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. An estimated 42,000 people poured into Legion Field that night -- a state high-school attendance record that still stands -- but as big as the game was, just as many people were curious to see its two superstars, Woodlawn's Nathan and Banks' Rutledge. . ", RELATED:Remembering the 1974 Woodlawn-Banks game. The next year, they got Bert Jones. William Nathan was sold, though, and eventually, so was his son Tony. "And then they told me that that guy (Nathan) was an All-American basketball player, and he wasn't going to be playing football. 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. 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 would just tear it off and throw it up in the crowd. He is not dating anyone. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. A Valuable Commodity. | Learn more about Jeff . 66. 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. On fourth down with a yard needed, he was sent by head coach Bill Parcells for a potential decoy play. Not once, but twice, both teams were sent back to their respective locker rooms to allow the crowd to file into the stadium. "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. 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. "All I had ever seen of football games was everybody falling on each other and piling on each other," she 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. Coach Bill Parcells will probably keep three this year, but there is no guarantee. Jeff Rutledge, Nathan's old rival from Banks, was now his teammate, quarterbacking the Tide. He is now a bailiff for Miami-Dade County Court Judge Edward Newman, a former Dolphins teammate. 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. Jeff Rutledge date of birth: January 22, 1957. 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. People around the country were starting to notice him, too. 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. ''I talked to Bill after practice Saturday,'' said Rutledge. "It was weird," he says. So you go all out and do what you can do just to fit in.". 6' 1" (185 cm) How much does Jeff Rutledge weigh? The Nathans go to the same church, New Testament Baptist Church, with his former Alabama and Miami teammate McNeal and his wife, Rhonda. 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. (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". There's something always new at the courthouse.". 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. Tony Nathan, left, goes to midfield for the pre-game coin toss with his Woodlawn High School teammates Mike Allison, center, and Peyton Zarzour, right. Rutledge spent most of his career as a back-up quarterback and a holder on kicks. That year, the Cardinals made a late season run and earned a Super Bowl berth, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23. Welcome. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). 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. DeOssie, who has been starting at inside linebacker, strained his back lifting weights. . 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.. His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. 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. Continue with Recommended Cookies. 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. View the profiles of professionals named "Jeff Rutledge" on LinkedIn. He was just a humble high school athlete. Football was going to be it. I can tell you, Tony had no trouble with his blocking.". He received his degree from Alabama in Business Administration and in 2011, was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. ''That may make the Giants think,'' said Rutledge. '", So just think, if Louise Nathan hadn't put her foot down, maybe no one would have ever heard of "Touchdown Tony.". "In high school, he was the best quarterback in the state of Alabama, and Coach Bryant did his job. Jeff Rutledge takes a breather during the 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game at Legion Field in Birmingham. "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. Nathan says. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). Something like that. According to our records, Jeff Rutledge is possibly single. By his senior year, it wasn't just folks in Birmingham talking about "Touchdown Tony." Quarterback Jeff Rutledge played 13 seasons for 3 teams. And Then There Were Three. He will miss Saturday night's exhibition game against the Giants at Giants Stadium. 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. 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. 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. "It's . His two older sisters went to Banks, but after the Birmingham schools were desegregated, he was zoned for Woodlawn. . We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. 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. 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 Rutledge was born on 22 January, 1957 in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, is an American football coach and former quarterback. And when the game finally did kick off a half-hour or so later, the crowd kept pouring in well into the second quarter. 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. 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. 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. 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. The next year, I was on injured reserve. The Colonels had something else going for them, too. 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. 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. (Linebacker) Barry Krauss could play today. Internal communications and employee engagement pro with a tech focus and multi-disciplinary background. Jeff Rutledge, Nathan's old rival from Banks, was now his teammate, quarterbacking the Tide. 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". I remember it was good we didn't start when we were supposed to because they were at their peak. The other day, Rutledge called his wife and told her to wait. There are 90+ professionals named "Jeff Rutledge", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. 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. I knew when I came to training camp that it would be tough. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. 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. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). "I played with older guys, and I wanted to be able to play on their level," Nathan says. An experienced communications and public affairs professional, with a record of effective strategic planning, outreach and engagement. Fast learner, critical thinker with an eye for efficiency, and generally fun guy. It's been very interesting. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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. ''My first year in the league, with the Rams, it was hairy because they had so many quarterbacks in camp. As depicted in the upcoming "Woodlawn" movie, droves of players, Nathan included, stepped forward to commit their lives to Christ that night. DailyPress.com. "It was a miserable way to end your season.". Manage Settings Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. "People drove up, saw the lines outside and just went on by. White says he was assured by the Legion Field crew that it would be able to handle the crowd. 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. "I just felt like I was the oldest cat in the house," he says. (Sugar Jets was a reference to a brand of cereal from the 1950s and '60s.). But there was one catch. "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. "That's why, for two years, we had a lot of focus and attention on Woodlawn. ", Tony Nathan is joined by his wife, Johnnie, and his daughters Nichole, Natalie and Nadia at his induction into the Miami Dolphins Walk of Fame in 2014.
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