I can tell you, Tony had no trouble with his blocking.". Description above from the Wikipedia article Jeff Rutledge, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia. 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. Almost assuredly, Nathan would not be the featured character in the upcoming movie "Woodlawn," which opens nationwide on Oct. 16, and most definitely, he would not have written a book, "Touchdown Tony: Running With a Purpose," which comes out Tuesday. That spiritual awakening not only inspired the team, but it reverberated throughout the entire school, defusing some racial tension that Nathan says he felt his first couple of years at Woodlawn. Efforts to reach him for this story were unsuccessful. Some of the choices Jeff Rutledge made during his journey to become an NFL assistant coach were difficult. So you go all out and do what you can do just to fit in.". Jeff Rutledge was born on 22 January, 1957 in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, is an American football coach and former quarterback. I knew it even before that, when Plan B came along.'' Later, while at Belmont High School in Mississippi, Gerelds was diagnosed with brain cancer, and he died in 2003, coaching right up until the end. 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. We were playing in front of 20,000 people regularly, so we were getting some big crowds.". A three-year starter, he also led Alabama to the #2 National ranking in 1977. He resigned in the Spring of 2012 to return to Arizona to spend time with his family. The year before, Logan had coached at rural Locust Fork High School in Blount County. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. "And then they told me that that guy (Nathan) was an All-American basketball player, and he wasn't going to be playing football. "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 now a bailiff for Miami-Dade County Court Judge Edward Newman, a former Dolphins teammate. He had left the University of Alabama in the spring of 1979 without a diploma. The next year, Nathan and Rutledge became teammates at the University of Alabama. 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. 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. Stearns recalls. ", 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." From his perch in the press box, Birmingham News sportswriter Wayne Martin could see the pedestrian bottleneck at the south entrance of Legion Field, as well as an unbroken strand of headlights from the long line of cars on Graymont Avenue, which was backed up all the way to downtown. He had 274 completions in 526 attempts for 3,628 yards and 16 touchdowns. Something else special happened that week, too. We just couldn't put the icing on the cake.". Jeff Rutledge Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge Position: QB Throws: Right 6-1 , 195lb (185cm, 88kg) Born: January 22 in Birmingham, AL (Age: 66-029d) More bio, uniform, draft, salary info 2x SB Champ 8 17 10 SUMMARY Career G 117 AV 8 QBrec 2-7-1 Cmp% 52.1 Yds 3628 Y/A 6.9 TD 16 Int 29 FantPt 151.0 Jeff Rutledge Overview Game Logs Career Postseason 1979 1980 ''The first game Phil Simms goes down, they've got to get a quarterback. "It's . ", RELATED: Turning back the clock at Legion Field. . . The Colonels had something else going for them, too. Tony is a very revered guy here in our community, here in our church community.". And in the memories of those who were there. Charles Tillman Rutledge, Jr. Boiling Springs, SC Charles Tillman Rutledge, Jr., 80, of 2558 Old Furnace Road, passed away Thursday, June 20, 2019, at Spartanburg Hospital For Restorative Care . Meanwhile, Woodlawn High School stands majestically in the same location on First Avenue North, just like it has since 1922, and the football team is still sending players to the NFL, including Chris Davis, the Auburn cornerback who was the last-second hero of the 2013 Iron Bowl. The night before the game, Stearns says, members of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapters from both teams gathered for a joint meeting at Woodlawn. A three-year starter, he also led Alabama to the #2 National ranking in 1977. Nathan says. 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. Commissioner Rutledge, a native of Newport, graduated from Newport High School and earned a B.S. William Nathan was sold, though, and eventually, so was his son Tony. He was indeed a basketball guy, but Tony Nathan would be playing football for a long time. And when that happened, that movement, I was touched in my heart to do so again.". While Nathan ran for 112 yards and scored a touchdown that night, the Colonels lost to the Jets 18-7, with Rutledge completing eight of nine passing for 185 yards and a touchdown. 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. 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. 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. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). A three-year starter, he also led Alabama to the #2 National ranking in 1977. Jeff Rutledge, who played at Alabama after he graduated from Bank High School, is pictured here during the 1976 Alabama-Notre Dame game in South Bend, Ind. Jeff Rutledge was born on January 22, 1957 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. So I had never beaten them.". Jeff Rutledge III - Facebook They've been married for going on 37 years now, with three children and nine grandkids. By his senior year, it wasn't just folks in Birmingham talking about "Touchdown Tony." Soon enough, though, Tony would be all around the ball. "I was like, 'What?'" 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. Jeff Rutledge Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images 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. It's tough for me to tell her to wait. His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Gosh, that game was 40 years ago, which is unbelievable.". "We just sat up there and watched," Martin, now retired, recalls. "I said, 'What's wrong, Mike, they didn't have crowds like this at Locust Fork?'" of development through completion. On fourth down with a yard needed, he was sent by head coach Bill Parcells for a potential decoy play. He was a basketball guy.". "That's what I always wanted. But there was one catch. Everybody else was gone home for Christmas vacation, and I was like, 'What am I doing here?' At the age of 32, starting his 11th season as a National Football League quarterback, Rutledge was not sure he would make the. 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. He received his degree from Alabama in Business Administration and in 2011, was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Manage Settings 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. I told Coach Gerelds that I didn't want him to be anywhere near the ball.". Rutledge earned MVP honors at the 1978 Sugar Bowl and also earned All-SEC honors in 1978 and 1979.[4]. Fully committed to football now, Nathan became one of the key cogs in a wishbone offense that was clicking on all cylinders. Six years later, he led the Tigers to an undefeated 15-0 season and a 4A state championship. But Norman, Okla., was cold and rainy when Nathan went to visit, and besides that, Switzer never bothered to come visit Nathan and his parents in Birmingham. But, Knoxville, too, was a little too far from home for Nathan. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. 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. Wore number 17 for the New York Giants. 