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"Well, Shula knew what talent was," Nathan says. Where was Jeff Rutledge born? Relationships We have no records of past relationships for Jeff Rutledge. As a senior, he was a member of the 1974 Parade High School All-American team. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. But she's been through this every 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, 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. That year, the Cardinals made a late season run and earned a Super Bowl berth, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23. 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. 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. William Nathan was sold, though, and eventually, so was his son Tony. "It was time for people to actually get along -- no matter what race or color you were," he says. Fast learner, critical thinker with an eye for efficiency, and generally fun guy. The Colonels had something else going for them, too. 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. Welcome. "I was running down the baseline trying to follow my guy around, and, all of a sudden, they set a pick and this guy's elbow hit me in the eye and that cured my basketball desire," Nathan says. ", Alabama basketball coach C.M. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 6' 1" (185 cm) How much does Jeff Rutledge weigh? "He's very respected here," McNeal says of his old teammate. 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. 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. 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 was worn out, and he was just tearing the rest of his jersey off.". Plan B was the system under which each N.F.L. Jeff Rutledge, of Newport, represents the White River and his term expires in 2024. I do believe. Rutledge earned MVP honors at the 1978 Sugar Bowl and also earned All-SEC honors in 1978 and 1979.[4]. 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. The other day, Rutledge called his wife and told her to wait. 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. Electronic version of this article was lost during the computer . After games, fans mobbed Nathan to get a piece of his jersey. I did believe. Jeff is survived by his wife, Dana; daughter, Payton Rutledge; son, Parker Rutledge; and several nieces and nephews. 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. . 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 played collegiately at Alabama, where he was a member of three SEC Championship teams under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. It was Grefseng's only touchdown catch of his Banks career. 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. 3 QUARTERBACK, https://www.nytimes.com/1989/08/24/sports/uneasy-lies-the-head-of-no-3-quarterback.html, Frank Litsky, Special To the New York Times. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. By Friday, the excitement was at full-tilt boogie. said Rutledge. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. ''It's an odd world, isn't it?'' "All three kids were raised here. I can tell you, Tony had no trouble with his blocking.". The year before, Logan had coached at rural Locust Fork High School in Blount County. Jeff Rutledge. Jeffrey Brooks Rutledge, Meg Rutledge, Christen Rutledge. "We just sat up there and watched," Martin, now retired, recalls. 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. Add to that the fact that, back in those days, only one team from each region made the state playoffs. "That Banks-Woodlawn game our senior year, that was all about Tony and Jeff Rutledge," Hendrix says. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. 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. Finished career at Alabama has the school's leading passer, surpassing Joe Namath. RELATED:See who plays Tony Nathan in 'Woodlawn'. That year, the Cardinals made a late season run and earned a Super Bowl berth, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23. . "There wasn't anybody that came to see me play or any of the other guys. He was a basketball guy.". And when the game finally did kick off a half-hour or so later, the crowd kept pouring in well into the second quarter. 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. "I think I had lost to Banks four times in three years because my freshman year, I played them as a freshman and on the B-team. Mike Perez was waived Tuesday, leaving Rutledge as the only other quarterback on the roster. 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. Rutledge was born to Tony and Cheryl Rutledge in Cullman, Alabama, on April 21, 1989. 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. 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. 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. And Then There Were Three. In the spring of 2007 Rutledge got his first NFL coaching job when he was hired as quarterbacks coach with the NFL's Arizona Cardinals, with direct charge over Kurt Warner. At 65 years old, Jeff Rutledge height not available right now. Jeff was in the flooring business and owned Vintage Wood Floors, Inc. A creative problem solver with refined approach to crisis communications and media management. "What are you doing with that grip?'" Even though the Dolphins eventually lost in overtime, the play lives on in Miami lore. Jeff Rutledges income source is mostly from being a successful Player. Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. fatal car accident in tulare county / how to endorse a check for mobile deposit wells fargo / jeff rutledge wife. Our defensive game plan was awesome.". 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. "He wasn't too pleased," Nathan recalls. 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). Rutledge and his wife had just moved into their dream house in Atlanta, but felt it was the best job available. "Some of the other running backs didn't want to be that lead blocker. You could call it inspiration, you could call it whatever you like. ", 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." 