The main building, built in 1922, was a grand, three-story structure that always looked more like a palace than a schoolhouse. Woodlawn High School had a much longer history that went back to 1916, when the community of Woodlawn was annexed into Birmingham. About Jeff Rutledge is a 66 year old American Football (American) Player born on 22nd January, 1957 in Birmingham, AL. 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. From Banks, defensive lineman Freddie Knighton signed with Alabama, running back Jerry Murphree went to LSU, and linebacker Bob Grefseng played at Ole Miss. 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. 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. Jeff Rutledge. Nathan played nine years with the Dolphins and started in two Super Bowls. 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. "I told him, me being so far behind, I didn't want to flunk out. Everybody else was gone home for Christmas vacation, and I was like, 'What am I doing here?' By his senior season in 1974, Woodlawn running back Tony Nathan was one of the most sought-after high school football players in America. ", Tony Nathan strikes a Heisman-like pose as he tries to avoid a linebacker. Rutledge played collegiately at Alabama, where he was a member of three SEC Championship teams under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. 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. #Jeff #Rutledge #Wiki Biography #Age #Height #Wife #Net #Worth #Family Tags: Age Biography Family Height Jeff Net Rutledge Wife Wiki Worth A few years ago, though, Nathan realized one thing was missing in his life. And Then There Were Three. I can tell you, Tony had no trouble with his blocking.". (Birmingham News file/Robert Adams). 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. Rutledge served as the quarterbacks and tight ends coach for the New York Sentinels of the United Football League in 2009. "This was before Bo Jackson," Ragland, the Woodlawn quarterback, says. 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. All rights reserved (About Us). "When people say Tony Nathan, their ears go up. "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. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Once he started playing, though, she never let him quit. The unsung hero, though, was a little linebacker named Greg Muse, who had transferred to Banksafter living in Texas. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. "That's why, for two years, we had a lot of focus and attention on Woodlawn. He is a member of famous Player with the age 65 years old group. "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.'''. 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. 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. Rutledge earned MVP honors at the 1978 Sugar Bowl and also earned All-SEC honors in 1978 and 1979. [1], Rutledge played collegiately at Alabama,[2][3] where he was a member of three SEC Championship teams under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. Rutledge played collegiately at Alabama, where he was a member of three SEC Championship teams under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. "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. "People drove up, saw the lines outside and just went on by. He had left the University of Alabama in the spring of 1979 without a diploma. Bold denotes league leader. "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. After Thursday morning's practice, the Giants will leave for their annual welcome-home lunch at the Sheraton Centre. 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. "I didn't have to worry about cutting grass because they played all the time.". 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. Tony Nathan, left, and Jeff Rutledge talk following the 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game at Legion Field in Birmingham. Nov 09, 1990 at 12:00 am. QB Born: January 22, 1957 in Birmingham, AL Drafted: 1979 Rnd 9, Pick 246 by LA: College: Alabama: Career Stats Career Stats Game Log Game Log Splits Splits. Rivals in high school, Nathan and Rutledge were teammates for four years at 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. According to our records, Jeff Rutledge is possibly single. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. The attendance was out of this world.". Jeff Rutledge Wiki: Salary, Married, Wedding, Spouse, Family Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. 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. 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. Today, Ken O'Brien, the Jets' starter, broke a toe. I told Coach Gerelds that I didn't want him to be anywhere near the ball.". It's tough for me to tell her to wait. In his teens, he acted in productions of the North Shore Children's Theater and, from 1942 to 1944, performed in . 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. ', "I said, 'I will do that. The two schools were just 10 minutes and less than four miles apart. 6' 1" (185 cm) How much does Jeff Rutledge weigh? Banks came in riding a 34-game unbeaten streak, its last loss coming to Woodlawn, 21-18, three years before. 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 . "It was a culmination of really four years of building up to that point," Woodlawn quarterback Denny Ragland remembers. I bought them last week. "He's very respected here," McNeal says of his old teammate. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. "I wanted to go home. Stearns recalls. No One Else Wanted Him. Where was Jeff Rutledge born? Not once, but twice, both teams were sent back to their respective locker rooms to allow the crowd to file into the stadium. In 2013, he married Laura McKeeman (who took Rutledge's name upon marriage), a reporter and host for ESPN and the SEC Network. Almost assuredly, Nathan would not be the featured character in the upcoming movie "Woodlawn," which opens nationwide on Oct. 16, and most definitely, he would not have written a book, "Touchdown Tony: Running With a Purpose," which comes out Tuesday. Many of the players on both teams grew up playing pee-wee football together at East Lake and Wahouma parks, and as teenagers, they hung out together at Eastwood Mall. He also led the Crimson Tide to two Sugar Bowl appearances and two SEC Championships. 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. An estimated 42,000 fans filled the lower bowl of Legion Field for the 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game. . Center Dwight Stephenson and defensive back Don McNeal, who were a year behind him, would join the Dolphins the next year. "And you're not going to be the first.". We prayed together, and from then on, I respected them and they respected me. He started taking online courses through the University of Alabama's Bama by Distance degree program, and this past May, at 58, he graduated. ''My wife is frustrated,'' said Rutledge. It was Grefseng's only touchdown catch of his Banks career. "I came to stay until Tony makes up his mind," Bryant replied. There are 90+ professionals named "Jeff Rutledge", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. The following Friday night, Woodlawn closed out its season on a cold, rainy night at Fair Park, defeating Carver 12-0. He was the starting quarterback on the 1978 National Championship team. 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. His zodiac sign is Aquarius More about Jeff Rutledge Photo Gallery Jeff Rutledge Jeff Rutledge Ragland recalls. He was a basketball guy.". "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. "He ate a few pieces of it, but he didn't eat much.". "It wasn't hard to grab a piece of it. 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. They got at least part of that right. Tony could have gone anywhere. We were playing in front of 20,000 people regularly, so we were getting some big crowds.". He has established himself as a trusted advisor providing advice and direction to organizations in some of the most heavily regulated . 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. 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. Tony is a very revered guy here in our community, here in our church community.". 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. 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. 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. He received his degree from Alabama in Business Administration and in 2011, was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. "It was just that time. 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. He is from United States. 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. On Sunday, the Jets lost their backup, Pat Ryan, for at least six to eight weeks with a sprained knee. The stoic Nathan even teared up as walked across the Coleman Coliseum stage to receive his diploma from outgoing UA President Judy Bonner. View Jeff Rutledge results in Munford, AL including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. "It was supposed to be a quick pass but somebody got in there and almost sacked Jeff. So after his freshman football season -- while his football teammates were enjoying their break -- Nathan was on the basketball court the next day, trying to break into an Alabama lineup that featured Leon Douglas, Reggie King, T.R. 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. By his senior year, it wasn't just folks in Birmingham talking about "Touchdown Tony." He was worn out, and he was just tearing the rest of his jersey off.". (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). "Somewhere, there is a videotape of that game," Grefseng says. 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. ''It's an odd world, isn't it?'' Birmingham police guessed another 20,000 gave up and went back home when they saw the long lines. Something else special happened that week, too. And when that happened, that movement, I was touched in my heart to do so again.". 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. 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. 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. "I don't even know if he realized how good he was back then. "There are people who went to that game that I've heard from all my life," Rutledge says. "We knew each other from grammar school.". Trailing 35-14 with 10:37 left in the third quarter Rutledge replaced an ineffective Stan Humphries and led a great comeback. Or was it 17-7? Jeffrey Brooks Rutledge, Meg Rutledge, Christen Rutledge. 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. 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 was in the flooring business and owned Vintage Wood Floors, Inc. He would just tear it off and throw it up in the crowd. That year, the Cardinals made a late season run and earned a Super Bowl berth, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23. He has been a Giant since 1982, when he was obtained from the Los Angeles Rams after Phil Simms suffered a season-ending knee injury. 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. 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. 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.
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