When the Cardinals hired a new offensive coordinator at the end of that season, Rutledge and most of the offensive staff were fired. 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. 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. 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". Coach Bill Parcells will probably keep three this year, but there is no guarantee. Once the game did start, Banks built an 18-0 lead on a pair of 21- and 16-yard touchdown runs by fullback Jerry Murphree and a 32-yard TD pass from Rutledge to Grefseng, who also doubled as a back-up tight end. The main building, built in 1922, was a grand, three-story structure that always looked more like a palace than a schoolhouse. 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. Rutledge earned MVP honors at the 1978 Sugar Bowl and also earned All-SEC honors in 1978 and 1979. "It was a miserable way to end your season.". ''I talked to Bill after practice Saturday,'' said Rutledge. It wasn't anything boastful for him. He was worn out, and he was just tearing the rest of his jersey off.". "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. We just couldn't put the icing on the cake.". UNEASY LIES THE HEAD OF NO. After the Tide slipped to an uncharacteristic 9-3 in Nathan's sophomore season -- Alabama's worst record in his four years there -- the team bounced back to go 11-1 and finish runner-up to national champs Notre Dame in 1977 and to go 11-1 again and win it all in 1978. Experienced backup quarterbacks can be valuable when injuries strike. On signing day, both Bryant and Alabama basketball coach C.M. The attendance was out of this world.". He was the starting quarterback on the 1978 National Championship team. That was Laura Holmes, whom Rutledge later met when his Fellowship of Christian Athletes adviser suggested that he ask her to go with him to the team banquet following his freshman year at Alabama. [4], Rutledge is a Christian and attends Arizona Community Church in Chandler. "It was weird," he says. 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. His two older sisters went to Banks, but after the Birmingham schools were desegregated, he was zoned for Woodlawn. said Rutledge. Now he is here and his family is there, and no one is happy. "In high school, he was the best quarterback in the state of Alabama, and Coach Bryant did his job. "And you're not going to be the first.". Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). In his teens, he acted in productions of the North Shore Children's Theater and, from 1942 to 1944, performed in . It took him 36 years, but Nathan kept that promise to his coach. 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 looked like he had a jet pack on his back," Baumhower recalls. A three-year starter, he also led Alabama to the #2 National ranking in 1977. The following Friday night, Woodlawn closed out its season on a cold, rainy night at Fair Park, defeating Carver 12-0. "I think (defensive lineman) Marty Lyons could play today. "You wouldn't have known him to be any different from any of the other players on the team," Hendrix, who went on to play briefly with the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers, says. Jeff Rutledge was born on 22 January, 1957 in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, is an American football coach and former quarterback. The night after that chat, in an exhibition game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Rutledge completed all 8 of his passes for 156 yards. ''I wanted to know what he was thinking. "That Banks-Woodlawn game our senior year, that was all about Tony and Jeff Rutledge," Hendrix says. His finest moment as a professional player came when as a member of the Redskins he came off the bench in a game versus the Detroit Lions in 1990. Jeff Rutledge, Nathan's old rival from Banks, was now his teammate, quarterbacking the Tide. 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. 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. Wasn't it 14-0? Fully committed to football now, Nathan became one of the key cogs in a wishbone offense that was clicking on all cylinders. He received his degree from Alabama in Business Administration and in 2011, was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Louise Nathan, though, never was wild about her seeing her son get hit. We had a blast. After completing the eighth grade, those students who would have gone to Banks instead went to Woodlawn High School, Banks' old rival. "I told him, me being so far behind, I didn't want to flunk out. Ragland recalls. So, how much is Jeff Rutledge worth at the age of 65 years old? He is currently the head football coach at Valley Christian High School (Chandler, Arizona) in Chandler, Arizona. . Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Once he started playing, though, she never let him quit. 66. BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Forty years later, the details have gotten fuzzier and the legends have grown larger. So the magic from that night continues to live on. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. They've been married for going on 37 years now, with three children and nine grandkids. Something else special happened that week, too. Anyone can read what you share. Wore number 17 for the New York Giants. Nathan, who wore number 22, went through as many as a dozen jerseys in some games. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). As a senior, he was a member of the 1974 Parade High School All-American team. 1972 His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. The next year, I was on injured reserve. I still get chills thinking about it.". 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. "It's . 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. Tony Nathan holds his youngest brother, Cedric, after he announces in December 1974 that he will attend the University of Alabama. Nov 09, 1990 at 12:00 am. 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. "I just felt like I was the oldest cat in the house," he says. "We let them run and play," Tony's father, whom the family calls "Pops," says. Newton stood behind Nathan as he sat next to his parents and got his picture taken signing his letter of intent. 