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. He would just tear it off and throw it up in the crowd. From Banks, defensive lineman Freddie Knighton signed with Alabama, running back Jerry Murphree went to LSU, and linebacker Bob Grefseng played at Ole Miss. As a senior, he was a member of the 1974 Parade High School All-American team. By his senior year, it wasn't just folks in Birmingham talking about "Touchdown Tony." 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.". The two schools were just 10 minutes and less than four miles apart. After Friday morning's practice, they will break camp and return to Giants Stadium, where practices are closed to the public. While Nathan ran for 112 yards and scored a touchdown that night, the Colonels lost to the Jets 18-7, with Rutledge completing eight of nine passing for 185 yards and a touchdown. 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. "We had a ball. 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. Jeff Rutledge Wiki: Salary, Married, Wedding, Spouse, Family Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. (Birmingham News file/Robert Adams). 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". BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Forty years later, the details have gotten fuzzier and the legends have grown larger. When it came time to pick a college, Nathan considered going to Oklahoma, where renegade coach Barry Switzer was lighting up the scoreboard with a high-powered wishbone offense that was the talk of college football. 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. UNEASY LIES THE HEAD OF NO. Jeff Rutledge was born on January 22, 1957 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. "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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. In his teens, he acted in productions of the North Shore Children's Theater and, from 1942 to 1944, performed in . I knew when I came to training camp that it would be tough. 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. View Jeff Rutledge results in Munford, AL including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. His breakout moment came against Montgomery's Robert E. Lee Generals, when, late in the game, he scooped up a fumble and ran 38 yards for the winning touchdown. Quarterback Jeff Rutledge played 13 seasons for 3 teams. He resigned in the Spring of 2012 to return to Arizona to spend time with his family. The family will receive friends from 12:00-1:30 pm, Wednesday, October 26, 2016 at . If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. ''You gear up for a time when you're going to get together as a family. "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. His zodiac sign is Aquarius More about Jeff Rutledge Photo Gallery Jeff Rutledge Jeff Rutledge "There is no doubt in my mind that the delay in the game helped us,'' Banks' Grefseng says. "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. 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. We were playing in front of 20,000 people regularly, so we were getting some big crowds.". But Norman, Okla., was cold and rainy when Nathan went to visit, and besides that, Switzer never bothered to come visit Nathan and his parents in Birmingham. 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. So you go all out and do what you can do just to fit in.". He said, 'Well, make sure you promise me you're going to finish what you started. . 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). Their two-year reign as 4A state champs also ended with a 12-0 shutout loss to eventual champion Homewood in the first round of the playoffs. Birmingham, AL. Tony Nathan, left, and Jeff Rutledge talk following the 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game at Legion Field in Birmingham. On fourth down with a yard needed, he was sent by head coach Bill Parcells for a potential decoy play. On signing day, both Bryant and Alabama basketball coach C.M. That iconic Banks jet was turned over to the Southern Museum of Flight, where it has been restored to its Korean War glory days. 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. 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. 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. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. jeff.rutledge@mcmillanvantage.com. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. A couple of weeks before their game, Banks' White alerted the Legion Field staff to expect a monster crowd. Everybody else was gone home for Christmas vacation, and I was like, 'What am I doing here?' 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. By Frank Litsky, Special To the New York Times. "But I was raised in the church anyway. He had to meet with Coach Bryant to get him to sign off on it, too. Anyone can read what you share. He will miss Saturday night's exhibition game against the Giants at Giants Stadium. Nathan is flanked by his parents William and Louise Nathan. Although it was just one moment in time, all of their names -- as well as those of Greg Muse, Jerry Murphree, Bob Grefseng, Denny Ragland, Brad Hendrix, Jerry Stearns and many others -- will always be linked to that November night in Legion Field 40 years ago. "And then they told me that that guy (Nathan) was an All-American basketball player, and he wasn't going to be playing football. Jeff Rutledge. Louise Nathan, though, never was wild about her seeing her son get hit. There's something always new at the courthouse.". It took him 36 years, but Nathan kept that promise to his coach. Nathan scored Woodlawn's only touchdown on a 13-yard run in the fourth quarter. By his senior season in 1974, Woodlawn running back Tony Nathan was one of the most sought-after high school football players in America. ', "She said, 'No, but even more so, you're not going to be a quitter. "It was one heck of a game. He was part of a team that earned back-to-back state titles at L. Frazier Banks High School in Birmingham, Alabama. If they cut me and someone picks me up, they would have to get someone else not familiar with their system.'' 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. The quiet, introverted Nathan didn't know quite what to make of all that attention. 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. According to our Database, He has no children. "I said, 'What's wrong, Mike, they didn't have crowds like this at Locust Fork?'" 