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. Jeff Rutledge was born on 22 January, 1957 in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, is an American football coach and former quarterback. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). "It was the thrill of my life," Louise Nathan says. "All I had ever seen of football games was everybody falling on each other and piling on each other," she says. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. In 2013, he married Laura McKeeman (who took Rutledge's name upon marriage), a reporter and host for ESPN and the SEC Network. 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. I bought them last week. At the age of 32, starting his 11th season as a National Football League quarterback, Rutledge was not sure he would make the Giants. "I think back about our team, and I think about the players who played then and who could play now in terms of their strength and speed and ability," Legg says. By Friday, the excitement was at full-tilt boogie. We definitely love Miami. 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. . On fourth down with a yard needed, he was sent by head coach Bill Parcells for a potential decoy play. "They do a great job of keeping us involved in what's going on and keeping us involved with the fans. So they put the pressure on him, too. "Everywhere Tony lined up, there was Greg," Rutledge remembers. ", RELATED:Remembering the 1974 Woodlawn-Banks game. That 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game would be Shorty White's 100th win at Banks, and his last. Rutledge served as the quarterbacks and tight ends coach for the New York Sentinels of the United Football League in 2009. 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. Woodlawn students used to yell, ''Rip those Sugar Jets," which was a reference to this brand of cereal. ''My wife is frustrated,'' said Rutledge. "It wasn't hard to grab a piece of it. "The Woodlawn guys were like maniacs, and they were roaring all through their pre-game warm-ups. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). Woodlawn grads included Harry Gilmer, who was an All-American at Alabama and the MVP of the 1946 Rose Bowl, and Bobby Bowden, who coached Florida State to two national championships on his way to becoming the winningest coach in college football history. (Birmingham News file/Robert Adams). That year, the Cardinals made a late season run and earned a Super Bowl berth, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23. Former Buyer/Planner at Rutledge Properties LLC. Or was it 17-7? (Birmingham News file) In the 1980s,. 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. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. After seven seasons at Vanderbilt, Rutledge became the head coach at Montgomery Bell Academy, a school for seventh to 12th grade boys in Nashville. The year before, Logan had coached at rural Locust Fork High School in Blount County. "It's . 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. 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. "I played with older guys, and I wanted to be able to play on their level," Nathan says. 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 Jeff Rutledge, Nathan's old rival from Banks, was now his teammate, quarterbacking the Tide. 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. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. 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. Former Realtor at ReallivingAdavanceRealty. According to our records, Jeff Rutledge is possibly single. We were playing in front of 20,000 people regularly, so we were getting some big crowds.". Finished career at Alabama has the school's leading passer, surpassing Joe Namath. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. 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. 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. ''Maybe it will make them think a bit or at least make their decision tough. fatal car accident in tulare county / how to endorse a check for mobile deposit wells fargo / jeff rutledge wife. His parents met at the University of Arkansas, and when he was almost four his family moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Rutledge led Montgomery Bell Academy to a 41-17 record from 20022006, with two state *les in 2002 and 2003 and a #15 ranking in the final USA Today Super 25 poll in 2003. That year, the Cardinals made a late season run and earned a Super Bowl berth, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23. "We knew each other from grammar school.". On one particular visit, Bryant brought his overnight bag, Tony's father remembers. And the majority of us did that. He played college football at Alabama, where he was the team's starting quarterback for their 1978 National . It was Geralds, Nathan would say later, who talked him out of quitting football, and for that, Nathan remained forever grateful. Tony Nathan holds his youngest brother, Cedric, after he announces in December 1974 that he will attend the University of Alabama. "So it was a great lesson for me. White says he was assured by the Legion Field crew that it would be able to handle the crowd. "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. "And you're not going to be the first.". Trailing 35-14 with 10:37 left in the third quarter Rutledge replaced an ineffective Stan Humphries and led a great comeback. "There is no doubt in my mind that the delay in the game helped us,'' Banks' Grefseng says. Jeffrey Brooks Rutledge, Meg Rutledge, Christen Rutledge. ", Alabama basketball coach C.M. The quiet, introverted Nathan didn't know quite what to make of all that attention. DailyPress.com. Trailing 35-14 with 10:37 left in the third quarter Rutledge replaced an ineffective Stan Humphries and led a great comeback. 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. He said he hadn't decided whether to keep two or three quarterbacks.''. Place kicker Ali Haji-Sheikh of the New York Giants kicks a field goal during a game against the New Orleans Saints at Giants Stadium on December 15,. 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. Jeff Rutledge's net worth 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. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). "We let them run and play," Tony's father, whom the family calls "Pops," says. The Colonels had something else going for them, too. Rutledge played collegiately at Alabama, where he was a member of three SEC Championship teams under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. Jeff Rutledge. An experienced communications and public affairs professional, with a record of effective strategic planning, outreach and engagement. Football was going to be it. ", 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." By his senior season in 1974, Woodlawn running back Tony Nathan was one of the most sought-after high school football players in America. 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. #Jeff #Rutledge #Wiki Biography #Age #Height #Wife #Net #Worth #Family Tags: Age Biography Family Height Jeff Net Rutledge Wife Wiki Worth The unsung hero, though, was a little linebacker named Greg Muse, who had transferred to Banksafter living in Texas. Continue with Recommended Cookies. "People drove up, saw the lines outside and just went on by. "He's very respected here," McNeal says of his old teammate. 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. Jeff Rutledge takes a breather during the 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game at Legion Field in Birmingham. 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. The next year, Nathan and Rutledge became teammates at the University of Alabama. I will make you that promise. 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. 