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. White is now retired and living with his wife, June, in Helena. "I don't even know if he realized how good he was back then. 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. Woodlawn students used to yell, ''Rip those Sugar Jets," which was a reference to this brand of cereal. 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.
Jeff Rutledge - Pro-Football-Reference.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. According to our records, Jeff Rutledge is possibly single. Now he is not sure what he is. "Somewhere, there is a videotape of that game," Grefseng says. "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. ", 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 told him, me being so far behind, I didn't want to flunk out. The year before, Logan had coached at rural Locust Fork High School in Blount County. Tony Nathan, left, talks with Jeff Rutledge, right, after the famous Woodlawn-Banks high school football game at Legion Field in 1974. 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. Although Woodlawn had history on its side, Banks, by 1974, had the upper hand on the football field, winning state titles in 1965, 1972 and 1973 - all under Shorty White's leadership. Rivals in high school, Nathan and Rutledge were teammates for four years at Alabama. After Friday morning's practice, they will break camp and return to Giants Stadium, where practices are closed to the public. ''Maybe it will make them think a bit or at least make their decision tough. They've been married for going on 37 years now, with three children and nine grandkids. As a senior, he was a member of the 1974 Parade High School All-American team. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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.". [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. That iconic Banks jet was turned over to the Southern Museum of Flight, where it has been restored to its Korean War glory days. ", Tony Nathan breaks free with his tear-away jersey flying in the breeze.
Former Giant Jeff Rutledge Talks Playing and Coaching . 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. See also [ edit] Rule 5 draft results References [ edit] Now he is here and his family is there, and no one is happy. "It's . Even though the Dolphins eventually lost in overtime, the play lives on in Miami lore. "Well, Shula knew what talent was," Nathan says. 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 .
"I get to meet a ton of people -- lawyers, defendants, victims -- and they all are different," Nathan says. "I didn't have to worry about cutting grass because they played all the time.". "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. "And you're not going to be the first.". "They had the best running back in the state and we had the best quarterback," former Banks head coach George "Shorty" White remembers. How old is Jeff Rutledge? When the Cardinals hired a new offensive coordinator at the end of that season, Rutledge and most of the offensive staff were fired. 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. WIFE'S SUGGESTION OF RETIREMENT LOST ON RUTLEDGE. 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. Hoover, Alabama. He is not dating anyone. We were playing in front of 20,000 people regularly, so we were getting some big crowds.". "If we needed him to throw the football, I knew he could definitely do that. 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. "It was weird," he says. 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. of development through completion. "There are people who went to that game that I've heard from all my life," Rutledge says. Woodlawn never beat Banks during Nathan's three years on the varsity. "That Banks-Woodlawn game our senior year, that was all about Tony and Jeff Rutledge," Hendrix says. That University of Alabama sorority girl who was in the stands at Legion Field that night?
ABOUT | Jeff Rutledge ''But this is tough on the family. ', "I said, 'I will do that. Trailing 35-14 with 10:37 left in the third quarter Rutledge replaced an ineffective Stan Humphries and led a great comeback. "We knew each other from grammar school.". To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. 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. So it's tough for her to hear that she should wait. 100.00 Down Payment and Houses with No Credit Check. 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. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). 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). After Nathan got out of coaching, another one of his former Dolphins teammates, guard Ed Newman, told him he had the perfect job for him. According to our Database, He has no children. 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. An experienced communications and public affairs professional, with a record of effective strategic planning, outreach and engagement. Plan B was the system under which each N.F.L. It took him 36 years, but Nathan kept that promise to his coach. By Friday, the excitement was at full-tilt boogie. And I don't know when that will be.'' Newman serves as a criminal court judge in Miami-Dade County, and six years ago, he hired Nathan to be a bailiff in his courtroom. WE BUY HOUSES ANY PRICE ANY CONDITION CALL 205 966 4880 NOW. Mike Perez was waived Tuesday, leaving Rutledge as the only other quarterback on the roster. 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. Football was going to be it. So you go all out and do what you can do just to fit in.". "Each gate had four openings in it for four lines of people," Garrett says, "but it still obviously wasn't enough.". The film builds to a finale where Woodlawn meets crosstown rival Banks, quarterbacked by Jeff Rutledge, who would eventually play at Alabama with Nathan. At the age of 32, starting his 11th season as a National Football League quarterback, Rutledge was not sure he would make the Giants. And Then There Were Three. "I think I had lost to Banks four times in three years because my freshman year, I played them as a freshman and on the B-team. 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. "He's very respected here," McNeal says of his old teammate. Like Jackson, Nathan excelled at just about any sport he played. (Photo courtesy of Tony 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. Birmingham, AL. 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. Jeff Rutledge, of Newport, represents the White River and his term expires in 2024. 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. (Photo courtesy of Banks High School Facebook page). Something like that. 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. He resigned in the Spring of 2012 to return to Arizona to spend time with his family. "Some of the other running backs didn't want to be that lead blocker. But she's been through this every year. The unsung hero, though, was a little linebacker named Greg Muse, who had transferred to Banksafter living in Texas. "I wanted some kind of meat to serve him," William Nathan remembers. By his senior season in 1974, Woodlawn running back Tony Nathan was one of the most sought-after high school football players in America. 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. 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. Rutledge played collegiately at Alabama, where he was a member of three SEC Championship teams under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. 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. ", 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." People around the country were starting to notice him, too. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). "People drove up, saw the lines outside and just went on by. Along the sidelines, one of the best coaches in Alabama high school football history would notch his 100th victory, but he would never win another. Not once, but twice, both teams were sent back to their respective locker rooms to allow the crowd to file into the stadium. 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.
