We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. He resigned in the Spring of 2012 to return to Arizona to spend time with his family. He was part of a team that earned back-to-back state titles at L. Frazier Banks High School in Birmingham, Alabama. He was just a humble high school athlete. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. After completing the eighth grade, those students who would have gone to Banks instead went to Woodlawn High School, Banks' old rival. Rutledge lived up to his star billing that night, completing 9 of 10 passes for 188 yards and that touchdown to Grefseng. 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. "But at that time, I had a concussion. DeOssie, who has been starting at inside linebacker, strained his back lifting weights. The following Friday night, Woodlawn closed out its season on a cold, rainy night at Fair Park, defeating Carver 12-0. [1], Rutledge played collegiately at Alabama,[2][3] where he was a member of three SEC Championship teams under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. Only two practice sessions remain at the Fairleigh Dickinson campus here. "Up until my eighth-grade year, I had been going to Banks games all my life, watching Jeff Rutledge's older brother, Gary, and Johnny Musso play,'' Ragland says. "In high school, he was the best quarterback in the state of Alabama, and Coach Bryant did his job. "But it didn't bother me that I was forced to go to Woodlawn because a lot of my friends were at Woodlawn, too.". After games, fans mobbed Nathan to get a piece of his jersey. Nathan, who wore number 22, went through as many as a dozen jerseys in some games. Bold denotes league leader. William Nathan asked, referring to Bryant's bag. Description above from the Wikipedia article Jeff Rutledge, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia. Nathan is flanked by his parents William and Louise Nathan. Jeff Rutledge. "I played with older guys, and I wanted to be able to play on their level," Nathan says. Gerelds, recognizing Nathan's underutilized potential, thought he needed to have the ball in his hands more often and moved him to offense his junior year.Before the start of that 1973 season, something else happened that changed the Woodlawn football team's fortunes. He was indeed a basketball guy, but Tony Nathan would be playing football for a long time. They got at least part of that right. "Before Bo, there was Tony," Ragland says. 2. Newton and football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant stand behind Tony Nathan as he signs his scholarship to attend the University of Alabama. Out on the field, one of the players, a linebacker who also filled in as back-up tight end, caught the only touchdown pass of his high-school career, in what was by far the biggest game of his career. Jeff Rutledge. "It touched me," he says. . Gerelds' plan to move Nathan to running back was paying off handsomely, too.Sometime during that junior season -- maybe it was after he ran for 231 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-12 upset of the No. Horgan III, Jeff Hart, Jim Rutledge of Canada, Gary Hallberg and Jeff Freeman pose together with their Qualifying cards during the Champions Tour. Jeffrey Brooks Rutledge, Meg Rutledge, Christen Rutledge. 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. 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. ", Tony Nathan prepares to take a hand-off from quarterback Jeff Rutledge at the University of Alabama. . Rutledge led Montgomery Bell Academy to a 41-17 record from 20022006, with two state *les in 2002 and 2003 and a #15 ranking in the final USA Today Super 25 poll in 2003. 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. He is married to his wife Laura and has 3 children. Bryant sealed the deal by promising Tony he would get a shot at playing basketball at Alabama, too. 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. We definitely love Miami. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Senior Consultant. 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. Contact . "I had some professors walk up to me and say, 'Hey, we were around when you were playing.'. Add to that the fact that, back in those days, only one team from each region made the state playoffs. 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 backup for most of his career, he was a member of the New York Giants team that won a Super Bowl in Super Bowl XXI and the Washington Redskins team that won Super Bowl XXVI. 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. "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. 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. ''My first year in the league, with the Rams, it was hairy because they had so many quarterbacks in camp. 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. It hardly seemed like a swan-song performance. "That Banks-Woodlawn game our senior year, that was all about Tony and Jeff Rutledge," Hendrix says. As a senior, he was a member of the 1974 Parade High School All-American team. 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. 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,. As depicted in the upcoming "Woodlawn" movie, droves of players, Nathan included, stepped forward to commit their lives to Christ that night. He was part of a team that earned back-to-back state *les at L. Frazier Banks High School in Birmingham, Alabama. But she's been through this every year. "I said, 'What's wrong, Mike, they didn't have crowds like this at Locust Fork?'" I said, 'You have to wait until you see me.' Jeff Rutledge, of Newport, represents the White River and his term expires in 2024. 