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. He would just tear it off and throw it up in the crowd. Plan B was the system under which each N.F.L. "We knew each other from grammar school.". . It's been very interesting. 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. 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. Some of the choices Jeff Rutledge made during his journey to become an NFL assistant coach were difficult. "We were down 24-zip and nothing was going right, and that was the play that gave us the spark to come back. 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. Quarterback Jeff Rutledge played 13 seasons for 3 teams. 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. 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. He had 274 completions in 526 attempts for 3,628 yards and 16 touchdowns. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. He resigned in the Spring of 2012 to return to Arizona to spend time with his family. View the profiles of professionals named "Jeff Rutledge" on LinkedIn. Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. Rutledge served as the quarterbacks and tight ends coach for the New York Sentinels of the United Football League in 2009. The family will receive friends from 12:00-1:30 pm, Wednesday, October 26, 2016 at . Internal communications and employee engagement pro with a tech focus and multi-disciplinary background. 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. Woodlawn students used to yell, ''Rip those Sugar Jets," which was a reference to this brand of cereal. 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. We prayed together, and from then on, I respected them and they respected me. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. If it had been up to Louise Nathan, her son Tony never would have touched a football. Our defensive game plan was awesome.". After Thursday morning's practice, the Giants will leave for their annual welcome-home lunch at the Sheraton Centre. 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. He resigned in the Spring of 2012 to return to Arizona to spend time with his family. "But it didn't bother me that I was forced to go to Woodlawn because a lot of my friends were at Woodlawn, too.". Discover Jeff Rutledge's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. "I said, 'What's wrong, Mike, they didn't have crowds like this at Locust Fork?'" "Everywhere Tony lined up, there was Greg," Rutledge remembers. He was part of a team that earned back-to-back state titles at L. Frazier Banks High School in Birmingham, Alabama. Fast learner, critical thinker with an eye for efficiency, and generally fun guy. 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). "They do a great job of keeping us involved in what's going on and keeping us involved with the fans. 100.00 Down Payment and Houses with No Credit Check. 6' 1" (185 cm) How much does Jeff Rutledge weigh? (Birmingham News file). We were playing in front of 20,000 people regularly, so we were getting some big crowds.". (Birmingham News file) In the 1980s,. 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. The four of them -- Baumhower, Nathan, Stephenson and McNeal -- played in two Super Bowls together, but the Dolphins lost both games, to the Redskins in Super Bowl XVII and the 49ers in Super Bowl XIX. "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. He got permission from his academic advisers to drop his courses with a withdraw-passing grade and come back to finish his degree later. According to our Database, He has no children. We will update Jeff Rutledge's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible. Rutledge was born to Tony and Cheryl Rutledge in Cullman, Alabama, on April 21, 1989. A three-year starter, he also led Alabama to the #2 National ranking in 1977. 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. He will miss Saturday night's exhibition game against the Giants at Giants Stadium. 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. Today, Ken O'Brien, the Jets' starter, broke a toe. About Jeff Rutledge is a 66 year old American Football (American) Player born on 22nd January, 1957 in Birmingham, AL. 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". in Plant Science from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and a Masters in Agronomy (Weed Science) from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. By WARNER HESSLER Staff Writer. '", So just think, if Louise Nathan hadn't put her foot down, maybe no one would have ever heard of "Touchdown Tony.". "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. Football was going to be it. "Greg was not very big but he had a huge heart and he gave Tony fits that night. 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. "There wasn't anybody that came to see me play or any of the other guys. [1], Rutledge played collegiately at Alabama,[2][3] where he was a member of three SEC Championship teams under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. 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. Jeff Rutledge Biography. 195 lbs (88.5 kg) . 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. Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. I bought them last week. So they put the pressure on him, too. "But I was raised in the church anyway. 1-ranked Huffman Vikings -- Woodlawn fans started calling Nathan "Touchdown Tony" and began clamoring for pictures and autographs. Newton and football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant stand behind Tony Nathan as he signs his scholarship to attend the University of Alabama. , money, salary, income, and assets. "I was like, 'What?'" That spiritual awakening not only inspired the team, but it reverberated throughout the entire school, defusing some racial tension that Nathan says he felt his first couple of years at Woodlawn. He was part of a team that earned back-to-back state titles at L. Frazier Banks High School in Birmingham, Alabama. Bryant paid several visits to the Nathan home, and he often brought with him an entourage of assistants and past and current Tide players, including Joe Namath, Johnny Musso and Ozzie Newsome. ", RELATED:Remembering the 1974 Woodlawn-Banks game. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. On Sunday, the Jets lost their backup, Pat Ryan, for at least six to eight weeks with a sprained knee. Where was Jeff Rutledge born? 