The family will receive friends from 12:00-1:30 pm, Wednesday, October 26, 2016 at . According to our Database, He has no children. According to our records, Jeff Rutledge is possibly single. Rivals in high school, Nathan and Rutledge were teammates for four years at Alabama. Tony Nathan, left, talks with Jeff Rutledge, right, after the famous Woodlawn-Banks high school football game at Legion Field in 1974. The next year, they got Bert Jones. They got at least part of that right. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). are hard-pressed to remember the final score. [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. Nov 09, 1990 at 12:00 am. Simms is the Giants' starter and Jeff Hostetler is No. Continue with Recommended Cookies. He has established himself as a trusted advisor providing advice and direction to organizations in some of the most heavily regulated . "Everywhere Tony lined up, there was Greg," Rutledge remembers. "You go through life carrying that (lesson): If you start it, you better try to be the best at it, and finish what you've got to finish," he adds. So I ended up saying, 'Thanks, coach, but no thanks.' He had to meet with Coach Bryant to get him to sign off on it, too. Birmingham, AL. A Valuable Commodity. 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. in Plant Science from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and a Masters in Agronomy (Weed Science) from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. "Each gate had four openings in it for four lines of people," Garrett says, "but it still obviously wasn't enough.". 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. Woodlawn students used to yell, ''Rip those Sugar Jets," which was a reference to this brand of cereal. "I get to meet a ton of people -- lawyers, defendants, victims -- and they all are different," Nathan says. So it was almost like it was the state championship game that night.". 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. We prayed together, and from then on, I respected them and they respected me. "It was the thrill of my life," Louise Nathan says. He is married to his wife Laura and has 3 children. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). "We were down 24-zip and nothing was going right, and that was the play that gave us the spark to come back. His wife, Laura, a former Miss . 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. We have estimated "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.'''. I don't remember that whole week. 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 just felt like I was the oldest cat in the house," he says. "He looked like he had a jet pack on his back," Baumhower recalls. 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. They know they're going to get presents when they see me. 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. . He will miss Saturday night's exhibition game against the Giants at Giants Stadium. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). 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. 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 really did.". 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. Jeff was in the flooring business and owned Vintage Wood Floors, Inc. His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. It took him 36 years, but Nathan kept that promise to his coach. Our defensive game plan was awesome.". That year, the Cardinals made a late season run and earned a Super Bowl berth, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23. Commissioner Rutledge, a native of Newport, graduated from Newport High School and earned a B.S. , money, salary, income, and assets. (Sugar Jets was a reference to a brand of cereal from the 1950s and '60s.). 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. Today, Ken O'Brien, the Jets' starter, broke a toe. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. ', "She said, 'No, but even more so, you're not going to be a quitter. I remember it was good we didn't start when we were supposed to because they were at their peak. "There wasn't anybody that came to see me play or any of the other guys. 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. 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. ", Tony Nathan prepares to take a hand-off from quarterback Jeff Rutledge at the University of Alabama. 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 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. So you go all out and do what you can do just to fit in.". "He's very respected here," McNeal says of his old teammate. DailyPress.com. Ragland, the Woodlawn quarterback, grew up in a house divided. Trivia (4) Quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams (1979-1981), New York Giants (1983-1989) and Washington Redskins (1990-1992). It was Geralds, Nathan would say later, who talked him out of quitting football, and for that, Nathan remained forever grateful. . ", Alabama basketball coach C.M. 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. Some were easier. 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. 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. He also led the Crimson Tide to two Sugar Bowl appearances and two SEC Championships. Former Realtor at ReallivingAdavanceRealty. As depicted in the upcoming "Woodlawn" movie, droves of players, Nathan included, stepped forward to commit their lives to Christ that night. A three-year starter, he also led Alabama to the #2 National ranking in 1977. ", The Banks players huddle around head coach Shorty White during the 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game at Legion Field in Birmingham. 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. "Well, Shula knew what talent was," Nathan says. 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. The Nathans go to the same church, New Testament Baptist Church, with his former Alabama and Miami teammate McNeal and his wife, Rhonda. 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. 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. Newton and football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant stand behind Tony Nathan as he signs his scholarship to attend the University of Alabama. He was part of a team that earned back-to-back state *les at L. Frazier Banks High School in Birmingham, Alabama. William Nathan asked, referring to Bryant's bag. Nathan played nine years with the Dolphins and started in two Super Bowls. He was a devoted husband and father and his favorite hobby was fishing. He had 274 completions in 526 attempts for 3,628 yards and 16 touchdowns. "We had a ball. "It was Banks-Woodlawn. "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. What is Jeff Rutledge's full name? BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Forty years later, the details have gotten fuzzier and the legends have grown larger. RELATED:See who plays Tony Nathan in 'Woodlawn'. "Up until my eighth-grade year, I had been going to Banks games all my life, watching Jeff Rutledge's older brother, Gary, and Johnny Musso play,'' Ragland says. 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. And in the memories of those who were there. ''It's an odd world, isn't it?'' (Birmingham News file) In the 1980s,. "I think back about our team, and I think about the players who played then and who could play now in terms of their strength and speed and ability," Legg says. View the profiles of professionals named "Jeff Rutledge" on LinkedIn. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. Jeff Rutledge, Nathan's old rival from Banks, was now his teammate, quarterbacking the Tide. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). The easygoing Nathan had the ideal temperament for the job, Newman told him. And Then There Were Three. All rights reserved (About Us). "We were out there playing in the mud and the rain," Woodlawn's Ragland says. "All I had ever seen of football games was everybody falling on each other and piling on each other," she says. I don't know exactly when, but I'll do it.'". Some of the choices Jeff Rutledge made during his journey to become an NFL assistant coach were difficult. Manage Settings So it's tough for her to hear that she should wait. 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. 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). 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. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. Or was it 17-7? The athletic teams at Banks adopted the name Jets, and in 1961, the Alabama Air National Guard loaned the school a Korean War-era F-86D Sabre jet, which was painted in the school colors of Columbia blue and scarlet and prominently displayed on campus, making it an inviting target for practical jokers from rival schools. On fourth down with a yard needed, he was sent by head coach Bill Parcells for a potential decoy play. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. "I was like, 'What?'" Experienced backup quarterbacks can be valuable when injuries strike. 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. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). His parents met at the University of Arkansas, and when he was almost four his family moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. "It wasn't hard to grab a piece of it. He is currently the head football coach at Valley Christian High School (Chandler, Arizona) in Chandler, Arizona. 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. 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. He would just tear it off and throw it up in the crowd. So, how much is Jeff Rutledge worth at the age of 65 years old? "It was just that time. said Rutledge. Description above from the Wikipedia article Jeff Rutledge, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. "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. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). He was the starting quarterback on the 1978 National Championship team. Quarterback Jeff Rutledge played 13 seasons for 3 teams. 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. Now he is not sure what he is. 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. WIFE'S SUGGESTION OF RETIREMENT LOST ON RUTLEDGE. Rutledge and his wife had just moved into their dream house in Atlanta, but felt it was the best job available. ''I wanted to know what he was thinking. "And then they told me that that guy (Nathan) was an All-American basketball player, and he wasn't going to be playing football. I do believe. Jeff Rutledge, Nathan's old rival from Banks, was now his teammate, quarterbacking the Tide. Rutledge played collegiately at Alabama, where he was a member of three SEC Championship teams under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. ''Maybe it will make them think a bit or at least make their decision tough. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. 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. 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. Welcome. 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. He resigned in the Spring of 2012 to return to Arizona to spend time with his family. It's tough for me to tell her to wait. . YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Former Buyer/Planner at Rutledge Properties LLC. Fully committed to football now, Nathan became one of the key cogs in a wishbone offense that was clicking on all cylinders. Once he started playing, though, she never let him quit. 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. The stoic Nathan even teared up as walked across the Coleman Coliseum stage to receive his diploma from outgoing UA President Judy Bonner. "That's a scary thought now," the 58-year-old Nathan says of what might have been. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). He completed 30 of 42 p*es for 363 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 12 yards for the game-tying touchdown with only 24 seconds remaining. 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. Newton stood behind Nathan as he sat next to his parents and got his picture taken signing his letter of intent. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. "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 was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. Football was going to be it. 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. When the Cardinals hired a new offensive coordinator at the end of that season, Rutledge and most of the offensive staff were fired. "What are you doing with that grip?'" fdar charting for blood transfusion $ 0.00 Cart. But he made a great play and I just kept running, and he threw it and I caught it.". 1972 His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. ''You gear up for a time when you're going to get together as a family. "Including his wife. Add to that the fact that, back in those days, only one team from each region made the state playoffs. 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. 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. 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. "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. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. He got permission from his academic advisers to drop his courses with a withdraw-passing grade and come back to finish his degree later. By his senior year, it wasn't just folks in Birmingham talking about "Touchdown Tony." That 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game would be Shorty White's 100th win at Banks, and his last. 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 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. Menu Log In Sign Up "The Woodlawn guys were like maniacs, and they were roaring all through their pre-game warm-ups. There's something always new at the courthouse.". [3][6], Rutledge served as the quarterbacks and tight ends coach for the New York Sentinels of the United Football League in 2009.[3]. "Before Bo, there was Tony," Ragland says. I knew when I came to training camp that it would be tough. 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". If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. He was a two-time all-state guard on the Woodlawn basketball team, and as a centerfielder and first baseman on the baseball team, he got drafted by the Montreal Expos. 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. 6'1", 195 lbs. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Everybody else was gone home for Christmas vacation, and I was like, 'What am I doing here?' Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. But, Knoxville, too, was a little too far from home for Nathan. [4], Rutledge is a Christian and attends Arizona Community Church in Chandler. 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. If it had been up to Louise Nathan, her son Tony never would have touched a football. Something else special happened that week, too. 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". ''The first game Phil Simms goes down, they've got to get a quarterback. 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,. They attended some of the same churches and dated some of the same girls. Jeff is survived by his wife, Dana; daughter, Payton Rutledge; son, Parker Rutledge; and several nieces and nephews. "I had some professors walk up to me and say, 'Hey, we were around when you were playing.'. ''But this is tough on the family. Trailing 35-14 with 10:37 left in the third quarter Rutledge replaced an ineffective Stan Humphries and led a great comeback. "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.
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