", RELATED:Remembering the 1974 Woodlawn-Banks game. By WARNER HESSLER Staff Writer. "It touched me," he says. "It's . 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. Internal communications and employee engagement pro with a tech focus and multi-disciplinary background. In 2013, he married Laura McKeeman (who took Rutledge's name upon marriage), a reporter and host for ESPN and the SEC Network. "People drove up, saw the lines outside and just went on by. The attendance was out of this world.". In those days, the Banks-Woodlawn rivalry was like the Alabama-Auburn of Birmingham high school football, but maybe just a little friendlier. (Photo courtesy of Banks High School Facebook page). They've been married for going on 37 years now, with three children and nine grandkids. About Jeff Rutledge is a 66 year old American Football (American) Player born on 22nd January, 1957 in Birmingham, AL. 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 the choices Jeff Rutledge made during his journey to become an NFL assistant coach were difficult. "All I had ever seen of football games was everybody falling on each other and piling on each other," she says. He resigned in the Spring of 2012 to return to Arizona to spend time with his family. 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". "They all looked at me like, 'OK, don't you think it's your time?'" A couple of weeks before their game, Banks' White alerted the Legion Field staff to expect a monster crowd. They got at least part of that right. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. 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.". (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). 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. His most notable play with the Giants came in Super Bowl XXI in the third quarter. 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. 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. Jeff Rutledge Position: QB Birthdate: January 22, 1957 College: Alabama Draft: Selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 9th round (246th overall) of the 1979 NFL Draft Stats Gamelogs 300-Yard Passing Jeff Rutledge Stats Jeff Rutledge career stats with the Los Angeles Rams, New York Giants and Washington Redskins. 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. 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. Following his senior season at Alabama in 1978, Banks' Jeff Rutledge went on to play 13 years in the National Football League. "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. "That's a scary thought now," the 58-year-old Nathan says of what might have been. ''It's an odd world, isn't it?'' On fourth down with a yard needed, he was sent by head coach Bill Parcells for a potential decoy play. By his senior season in 1974, Woodlawn running back Tony Nathan was one of the most sought-after high school football players in America. White says he was assured by the Legion Field crew that it would be able to handle the crowd. He is not dating anyone. "There is no doubt in my mind that the delay in the game helped us,'' Banks' Grefseng says. Jeff Rutledge Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images 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. 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. 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. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. 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. ", RELATED: Turning back the clock at Legion Field. 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. 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. "But at that time, I had a concussion. "The Woodlawn guys were like maniacs, and they were roaring all through their pre-game warm-ups. All three of Nathan's daughters have their college degrees - Nichole from South Florida and Natalie and Nadia from Alabama - as does his wife. "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. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. He is now a bailiff for Miami-Dade County Court Judge Edward Newman, a former Dolphins teammate. You could call it inspiration, you could call it whatever you like. When the Cardinals hired a new offensive coordinator at the end of that season, Rutledge and most of the offensive staff were fired. 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. He was the starting quarterback on the 1978 National Championship team. His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. American football player and coach (born 1957), Alabama Crimson Tide starting quarterbacks, Washington Commanders starting quarterbacks, 1978 Alabama Crimson Tide footballAP national champions, Alabama Crimson Tide football yearly statistical leaders, History of the New York Giants (19791993), "High School Football Database - All-American (Parade 1974)", "Jeff Rutledge Named as Football Head Coach - Valley Christian High School", "NFL vet Rutledge returning as high school coach", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jeff_Rutledge&oldid=1134094507, High school football coaches in Tennessee, Coaches of American football from Alabama, Players of American football from Birmingham, Alabama, Articles with dead external links from October 2010, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 00:15. "It was odd to see people react and want a piece of cloth off of somebody else who was wearing it. 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. "It was one heck of a game. I wanted him to have his degree. He was part of a team that earned back-to-back state titles at L. Frazier Banks High School in Birmingham, Alabama. 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 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. After seven seasons at Vanderbilt, Rutledge became the head coach at Montgomery Bell Academy, a school for seventh to 12th grade boys in Nashville. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. "We let them run and play," Tony's father, whom the family calls "Pops," 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. In his teens, he acted in productions of the North Shore Children's Theater and, from 1942 to 1944, performed in . "It was time for people to actually get along -- no matter what race or color you were," he says. And I don't know when that will be.'' ", Alabama basketball coach C.M. Banks came in riding a 34-game unbeaten streak, its last loss coming to Woodlawn, 21-18, three years before. 