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). The quiet, introverted Nathan didn't know quite what to make of all that attention. There's something always new at the courthouse.". White says he was assured by the Legion Field crew that it would be able to handle the crowd. (Birmingham News file/Robert Adams). We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 22 January. In a 1982 playoff game with San Diego that became known as "The Epic in Miami," Nathan was the exclamation point on one of the most memorable plays in Dolphins' history -- dashing untouched into the end zone after receiver Duriel Harris caught a pass from quarterback Don Strock and then tossed it back to the streaking Nathan on a legendary hook-and-lateral play that ignited a dramatic Miami comeback. "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. Although Woodlawn had history on its side, Banks, by 1974, had the upper hand on the football field, winning state titles in 1965, 1972 and 1973 - all under Shorty White's leadership. No One Else Wanted Him. Though Rutledge was available, no other team signed him. Nov 09, 1990 at 12:00 am. "It's been home a long time," Nathan says. Jeff Rutledge, of Newport, represents the White River and his term expires in 2024. Trailing 35-14 with 10:37 left in the third quarter Rutledge replaced an ineffective Stan Humphries and led a great comeback. Following his senior season at Alabama in 1978, Banks' Jeff Rutledge went on to play 13 years in the National Football League. "Somewhere, there is a videotape of that game," Grefseng says. 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. "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. A Valuable Commodity. He also led the Crimson Tide to two Sugar Bowl appearances and two SEC Championships. "It wasn't hard to grab a piece of it. 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. Bryant paid several visits to the Nathan home, and he often brought with him an entourage of assistants and past and current Tide players, including Joe Namath, Johnny Musso and Ozzie Newsome. 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. Jeff Rutledge | American Football Database | Fandom 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. The easygoing Nathan had the ideal temperament for the job, Newman told him. He is not dating anyone. printers and related vendors. As a senior, he was a member of the 1974 Parade High School All-American team. The legend of Tony Nathan: From Woodlawn to Alabama to the NFL He was part of a team that earned back-to-back state titles at L. Frazier Banks High School in Birmingham, Alabama. A title search shows that Mr. Rutledge and his wife bought a property in Naramata for $1.15-million on Oct. 31, 2016. Former Buyer/Planner at Rutledge Properties LLC. 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. Add to that the fact that, back in those days, only one team from each region made the state playoffs. In 2006, the Birmingham Board of Education decided to close the deteriorating middle school, too, saying it was unsafe and an eyesore. fatal car accident in tulare county / how to endorse a check for mobile deposit wells fargo / jeff rutledge wife. ", RELATED:Remembering the 1974 Woodlawn-Banks game. Wore number 17 for the New York Giants. 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. 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. And much to the surprise of probably everybody who was there that night -- fans, players, coaches, cheerleaders and sportswriters -- neither one of the teams would go on to win it all that year. After Thursday morning's practice, the Giants will leave for their annual welcome-home lunch at the Sheraton Centre. Jeff was in the flooring business and owned Vintage Wood Floors, Inc. He was part of a team that earned back-to-back state *les at L. Frazier Banks High School in Birmingham, Alabama. . "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. "There is no doubt in my mind that the delay in the game helped us,'' Banks' Grefseng says. It was Geralds, Nathan would say later, who talked him out of quitting football, and for that, Nathan remained forever grateful. ''You gear up for a time when you're going to get together as a family. ', "I said, 'I will do that. 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. Electronic version of this article was lost during the computer . The next year, I was on injured reserve. Josh Rutledge, a 'Bama man, tries to make his place in Boston He was indeed a basketball guy, but Tony Nathan would be playing football for a long time. 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. His parents met at the University of Arkansas, and when he was almost four his family moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The kids are disappointed. "And then they told me that that guy (Nathan) was an All-American basketball player, and he wasn't going to be playing football. And when the game finally did kick off a half-hour or so later, the crowd kept pouring in well into the second quarter. That 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game would be Shorty White's 100th win at Banks, and his last. 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. Manage Settings He resigned in the Spring of 2012 to return to Arizona to spend time with his family. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Forty years later, the details have gotten fuzzier and the legends have grown larger. 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. 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. Jeffrey Hunter - Biography - IMDb Probably, Tony Nathan never would have gone on to play for Paul "Bear" Bryant at the University of Alabama, and without him, it's possible the Crimson Tide might not have won that 1978 AP national championship. ''That may make the Giants think,'' said Rutledge. Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge. He had to meet with Coach Bryant to get him to sign off on it, too. Woodlawn students used to yell, ''Rip those Sugar Jets," which was a reference to this brand of cereal. He received his degree from Alabama in Business Administration and in 2011, was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Quarterback Jeff Rutledge played 13 seasons for 3 teams. "Including his wife. Josh Rutledge - Wikipedia On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. "The trouble is, it's on VHS cassette, and my VHS player died years ago.". said Rutledge. But he made a great play and I just kept running, and he threw it and I caught it.". Sports Illustrated featured him in its "Faces in the Crowd" section after he ran for 228 yards and scored seven touchdowns against Ramsay, and late in the season, along with Banks quarterback Jeff Rutledge, he was named a Parade All-American. Nathan played on the B-team his freshman year, and by his sophomore season, he earned a spot on the Woodlawn varsity as the starting free safety on defense. "Some of the other running backs didn't want to be that lead blocker. So it's tough for her to hear that she should wait. So you go all out and do what you can do just to fit in.". A few years ago, though, Nathan realized one thing was missing in his life. 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 is a member of famous Player with the age 65 years old group. "What are you doing with that grip?'" So I had never beaten them.". 