Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. ''I wanted to know what he was thinking. Rutledge was born to Tony and Cheryl Rutledge in Cullman, Alabama, on April 21, 1989. 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 police guessed another 20,000 gave up and went back home when they saw the long lines. Jeff was in the flooring business and owned Vintage Wood Floors, Inc. BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Forty years later, the details have gotten fuzzier and the legends have grown larger. He is currently single. A three-year starter, he also led Alabama to the #2 National ranking in 1977. Jeff Rutledge - Pro-Football-Reference.com 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. 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". Perhaps that epic 1974 showdown at Legion Field between Birmingham high-school heavyweights Woodlawn and Banks would have been just another Friday night football game. Tony Nathan talks about racism, 'Woodlawn' So the magic from that night continues to live on. 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. Newton and football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant stand behind Tony Nathan as he signs his scholarship to attend the University of Alabama. Wore number 17 for the New York Giants. "Greg was not very big but he had a huge heart and he gave Tony fits that night. He resigned in the Spring of 2012 to return to Arizona to spend time with his family. 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. Former Buyer/Planner at Rutledge Properties LLC. Trailing 35-14 with 10:37 left in the third quarter Rutledge replaced an ineffective Stan Humphries and led a great comeback. 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. According to our records, Jeff Rutledge is possibly single. Established network of influencers, political staff, department officials and media, supporting sound execution of public affairs initiatives. Jeff Rutledge - Wikipedia 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 started taking online courses through the University of Alabama's Bama by Distance degree program, and this past May, at 58, he graduated. Alabama Crimson Tide football yearly statistical leaders, History of the New York Giants (19791993). If they cut me and someone picks me up, they would have to get someone else not familiar with their system.'' Where was Jeff Rutledge born? 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 . Who is Jeff Rutledge dating? Jeff Rutledge girlfriend, wife The unsung hero, though, was a little linebacker named Greg Muse, who had transferred to Banksafter living in Texas. . (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). After completing the eighth grade, those students who would have gone to Banks instead went to Woodlawn High School, Banks' old rival. 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. That year, the Cardinals made a late season run and earned a Super Bowl berth, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23. Sports Illustrated featured him in its "Faces in the Crowd" section after he ran for 228 yards and scored seven touchdowns against Ramsay, and late in the season, along with Banks quarterback Jeff Rutledge, he was named a Parade All-American. Birmingham, AL. By WARNER HESSLER Staff Writer. The next Christmas, Santa Claus brought Tony his first official football. ''Maybe it will make them think a bit or at least make their decision tough. It's tough for me to tell her to wait. Rutledge spent most of his career as a back-up quarterback and a holder on kicks. ", 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." ''I talked to Bill after practice Saturday,'' said Rutledge. Louise Nathan, though, never was wild about her seeing her son get hit. Nathan is flanked by his parents William and Louise Nathan. And I don't know when that will be.'' Only two practice sessions remain at the Fairleigh Dickinson campus here. Senior Consultant. Even though the Dolphins eventually lost in overtime, the play lives on in Miami lore. I knew it even before that, when Plan B came along.'' Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 90+ "Jeff Rutledge" profiles | LinkedIn Jeff Rutledge Stats | The Football Database And when that happened, that movement, I was touched in my heart to do so again.". The film builds to a finale where Woodlawn meets crosstown rival Banks, quarterbacked by Jeff Rutledge, who would eventually play at Alabama with Nathan. 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. 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. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. Rutledge earned MVP honors at the 1978 Sugar Bowl and also earned All-SEC honors in 1978 and 1979. 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. In 2006, the Birmingham Board of Education decided to close the deteriorating middle school, too, saying it was unsafe and an eyesore. "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. 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. Jeff Rutledge - Facts, Bio, Favorites, Info, Family 2021 - Sticky Facts "I don't even know if he realized how good he was back then. Now he is not sure what he is. 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. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). He got permission from his academic advisers to drop his courses with a withdraw-passing grade and come back to finish his degree later. McNeal has been a pastor and counselor at the church, and he and Nathan are close, a friendship that dates back to their playing days at Alabama. 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. I don't know exactly when, but I'll do it.'". "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. Tony Nathan, left, and Jeff Rutledge talk following the 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game at Legion Field in Birmingham. 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. "He ate a few pieces of it, but he didn't eat much.". (Photo courtesy of Banks High School Facebook page). He is currently the head football coach at Valley Christian High School (Chandler, Arizona) in Chandler, Arizona. The name still resonates in the state, especially since Jeff Rutledge was homegrown (Birmingham) and in 2011 was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. "It was one heck of a game. We prayed together, and from then on, I respected them and they respected me. "That's what I always wanted. 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. 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. They made great souvenirs, too, and fans mobbed him after the games to get a piece of Nathan's jersey. ', "I said, 'I will do that. "They do a great job of keeping us involved in what's going on and keeping us involved with the fans. In his teens, he acted in productions of the North Shore Children's Theater and, from 1942 to 1944, performed in . "And when they were picking teams, I wanted to get picked. Hoover, Alabama. I said, 'You have to wait until you see me.' (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). If all of the gates had been open, they would have had 60,000 people.". It was Grefseng's only touchdown catch of his Banks career. This Korean War-era Sabre jet, which was loaned to Banks High School in 1961, was repainted in school colors and prominently displayed on campus. (Birmingham News file). Center Dwight Stephenson and defensive back Don McNeal, who were a year behind him, would join the Dolphins the next year. Efforts to reach him for this story were unsuccessful. "Somewhere, there is a videotape of that game," Grefseng says. 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. Fast learner, critical thinker with an eye for efficiency, and generally fun guy. How tall is Jeff Rutledge? "And I didn't like that. 