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". A three-year starter, he also led Alabama to the #2 National ranking in 1977. Experienced backup quarterbacks can be valuable when injuries strike. The night before the game, Stearns says, members of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapters from both teams gathered for a joint meeting at Woodlawn. 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. 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. We prayed together, and from then on, I respected them and they respected me. fatal car accident in tulare county / how to endorse a check for mobile deposit wells fargo / jeff rutledge wife. Nov 09, 1990 at 12:00 am. That year, the Cardinals made a late season run and earned a Super Bowl berth, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23. On Sunday, the Jets lost their backup, Pat Ryan, for at least six to eight weeks with a sprained knee. Perhaps that epic 1974 showdown at Legion Field between Birmingham high-school heavyweights Woodlawn and Banks would have been just another Friday night football game. "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. 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. He will miss Saturday night's exhibition game against the Giants at Giants Stadium. 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. "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.'''. That 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game would be Shorty White's 100th win at Banks, and his last. "It really did.". "That's why, for two years, we had a lot of focus and attention on Woodlawn. At 65 years old, Jeff Rutledge height not available right now. This week, Birmingham filmmakers Jon and Andrew Erwin began shooting a movie, "Woodlawn," which takes place during Nathan's days at Woodlawn High School and focuses in on that 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game. The other day, Rutledge called his wife and told her to wait. He resigned in the Spring of 2012 to return to Arizona to spend time with his family. "What are you doing with that grip?'" 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. Menu Log In Sign Up ''My first year in the league, with the Rams, it was hairy because they had so many quarterbacks in camp. Birmingham, AL. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. What is Jeff Rutledge's full name? "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. People around the country were starting to notice him, too. Roberts, the starting left guard, has a slightly sprained left knee, which was reported improved. "We knew each other from grammar school.". The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. ", Tony Nathan prepares to take a hand-off from quarterback Jeff Rutledge at the University of Alabama. Jeff was in the flooring business and owned Vintage Wood Floors, Inc. "It was supposed to be a quick pass but somebody got in there and almost sacked Jeff. Former Buyer/Planner at Rutledge Properties LLC. I don't know exactly when, but I'll do it.'". 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. A three-year starter, he also led Alabama to the #2 National ranking in 1977. "I didn't have to worry about cutting grass because they played all the time.". Fast learner, critical thinker with an eye for efficiency, and generally fun guy. Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. Jeff Rutledge Biography. "Everywhere Tony lined up, there was Greg," Rutledge remembers. Birmingham, Alabama. At the age of 32, starting his 11th season as a National Football League quarterback, Rutledge was not sure he would make the Giants. "Including his wife. Hoover, Alabama. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. The year before, Logan had coached at rural Locust Fork High School in Blount County. Jeff Rutledge: Bear Bryant promised a national championship 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. He was part of a team that earned back-to-back state titles at L. Frazier Banks High School in Birmingham, Alabama. Jeff Rutledge. Jeff is survived by his wife, Dana; daughter, Payton Rutledge; son, Parker Rutledge; and several nieces and nephews. Some were easier. On fourth down with a yard needed, he was sent by head coach Bill Parcells for a potential decoy play. I will make you that promise. "Well, Shula knew what talent was," Nathan says. 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. "That was neat, that she had just come up (for the game), not knowing anything that was going to happen years later," Rutledge says. Nathan played nine years with the Dolphins and started in two Super Bowls. Their two-year reign as 4A state champs also ended with a 12-0 shutout loss to eventual champion Homewood in the first round of the playoffs. Quarterback Jeff Rutledge played 13 seasons for 3 teams. It was Grefseng's only touchdown catch of his Banks career. He played college football at Alabama, where he was the team's starting quarterback for their 1978 National . New York Giants. See the article in its original context from. Anyone can read what you share. "And you're not going to be the first.". I did believe. ", Tony Nathan breaks free with his tear-away jersey flying in the breeze. One of them said on the phone, 'What did you get me?' Former Giant Jeff Rutledge Talks Playing and Coaching When the Cardinals hired a new offensive coordinator at the end of that season, Rutledge and most of the offensive staff were fired. 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. It all built up to Nov. 8, 1974, when Woodlawn, which had won 11 games in a row, met its old nemesis Banks, which was riding a 34-game unbeaten streak, at Legion Field. 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. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). So I've never come to camp feeling confident I'd be in place. But he made a great play and I just kept running, and he threw it and I caught it.". Trivia (4) Quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams (1979-1981), New York Giants (1983-1989) and Washington Redskins (1990-1992). Commission - Waterways Jeff Rutledge - Biography - IMDb 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. 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. His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974.
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