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. "We let them run and play," Tony's father, whom the family calls "Pops," says. said Rutledge. "We don't have any of the highlight reels from the '70s that they have from Bo Jackson's day, but Tony did some phenomenal things on the football field and on the basketball court. Trailing 35-14 with 10:37 left in the third quarter Rutledge replaced an ineffective Stan Humphries and led a great comeback. I can tell you, Tony had no trouble with his blocking.". ''It's an odd world, isn't it?'' We had a blast. ''My wife is frustrated,'' said Rutledge. When the Cardinals hired a new offensive coordinator at the end of that season, Rutledge and most of the offensive staff were fired. Tony could have gone anywhere. The next Christmas, Santa Claus brought Tony his first official 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". 6'1", 195 lbs. 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. It took him 36 years, but Nathan kept that promise to his coach. He was the starting quarterback on the 1978 National Championship team. And when the game finally did kick off a half-hour or so later, the crowd kept pouring in well into the second quarter. ''Maybe it will make them think a bit or at least make their decision tough. 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. ', "I said, 'I will do that. "We were down 24-zip and nothing was going right, and that was the play that gave us the spark to come back. (Sugar Jets was a reference to a brand of cereal from the 1950s and '60s.). Rutledge spent most of his career as a back-up quarterback and a holder on kicks. jeff rutledge wife - holyfamily.schoolmerchcanada.com 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. The legend of Tony Nathan: From Woodlawn to Alabama to the NFL Rutledge served as the quarterbacks and tight ends coach for the New York Sentinels of the United Football League in 2009. 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. 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 had left the University of Alabama in the spring of 1979 without a diploma. Description above from the Wikipedia article Jeff Rutledge, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia. White is now retired and living with his wife, June, in Helena. 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. Even though the Dolphins eventually lost in overtime, the play lives on in Miami lore. There are 90+ professionals named "Jeff Rutledge", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. When the teams ran back onto the field for the third time, the lower bowl of Legion Field was practically full. And Then There Were Three. "That Banks-Woodlawn game our senior year, that was all about Tony and Jeff Rutledge," Hendrix says. Jeff Rutledge Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge Position: QB Throws: Right 6-1 , 195lb (185cm, 88kg) Born: January 22 in Birmingham, AL (Age: 66-029d) More bio, uniform, draft, salary info 2x SB Champ 8 17 10 SUMMARY Career G 117 AV 8 QBrec 2-7-1 Cmp% 52.1 Yds 3628 Y/A 6.9 TD 16 Int 29 FantPt 151.0 Jeff Rutledge Overview Game Logs Career Postseason 1979 1980 Stearns recalls. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. His most notable play with the Giants came in Super Bowl XXI in the third quarter. He is a member of famous Player with the age 65 years old group. 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. Alabama Crimson Tide football yearly statistical leaders, History of the New York Giants (19791993). 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. 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. Jeff Rutledge - Senior Consultant - McMillan Vantage Policy Group 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. 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. ", Tony Nathan prepares to take a hand-off from quarterback Jeff Rutledge at the University of Alabama. "I told him, me being so far behind, I didn't want to flunk out. Rutledge is a Christian and attends Arizona Community Church in Chandler. Nathan, who wore number 22, went through as many as a dozen jerseys in some games. ", 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." Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. They got at least part of that right. 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. 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. The next year, Nathan and Rutledge became teammates at the University of Alabama. "They all looked at me like, 'OK, don't you think it's your time?'" White says he was assured by the Legion Field crew that it would be able to handle the crowd. The two schools were just 10 minutes and less than four miles apart. (Birmingham News file). I still get chills thinking about it.". "It wasn't hard to grab a piece of it. He is married to his wife Laura and has 3 children. Fully committed to football now, Nathan became one of the key cogs in a wishbone offense that was clicking on all cylinders. 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. 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. All rights reserved (About Us). 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. 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. The family will receive friends from 12:00-1:30 pm, Wednesday, October 26, 2016 at . "And you're not going to be the first.". 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.. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. That University of Alabama sorority girl who was in the stands at Legion Field that night? Our defensive game plan was awesome.". I remember it was good we didn't start when we were supposed to because they were at their peak. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge. 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 . (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). ABOUT | Jeff Rutledge 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. "We both started to laugh.". Jeffrey Brooks Rutledge, Meg Rutledge, Christen Rutledge. The purchase date corresponds with most of the transfers from Mr. Slaughter's account, according to the suit. UNEASY LIES THE HEAD OF NO. 3 QUARTERBACK - The New York Times His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. in Plant Science from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and a Masters in Agronomy (Weed Science) from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. I think Tony could definitely play today. 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. Nov 09, 1990 at 12:00 am. 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. "Some do come in with attitudes, and you just have to diffuse them before they go in front of the judge. Tony Nathan holds his youngest brother, Cedric, after he announces in December 1974 that he will attend the University of Alabama. Jeff Rutledge: Bear Bryant promised a national championship at Alabama "Some of the other running backs didn't want to be that lead blocker. Nathan played on the B-team his freshman year, and by his sophomore season, he earned a spot on the Woodlawn varsity as the starting free safety on defense. 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. "We knew each other from grammar school.". "It was a miserable way to end your season.". 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. After games, fans mobbed Nathan to get a piece of his jersey. "I came to stay until Tony makes up his mind," Bryant replied. "It was time for people to actually get along -- no matter what race or color you were," he says. "It's been home a long time," Nathan says. 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. At 65 years old, Jeff Rutledge height not available right now. 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. "But at that time, I had a concussion. "It was always the biggest game of the year, for both sides," Rutledge says. . Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. 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. The regular season game was played in . ", RELATED: Turning back the clock at Legion Field. 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. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Though Rutledge was available, no other team signed him. It wasn't so much the football I wanted. 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. You could call it inspiration, you could call it whatever you like. I told Coach Gerelds that I didn't want him to be anywhere near the ball.". Rutledge earned MVP honors at the 1978 Sugar Bowl and also earned All-SEC honors in 1978 and 1979. "But this particular year, we were both undefeated going in. The unsung hero, though, was a little linebacker named Greg Muse, who had transferred to Banksafter living in Texas. "People drove up, saw the lines outside and just went on by. ''I wanted to know what he was thinking. Commission - Waterways 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. I don't remember that whole week. He was part of a team that earned back-to-back state *les at L. Frazier Banks High School in Birmingham, Alabama. He had to meet with Coach Bryant to get him to sign off on it, too. View Jeff Rutledge results in Munford, AL including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. That year, the Cardinals made a late season run and earned a Super Bowl berth, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23. People around the country were starting to notice him, too. "When people say Tony Nathan, their ears go up. "I knew some of those guys, and I'm like, 'Why would y'all be out here in the hot sun watching freshman football?'" "I've never known a Nathan to quit anything," she said. That iconic Banks jet was turned over to the Southern Museum of Flight, where it has been restored to its Korean War glory days. On one particular visit, Bryant brought his overnight bag, Tony's father remembers. "He ate a few pieces of it, but he didn't eat much.". Nathan played nine years with the Dolphins and started in two Super Bowls. And I don't know when that will be.'' "I played with older guys, and I wanted to be able to play on their level," Nathan says. So I had never beaten them.". Jeff Rutledge Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). Bold denotes league leader. Jeffrey Hunter was born Henry Herman McKinnies Jr. on November 25, 1926 in New Orleans, Louisiana, an only child. He was part of a team that earned back-to-back state titles at L. Frazier Banks High School in Birmingham, Alabama. He is not dating anyone. Jeff Rutledge Biography | HowOld.co 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. It's been very interesting. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. of development through completion. Jeff Rutledge Career Stats | StatMuse Another, a little fireplug of a linebacker who had moved to Birmingham from Texas the year before, became the surprise defensive star of the game. A creative problem solver with refined approach to crisis communications and media management. 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. There was no mortgage. Louise Nathan, though, never was wild about her seeing her son get hit. 