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. That year, the Cardinals made a late season run and earned a Super Bowl berth, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. 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. "Well, Shula knew what talent was," Nathan says. Newton stood behind Nathan as he sat next to his parents and got his picture taken signing his letter of intent. "I told him, me being so far behind, I didn't want to flunk out. "He ate a few pieces of it, but he didn't eat much.". They attended some of the same churches and dated some of the same girls. ", 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. 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. Once he started playing, though, she never let him quit. #Jeff #Rutledge #Wiki Biography #Age #Height #Wife #Net #Worth #Family Tags: Age Biography Family Height Jeff Net Rutledge Wife Wiki Worth 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. 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. 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. Discover Jeff Rutledge's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. "We knew each other from grammar school.". "But this particular year, we were both undefeated going in. Rutledge earned MVP honors at the 1978 Sugar Bowl and also earned All-SEC honors in 1978 and 1979.[4]. 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). 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. Jeff is an experienced communications and public affairs professional with more than a decade working in government and the private sector. "I didn't have to worry about cutting grass because they played all the time.". fdar charting for blood transfusion $ 0.00 Cart. printers and related vendors. ", Alabama basketball coach C.M. Nathan scored Woodlawn's only touchdown on a 13-yard run in the fourth quarter. 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 . In those days, the Banks-Woodlawn rivalry was like the Alabama-Auburn of Birmingham high school football, but maybe just a little friendlier. He had 274 completions in 526 attempts for 3,628 yards and 16 touchdowns. He received his degree from Alabama in Business Administration and in 2011, was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. "The Woodlawn guys were like maniacs, and they were roaring all through their pre-game warm-ups. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Even though the Dolphins eventually lost in overtime, the play lives on in Miami lore. Commissioner Rutledge, a native of Newport, graduated from Newport High School and earned a B.S. 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. Jeff Rutledge was born on 22 January, 1957 in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, is an American football coach and former quarterback. [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. Fast learner, critical thinker with an eye for efficiency, and generally fun guy. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). | Learn more about Jeff . Relationships We have no records of past relationships for Jeff Rutledge. You look at the schedule, and that was the one you've got marked down that you want to win. The attendance was out of this world.". "We were out there playing in the mud and the rain," Woodlawn's Ragland says. The quiet, introverted Nathan didn't know quite what to make of all that attention. '", So just think, if Louise Nathan hadn't put her foot down, maybe no one would have ever heard of "Touchdown Tony.". Soon enough, though, Tony would be all around the ball. Football was going to be it. All rights reserved (About Us). (Birmingham News file). After the season ended, he accepted an assistant coaching position on Paul "Bear" Bryant's staff at Alabama, where he was part of back-to-back national championships in 1978 and 1979 -- the first of which featured Rutledge and Nathan in the starting backfield. Simms is the Giants' starter and Jeff Hostetler is No. 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. The main building, built in 1922, was a grand, three-story structure that always looked more like a palace than a schoolhouse. WIFE'S SUGGESTION OF RETIREMENT LOST ON RUTLEDGE. The kids are disappointed. Trailing 35-14 with 10:37 left in the third quarter Rutledge replaced an ineffective Stan Humphries and led a great comeback. After Friday morning's practice, they will break camp and return to Giants Stadium, where practices are closed to the public. Our defensive game plan was awesome.". 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. 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 would just tear it off and throw it up in the crowd. We had a blast. "That's why, for two years, we had a lot of focus and attention on Woodlawn. 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. His most notable play with the Giants came in Super Bowl XXI in the third quarter. ", The Banks players huddle around head coach Shorty White during the 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game at Legion Field in Birmingham. WE BUY HOUSES ANY PRICE ANY CONDITION CALL 205 966 4880 NOW. By WARNER HESSLER Staff Writer. But he made a great play and I just kept running, and he threw it and I caught it.". There was no mortgage. Jeff Rutledges income source is mostly from being a successful Player. Where was Jeff Rutledge born? Jeff Rutledge takes a breather during the 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game at Legion Field in Birmingham. Experienced backup quarterbacks can be valuable when injuries strike. I will make you that promise. 