The attendance was out of this world.". Jeff Rutledge - Pro-Football-Reference.com After Friday morning's practice, they will break camp and return to Giants Stadium, where practices are closed to the public. Once he started playing, though, she never let him quit. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. UNEASY LIES THE HEAD OF NO. From Woodlawn, linebacker Rocha McKinstry signed with Auburn, and Hendrix, the defensive end, played with the University of North Alabama and later, the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers. 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. "But it didn't bother me that I was forced to go to Woodlawn because a lot of my friends were at Woodlawn, too.". He had left the University of Alabama in the spring of 1979 without a diploma. "It was one heck of a game. Birmingham police guessed another 20,000 gave up and went back home when they saw the long lines. Their two-year reign as 4A state champs also ended with a 12-0 shutout loss to eventual champion Homewood in the first round of the playoffs. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. Rutledge, 58, who was the quarterbacks coach of the Cardinals in their only Super Bowl season, said Alabama never stopped aspiring to the biggest heights in college football since he left. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. "He's very respected here," McNeal says of his old teammate. The stoic Nathan even teared up as walked across the Coleman Coliseum stage to receive his diploma from outgoing UA President Judy Bonner. 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). (Sugar Jets was a reference to a brand of cereal from the 1950s and '60s.). 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.". 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. He is currently the head football coach at Valley Christian High School (Chandler, Arizona) in Chandler, Arizona. 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. View Jeff Rutledge results in Munford, AL including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. According to our Database, He has no children. "But at that time, I had a concussion. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. 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. "It was odd to see people react and want a piece of cloth off of somebody else who was wearing it. I don't remember that whole week. 2. I was so elated that he did it, and I thank the Lord that he did.". Some of those who were in the stands that night can't say for sure who won, and even many of those who were on the fieldare hard-pressed to remember the final score. Tony is a very revered guy here in our community, here in our church community.". (Birmingham News file) In the 1980s,. ''But this is tough on the family. He said, 'Well, make sure you promise me you're going to finish what you started. 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. About Jeff Rutledge is a 66 year old American Football (American) Player born on 22nd January, 1957 in Birmingham, AL. 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. ''Maybe it will make them think a bit or at least make their decision tough. Following his senior season at Alabama in 1978, Banks' Jeff Rutledge went on to play 13 years in the National Football League. View the profiles of professionals named "Jeff Rutledge" on LinkedIn. 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. "They do a great job of keeping us involved in what's going on and keeping us involved with the fans. 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. "If we needed him to throw the football, I knew he could definitely do that. ''I talked to Bill after practice Saturday,'' said Rutledge. Jeff Rutledge, of Newport, represents the White River and his term expires in 2024. And to himself. The Nathans go to the same church, New Testament Baptist Church, with his former Alabama and Miami teammate McNeal and his wife, Rhonda. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. "I told him, me being so far behind, I didn't want to flunk out. 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. On signing day, both Bryant and Alabama basketball coach C.M. "It touched me," he says. "They had the best running back in the state and we had the best quarterback," former Banks head coach George "Shorty" White remembers. he recalls. He was the starting quarterback on the 1978 National Championship team. "Each gate had four openings in it for four lines of people," Garrett says, "but it still obviously wasn't enough.". "I was like, 'All right, it's that time.'". Internal communications and employee engagement pro with a tech focus and multi-disciplinary background. A Valuable Commodity. 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. Birmingham, AL. 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. (Birmingham News file/Robert Adams). "It was Banks-Woodlawn. His zodiac sign is Aquarius More about Jeff Rutledge Photo Gallery Jeff Rutledge Jeff Rutledge 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. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. In 2013, he married Laura McKeeman (who took Rutledge's name upon marriage), a reporter and host for ESPN and the SEC Network. Most likely, Tony would not have been drafted by the NFL's Miami Dolphins, and regrettably, he also would have missed out on starting in two Super Bowls, as well as being part of one of the most famous plays in Dolphins' history. If they cut me and someone picks me up, they would have to get someone else not familiar with their system.'' 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. 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. Woodlawn never beat Banks during Nathan's three years on the varsity. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Menu Log In Sign Up He was worn out, and he was just tearing the rest of his jersey off.". said Rutledge. 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. He is a member of famous Player with the age 65 years old group. As a senior, he was a member of the 1974 Parade High School All-American team. Tony Nathan talks about racism, 'Woodlawn' Rutledge played collegiately at Alabama, where he was a member of three SEC Championship teams under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. The kids are disappointed. There was no mortgage. The year before, Logan had coached at rural Locust Fork High School in Blount County. Wore number 17 for the New York Giants. Jeff Rutledge Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Forty years later, the details have gotten fuzzier and the legends have grown larger. On one particular visit, Bryant brought his overnight bag, Tony's father remembers. Simms is the Giants' starter and Jeff Hostetler is No. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). Six years later, he led the Tigers to an undefeated 15-0 season and a 4A state championship. All rights reserved (About Us). Based in Dallas, Texas with over 20 years of experience in concept, design, art direction, and production of print and web materials including: magazine / newspaper ads, brochures, collateral, direct mail, email graphics, logos, signage, and web graphics. , money, salary, income, and assets. American football player and coach (born 1957), Alabama Crimson Tide starting quarterbacks, Washington Commanders starting quarterbacks, 1978 Alabama Crimson Tide footballAP national champions, Alabama Crimson Tide football yearly statistical leaders, History of the New York Giants (19791993), "High School Football Database - All-American (Parade 1974)", "Jeff Rutledge Named as Football Head Coach - Valley Christian High School", "NFL vet Rutledge returning as high school coach", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jeff_Rutledge&oldid=1134094507, High school football coaches in Tennessee, Coaches of American football from Alabama, Players of American football from Birmingham, Alabama, Articles with dead external links from October 2010, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 00:15. Efforts to reach him for this story were unsuccessful. "The trouble is, it's on VHS cassette, and my VHS player died years ago.". Rutledge served as the quarterbacks and tight ends coach for the New York Sentinels of the United Football League in 2009. When the Cardinals hired a new offensive coordinator at the end of that season, Rutledge and most of the offensive staff were fired. He was part of a team that earned back-to-back state titles at L. Frazier Banks High School in Birmingham, 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. Jeff Rutledge | American Football Database | Fandom Ragland, the Woodlawn quarterback, grew up in a house divided. 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. A three-year starter, he also led Alabama to the #2 National ranking in 1977. 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. Anyone can read what you share. 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. "We both started to laugh.". Former Giant Jeff Rutledge Talks Playing and Coaching

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