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. "We were out there playing in the mud and the rain," Woodlawn's Ragland says. A three-year starter, he also led Alabama to the #2 National ranking in 1977. He was just a humble high school athlete. Jeff Rutledge was born on 22 January, 1957 in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, is an American football coach and former quarterback. "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. Simms is the Giants' starter and Jeff Hostetler is No. 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. 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. Welcome. By WARNER HESSLER Staff Writer. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. 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. Some of the choices Jeff Rutledge made during his journey to become an NFL assistant coach were difficult. He is currently the head football coach at Valley Christian High School (Chandler, Arizona) in Chandler, Arizona. A three-year starter, he also led Alabama to the #2 National ranking in 1977. 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. 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. BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Forty years later, the details have gotten fuzzier and the legends have grown larger. (Birmingham News file/Robert Adams). Internal communications and employee engagement pro with a tech focus and multi-disciplinary background. 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. Following his senior season at Alabama in 1978, Banks' Jeff Rutledge went on to play 13 years in the National Football League. 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. 2. In overtime, he hit Art Monk with a vital 40-yard pass on third and 15 to help set up Chip Lohmiller's game-winning field goal. I bought them last week. . "Everywhere Tony lined up, there was Greg," Rutledge remembers. Rivals in high school, Nathan and Rutledge were teammates for four years at Alabama. Rutledge was born to Tony and Cheryl Rutledge in Cullman, Alabama, on April 21, 1989. "And then they told me that that guy (Nathan) was an All-American basketball player, and he wasn't going to be playing football. The attendance was out of this world.". Once he started playing, though, she never let him quit. 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. Rutledge lived up to his star billing that night, completing 9 of 10 passes for 188 yards and that touchdown to Grefseng. He was indeed a basketball guy, but Tony Nathan would be playing football for a long time. 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. 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. On Sunday, the Jets lost their backup, Pat Ryan, for at least six to eight weeks with a sprained knee. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). ''That may make the Giants think,'' said Rutledge. If it had been up to Louise Nathan, her son Tony never would have touched a football. It was Grefseng's only touchdown catch of his Banks career. He resigned in the Spring of 2012 to return to Arizona to spend time with his family. He also led the Crimson Tide to two Sugar Bowl appearances and two SEC Championships. "'And you told me you didn't want me to play this game. 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. At the age of 32, starting his 11th season as a National Football League quarterback, Rutledge was not sure he would make the Giants. His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. I did believe. '", So just think, if Louise Nathan hadn't put her foot down, maybe no one would have ever heard of "Touchdown Tony.". 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. What is Jeff Rutledge's full name? The kids are disappointed. Horgan III, Jeff Hart, Jim Rutledge of Canada, Gary Hallberg and Jeff Freeman pose together with their Qualifying cards during the Champions Tour. Manage Settings 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. [2] Rutledge spent most of his career as a back-up quarterback and a holder on kicks. "And when they were picking teams, I wanted to get picked. Woodlawn never beat Banks during Nathan's three years on the varsity. WE BUY HOUSES ANY PRICE ANY CONDITION CALL 205 966 4880 NOW. "Well, Shula knew what talent was," Nathan says. 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. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Rutledge and his wife had just moved into their dream house in Atlanta, but felt it was the best job available. . Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. "We were just talking about it. "We had a ball. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. An experienced communications and public affairs professional, with a record of effective strategic planning, outreach and engagement. As the teams went through their pre-game drills, Woodlawn's Stearns noticed another assistant, Mike Logan, staring up into the stands with his mouth agape. As big as it was, though, even in these days where everything is just a Google or YouTube search away, only a few accounts and descriptions from that night are available, mainly in school yearbooks and newspaper archives. After Friday morning's practice, they will break camp and return to Giants Stadium, where practices are closed to the public. Tony -- the second oldest of five siblings -- used to wear out the grass playing ball with their neighbors in the backyard of their house in Parker Heights, near the airport. 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. He was the starting quarterback on the 1978 National Championship team.