Rutledge spent most of his career as a back-up quarterback and a holder on kicks. See also [ edit] Rule 5 draft results References [ edit] But he made a great play and I just kept running, and he threw it and I caught it.". A title search shows that Mr. Rutledge and his wife bought a property in Naramata for $1.15-million on Oct. 31, 2016. Trailing 35-14 with 10:37 left in the third quarter Rutledge replaced an ineffective Stan Humphries and led a great comeback. "And then they told me that that guy (Nathan) was an All-American basketball player, and he wasn't going to be playing football. He will miss Saturday night's exhibition game against the Giants at Giants Stadium. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). By his senior year, it wasn't just folks in Birmingham talking about "Touchdown Tony." Commission - Waterways (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). 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. What is Jeff Rutledge's full name? 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. "It was time for people to actually get along -- no matter what race or color you were," he says. You look at the schedule, and that was the one you've got marked down that you want to win. His parents met at the University of Arkansas, and when he was almost four his family moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. "But I was raised in the church anyway. That iconic Banks jet was turned over to the Southern Museum of Flight, where it has been restored to its Korean War glory days. 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. 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. View Jeff Rutledge results in Munford, AL including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. 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. ", Woodlawn's Tony Nathan ran for 112 yards and scored a touchdown in the 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game, but Banks linebacker Greg Muse was all over him all night long. "I was like, 'All right, it's that time.'". His most notable play with the Giants came in Super Bowl XXI in the third quarter. About Jeff Rutledge is a 66 year old American Football (American) Player born on 22nd January, 1957 in Birmingham, AL. Some were easier. The stoic Nathan even teared up as walked across the Coleman Coliseum stage to receive his diploma from outgoing UA President Judy Bonner. Horgan III, Jeff Hart, Jim Rutledge of Canada, Gary Hallberg and Jeff Freeman pose together with their Qualifying cards during the Champions Tour. But there was one catch. 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. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). We were playing in front of 20,000 people regularly, so we were getting some big crowds.". 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. 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). Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Bill Battle, the young coach at Tennessee, wanted Nathan to come play for him in Knoxville, and Vols star quarterback Condredge Holloway showed him around on his official visit. If Roberts misses Saturday night's game, as seems likely, Damian Johnson will move to left guard and Brian Williams will replace Johnson at right guard. "I did accept Christ in my life at that time, they say," Nathan says. "It was a miserable way to end your season.". Everybody else was gone home for Christmas vacation, and I was like, 'What am I doing here?' Tony Nathan, left, and Jeff Rutledge talk following the 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game at Legion Field in Birmingham. ", Tony Nathan strikes a Heisman-like pose as he tries to avoid a linebacker. His two older sisters went to Banks, but after the Birmingham schools were desegregated, he was zoned for Woodlawn. 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. Established network of influencers, political staff, department officials and media, supporting sound execution of public affairs initiatives. "We were just talking about it. The quiet, introverted Nathan didn't know quite what to make of all that attention. 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. Now he is not sure what he is. Nose tackle Bob Baumhower, who was two years ahead of Nathan at Alabama, was already there when Nathan arrived for his first camp. His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. 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. DailyPress.com. Rivals in high school, Nathan and Rutledge were teammates for four years at Alabama. "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. Rutledge played collegiately at Alabama, where he was a member of three SEC Championship teams under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. Playing in the wishbone -- a four-pronged attack with two tailbacks, a fullback and the quarterback all sharing carries -- Nathan never amassed huge numbers like Crimson Tide workhorses Bobby Humphrey or Shaun Alexander or Trent Richardson, but for his career, he averaged an eye-popping 6.4 yards every time he carried the ball at Alabama. Senior Consultant. 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. Manage Settings Trailing 35-14 with 10:37 left in the third quarter Rutledge replaced an ineffective Stan Humphries and led a great comeback. Jeff Rutledge Biography. . He would just tear it off and throw it up in the crowd. ", Tony Nathan runs behind his Miami Dolphins teammate Jeff Toews in a game against the New York Jets. 90+ "Jeff Rutledge" profiles | LinkedIn During preseason camp, evangelist Wales Goebel, who became a born-again Christian after alcohol destroyed his small-college basketball career and nearly cost him his life, came to share his story with the Woodlawn players. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). 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. "It was always the biggest game of the year, for both sides," Rutledge says. Jeffrey Hunter - Biography - IMDb The game, though, was way bigger than its two stars, a pair of Parade All-Americans who were among the most sought-after high school recruits in the country. 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 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. Something else special happened that week, too. 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. 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. 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. They've been married for going on 37 years now, with three children and nine grandkids. 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. Since then, Rutledge has been mostly a backup. They all came to see Tony.". 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. 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. "It really did.". It was Grefseng's only touchdown catch of his Banks career. When the Cardinals hired a new offensive coordinator at the end of that season, Rutledge and most of the offensive staff were fired. Carden Jefferson "Jeff" Rutledge - Wages and sons He received his degree from Alabama in Business Administration and in 2011, was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. 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 two schools were just 10 minutes and less than four miles apart. The attendance was out of this world.". 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. 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. The Nathans go to the same church, New Testament Baptist Church, with his former Alabama and Miami teammate McNeal and his wife, Rhonda. A three-year starter, he also led Alabama to the #2 National ranking in 1977. 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. 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. Denny Ragland, who would become the Woodlawn starting quarterback during Nathan's senior season in 1974, knew something was up during freshman football practice, when most of the basketball team came out just to see what the 14-year-old Nathan could do on the football field. Jeff Rutledge Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family He had left the University of Alabama in the spring of 1979 without a diploma. 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. 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. On one particular visit, Bryant brought his overnight bag, Tony's father remembers. Rutledge's road back to NFL as Cards QB coach filled with ups and downs If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. 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. At the age of 32, starting his 11th season as a National Football League quarterback, Rutledge was not sure he would make the Giants. "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. He also led the Crimson Tide to two Sugar Bowl appearances and two SEC Championships. 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. The legend of Tony Nathan: From Woodlawn to Alabama to the NFL Woodlawn High School had a much longer history that went back to 1916, when the community of Woodlawn was annexed into Birmingham. By Friday, the excitement was at full-tilt boogie.
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