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. "We just sat up there and watched," Martin, now retired, recalls. All three of Nathan's daughters have their college degrees - Nichole from South Florida and Natalie and Nadia from Alabama - as does his wife. He was the starting quarterback on the 1978 National Championship team. 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. He was part of a team that earned back-to-back state titles at L. Frazier Banks High School in Birmingham, Alabama. He has established himself as a trusted advisor providing advice and direction to organizations in some of the most heavily regulated . 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. And when that happened, that movement, I was touched in my heart to do so again.". 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. A title search shows that Mr. Rutledge and his wife bought a property in Naramata for $1.15-million on Oct. 31, 2016. When the Cardinals hired a new offensive coordinator at the end of that season, Rutledge and most of the offensive staff were fired. 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. "And when they were picking teams, I wanted to get picked. 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. 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. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). The easygoing Nathan had the ideal temperament for the job, Newman told him. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). It was Grefseng's only touchdown catch of his Banks career. "There are people who went to that game that I've heard from all my life," Rutledge says. I told Coach Gerelds that I didn't want him to be anywhere near the ball.". So it's tough for her to hear that she should wait. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. If all of the gates had been open, they would have had 60,000 people.". 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. So I had never beaten them.". He will miss Saturday night's exhibition game against the Giants at Giants Stadium. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. "I knew some of those guys, and I'm like, 'Why would y'all be out here in the hot sun watching freshman football?'" Rutledge is a Christian and attends Arizona Community Church in Chandler. ''I wanted to know what he was thinking. Jeff Rutledge, Nathan's old rival from Banks, was now his teammate, quarterbacking the Tide. People around the country were starting to notice him, too. 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. 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. ''The first game Phil Simms goes down, they've got to get a quarterback. ", The Banks players huddle around head coach Shorty White during the 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game at Legion Field in Birmingham. "Well, Shula knew what talent was," Nathan says. As a senior, he was a member of the 1974 Parade High School All-American team. "Almost everybody who played in that (1974) game, you may not have been close friends with them, but you knew who they were," Grefseng, the Banks linebacker, says. Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. 6'1", 195 lbs. . Once he started playing, though, she never let him quit. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. They made great souvenirs, too, and fans mobbed him after the games to get a piece of Nathan's jersey. Rutledge earned MVP honors at the 1978 Sugar Bowl and also earned All-SEC honors in 1978 and 1979. 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 January 22, 1957 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. 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. But, Knoxville, too, was a little too far from home for Nathan. They included touchdown passes of 29, 20 and 43 yards. After Friday morning's practice, they will break camp and return to Giants Stadium, where practices are closed to the public. "I remember going back and forth to get more tickets to sell. 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. 6' 1" (185 cm) How much does Jeff Rutledge weigh? Those were the days when running backs wore tear-away jerseys, which ripped when opposing players tried to bring down the ball carrier by grabbing ahold of his jersey. 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. View the profiles of professionals named "Jeff Rutledge" on LinkedIn. Newton and football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant stand behind Tony Nathan as he signs his scholarship to attend the University of Alabama. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). A three-year starter, he also led Alabama to the #2 National ranking in 1977. ", Tony Nathan prepares to take a hand-off from quarterback Jeff Rutledge at the University of Alabama. 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. His zodiac sign is Aquarius More about Jeff Rutledge Photo Gallery Jeff Rutledge Jeff Rutledge 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. RELATED:See who plays Tony Nathan in 'Woodlawn'. Center Dwight Stephenson and defensive back Don McNeal, who were a year behind him, would join the Dolphins the next year. Only two practice sessions remain at the Fairleigh Dickinson campus here. So he signed again with the Giants, but for less than the $400,000 he made last year. Bold denotes league leader. "It was time for people to actually get along -- no matter what race or color you were," he says. "It was Banks-Woodlawn. "I was like, 'All right, it's that time.'". Though Rutledge was available, no other team signed him. The athletic teams at Banks adopted the name Jets, and in 1961, the Alabama Air National Guard loaned the school a Korean War-era F-86D Sabre jet, which was painted in the school colors of Columbia blue and scarlet and prominently displayed on campus, making it an inviting target for practical jokers from rival schools. Relationships We have no records of past relationships for Jeff Rutledge. He received his degree from Alabama in Business Administration and in 2011, was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. How tall is Jeff Rutledge? said Rutledge. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. By Frank Litsky, Special To the New York Times. I was so elated that he did it, and I thank the Lord that he did.". (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). Denny Ragland, who would become the Woodlawn starting quarterback during Nathan's senior season in 1974, knew something was up during freshman football practice, when most of the basketball team came out just to see what the 14-year-old Nathan could do on the football field. Birmingham police guessed another 20,000 gave up and went back home when they saw the long lines. "It touched me," he says. 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. The regular season game was played in . He is currently single. I think Tony could definitely play today. He received his degree from Alabama in Business Administration and in 2011, was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. A couple of weeks before their game, Banks' White alerted the Legion Field staff to expect a monster crowd. UNEASY LIES THE HEAD OF NO. 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. Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Fast learner, critical thinker with an eye for efficiency, and generally fun guy. 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. ", Tony Nathan breaks free with his tear-away jersey flying in the breeze. Tony could have gone anywhere. 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. "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. 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. Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. In those days, the Banks-Woodlawn rivalry was like the Alabama-Auburn of Birmingham high school football, but maybe just a little friendlier. "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.