Fast learner, critical thinker with an eye for efficiency, and generally fun guy. On Monday night, the Los Angeles Rams lost their backup, Mark Herrmann, for six to eight weeks with broken ribs. The quiet, introverted Nathan didn't know quite what to make of all that attention. WE BUY HOUSES ANY PRICE ANY CONDITION CALL 205 966 4880 NOW. "It was just that time. Once he started playing, though, she never let him quit. Ragland, the Woodlawn quarterback, grew up in a house divided. 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. As that 1974 season progressed and both teams kept winning week after week, that friendly rivalry between Banks and Woodlawn reached a new level, though. "We were out there playing in the mud and the rain," Woodlawn's Ragland says. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. of development through completion. 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. If they cut me and someone picks me up, they would have to get someone else not familiar with their system.'' "But this particular year, we were both undefeated going in. . "I had some professors walk up to me and say, 'Hey, we were around when you were playing.'. One of them said on the phone, 'What did you get me?' "But it didn't bother me that I was forced to go to Woodlawn because a lot of my friends were at Woodlawn, too.". UNEASY LIES THE HEAD OF NO. After Friday morning's practice, they will break camp and return to Giants Stadium, where practices are closed to the public. When the Cardinals hired a new offensive coordinator at the end of that season, Rutledge and most of the offensive staff were fired. After the season ended, he accepted an assistant coaching position on Paul "Bear" Bryant's staff at Alabama, where he was part of back-to-back national championships in 1978 and 1979 -- the first of which featured Rutledge and Nathan in the starting backfield. 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. "All I had ever seen of football games was everybody falling on each other and piling on each other," she says. Even though the Dolphins eventually lost in overtime, the play lives on in Miami lore. . He resigned in the Spring of 2012 to return to Arizona to spend time with his family. I told Coach Gerelds that I didn't want him to be anywhere near the ball.". ''The first game Phil Simms goes down, they've got to get a quarterback. That year, the Cardinals made a late season run and earned a Super Bowl berth, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23. "The touchdown was a busted play," he recalls. Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. fdar charting for blood transfusion $ 0.00 Cart. The kids are disappointed. Rutledge spent most of his career as a back-up quarterback and a holder on kicks. William Nathan was sold, though, and eventually, so was his son Tony. 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. "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. 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. It was Grefseng's only touchdown catch of his Banks career. Relationships We have no records of past relationships for Jeff Rutledge. 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.". I still get chills thinking about it.". 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. "They all looked at me like, 'OK, don't you think it's your time?'" We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. As the teams went through their pre-game drills, Woodlawn's Stearns noticed another assistant, Mike Logan, staring up into the stands with his mouth agape. Now he is here and his family is there, and no one is happy. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). Rutledge served as the quarterbacks and tight ends coach for the New York Sentinels of the United Football League in 2009. He is currently single. "It's been home a long time," Nathan says. 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. Ragland recalls. 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. said Rutledge. "We have, I think, one of the best alumni associations in the NFL," Nathan says. "That Banks-Woodlawn game our senior year, that was all about Tony and Jeff Rutledge," Hendrix says. "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. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. 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. It wasn't anything boastful for him. They got at least part of that right. are hard-pressed to remember the final score. He is married to his wife Laura and has 3 children.[7]. 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. When the teams ran back onto the field for the third time, the lower bowl of Legion Field was practically full. It's been very interesting. "If we needed him to throw the football, I knew he could definitely do that. 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. But there was one catch. ", Tony Nathan strikes a Heisman-like pose as he tries to avoid a linebacker. The other day, Rutledge called his wife and told her to wait. The next year, Nathan and Rutledge became teammates at the University of Alabama. The night after that chat, in an exhibition game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Rutledge completed all 8 of his passes for 156 yards. The regular season game was played in . Those were the days when running backs wore tear-away jerseys, which ripped when opposing players tried to bring down the ball carrier by grabbing ahold of his jersey. DeOssie, who has been starting at inside linebacker, strained his back lifting weights. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? Nose tackle Bob Baumhower, who was two years ahead of Nathan at Alabama, was already there when Nathan arrived for his first camp. "I don't even know if he realized how good he was back then. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. (Birmingham News file/Robert Adams). 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. 