Jeff Rutledge - Facts, Bio, Favorites, Info, Family 2021 - Sticky Facts 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,. Nathan says.
Jeff Rutledge III - Facebook Woodlawn High School had a much longer history that went back to 1916, when the community of Woodlawn was annexed into Birmingham. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). Though Rutledge was available, no other team signed him. said Rutledge. 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. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. DeOssie, who has been starting at inside linebacker, strained his back lifting weights. 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. He resigned in the Spring of 2012 to return to Arizona to spend time with his family. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. We felt like we were probably the two best teams in Alabama, but only one of us was going to get to go to the state. You could call it inspiration, you could call it whatever you like. "I was like, 'What?'" (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). 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. And to himself. "We let them run and play," Tony's father, whom the family calls "Pops," says. White says he was assured by the Legion Field crew that it would be able to handle the crowd. 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 spent most of his career as a back-up quarterback and a holder on kicks. 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. 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.
Jeff Rutledge | American Football Database | Fandom Woodlawn vs. Banks 1974: Remembering the biggest game in Alabama high Today, Ken O'Brien, the Jets' starter, broke a toe. "It was odd to see people react and want a piece of cloth off of somebody else who was wearing it. 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. Since then, Rutledge has been mostly a backup. New York Giants. I remember it was good we didn't start when we were supposed to because they were at their peak. I knew when I came to training camp that it would be tough. Jeff was in the flooring business and owned Vintage Wood Floors, Inc. 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. 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. Nov 09, 1990 at 12:00 am. 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. 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. 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". Fully committed to football now, Nathan became one of the key cogs in a wishbone offense that was clicking on all cylinders. That year, the Cardinals made a late season run and earned a Super Bowl berth, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23. After seven seasons at Vanderbilt, Rutledge became the head coach at Montgomery Bell Academy, a school for seventh to 12th grade boys in Nashville. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. "It touched me," he says. 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. From Banks, defensive lineman Freddie Knighton signed with Alabama, running back Jerry Murphree went to LSU, and linebacker Bob Grefseng played at Ole Miss. 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. I don't remember that whole week. ''That may make the Giants think,'' said Rutledge. Some of the choices Jeff Rutledge made during his journey to become an NFL assistant coach were difficult. "And I didn't like that. He is a member of famous Player with the age 65 years old group. I will make you that promise. "I said, 'What's wrong, Mike, they didn't have crowds like this at Locust Fork?'" 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. "He wasn't too pleased," Nathan recalls. ", Tony Nathan runs behind his Miami Dolphins teammate Jeff Toews in a game against the New York Jets. ", Tony Nathan prepares to take a hand-off from quarterback Jeff Rutledge at the University of Alabama. Rutledge earned MVP honors at the 1978 Sugar Bowl and also earned All-SEC honors in 1978 and 1979.[4]. 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. A couple of weeks before their game, Banks' White alerted the Legion Field staff to expect a monster crowd. "It was Banks-Woodlawn. 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's been home a long time," Nathan says. 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. jeff.rutledge@mcmillanvantage.com. "It was a miserable way to end your season.". Gosh, that game was 40 years ago, which is unbelievable.". 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's an odd world, isn't it?'' 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. His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. Commissioner Rutledge, a native of Newport, graduated from Newport High School and earned a B.S. BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Forty years later, the details have gotten fuzzier and the legends have grown larger. "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. 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. William Nathan asked, referring to Bryant's bag. Newton stood behind Nathan as he sat next to his parents and got his picture taken signing his letter of intent. "All three kids were raised here. The next year, they got Bert Jones.