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. 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 it was a great lesson for me. 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. "Well, Shula knew what talent was," Nathan says. Nathan is flanked by his parents William and Louise Nathan. 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. ''The first game Phil Simms goes down, they've got to get a quarterback. 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. 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. 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. "It wasn't hard to grab a piece of it. It was Grefseng's only touchdown catch of his Banks career. Senior Consultant. No One Else Wanted Him. They know they're going to get presents when they see me. And when that happened, that movement, I was touched in my heart to do so again.". He also led the Crimson Tide to two Sugar Bowl appearances and two SEC Championships. 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. He was the starting quarterback on the 1978 National Championship team. He resigned in the Spring of 2012 to return to Arizona to spend time with his family. Nathan 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. "I remember going back and forth to get more tickets to sell. If all that notoriety affected Nathan, none of his teammates could tell. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). Everybody else was gone home for Christmas vacation, and I was like, 'What am I doing here?' 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. "I wanted to go home. "I get to meet a ton of people -- lawyers, defendants, victims -- and they all are different," Nathan says. He was indeed a basketball guy, but Tony Nathan would be playing football for a long time. 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. Menu Log In Sign Up Some were easier. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. "There are people who went to that game that I've heard from all my life," Rutledge says. In 2006, the Birmingham Board of Education decided to close the deteriorating middle school, too, saying it was unsafe and an eyesore. 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. 6'1", 195 lbs. "It's been home a long time," Nathan says. Nathan played nine years with the Dolphins and started in two Super Bowls. 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. His parents met at the University of Arkansas, and when he was almost four his family moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I can tell you, Tony had no trouble with his blocking.". Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. His wife, Laura, a former Miss . So I had never beaten them.". That 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game would be Shorty White's 100th win at Banks, and his last. He is a member of famous Player with the age 65 years old group. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. I said, 'You have to wait until you see me.' The unsung hero, though, was a little linebacker named Greg Muse, who had transferred to Banksafter living in Texas. My parents raised me that way. Jeff Rutledge Wiki: Salary, Married, Wedding, Spouse, Family Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. Roberts, the starting left guard, has a slightly sprained left knee, which was reported improved. 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. "It really did.". Efforts to reach him for this story were unsuccessful. 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. 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 will make you that promise. "Some do come in with attitudes, and you just have to diffuse them before they go in front of the judge. (Linebacker) Barry Krauss could play today. | Learn more about Jeff . [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. 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 said, 'Well, make sure you promise me you're going to finish what you started. Woodlawn never beat Banks during Nathan's three years on the varsity. 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. Jeff Rutledge date of birth: January 22, 1957. He also led the Crimson Tide to two Sugar Bowl appearances and two SEC Championships. 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. 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. 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. 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. Something like that. I wanted him to have his degree. Description above from the Wikipedia article Jeff Rutledge, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia. "We just sat up there and watched," Martin, now retired, recalls. ", Tony Nathan strikes a Heisman-like pose as he tries to avoid a linebacker. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. That University of Alabama sorority girl who was in the stands at Legion Field that night? 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.". . How tall is Jeff Rutledge? 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. Nathan scored Woodlawn's only touchdown on a 13-yard run in the fourth quarter. 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. "I wanted some kind of meat to serve him," William Nathan remembers. "I did accept Christ in my life at that time, they say," Nathan says. He is from United States. After playing in three college all-star games following his senior season, Nathan fell behind in his classes, and he was worried he might flunk out his spring semester. "People drove up, saw the lines outside and just went on by. 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. 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. Former Buyer/Planner at Rutledge Properties LLC. His most notable play with the Giants came in Super Bowl XXI in the third quarter. "Including his wife. Like Jackson, Nathan excelled at just about any sport he played. "But this particular year, we were both undefeated going in. If all of the gates had been open, they would have had 60,000 people.". Jeff Rutledge's net worth ''Maybe it will make them think a bit or at least make their decision tough. He was part of a team that earned back-to-back state *les at L. Frazier Banks High School in Birmingham, Alabama. "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.