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. "I was like, 'What?'" After games, fans mobbed Nathan to get a piece of his jersey. We will update Jeff Rutledge's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible. If Roberts misses Saturday night's game, as seems likely, Damian Johnson will move to left guard and Brian Williams will replace Johnson at right guard. Jeff Rutledge Wiki: Salary, Married, Wedding, Spouse, Family Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. Out on the field, one of the players, a linebacker who also filled in as back-up tight end, caught the only touchdown pass of his high-school career, in what was by far the biggest game of his career. Jeff Rutledge was born on 22 January, 1957 in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, is an American football coach and former quarterback. "He wasn't too pleased," Nathan recalls. At the age of 32, starting his 11th season as a National Football League quarterback, Rutledge was not sure he would make the Giants. A few years ago, though, Nathan realized one thing was missing in his life. All rights reserved (About Us). 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. After Thursday morning's practice, the Giants will leave for their annual welcome-home lunch at the Sheraton Centre. The family will receive friends from 12:00-1:30 pm, Wednesday, October 26, 2016 at . According to our Database, He has no children. 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. "He ate a few pieces of it, but he didn't eat much.". "I wanted some kind of meat to serve him," William Nathan remembers. "I've never known a Nathan to quit anything," she said. Fully committed to football now, Nathan became one of the key cogs in a wishbone offense that was clicking on all cylinders. Woodlawn never beat Banks during Nathan's three years on the varsity. Tony could have gone anywhere. "That was neat, that she had just come up (for the game), not knowing anything that was going to happen years later," Rutledge says. "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. 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. I can tell you, Tony had no trouble with his blocking.". Add to that the fact that, back in those days, only one team from each region made the state playoffs. Jeff is an experienced communications and public affairs professional with more than a decade working in government and the private sector. 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. 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. 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. 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. At the age of 32, starting his 11th season as a National Football League quarterback, Rutledge was not sure he would make the. We just couldn't put the icing on the cake.". 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. 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 main building, built in 1922, was a grand, three-story structure that always looked more like a palace than a schoolhouse. On Sunday, the Jets lost their backup, Pat Ryan, for at least six to eight weeks with a sprained knee. in Plant Science from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and a Masters in Agronomy (Weed Science) from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. From his perch in the press box, Birmingham News sportswriter Wayne Martin could see the pedestrian bottleneck at the south entrance of Legion Field, as well as an unbroken strand of headlights from the long line of cars on Graymont Avenue, which was backed up all the way to downtown. Newton stood behind Nathan as he sat next to his parents and got his picture taken signing his letter of intent. "Before Bo, there was Tony," Ragland says. Rutledge earned MVP honors at the 1978 Sugar Bowl and also earned All-SEC honors in 1978 and 1979. "It was a miserable way to end your season.". There's something always new at the courthouse.". He said, 'Well, make sure you promise me you're going to finish what you started. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. We have estimated ", Tony Nathan prepares to take a hand-off from quarterback Jeff Rutledge at the University of Alabama. He was the starting quarterback on the 1978 National Championship team. Stearns recalls. "It was one heck of a game. 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. On Nov. 8, 1974 -- 40 years ago this Saturday - the two-time defending state champion Banks Jets met their eastern Birmingham rivals the Woodlawn Colonels in front of what was then and remains today the biggest crowd to ever watch a high school football game in Alabama. Simms is the Giants' starter and Jeff Hostetler is No. 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. When the Cardinals hired a new offensive coordinator at the end of that season, Rutledge and most of the offensive staff were fired. 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). Bryant sealed the deal by promising Tony he would get a shot at playing basketball at Alabama, too. He also led the Crimson Tide to two Sugar Bowl appearances and two SEC Championships. Nathan scored Woodlawn's only touchdown on a 13-yard run in the fourth quarter. The film builds to a finale where Woodlawn meets crosstown rival Banks, quarterbacked by Jeff Rutledge, who would eventually play at Alabama with Nathan. 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. ", 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." Rutledge played collegiately at Alabama, where he was a member of three SEC Championship teams under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. I will make you that promise. 1957 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. 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. Bold denotes league leader. His parents met at the University of Arkansas, and when he was almost four his family moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Some of the choices Jeff Rutledge made during his journey to become an NFL assistant coach were difficult.