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". Woodlawn never beat Banks during Nathan's three years on the varsity. So I've never come to camp feeling confident I'd be in place. ", 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. He is not dating anyone. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. RELATED:See who plays Tony Nathan in 'Woodlawn'. Charles Rutledge Obituary (1938 - 2019) - Boiling Springs, SC - Legacy His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. 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). We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Jeff Rutledge - Facts, Bio, Favorites, Info, Family 2021 - Sticky Facts If it had been up to Louise Nathan, her son Tony never would have touched a football. They included touchdown passes of 29, 20 and 43 yards. Where was Jeff Rutledge born? Newton and football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant stand behind Tony Nathan as he signs his scholarship to attend the University of Alabama. The quiet Nathan, who teammates say tried to shy away from all of the attention, was one of Birmingham's first superstar black athletes in a city that was still adjusting to integration. Rutledge played collegiately at Alabama, where he was a member of three SEC Championship teams under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. 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. 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. Or was it 17-7? 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. 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. 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. Something like that. Carden Jefferson "Jeff" Rutledge - Wages and sons "Before Bo, there was Tony," Ragland says. His most notable play with the Giants came in Super Bowl XXI in the third quarter. Jeff Rutledge - Senior Consultant - McMillan Vantage Policy Group "There are people who went to that game that I've heard from all my life," Rutledge says. "We have, I think, one of the best alumni associations in the NFL," Nathan says. Roberts, the starting left guard, has a slightly sprained left knee, which was reported improved. And since Banks and Woodlawn were in the same region -- and both were competing in 4A, which was then the largest high school classification in the state -- only one of them would advance. 1-ranked Huffman Vikings -- Woodlawn fans started calling Nathan "Touchdown Tony" and began clamoring for pictures and autographs. The next year, they got Bert Jones. Jeff Rutledge Wiki: Salary, Married, Wedding, Spouse, Family Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. ''I talked to Bill after practice Saturday,'' said Rutledge. Jeff is survived by his wife, Dana; daughter, Payton Rutledge; son, Parker Rutledge; and several nieces and nephews. "But this particular year, we were both undefeated going in. 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. ", Tony Nathan breaks free with his tear-away jersey flying in the breeze. He resigned in the Spring of 2012 to return to Arizona to spend time with his family. 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. Tony Nathan, left, talks with Jeff Rutledge, right, after the famous Woodlawn-Banks high school football game at Legion Field in 1974. So they put the pressure on him, too. He is married to his wife Laura and has 3 children.[7]. "We were out there playing in the mud and the rain," Woodlawn's Ragland says. Finished career at Alabama has the school's leading passer, surpassing Joe Namath. 6'1", 195 lbs. After seven seasons at Vanderbilt, Rutledge became the head coach at Montgomery Bell Academy, a school for seventh to 12th grade boys in Nashville. As depicted in the upcoming "Woodlawn" movie, droves of players, Nathan included, stepped forward to commit their lives to Christ that night. The film builds to a finale where Woodlawn meets crosstown rival Banks, quarterbacked by Jeff Rutledge, who would eventually play at Alabama with Nathan. Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. 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, with direct charge over Kurt Warner. When the Cardinals hired a new offensive coordinator at the end of that season, Rutledge and most of the offensive staff were fired. BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Forty years later, the details have gotten fuzzier and the legends have grown larger. I remember it was good we didn't start when we were supposed to because they were at their peak. . I bought them last week. 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. 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. The following Friday night, Woodlawn closed out its season on a cold, rainy night at Fair Park, defeating Carver 12-0. A month ago, Jeff and Laura Rutledge decided that today would be Reunion Day, the day Laura and their three children would leave their home in Mission Viejo, Calif., and fly east to join Jeff for the winter. An experienced communications and public affairs professional, with a record of effective strategic planning, outreach and engagement. 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. In 2013, he married Laura McKeeman (who took Rutledge's name upon marriage), a reporter and host for ESPN and the SEC Network. 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. Senior Consultant. #Jeff #Rutledge #Wiki Biography #Age #Height #Wife #Net #Worth #Family Tags: Age Biography Family Height Jeff Net Rutledge Wife Wiki Worth Even though the Dolphins eventually lost in overtime, the play lives on in Miami lore. The legend of Tony Nathan: From Woodlawn to Alabama to the NFL According to our Database, He has no children. Wife'S Suggestion of Retirement Lost on Rutledge Jeff Rutledge. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. How old is Jeff Rutledge? 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. "If we needed him to throw the football, I knew he could definitely do that. His most notable play with the Giants came in Super Bowl XXI in the third quarter. DailyPress.com. Louise Nathan roasted a raccoon that her husband, an avid hunter whom friends called "Coon Man," had bagged on one of his late-night coon hunts, and they invited Bryant to have dinner with them. We have estimated Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? "It was just that time. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge. are hard-pressed to remember the final score. ABOUT | Jeff Rutledge Bryant sealed the deal by promising Tony he would get a shot at playing basketball at Alabama, too. Jeff Rutledge, Nathan's old rival from Banks, was now his teammate, quarterbacking the Tide. , money, salary, income, and assets. "We had a ball. William Nathan, who worked as millwright at Connors Steel in Birmingham, made his son Tony his first football by stitching together a strip of Naugahyde and stuffing it with rags and cotton balls. ", Tony Nathan strikes a Heisman-like pose as he tries to avoid a linebacker. Menu Log In Sign Up 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. in Plant Science from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and a Masters in Agronomy (Weed Science) from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Among those 42,000 who came to watch was a freshman sorority girl from the University of Alabama, who was there not because she had any allegiance to either team but just because she heard it was a big game and she wanted to see it and be a part of it.