarter. He is from United States. [3][5][6] 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. Tony Nathan talks about racism, 'Woodlawn' Some were easier. I remember it was good we didn't start when we were supposed to because they were at their peak. On Sunday, the Jets lost their backup, Pat Ryan, for at least six to eight weeks with a sprained knee. "But it didn't bother me that I was forced to go to Woodlawn because a lot of my friends were at Woodlawn, too.". When the Cardinals hired a new offensive coordinator at the end of that season, Rutledge and most of the offensive staff were fired. 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. In 2013, he married Laura McKeeman (who took Rutledge's name upon marriage), a reporter and host for ESPN and the SEC Network. Woodlawn, meanwhile, had a nice streak going, too, winning 11 in a row since it fell to Banks 17-7 in 1973. Relationships We have no records of past relationships for Jeff Rutledge. 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. 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. It hardly seemed like a swan-song performance. Rutledge and his wife had just moved into their dream house in Atlanta, but felt it was the best job available. On fourth down with a yard needed, he was sent by head coach Bill Parcells for a potential decoy play. 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. Add to that the fact that, back in those days, only one team from each region made the state playoffs. 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. 100.00 Down Payment and Houses with No Credit Check. The regular season game was played in . Everybody else was gone home for Christmas vacation, and I was like, 'What am I doing here?' jeff.rutledge@mcmillanvantage.com. By WARNER HESSLER Staff Writer. 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. 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. And Then There Were Three. He is a member of famous Player with the age 65 years old group. The next year, they got Bert Jones. He was the starting quarterback on the 1978 National Championship team. In those days, the Banks-Woodlawn rivalry was like the Alabama-Auburn of Birmingham high school football, but maybe just a little friendlier. After Thursday morning's practice, the Giants will leave for their annual welcome-home lunch at the Sheraton Centre. I don't remember that whole week. "That's why, for two years, we had a lot of focus and attention on Woodlawn. After games, fans mobbed Nathan to get a piece of his jersey. He resigned in the Spring of 2012 to return to Arizona to spend time with his family. Jeff Rutledge Net Worth Football was going to be it. They made great souvenirs, too, and fans mobbed him after the games to get a piece of Nathan's jersey. "And I didn't like that. 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. ''My wife is frustrated,'' said Rutledge. The sports teams at Woodlawn became known as the Colonels and the school colors were green and gold, the same colors that student pranksters sometimes painted that Sabre jet at nearby Banks. That year, the Cardinals made a late season run and earned a Super Bowl berth, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23. 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. Nathan says. Woodlawn never beat Banks during Nathan's three years on the varsity. Jeff Rutledge Wiki: Salary, Married, Wedding, Spouse, Family Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. Jeff Rutledge | American Football Database | Fandom Hoover, Alabama. . "It's been home a long time," Nathan says. My parents raised me that way. 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. So by the time he arrived at Woodlawn High School to start the ninth grade, his reputation as a wizard of the basketball court preceded him. 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. Jeff Rutledge date of birth: January 22, 1957. in Plant Science from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and a Masters in Agronomy (Weed Science) from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. "It was Banks-Woodlawn. 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 . "I don't even know if he realized how good he was back then. "Including his wife. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). fdar charting for blood transfusion $ 0.00 Cart. Jeffery Joseph Rutledge | Obituaries | koamnewsnow.com Electronic version of this article was lost during the computer . "It was a miserable way to end your season.". Jeff Rutledge - Pro-Football-Reference.com I do believe. Rutledge served as the quarterbacks and tight ends coach for the New York Sentinels of the United Football League in 2009. ", 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. "That Banks-Woodlawn game our senior year, that was all about Tony and Jeff Rutledge," Hendrix says. 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. "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. So he signed again with the Giants, but for less than the $400,000 he made last year. "When people say Tony Nathan, their ears go up. His most notable play with the Giants came in Super Bowl XXI in the third quarter. "We just sat up there and watched," Martin, now retired, recalls. "All I had ever seen of football games was everybody falling on each other and piling on each other," she says. "It wasn't hard to grab a piece of it. According to our records, Jeff Rutledge is possibly single. jeff rutledge wife - holyfamily.schoolmerchcanada.com The Nathans go to the same church, New Testament Baptist Church, with his former Alabama and Miami teammate McNeal and his wife, Rhonda. ", Alabama basketball coach C.M. 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. Nathan, who wore number 22, went through as many as a dozen jerseys in some games. printers and related vendors. 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. 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. 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. We prayed together, and from then on, I respected them and they respected me. Roberts, the starting left guard, has a slightly sprained left knee, which was reported improved. And while most college players today are bigger, faster and stronger now than they were during Nathan's college days, Legg has no doubt that, had Nathan come along four decades later, Nick Saban would find a place for him with Derrick Henry and Kenyan Drake in the Crimson Tide's current running back rotation. "Some of the other running backs didn't want to be that lead blocker. All three of Nathan's daughters have their college degrees - Nichole from South Florida and Natalie and Nadia from Alabama - as does his wife. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Jeff Rutledge, Nathan's old rival from Banks, was now his teammate, quarterbacking the Tide. The next Christmas, Santa Claus brought Tony his first official football. Established network of influencers, political staff, department officials and media, supporting sound execution of public affairs initiatives. "It was just that time. 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. RELATED:See who plays Tony Nathan in 'Woodlawn'. "All three kids were raised here. . ''You gear up for a time when you're going to get together as a family. By Frank Litsky, Special To the New York Times. He is currently the head football coach at Valley Christian High School (Chandler, Arizona) in Chandler, Arizona. 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. Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. Rutledge served as the quarterbacks and tight ends coach for the New York Sentinels of the United Football League in 2009. "We were out there playing in the mud and the rain," Woodlawn's Ragland says. Along the sidelines, one of the best coaches in Alabama high school football history would notch his 100th victory, but he would never win another. The attendance was out of this world.". "In high school, he was the best quarterback in the state of Alabama, and Coach Bryant did his job. ''The first game Phil Simms goes down, they've got to get a quarterback. "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. 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. The next year, I was on injured reserve. Woodlawn vs. Banks 1974: Remembering the biggest game in Alabama high They included touchdown passes of 29, 20 and 43 yards. 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. 90+ "Jeff Rutledge" profiles | LinkedIn The other day, Rutledge called his wife and told her to wait. 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. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). "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. 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 was the starting quarterback on the 1978 National Championship team.
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