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. Wasn't it 14-0? "Some of the other running backs didn't want to be that lead blocker. "That's a scary thought now," the 58-year-old Nathan says of what might have been. He received his degree from Alabama in Business Administration and in 2011, was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. "All I had ever seen of football games was everybody falling on each other and piling on each other," she says. Banks quarterback Jeff Rutledge, who would later lead Alabama to a national championship and play on two Super Bowl-winning teams, and Woodlawn running back Tony Nathan, who would become Rutledge's teammate at Alabama and go on to play in two Super Bowls of his own, were the marquee attractions. "It was supposed to be a quick pass but somebody got in there and almost sacked Jeff. he recalls. 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. (Sugar Jets was a reference to a brand of cereal from the 1950s and '60s.). That year, the Cardinals made a late season run and earned a Super Bowl berth, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23. We had a blast. All rights reserved (About Us). "'And you told me you didn't want me to play this game. 1957 He resigned in the Spring of 2012 to return to Arizona to spend time with his family. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The next year, they got Bert Jones. , money, salary, income, and assets. Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. In those days, the Banks-Woodlawn rivalry was like the Alabama-Auburn of Birmingham high school football, but maybe just a little friendlier. The Nathans go to the same church, New Testament Baptist Church, with his former Alabama and Miami teammate McNeal and his wife, Rhonda. (Linebacker) Barry Krauss could play today. 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. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? They included touchdown passes of 29, 20 and 43 yards. I remember it was good we didn't start when we were supposed to because they were at their peak. 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. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. Jeff Rutledge was born on January 22, 1957 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. "So it was a great lesson for me. A title search shows that Mr. Rutledge and his wife bought a property in Naramata for $1.15-million on Oct. 31, 2016. Something else special happened that week, too. "His jersey would just be hanging on him," Woodlawn teammate Brad Hendrix says. Tony Nathan, left, talks with Jeff Rutledge, right, after the famous Woodlawn-Banks high school football game at Legion Field in 1974. WIFE'S SUGGESTION OF RETIREMENT LOST ON RUTLEDGE. "It's been home a long time," Nathan says. As a senior, he was a member of the 1974 Parade High School All-American team. 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. (Birmingham News file/Robert Adams). "I think (defensive lineman) Marty Lyons could play today. An estimated 42,000 fans filled the lower bowl of Legion Field for the 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game. On fourth down with a yard needed, he was sent by head coach Bill Parcells for a potential decoy play. 2. 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 still get chills thinking about it.". Nathan says. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. So I've never come to camp feeling confident I'd be in place. Rutledge played collegiately at Alabama, where he was a member of three SEC Championship teams under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). 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. 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. Jeff Rutledge Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family Nathan scored Woodlawn's only touchdown on a 13-yard run in the fourth quarter. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). 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. Anyone can read what you share. I was so elated that he did it, and I thank the Lord that he did.". ", During his senior season at at Woodlawn High School in 1974, Tony Nathan was a Parade All-American and featured in Sports Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd." I do believe. "I had some professors walk up to me and say, 'Hey, we were around when you were playing.'. Jeff Rutledge, of Newport, represents the White River and his term expires in 2024. When the teams ran back onto the field for the third time, the lower bowl of Legion Field was practically full. QB Born: January 22, 1957 in Birmingham, AL Drafted: 1979 Rnd 9, Pick 246 by LA: College: Alabama: Career Stats Career Stats Game Log Game Log Splits Splits. Nathan played his entire NFL career with the Dolphins - retiring in 1987 after nine seasons in the aqua and orange - and he has continued to make Miami his home, even when NFL assistant coaching jobs took him to Tampa Bay, Baltimore and San Francisco. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. 1-ranked Huffman Vikings -- Woodlawn fans started calling Nathan "Touchdown Tony" and began clamoring for pictures and autographs. 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. 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. 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. Jeff Rutledge Career Stats | StatMuse "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. . But there was one catch. White says he was assured by the Legion Field crew that it would be able to handle the crowd. ''It's an odd world, isn't it?'' Jeff Rutledge - Senior Consultant - McMillan Vantage Policy Group 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. 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,. Like Jackson, Nathan excelled at just about any sport he played. 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. "Including his wife. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. "And you're not going to be the first.". Rutledge served as the quarterbacks and tight ends coach for the New York Sentinels of the United Football League in 2009. 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. "It was odd to see people react and want a piece of cloth off of somebody else who was wearing it. And in the memories of those who were there. 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. "It was a culmination of really four years of building up to that point," Woodlawn quarterback Denny Ragland remembers. 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. 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. "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. Everybody else was gone home for Christmas vacation, and I was like, 'What am I doing here?' 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. Jeff Rutledge, Nathan's old rival from Banks, was now his teammate, quarterbacking the Tide. 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. "I wanted to go home. 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. Bryant sealed the deal by promising Tony he would get a shot at playing basketball at Alabama, too. He was indeed a basketball guy, but Tony Nathan would be playing football for a long time. 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. 66. An experienced communications and public affairs professional, with a record of effective strategic planning, outreach and engagement. That year, the Cardinals made a late season run and earned a Super Bowl berth, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23. 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. So after his freshman football season -- while his football teammates were enjoying their break -- Nathan was on the basketball court the next day, trying to break into an Alabama lineup that featured Leon Douglas, Reggie King, T.R. Rutledge's road back to NFL as Cards QB coach filled with ups and downs ''The first game Phil Simms goes down, they've got to get a quarterback. 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. He is married to his wife Laura and has 3 children.[7]. 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). 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..