He is a member of famous Player with the age 65 years old group. "I've never known a Nathan to quit anything," she said. Everybody else was gone home for Christmas vacation, and I was like, 'What am I doing here?' 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. Not once, but twice, both teams were sent back to their respective locker rooms to allow the crowd to file into the stadium. 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. It's been very interesting. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. "The Woodlawn guys were like maniacs, and they were roaring all through their pre-game warm-ups. And when the game finally did kick off a half-hour or so later, the crowd kept pouring in well into the second quarter. Trailing 35-14 with 10:37 left in the third quarter Rutledge replaced an ineffective Stan Humphries and led a great comeback. 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. The main building, built in 1922, was a grand, three-story structure that always looked more like a palace than a schoolhouse. 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. Nathan scored Woodlawn's only touchdown on a 13-yard run in the fourth quarter. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. RELATED:See who plays Tony Nathan in 'Woodlawn'. So, when Tony was in the 10th grade, and he came home one day and told his mother he had left the Woodlawn High School football team, she replied, in no uncertain terms, no, he had not. "Some of the other running backs didn't want to be that lead blocker. It hardly seemed like a swan-song performance. When the Cardinals hired a new offensive coordinator at the end of that season, Rutledge and most of the offensive staff were fired. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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 was just a humble high school athlete. 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. . 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. American football player and coach (born 1957) 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. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. "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. And to himself. "It really did.". Even though the Dolphins eventually lost in overtime, the play lives on in Miami lore. His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). At 65 years old, Jeff Rutledge height not available right now. Some were easier. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. That year, the Cardinals made a late season run and earned a Super Bowl berth, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23. "It wasn't hard to grab a piece of it. "It was supposed to be a quick pass but somebody got in there and almost sacked Jeff. 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 consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. 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 was part of a team that earned back-to-back state titles at L. Frazier Banks High School in Birmingham, Alabama. "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.'''. "It was Banks-Woodlawn. Jeff is an experienced communications and public affairs professional with more than a decade working in government and the private sector. After seven seasons at Vanderbilt, Rutledge became the head coach at Montgomery Bell Academy, a school for seventh to 12th grade boys in Nashville. His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. "I was like, 'All right, it's that time.'". Football was going to be it. Ragland, the Woodlawn quarterback, grew up in a house divided. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). 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. At the age of 32, starting his 11th season as a National Football League quarterback, Rutledge was not sure he would make the. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). He received his degree from Alabama in Business Administration and in 2011, was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. 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. 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,. He also led the Crimson Tide to two Sugar Bowl appearances and two SEC Championships. There was no mortgage. [email protected]. 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. 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. "They all looked at me like, 'OK, don't you think it's your time?'" People around the country were starting to notice him, too. 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. "It was the thrill of my life," Louise Nathan says. As a senior, he was a member of the 1974 Parade High School All-American team. 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. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge. . "All I had ever seen of football games was everybody falling on each other and piling on each other," she says. He was a devoted husband and father and his favorite hobby was fishing. Newton stood behind Nathan as he sat next to his parents and got his picture taken signing his letter of intent. "I remember going back and forth to get more tickets to sell. "I don't even know if he realized how good he was back then. "We dedicated our season to the glory of the Lord, and we played at a much higher level those two years (1973-74) than we probably should have. 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. "He wasn't too pleased," Nathan recalls. The next year, Nathan and Rutledge became teammates at the University of Alabama. 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. 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. Nose tackle Bob Baumhower, who was two years ahead of Nathan at Alabama, was already there when Nathan arrived for his first camp. All rights reserved (About Us). Rutledge spent most of his career as a back-up quarterback and a holder on kicks. They got at least part of that right. "We both started to laugh.". I was so elated that he did it, and I thank the Lord that he did.". Something else special happened that week, too. "That was neat, that she had just come up (for the game), not knowing anything that was going to happen years later," Rutledge says. Quarterback Jeff Rutledge played 13 seasons for 3 teams. Experienced backup quarterbacks can be valuable when injuries strike. "It was odd to see people react and want a piece of cloth off of somebody else who was wearing it. Center Dwight Stephenson and defensive back Don McNeal, who were a year behind him, would join the Dolphins the next year. Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. "They had the best running back in the state and we had the best quarterback," former Banks head coach George "Shorty" White remembers. By Frank Litsky, Special To the New York Times. "This was before Bo Jackson," Ragland, the Woodlawn quarterback, says. Meanwhile, the recruiting letters continued to pour in from schools such as USC, Notre Dame, Texas and Oklahoma, as well as SEC schools Alabama, Auburn, Georgia and Tennessee. Jeffrey Hunter was born Henry Herman McKinnies Jr. on November 25, 1926 in New Orleans, Louisiana, an only child. Jeff Rutledge, of Newport, represents the White River and his term expires in 2024. Add to that the fact that, back in those days, only one team from each region made the state playoffs. I do believe. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. 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. In 2013, he married Laura McKeeman (who took Rutledge's name upon marriage), a reporter and host for ESPN and the SEC Network. 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. 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. 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. What is Jeff Rutledge's full name? Jeff is survived by his wife, Dana; daughter, Payton Rutledge; son, Parker Rutledge; and several nieces and nephews. ', "She said, 'No, but even more so, you're not going to be a quitter. 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. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). 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 all that notoriety affected Nathan, none of his teammates could tell. "In high school, he was the best quarterback in the state of Alabama, and Coach Bryant did his job. He said, 'Well, make sure you promise me you're going to finish what you started. Hoover, Alabama. 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. Manage Settings (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). 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. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). "I think (defensive lineman) Marty Lyons could play today. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Or was it 17-7? fdar charting for blood transfusion $ 0.00 Cart. The attendance was out of this world.". Electronic version of this article was lost during the computer . He resigned in the Spring of 2012 to return to Arizona to spend time with his family. "Including his wife. 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. "I wanted to go home. So I've never come to camp feeling confident I'd be in place. Tony Nathan holds his youngest brother, Cedric, after he announces in December 1974 that he will attend the University of Alabama. 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. 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. Bryant sealed the deal by promising Tony he would get a shot at playing basketball at Alabama, too. It wasn't anything boastful for him. See also [ edit] Rule 5 draft results References [ edit] 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. The next year, they got Bert Jones. 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. On fourth down with a yard needed, he was sent by head coach Bill Parcells for a potential decoy play. 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. Jeff was in the flooring business and owned Vintage Wood Floors, Inc. View Jeff Rutledge results in Munford, AL including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. "It was one heck of a game. They attended some of the same churches and dated some of the same girls. 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. Meanwhile, Tuscaloosa was just an hour away, and one of the greatest coaches in the history of the game, Alabama's Paul "Bear" Bryant, had the Crimson Tide not just rolling again, but steamrolling. In his teens, he acted in productions of the North Shore Children's Theater and, from 1942 to 1944, performed in . Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. He was a basketball guy.". 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 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. . Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. WIFE'S SUGGESTION OF RETIREMENT LOST ON RUTLEDGE. Description above from the Wikipedia article Jeff Rutledge, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia. He is currently the head football coach at Valley Christian High School (Chandler, Arizona) in Chandler, Arizona. 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. Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. I bought them last week. 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. 3 QUARTERBACK, https://www.nytimes.com/1989/08/24/sports/uneasy-lies-the-head-of-no-3-quarterback.html, Frank Litsky, Special To the New York Times. Tony Nathan, left, talks with Jeff Rutledge, right, after the famous Woodlawn-Banks high school football game at Legion Field in 1974. I knew it even before that, when Plan B came along.'' 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. [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. Tony could have gone anywhere. UNEASY LIES THE HEAD OF NO. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. He and his wife, Johnnie, who was his high school sweetheart at Woodlawn and his college sweetheart at Alabama, still live in the same house they bought in 1983. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. "All three kids were raised here. Woodlawn High School had a much longer history that went back to 1916, when the community of Woodlawn was annexed into Birmingham. 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. . 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. "But I was raised in the church anyway. I still get chills thinking about it.". By WARNER HESSLER Staff Writer. The quiet, introverted Nathan didn't know quite what to make of all that attention. In 2006, the Birmingham Board of Education decided to close the deteriorating middle school, too, saying it was unsafe and an eyesore. A title search shows that Mr. Rutledge and his wife bought a property in Naramata for $1.15-million on Oct. 31, 2016. ''That may make the Giants think,'' said Rutledge. ----DeOssie and Roberts Out Steve DeOssie and William Roberts missed practice Wednesday. "I told him, me being so far behind, I didn't want to flunk out. 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.