We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 22 January. The Colonels had something else going for them, too. . "I had some professors walk up to me and say, 'Hey, we were around when you were playing.'. Although it was just one moment in time, all of their names -- as well as those of Greg Muse, Jerry Murphree, Bob Grefseng, Denny Ragland, Brad Hendrix, Jerry Stearns and many others -- will always be linked to that November night in Legion Field 40 years ago. ", Tony Nathan strikes a Heisman-like pose as he tries to avoid a linebacker. Tandy Gerelds left Woodlawn after the 1975 season to join his father in the family insurance business, but in 1984, he returned to coaching at Deshler High School in Tuscumbia. BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Forty years later, the details have gotten fuzzier and the legends have grown larger. The film builds to a finale where Woodlawn meets crosstown rival Banks, quarterbacked by Jeff Rutledge, who would eventually play at Alabama with Nathan. All rights reserved (About Us). Jeff Rutledge, of Newport, represents the White River and his term expires in 2024. 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. Rutledge lived up to his star billing that night, completing 9 of 10 passes for 188 yards and that touchdown to Grefseng. We prayed together, and from then on, I respected them and they respected me. "I wanted to go home. At the age of 32, starting his 11th season as a National Football League quarterback, Rutledge was not sure he would make the. he recalls. By his senior season in 1974, Woodlawn running back Tony Nathan was one of the most sought-after high school football players in America. "I don't even know if he realized how good he was back then. "His jersey would just be hanging on him," Woodlawn teammate Brad Hendrix says. 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. I told Coach Gerelds that I didn't want him to be anywhere near the ball.". 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 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, 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. 6'1", 195 lbs. , money, salary, income, and assets. Nathan scored Woodlawn's only touchdown on a 13-yard run in the fourth quarter. Nathan, who wore number 22, went through as many as a dozen jerseys in some games. So he signed again with the Giants, but for less than the $400,000 he made last year. 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. 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. said Rutledge. In 2013, he married Laura McKeeman (who took Rutledge's name upon marriage), a reporter and host for ESPN and the SEC Network. New York Giants. 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. 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,. All three of Nathan's daughters have their college degrees - Nichole from South Florida and Natalie and Nadia from Alabama - as does his wife. 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. 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. are hard-pressed to remember the final score. That 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game would be Shorty White's 100th win at Banks, and his last. Following his senior season at Alabama in 1978, Banks' Jeff Rutledge went on to play 13 years in the National Football League. 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. 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. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). It helped, too, that both Banks and Woodlawn were also blessed with some enormously talented athletes who weren't named Rutledge or Nathan and who also went on to play in the SEC and the NFL. Some were easier. 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. "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 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. Birmingham police guessed another 20,000 gave up and went back home when they saw the long lines. A couple of weeks before their game, Banks' White alerted the Legion Field staff to expect a monster crowd. ''But this is tough on the family. "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. He also led the Crimson Tide to two Sugar Bowl appearances and two SEC Championships. What is Jeff Rutledge's full name? Birmingham, AL. "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. 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. Mike Perez was waived Tuesday, leaving Rutledge as the only other quarterback on the roster. They attended some of the same churches and dated some of the same girls. My parents raised me that way. And I don't know when that will be.'' Today, Ken O'Brien, the Jets' starter, broke a toe. "Almost everybody who played in that (1974) game, you may not have been close friends with them, but you knew who they were," Grefseng, the Banks linebacker, says. Another one of football's coaching greats, Don Shula of the Miami Dolphins, drafted Nathan in the third round of the 1979 NFL Draft, and even though it was a long way from Birmingham or Tuscaloosa, Miami was like a home away from home for Nathan. Though Rutledge was available, no other team signed him. ", The Banks players huddle around head coach Shorty White during the 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game at Legion Field in Birmingham. 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. "Some of the other running backs didn't want to be that lead blocker. After games, fans mobbed Nathan to get a piece of his jersey. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? Anyone can read what you share. The other day, Rutledge called his wife and told her to wait. "The Woodlawn guys were like maniacs, and they were roaring all through their pre-game warm-ups. 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. "People drove up, saw the lines outside and just went on by. 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. 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". Rutledge was born to Tony and Cheryl Rutledge in Cullman, Alabama, on April 21, 1989. 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. "He wasn't too pleased," Nathan recalls. A three-year starter, he also led Alabama to the #2 National ranking in 1977. 66. View Jeff Rutledge results in Munford, AL including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). Jeff Rutledge, Nathan's old rival from Banks, was now his teammate, quarterbacking the Tide. Jerry McDonald, a split end and defensive back, turned down college football offers and decided to play baseball instead after he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates. printers and related vendors. Horgan III, Jeff Hart, Jim Rutledge of Canada, Gary Hallberg and Jeff Freeman pose together with their Qualifying cards during the Champions Tour. 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. Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. You could call it inspiration, you could call it whatever you like. 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. #Jeff #Rutledge #Wiki Biography #Age #Height #Wife #Net #Worth #Family Tags: Age Biography Family Height Jeff Net Rutledge Wife Wiki Worth "It was supposed to be a quick pass but somebody got in there and almost sacked Jeff. "That's a scary thought now," the 58-year-old Nathan says of what might have been. After the Tide slipped to an uncharacteristic 9-3 in Nathan's sophomore season -- Alabama's worst record in his four years there -- the team bounced back to go 11-1 and finish runner-up to national champs Notre Dame in 1977 and to go 11-1 again and win it all in 1978. "Each gate had four openings in it for four lines of people," Garrett says, "but it still obviously wasn't enough.". 