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. "His jersey would just be hanging on him," Woodlawn teammate Brad Hendrix says. "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. And when that happened, that movement, I was touched in my heart to do so again.". 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. 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. So it was almost like it was the state championship game that night.". So I ended up saying, 'Thanks, coach, but no thanks.' 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. 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. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. 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,[5] with direct charge over Kurt Warner. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). 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. Birmingham, AL. 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. 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. Trailing 35-14 with 10:37 left in the third quarter Rutledge replaced an ineffective Stan Humphries and led a great comeback. "I was like, 'What?'" "And you're not going to be the first.". "There is no doubt in my mind that the delay in the game helped us,'' Banks' Grefseng says. A few years ago, though, Nathan realized one thing was missing in his life. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). ''Maybe it will make them think a bit or at least make their decision tough. See the article in its original context from. Former Buyer/Planner at Rutledge Properties LLC. So I had never beaten them.". On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. "It was Banks-Woodlawn. ", Tony Nathan breaks free with his tear-away jersey flying in the breeze. Everybody else was gone home for Christmas vacation, and I was like, 'What am I doing here?' The Colonels had something else going for them, too. By his senior year, it wasn't just folks in Birmingham talking about "Touchdown Tony." They all came to see Tony.". He resigned in the Spring of 2012 to return to Arizona to spend time with his family. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Something else special happened that week, too. ", RELATED:Remembering the 1974 Woodlawn-Banks game. 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. On Monday night, the Los Angeles Rams lost their backup, Mark Herrmann, for six to eight weeks with broken ribs. There's something always new at the courthouse.". "It was supposed to be a quick pass but somebody got in there and almost sacked Jeff. 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. The other day, Rutledge called his wife and told her to wait. 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. "I think (defensive lineman) Marty Lyons could play today. Tony could have gone anywhere. His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. 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. I knew it even before that, when Plan B came along.'' Electronic version of this article was lost during the computer . Jeff is survived by his wife, Dana; daughter, Payton Rutledge; son, Parker Rutledge; and several nieces and nephews. He also led the Crimson Tide to two Sugar Bowl appearances and two SEC Championships. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. If they cut me and someone picks me up, they would have to get someone else not familiar with their system.'' Former Realtor at ReallivingAdavanceRealty. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). Quarterback Jeff Rutledge played 13 seasons for 3 teams. I remember it was good we didn't start when we were supposed to because they were at their peak. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge. 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. On Sunday, the Jets lost their backup, Pat Ryan, for at least six to eight weeks with a sprained knee. "That was neat, that she had just come up (for the game), not knowing anything that was going to happen years later," Rutledge says. (Linebacker) Barry Krauss could play today. His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. He got permission from his academic advisers to drop his courses with a withdraw-passing grade and come back to finish his degree later. View the profiles of professionals named "Jeff Rutledge" on LinkedIn. In his teens, he acted in productions of the North Shore Children's Theater and, from 1942 to 1944, performed in . The year before, Logan had coached at rural Locust Fork High School in Blount County. 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. The next Christmas, Santa Claus brought Tony his first official football. 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. It's been very interesting. Louise Nathan, though, never was wild about her seeing her son get hit. Rutledge is a Christian and attends Arizona Community Church in Chandler. "If we needed him to throw the football, I knew he could definitely do that. I was so elated that he did it, and I thank the Lord that he did.". William Nathan was sold, though, and eventually, so was his son Tony. "I knew some of those guys, and I'm like, 'Why would y'all be out here in the hot sun watching freshman football?'" Nose tackle Bob Baumhower, who was two years ahead of Nathan at Alabama, was already there when Nathan arrived for his first camp. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. "There are people who went to that game that I've heard from all my life," Rutledge says. 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. I did believe. 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. When the teams ran back onto the field for the third time, the lower bowl of Legion Field was practically full.
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