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Finished career at Alabama has the school's leading passer, surpassing Joe Namath. Birmingham, Alabama. "It wasn't hard to grab a piece of it. After games, fans mobbed Nathan to get a piece of his jersey. DeOssie, who has been starting at inside linebacker, strained his back lifting weights. I told Coach Gerelds that I didn't want him to be anywhere near the ball.". He said, 'Well, make sure you promise me you're going to finish what you started. Mike Perez was waived Tuesday, leaving Rutledge as the only other quarterback on the roster. ABOUT | Jeff Rutledge Nathan says. . He was worn out, and he was just tearing the rest of his jersey off.". 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). His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. On signing day, both Bryant and Alabama basketball coach C.M. 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. 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. That year, the Cardinals made a late season run and earned a Super Bowl berth, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23. I don't remember that whole week. Jeff Rutledge - Biography - IMDb 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. "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. 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. Continue with Recommended Cookies. 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. "If we needed him to throw the football, I knew he could definitely do that. 100.00 Down Payment and Houses with No Credit Check. And in the memories of those who were there. So I had never beaten them.". "It really did.". 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. ", RELATED: Turning back the clock at Legion Field. A three-year starter, he also led Alabama to the #2 National ranking in 1977. 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. And when that happened, that movement, I was touched in my heart to do so again.". Woodlawn never beat Banks during Nathan's three years on the varsity. So, how much is Jeff Rutledge worth at the age of 65 years old? Former Giant Jeff Rutledge Talks Playing and Coaching 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. "We both started to laugh.". "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. Anyone can read what you share. So he signed again with the Giants, but for less than the $400,000 he made last year. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. That year, the Cardinals made a late season run and earned a Super Bowl berth, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23. Woodlawn, meanwhile, had a nice streak going, too, winning 11 in a row since it fell to Banks 17-7 in 1973. ", During his senior season at at Woodlawn High School in 1974, Tony Nathan was a Parade All-American and featured in Sports Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd." People around the country were starting to notice him, too. A couple of weeks before their game, Banks' White alerted the Legion Field staff to expect a monster crowd. "I didn't have to worry about cutting grass because they played all the time.". 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. Where was Jeff Rutledge born? ''My first year in the league, with the Rams, it was hairy because they had so many quarterbacks in camp. "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. 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. The following Friday night, Woodlawn closed out its season on a cold, rainy night at Fair Park, defeating Carver 12-0. 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. That iconic Banks jet was turned over to the Southern Museum of Flight, where it has been restored to its Korean War glory days. Rutledge lived up to his star billing that night, completing 9 of 10 passes for 188 yards and that touchdown to Grefseng. As big as it was, though, even in these days where everything is just a Google or YouTube search away, only a few accounts and descriptions from that night are available, mainly in school yearbooks and newspaper archives. Jeff is an experienced communications and public affairs professional with more than a decade working in government and the private sector. "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. "What are you doing with that grip?'" Nathan scored Woodlawn's only touchdown on a 13-yard run in the fourth quarter. Everybody else was gone home for Christmas vacation, and I was like, 'What am I doing here?' 1957 Rivals in high school, Nathan and Rutledge were teammates for four years at Alabama. 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. "We knew each other from grammar school.". He is currently single. 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. "All three kids were raised here. By WARNER HESSLER Staff Writer. Woodlawn vs. Banks 1974: Remembering the biggest game in Alabama high (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. According to our records, Jeff Rutledge is possibly single. 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. 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. Trivia (4) Quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams (1979-1981), New York Giants (1983-1989) and Washington Redskins (1990-1992). And I don't know when that will be.'' They attended some of the same churches and dated some of the same girls. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Roberts, the starting left guard, has a slightly sprained left knee, which was reported improved. "We just sat up there and watched," Martin, now retired, recalls. Nathan played his entire NFL career with the Dolphins - retiring in 1987 after nine seasons in the aqua and orange - and he has continued to make Miami his home, even when NFL assistant coaching jobs took him to Tampa Bay, Baltimore and San Francisco. A few years ago, though, Nathan realized one thing was missing in his life. Jeff Rutledge date of birth: January 22, 1957. "They all looked at me like, 'OK, don't you think it's your time?'" Senior Consultant. "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. His wife, Laura, a former Miss . team protected 37 players during the off season and made the unprotected players available to other teams. It was Grefseng's only touchdown catch of his Banks career. 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. 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. 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. A Valuable Commodity. There's something always new at the courthouse.". | Learn more about Jeff . Jeff Rutledge - Wikipedia 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. The Nathans go to the same church, New Testament Baptist Church, with his former Alabama and Miami teammate McNeal and his wife, Rhonda. 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. 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. In 2013, he married Laura McKeeman (who took Rutledge's name upon marriage), a reporter and host for ESPN and the SEC Network. 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. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). Our defensive game plan was awesome.". Tony is a very revered guy here in our community, here in our church community.". 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. "We were down 24-zip and nothing was going right, and that was the play that gave us the spark to come back. Jeff Rutledge Stats | The Football Database "That's what I always wanted. 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. Rutledge spent most of his career as a back-up quarterback and a holder on kicks. 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. When the teams ran back onto the field for the third time, the lower bowl of Legion Field was practically full. Banks High School - named for school superintendent L. Frazier Banks - opened in 1957 in Birmingham's South East Lake neighborhood and fielded its first football team three years later. Rutledge's road back to NFL as Cards QB coach filled with ups and downs 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. Jeff Rutledge in Munford, AL - Address & Phone Number | Whitepages ''I wanted to know what he was thinking. 6' 1" (185 cm) How much does Jeff Rutledge weigh? "He ate a few pieces of it, but he didn't eat much.". He is married to his wife Laura and has 3 children. Former Realtor at ReallivingAdavanceRealty. 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. He started taking online courses through the University of Alabama's Bama by Distance degree program, and this past May, at 58, he graduated. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Now he is not sure what he is. ''Maybe it will make them think a bit or at least make their decision tough. ", RELATED:Remembering the 1974 Woodlawn-Banks game. (Birmingham News file/Robert Adams). He would just tear it off and throw it up in the crowd. 1972 His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. "And when they were picking teams, I wanted to get picked. He is currently the head football coach at Valley Christian High School (Chandler, Arizona) in Chandler, Arizona. The next year, Nathan and Rutledge became teammates at the University of Alabama. fdar charting for blood transfusion $ 0.00 Cart. "I wanted some kind of meat to serve him," William Nathan remembers. "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.