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. He was a basketball guy.". Gosh, that game was 40 years ago, which is unbelievable.". Rivals in high school, Nathan and Rutledge were teammates for four years at Alabama. He resigned in the Spring of 2012 to return to Arizona to spend time with his family. ''Maybe it will make them think a bit or at least make their decision tough. His two older sisters went to Banks, but after the Birmingham schools were desegregated, he was zoned for Woodlawn. About Jeff Rutledge is a 66 year old American Football (American) Player born on 22nd January, 1957 in Birmingham, AL. "It was supposed to be a quick pass but somebody got in there and almost sacked Jeff. I was so elated that he did it, and I thank the Lord that he did.". He was worn out, and he was just tearing the rest of his jersey off.". "There wasn't anybody that came to see me play or any of the other guys. 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. [4], Rutledge is a Christian and attends Arizona Community Church in Chandler. "Coach Tandy Gerelds was a fine man and a fine coach, and he had a lot to do with a lot of players on that team coming to know the Lord," Brad Hendrix, a senior defensive end on the '74 team, says. By Frank Litsky, Special To the New York Times. Banks alums included Jimmy Sidle, an All-American quarterback at Auburn; Johnny Musso, an All-American running back at Alabama; and David Cutliffe, who became the head coach at Ole Miss and later, Duke. "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. 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. 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. There are 90+ professionals named "Jeff Rutledge", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. 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. He was part of a team that earned back-to-back state titles at L. Frazier Banks High School in Birmingham, Alabama. 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. The final count was an estimated 42,000 people -- roughly 10,000 more than the previous record crowd at the Crippled Children's Classic between Phillips and Woodlawn, also at Legion Field, in 1950. ", 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." DeOssie, who has been starting at inside linebacker, strained his back lifting weights. On October 2, 2019, his wife gave birth to a daughter. It's tough for me to tell her to wait. "When people say Tony Nathan, their ears go up. 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. Our defensive game plan was awesome.". RELATED:See who plays Tony Nathan in 'Woodlawn'. We were playing in front of 20,000 people regularly, so we were getting some big crowds.". Unbeknownst to either one of them at the time, she would later marry one of the game's biggest heroes. The unsung hero, though, was a little linebacker named Greg Muse, who had transferred to Banksafter living in Texas. Or was it 17-7? As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. All three of Nathan's daughters have their college degrees - Nichole from South Florida and Natalie and Nadia from Alabama - as does his wife. "That's why, for two years, we had a lot of focus and attention on Woodlawn. We had a blast. 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. They made great souvenirs, too, and fans mobbed him after the games to get a piece of Nathan's jersey. Some were easier. "But I was raised in the church anyway. 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". Trailing 35-14 with 10:37 left in the third quarter Rutledge replaced an ineffective Stan Humphries and led a great comeback. "But at that time, I had a concussion. ", RELATED: Turning back the clock at Legion Field. 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 is married to his wife Laura and has 3 children. Tony Nathan talks about racism, 'Woodlawn' Jeff is an experienced communications and public affairs professional with more than a decade working in government and the private sector. Tony could have gone anywhere. 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. "He's very respected here," McNeal says of his old teammate. Continue with Recommended Cookies. I did believe. "It was a culmination of really four years of building up to that point," Woodlawn quarterback Denny Ragland remembers. The film builds to a finale where Woodlawn meets crosstown rival Banks, quarterbacked by Jeff Rutledge, who would eventually play at Alabama with Nathan. 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. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. Jeff Rutledge Career Stats | StatMuse 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. | Learn more about Jeff . View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. 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. In his teens, he acted in productions of the North Shore Children's Theater and, from 1942 to 1944, performed in . (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). 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. Six years later, he led the Tigers to an undefeated 15-0 season and a 4A state championship. He completed 30 of 42 p*es for 363 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 12 yards for the game-tying touchdown with only 24 seconds remaining. White is now retired and living with his wife, June, in Helena. ", 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 remember going back and forth to get more tickets to sell. "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.'''. Jeff Rutledge - Biography - IMDb jeff rutledge wife - holyfamily.schoolmerchcanada.com (Photo courtesy of Banks High School Facebook page). Rutledge served as the quarterbacks and tight ends coach for the New York Sentinels of the United Football League in 2009. So I've never come to camp feeling confident I'd be in place. Unfortunately, he doesn't remember anything about it. Banks quarterback Jeff Rutledge, who would later lead Alabama to a national championship and play on two Super Bowl-winning teams, and Woodlawn running back Tony Nathan, who would become Rutledge's teammate at Alabama and go on to play in two Super Bowls of his own, were the marquee attractions. He was just a humble high school athlete. "It was a miserable way to end your season.". 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 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. Jeff Rutledge. "It was an amazing thing to see all of those kids -- who grew up together and went to church together, played at Wahouma Park together - in that room together that night," Stearns says. Rutledge led Montgomery Bell Academy to a 41-17 record from 20022006, with two state titles in 2002 and 2003 and a #15 ranking in the final USA Today Super 25 poll in 2003. 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. WE BUY HOUSES ANY PRICE ANY CONDITION CALL 205 966 4880 NOW. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. I do believe. 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. "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. Jeff Rutledge Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images "It was just that time. We prayed together, and from then on, I respected them and they respected me. 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. Bryant sealed the deal by promising Tony he would get a shot at playing basketball at Alabama, too. 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 think Tony could definitely play today. Tony started playing pickup basketball games with some older boys in the neighborhood, and he was good enough that he was recruited to play in a rec league at Huffman Park. 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. The next year, Nathan and Rutledge became teammates at the University of Alabama. 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. The main building, built in 1922, was a grand, three-story structure that always looked more like a palace than a schoolhouse. 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. Woodlawn never beat Banks during Nathan's three years on the varsity.

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