Josh Rutledge, a 'Bama man, tries to make his place in Boston By WARNER HESSLER Staff Writer.
UNEASY LIES THE HEAD OF NO. 3 QUARTERBACK - The New York Times And when the game finally did kick off a half-hour or so later, the crowd kept pouring in well into the second quarter.
Josh Rutledge - Wikipedia 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. Nose tackle Bob Baumhower, who was two years ahead of Nathan at Alabama, was already there when Nathan arrived for his first camp. "The trouble is, it's on VHS cassette, and my VHS player died years ago.". Ragland, the Woodlawn quarterback, grew up in a house divided. On Sunday, the Jets lost their backup, Pat Ryan, for at least six to eight weeks with a sprained knee. Jeff Rutledge, Nathan's old rival from Banks, was now his teammate, quarterbacking the Tide. The next year, Nathan and Rutledge became teammates at the University of Alabama. 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). . Jeff Rutledge Wiki: Salary, Married, Wedding, Spouse, Family Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. [2] Rutledge spent most of his career as a back-up quarterback and a holder on kicks. "The Woodlawn guys were like maniacs, and they were roaring all through their pre-game warm-ups. in Plant Science from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and a Masters in Agronomy (Weed Science) from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. "We have, I think, one of the best alumni associations in the NFL," Nathan says. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan).
Jeff Rutledge - Head of Internal Communications - LinkedIn Jeff Rutledge in Munford, AL - Address & Phone Number | Whitepages 2. His most notable play with the Giants came in Super Bowl XXI in the third quarter.
Jeff Rutledge - Biography - IMDb He was just a humble high school athlete.
Newton and football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant stand behind Tony Nathan as he signs his scholarship to attend the University of Alabama. "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. "It wasn't hard to grab a piece of it.
Jeff Rutledge - McMillan Vantage The regular season game was played in . Efforts to reach him for this story were unsuccessful. "It was just that time. Louise Nathan, though, never was wild about her seeing her son get hit. The next year, I was on injured reserve. 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. I said, 'You have to wait until you see me.' He was a basketball guy.". Menu Log In Sign Up I still get chills thinking about it.". "We both started to laugh.". Rutledge played collegiately at Alabama, where he was a member of three SEC Championship teams under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. "We just sat up there and watched," Martin, now retired, recalls. His two older sisters went to Banks, but after the Birmingham schools were desegregated, he was zoned for Woodlawn. In his teens, he acted in productions of the North Shore Children's Theater and, from 1942 to 1944, performed in . printers and related vendors. 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. Our defensive game plan was awesome.". The family will receive friends from 12:00-1:30 pm, Wednesday, October 26, 2016 at . Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. Following his senior season at Alabama in 1978, Banks' Jeff Rutledge went on to play 13 years in the National Football League. So they put the pressure on him, too. He has established himself as a trusted advisor providing advice and direction to organizations in some of the most heavily regulated . He also led the Crimson Tide to two Sugar Bowl appearances and two SEC Championships. We prayed together, and from then on, I respected them and they respected me. He is currently the head football coach at Valley Christian High School (Chandler, Arizona) in Chandler, Arizona. 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. A creative problem solver with refined approach to crisis communications and media management. How tall is Jeff Rutledge? When the Cardinals hired a new offensive coordinator at the end of that season, Rutledge and most of the offensive staff were fired.
Jeffery Joseph Rutledge | Obituaries | koamnewsnow.com "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. Internal communications and employee engagement pro with a tech focus and multi-disciplinary background. "It was one heck of a game. Rutledge earned MVP honors at the 1978 Sugar Bowl and also earned All-SEC honors in 1978 and 1979. All rights reserved (About Us). "I've never known a Nathan to quit anything," she said. ", RELATED: Turning back the clock at Legion Field. "It was time for people to actually get along -- no matter what race or color you were," he says. Unfortunately, he doesn't remember anything about it. 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. Finished career at Alabama has the school's leading passer, surpassing Joe Namath. '", So just think, if Louise Nathan hadn't put her foot down, maybe no one would have ever heard of "Touchdown Tony.".