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. It took him 36 years, but Nathan kept that promise to his coach. With the arrival of head coach Tandy Gerelds in 1971, though, and the emergence of Nathan, who had a breakout junior season in 1973, Woodlawn started to level the playing field. . That University of Alabama sorority girl who was in the stands at Legion Field that night? "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. Woodlawn High School had a much longer history that went back to 1916, when the community of Woodlawn was annexed into Birmingham. "Somewhere, there is a videotape of that game," Grefseng says. His parents met at the University of Arkansas, and when he was almost four his family moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We had a blast. Newton and football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant stand behind Tony Nathan as he signs his scholarship to attend the University of Alabama. 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. 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. Jeff Rutledge was born on January 22, 1957 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. ', "I said, 'I will do that. Jeff Rutledge. In the 1980s, Banks High School -- home of those mighty Jets for all those years -- was closed as part of a city schools reorganization and it became Banks Middle School. I bought them last week. How old is Jeff Rutledge? "In high school, he was the best quarterback in the state of Alabama, and Coach Bryant did his job and the recruiters did their jobs to get him to go to Alabama," Nathan says. By his senior year, it wasn't just folks in Birmingham talking about "Touchdown Tony." He was the starting quarterback on the 1978 National Championship team. Contact . Commissioner Rutledge, a native of Newport, graduated from Newport High School and earned a B.S. He is a member of famous Player with the age 65 years old group. On fourth down with a yard needed, he was sent by head coach Bill Parcells for a potential decoy play. After seven seasons at Vanderbilt, Rutledge became the head coach at Montgomery Bell Academy, a school for seventh to 12th grade boys in Nashville. The stoic Nathan even teared up as walked across the Coleman Coliseum stage to receive his diploma from outgoing UA President Judy Bonner. He is married to his wife Laura and has 3 children.[7]. ", Tony Nathan prepares to take a hand-off from quarterback Jeff Rutledge at the University of Alabama. "The touchdown was a busted play," he recalls. He was a two-time all-state guard on the Woodlawn basketball team, and as a centerfielder and first baseman on the baseball team, he got drafted by the Montreal Expos. Trailing 35-14 with 10:37 left in the third quarter Rutledge replaced an ineffective Stan Humphries and led a great comeback. Jeffrey Hunter was born Henry Herman McKinnies Jr. on November 25, 1926 in New Orleans, Louisiana, an only child. 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. After Friday morning's practice, they will break camp and return to Giants Stadium, where practices are closed to the public. (Birmingham News file/Robert Adams). Alabama Crimson Tide football yearly statistical leaders, History of the New York Giants (19791993). ", Tony Nathan runs behind his Miami Dolphins teammate Jeff Toews in a game against the New York Jets. He had to meet with Coach Bryant to get him to sign off on it, too. We were playing in front of 20,000 people regularly, so we were getting some big crowds.". 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. "It was weird," he says. . Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 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. He had 274 completions in 526 attempts for 3,628 yards and 16 touchdowns. "We just sat up there and watched," Martin, now retired, recalls. Jeff Rutledge Wiki: Salary, Married, Wedding, Spouse, Family Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. He was part of a team that earned back-to-back state titles at L. Frazier Banks High School in Birmingham, Alabama. "I came to stay until Tony makes up his mind," Bryant replied. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. Unfortunately, he doesn't remember anything about it. Jeffrey Brooks Rutledge, Meg Rutledge, Christen Rutledge. The two schools were just 10 minutes and less than four miles apart. "I did accept Christ in my life at that time, they say," Nathan says. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. Trailing 35-14 with 10:37 left in the third quarter Rutledge replaced an ineffective Stan Humphries and led a great comeback. 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. After completing the eighth grade, those students who would have gone to Banks instead went to Woodlawn High School, Banks' old rival. 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". | Learn more about Jeff . "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. 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. Trailing 35-14 with 10:37 left in the third quarter Rutledge replaced an ineffective Stan Humphries and led a great comeback. 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". You look at the schedule, and that was the one you've got marked down that you want to win. (Birmingham News file/Robert Adams). ", Woodlawn's Tony Nathan ran for 112 yards and scored a touchdown in the 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game, but Banks linebacker Greg Muse was all over him all night long. "I think (defensive lineman) Marty Lyons could play today. Nov 09, 1990 at 12:00 am. The next year, I was on injured reserve. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. "It was a miserable way to end your season.". Rutledge earned MVP honors at the 1978 Sugar Bowl and also earned All-SEC honors in 1978 and 1979.[4]. 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. Ragland, the Woodlawn quarterback, grew up in a house divided. Tony is a very revered guy here in our community, here in our church community.". I will make you that promise. "Greg was not very big but he had a huge heart and he gave Tony fits that night. Like Jackson, Nathan excelled at just about any sport he played. No One Else Wanted Him. That iconic Banks jet was turned over to the Southern Museum of Flight, where it has been restored to its Korean War glory days. He would just tear it off and throw it up in the crowd. If it had been up to Louise Nathan, her son Tony never would have touched a football. On the bus ride to Legion Field, the Woodlawn players knew it was a big deal when they got a police escort to the game, which was also a first for them. 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. 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. "The trouble is, it's on VHS cassette, and my VHS player died years ago.". Jeff Rutledge, Nathan's old rival from Banks, was now his teammate, quarterbacking the Tide. team protected 37 players during the off season and made the unprotected players available to other teams. I knew when I came to training camp that it would be tough. Rutledge, 58, who was the quarterbacks coach of the Cardinals in their only Super Bowl season, said Alabama never stopped aspiring to the biggest heights in college football since he left. Tony Nathan, left, talks with Jeff Rutledge, right, after the famous Woodlawn-Banks high school football game at Legion Field in 1974. 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. 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.
We Used To Talk Everyday Now He Ignores Me,
Redwood High School Athletics,
How Far Is Alamo, Texas From The Mexican Border,
What Is James Safechuck Doing Now,
Articles J