"If we needed him to throw the football, I knew he could definitely do that. In 2013, he married Laura McKeeman (who took Rutledge's name upon marriage), a reporter and host for ESPN and the SEC Network. But he made a great play and I just kept running, and he threw it and I caught it.". he recalls. Nathan is flanked by his parents William and Louise Nathan. It wasn't anything boastful for him. "We knew each other from grammar school.". BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Forty years later, the details have gotten fuzzier and the legends have grown larger. 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. 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. He and his wife, Johnnie, who was his high school sweetheart at Woodlawn and his college sweetheart at Alabama, still live in the same house they bought in 1983. I knew it even before that, when Plan B came along.'' 1957 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. "I get to meet a ton of people -- lawyers, defendants, victims -- and they all are different," Nathan says. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). Jeff Rutledge, Nathan's old rival from Banks, was now his teammate, quarterbacking the Tide. 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. McNeal has been a pastor and counselor at the church, and he and Nathan are close, a friendship that dates back to their playing days at Alabama. The regular season game was played in . 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Contact . "We just sat up there and watched," Martin, now retired, recalls. 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 Skins last game of the regular season, again against the Philadelphia Eagles. American football player and coach (born 1957) 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. The year before, Logan had coached at rural Locust Fork High School in Blount County. 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. Jeff Rutledge was born on 22 January, 1957 in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, is an American football coach and former quarterback. Rutledge's road back to NFL as Cards QB coach filled with ups and downs Tony Nathan talks about racism, 'Woodlawn' "But this particular year, we were both undefeated going in. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. When he retired from football, Nathan also got into coaching - first with the Dolphins and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and then at Florida International University. "And then they told me that that guy (Nathan) was an All-American basketball player, and he wasn't going to be playing football. I don't remember that whole week. People around the country were starting to notice him, too. That year, the Cardinals made a late season run and earned a Super Bowl berth, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23. PI Financial sued over unauthorized $1.5M withdrawal "I came to stay until Tony makes up his mind," Bryant replied. "I played with older guys, and I wanted to be able to play on their level," Nathan says. ''That may make the Giants think,'' said 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. fdar charting for blood transfusion $ 0.00 Cart. Woodlawn High School had a much longer history that went back to 1916, when the community of Woodlawn was annexed into Birmingham. , money, salary, income, and assets. On signing day, both Bryant and Alabama basketball coach C.M. "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.'''. 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. "I've never known a Nathan to quit anything," she said. 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.". When the Cardinals hired a new offensive coordinator at the end of that season, Rutledge and most of the offensive staff were fired. 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. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). 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. "He wasn't too pleased," Nathan recalls. Today, Ken O'Brien, the Jets' starter, broke a toe. It wasn't so much the football I wanted. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). Newton and football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant stand behind Tony Nathan as he signs his scholarship to attend the University of Alabama. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Jeff Rutledge: Bear Bryant promised a national championship at Alabama All three of Nathan's daughters have their college degrees - Nichole from South Florida and Natalie and Nadia from Alabama - as does his wife. Everybody else was gone home for Christmas vacation, and I was like, 'What am I doing here?' We just couldn't put the icing on the cake.". (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). Welcome. "What are you doing with that grip?'" The Nathans go to the same church, New Testament Baptist Church, with his former Alabama and Miami teammate McNeal and his wife, Rhonda. Coach Bill Parcells will probably keep three this year, but there is no guarantee. In 2006, the Birmingham Board of Education decided to close the deteriorating middle school, too, saying it was unsafe and an eyesore. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. "We have, I think, one of the best alumni associations in the NFL," Nathan says. Center Dwight Stephenson and defensive back Don McNeal, who were a year behind him, would join the Dolphins the next year. The week of the game, Jerry Stearns, who was an assistant coach at Woodlawn that year and later became the head coach there, recalls selling advance tickets at the school, something he says never happened before. 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. New York Giants. All rights reserved (About Us). Jeff Rutledge. Jeff Rutledge - Biography - IMDb 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. While it has been reported that only one gate was open that night, Walter Garrett, who was the stadium manager at Legion Field for 38 years, says that both gates 7A and 7B at the south entrance to the stadium were open, as was customary at all Birmingham high school games there. 