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. I said, 'You have to wait until you see me.' The next year, Nathan and Rutledge became teammates at the University of Alabama. The kids are disappointed. "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. In overtime, he hit Art Monk with a vital 40-yard p* on third and 15 to help set up Chip Lohmiller's game-winning field goal. You look at the schedule, and that was the one you've got marked down that you want to win. "When people say Tony Nathan, their ears go up. 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. Jeffrey Hunter was born Henry Herman McKinnies Jr. on November 25, 1926 in New Orleans, Louisiana, an only child. 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. "I had some professors walk up to me and say, 'Hey, we were around when you were playing.'. He resigned in the Spring of 2012 to return to Arizona to spend time with his family. 2. See also [ edit] Rule 5 draft results References [ edit] "It really did.". "They had the best running back in the state and we had the best quarterback," former Banks head coach George "Shorty" White remembers. Trailing 35-14 with 10:37 left in the third quarter Rutledge replaced an ineffective Stan Humphries and led a great comeback. His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. Another one of football's coaching greats, Don Shula of the Miami Dolphins, drafted Nathan in the third round of the 1979 NFL Draft, and even though it was a long way from Birmingham or Tuscaloosa, Miami was like a home away from home for Nathan. 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 earned MVP honors at the 1978 Sugar Bowl and also earned All-SEC honors in 1978 and 1979. Though Rutledge was available, no other team signed him. He is currently single. "We were just talking about it. Drafted in the ninth round of the 1979 NFL Draft (246th overall pick) by the Los Angeles Rams,[2] Rutledge played in 14 NFL seasons[3][5] from 1979 to 1992 for three different teams. In those days, the Banks-Woodlawn rivalry was like the Alabama-Auburn of Birmingham high school football, but maybe just a little friendlier. 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. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Rutledge is a Christian and attends Arizona Community Church in Chandler. Jeff Rutledge, Nathan's old rival from Banks, was now his teammate, quarterbacking the Tide. "Everywhere Tony lined up, there was Greg," Rutledge remembers. "Before I signed to go to Alabama, Coach Bryant told me, 'Well, look, you can try out (for basketball), but if you're not within the top six, you've got to come back out for spring ball.'''. The following Friday night, Woodlawn closed out its season on a cold, rainy night at Fair Park, defeating Carver 12-0. Coach Bill Parcells will probably keep three this year, but there is no guarantee. "I did accept Christ in my life at that time, they say," Nathan says. 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. "People drove up, saw the lines outside and just went on by. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). "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. New York Giants. Woodlawn, meanwhile, had a nice streak going, too, winning 11 in a row since it fell to Banks 17-7 in 1973. Ragland, the Woodlawn quarterback, grew up in a house divided. "It was a culmination of really four years of building up to that point," Woodlawn quarterback Denny Ragland remembers. 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. Simms is the Giants' starter and Jeff Hostetler is No. 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. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). Commissioner Rutledge, a native of Newport, graduated from Newport High School and earned a B.S. Nov 09, 1990 at 12:00 am. "It was odd to see people react and want a piece of cloth off of somebody else who was wearing it. People around the country were starting to notice him, too. And to himself. Like Jackson, Nathan excelled at just about any sport he played. Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Since then, Rutledge has been mostly a backup. An experienced communications and public affairs professional, with a record of effective strategic planning, outreach and engagement. He resigned in the Spring of 2012 to return to Arizona to spend time with his family. "If we needed him to throw the football, I knew he could definitely do that. team protected 37 players during the off season and made the unprotected players available to other teams. Today, Ken O'Brien, the Jets' starter, broke a toe. He said he hadn't decided whether to keep two or three quarterbacks.''. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). "I was like, 'All right, it's that time.'". Football was going to be it. 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. The stoic Nathan even teared up as walked across the Coleman Coliseum stage to receive his diploma from outgoing UA President Judy Bonner. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. Trailing 35-14 with 10:37 left in the third quarter Rutledge replaced an ineffective Stan Humphries and led a great comeback. "They all looked at me like, 'OK, don't you think it's your time?'" 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. So I had never beaten them.". 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. ''My first year in the league, with the Rams, it was hairy because they had so many quarterbacks in camp. "We have, I think, one of the best alumni associations in the NFL," Nathan says. Rutledge spent most of his career as a back-up quarterback and a holder on kicks. That year, the Cardinals made a late season run and earned a Super Bowl berth, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. . Nose tackle Bob Baumhower, who was two years ahead of Nathan at Alabama, was already there when Nathan arrived for his first camp. . Something else special happened that week, too. They've been married for going on 37 years now, with three children and nine grandkids. . Tony is a very revered guy here in our community, here in our church community.". 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.