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. So it was almost like it was the state championship game that night.". Plan B was the system under which each N.F.L. 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. "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. 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 #Wiki Biography #Age #Height #Wife #Net #Worth #Family Tags: Age Biography Family Height Jeff Net Rutledge Wife Wiki Worth Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. His most notable play with the Giants came in Super Bowl XXI in the third quarter. See the article in its original context from. 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. That was Laura Holmes, whom Rutledge later met when his Fellowship of Christian Athletes adviser suggested that he ask her to go with him to the team banquet following his freshman year at Alabama. Rutledge earned MVP honors at the 1978 Sugar Bowl and also earned All-SEC honors in 1978 and 1979.[4]. Quarterback Jeff Rutledge played 13 seasons for 3 teams. ", 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." Jeff Rutledge Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images "That's a scary thought now," the 58-year-old Nathan says of what might have been. His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. He had to meet with Coach Bryant to get him to sign off on it, too. ''It's an odd world, isn't it?'' "Before Bo, there was Tony," Ragland says. His most notable play with the Giants came in Super Bowl XXI in the third quarter. Bold denotes league leader. "I think I had lost to Banks four times in three years because my freshman year, I played them as a freshman and on the B-team. "Everywhere Tony lined up, there was Greg," Rutledge remembers. printers and related vendors. "He ate a few pieces of it, but he didn't eat much.". 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. "It was supposed to be a quick pass but somebody got in there and almost sacked Jeff. Description above from the Wikipedia article Jeff Rutledge, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia. Wasn't it 14-0? Since then, Rutledge has been mostly a backup. One of them said on the phone, 'What did you get me?' "His jersey would just be hanging on him," Woodlawn teammate Brad Hendrix says. "Somewhere, there is a videotape of that game," Grefseng says. Unfortunately, he doesn't remember anything about it. "The trouble is, it's on VHS cassette, and my VHS player died years ago.". "I was like, 'What?'" The unsung hero, though, was a little linebacker named Greg Muse, who had transferred to Banksafter living in Texas. "'And you told me you didn't want me to play this game. Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. And I don't know when that will be.'' Electronic version of this article was lost during the computer . Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Trailing 35-14 with 10:37 left in the third quarter Rutledge replaced an ineffective Stan Humphries and led a great comeback. 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. DeOssie, who has been starting at inside linebacker, strained his back lifting weights. "And I didn't like that. Even though the Dolphins eventually lost in overtime, the play lives on in Miami lore. So I ended up saying, 'Thanks, coach, but no thanks.' "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. He is currently single. 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. Former Realtor at ReallivingAdavanceRealty. "I wanted to go home. 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". Gosh, that game was 40 years ago, which is unbelievable.". 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. Unbeknownst to either one of them at the time, she would later marry one of the game's biggest heroes. Rutledge spent most of his career as a back-up quarterback and a holder on kicks. 1-ranked Huffman Vikings -- Woodlawn fans started calling Nathan "Touchdown Tony" and began clamoring for pictures and autographs. 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. If it had been up to Louise Nathan, her son Tony never would have touched a football. 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. Hoover, Alabama. . The next Christmas, Santa Claus brought Tony his first official football. After games, fans mobbed Nathan to get a piece of his jersey. So, when Tony was in the 10th grade, and he came home one day and told his mother he had left the Woodlawn High School football team, she replied, in no uncertain terms, no, he had not. On fourth down with a yard needed, he was sent by head coach Bill Parcells for a potential decoy play. 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. On Monday night, the Los Angeles Rams lost their backup, Mark Herrmann, for six to eight weeks with broken ribs. 100.00 Down Payment and Houses with No Credit Check. By Friday, the excitement was at full-tilt boogie. 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. | Learn more about Jeff . "I think (defensive lineman) Marty Lyons could play today. I did believe. There's something always new at the courthouse.". According to our records, Jeff Rutledge is possibly single. are hard-pressed to remember the final score. I knew when I came to training camp that it would be tough. Jeff Rutledge Wiki Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family (Birmingham News file/Robert Adams). "There are people who went to that game that I've heard from all my life," Rutledge says. After working as an assistant at Vanderbilt University and with the Arizona Cardinals in the NFL, Rutledge is now the head coach at Valley Christian High School in Chandler, Ariz. After four years at Alabama, Woodlawn's Tony Nathan was drafted in the third round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, where he played for nine seasons under Don Shula, including two Super Bowls. But she's been through this every year. Alabama Crimson Tide football yearly statistical leaders, History of the New York Giants (19791993). The next year, Nathan and Rutledge became teammates at the University of Alabama.

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