jeff rutledge wife

In those days, the Banks-Woodlawn rivalry was like the Alabama-Auburn of Birmingham high school football, but maybe just a little friendlier. "It was time for people to actually get along -- no matter what race or color you were," he says. "If we needed him to throw the football, I knew he could definitely do that. are hard-pressed to remember the final score. . 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. In the days leading up to the game, both The Birmingham News and the Birmingham Post-Herald played it up as not only a clash of the titans between Banks and Woodlawn but also a Rutledge vs. Nathan showdown. Jeff is an experienced communications and public affairs professional with more than a decade working in government and the private sector. He also led the Crimson Tide to two Sugar Bowl appearances and two SEC Championships. "But it didn't bother me that I was forced to go to Woodlawn because a lot of my friends were at Woodlawn, too.". So, when Tony was in the 10th grade, and he came home one day and told his mother he had left the Woodlawn High School football team, she replied, in no uncertain terms, no, he had not. "Each gate had four openings in it for four lines of people," Garrett says, "but it still obviously wasn't enough.". 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. What is Jeff Rutledge's full name? As depicted in the upcoming "Woodlawn" movie, droves of players, Nathan included, stepped forward to commit their lives to Christ that night. He received his degree from Alabama in Business Administration and in 2011, was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Jeff Rutledge, Nathan's old rival from Banks, was now his teammate, quarterbacking the Tide. They got in the car, and she drove him back to the football field, where she told Woodlawn coach Tandy Gerelds to do whatever he needed to discipline her boy for skipping practice, just as long as he was allowed back on the team. William Nathan asked, referring to Bryant's bag. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. We felt like we were probably the two best teams in Alabama, but only one of us was going to get to go to the state. "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. 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. "He's very respected here," McNeal says of his old teammate. Nathan is flanked by his parents William and Louise Nathan. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). Football was going to be it. "I remember going back and forth to get more tickets to sell. "I get to meet a ton of people -- lawyers, defendants, victims -- and they all are different," Nathan says. That University of Alabama sorority girl who was in the stands at Legion Field that night? 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. "And then they told me that that guy (Nathan) was an All-American basketball player, and he wasn't going to be playing football. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. And to himself. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). 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. As that 1974 season progressed and both teams kept winning week after week, that friendly rivalry between Banks and Woodlawn reached a new level, though. Some of the choices Jeff Rutledge made during his journey to become an NFL assistant coach were difficult. He would just tear it off and throw it up in the crowd. Rutledge spent most of his career as a back-up quarterback and a holder on kicks. "I did accept Christ in my life at that time, they say," Nathan says. New York Giants. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. He is married to his wife Laura and has 3 children. (Birmingham News file/Robert Adams). 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. Jeff Rutledge. in Plant Science from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and a Masters in Agronomy (Weed Science) from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. When the Cardinals hired a new offensive coordinator at the end of that season, Rutledge and most of the offensive staff were fired. Our defensive game plan was awesome.". [email protected]. If it had been up to Louise Nathan, her son Tony never would have touched a football. They attended some of the same churches and dated some of the same girls. Although he was mostly used as a back-up, he has two Super Bowl rings - one from the New York Giants and another from the Washington Redskins. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. His wife, Laura, a former Miss . 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. Horgan III, Jeff Hart, Jim Rutledge of Canada, Gary Hallberg and Jeff Freeman pose together with their Qualifying cards during the Champions Tour. 6' 1" (185 cm) How much does Jeff Rutledge weigh? He was part of a team that earned back-to-back state titles at L. Frazier Banks High School in Birmingham, Alabama. He was the starting quarterback on the 1978 National Championship team. He resigned in the Spring of 2012 to return to Arizona to spend time with his family. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? ----DeOssie and Roberts Out Steve DeOssie and William Roberts missed practice Wednesday. Jeff Rutledge Wiki: Salary, Married, Wedding, Spouse, Family Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. "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. Jeff Rutledge. ", Tony Nathan strikes a Heisman-like pose as he tries to avoid a linebacker. 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,. In overtime, he hit Art Monk with a vital 40-yard p* on third and 15 to help set up Chip Lohmiller's game-winning field goal. Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. 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 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. 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. "It was the thrill of my life," Louise Nathan says. They got at least part of that right. Anyone can read what you share. "It was always the biggest game of the year, for both sides," Rutledge says. It took him 36 years, but Nathan kept that promise to his coach. 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 ate a few pieces of it, but he didn't eat much.". Established network of influencers, political staff, department officials and media, supporting sound execution of public affairs initiatives. 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. In the 1980s, Banks High School -- home of those mighty Jets for all those years -- was closed as part of a city schools reorganization and it became Banks Middle School. "It was weird," he says. Senior Consultant. "He looked like he had a jet pack on his back," Baumhower recalls. They all came to see Tony.". As a senior, he was a member of the 1974 Parade High School All-American team. 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. Efforts to reach him for this story were unsuccessful. When the Cardinals hired a new offensive coordinator at the end of that season, Rutledge and most of the offensive staff were fired. Louise Nathan, though, never was wild about her seeing her son get hit. Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. Internal communications and employee engagement pro with a tech focus and multi-disciplinary background. 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. Wasn't it 14-0? ", 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." "And when they were picking teams, I wanted to get picked. "It was just that time. He also led the Crimson Tide to two Sugar Bowl appearances and two SEC Championships. 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. He said he hadn't decided whether to keep two or three quarterbacks.''. [3][5][6] 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. 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. WIFE'S SUGGESTION OF RETIREMENT LOST ON RUTLEDGE. Something else special happened that week, too. It was Geralds, Nathan would say later, who talked him out of quitting football, and for that, Nathan remained forever grateful. In his teens, he acted in productions of the North Shore Children's Theater and, from 1942 to 1944, performed in . I was so elated that he did it, and I thank the Lord that he did.". WE BUY HOUSES ANY PRICE ANY CONDITION CALL 205 966 4880 NOW. The following Friday night, Woodlawn closed out its season on a cold, rainy night at Fair Park, defeating Carver 12-0. ", 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." Drafted in the ninth round of the 1979 NFL Draft (246th overall pick) by the Los Angeles Rams,[2] Rutledge played in 14 NFL seasons[3][5] from 1979 to 1992 for three different teams. 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. All three of Nathan's daughters have their college degrees - Nichole from South Florida and Natalie and Nadia from Alabama - as does his wife. So they put the pressure on him, too. "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 three-year starter, he also led Alabama to the #2 National ranking in 1977. On signing day, both Bryant and Alabama basketball coach C.M. "We knew each other from grammar school.". "All three kids were raised here. 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". By Friday, the excitement was at full-tilt boogie. 3 QUARTERBACK, https://www.nytimes.com/1989/08/24/sports/uneasy-lies-the-head-of-no-3-quarterback.html, Frank Litsky, Special To the New York Times. Alabama Crimson Tide football yearly statistical leaders, History of the New York Giants (19791993). 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 quiet, introverted Nathan didn't know quite what to make of all that attention. When the Cardinals hired a new offensive coordinator at the end of that season, Rutledge and most of the offensive staff were fired. 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. 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. "I'm 57 years old, and I'll run into people that I haven't seen in years and years and years and they talk about that game, that they were there. No one could be prouder, though, than the mother who wouldn't let him quit the football team back in the 10th grade, who taught him to always finish what he started. "I think I had lost to Banks four times in three years because my freshman year, I played them as a freshman and on the B-team. "All I had ever seen of football games was everybody falling on each other and piling on each other," she says. Rutledge earned MVP honors at the 1978 Sugar Bowl and also earned All-SEC honors in 1978 and 1979.[4]. 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. ''You gear up for a time when you're going to get together as a family. Jeffrey Hunter was born Henry Herman McKinnies Jr. on November 25, 1926 in New Orleans, Louisiana, an only child. 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. ", RELATED:Remembering the 1974 Woodlawn-Banks game. So, how much is Jeff Rutledge worth at the age of 65 years old? Rutledge earned MVP honors at the 1978 Sugar Bowl and also earned All-SEC honors in 1978 and 1979. He was the starting quarterback on the 1978 National Championship team. Some were easier. As a senior, he was a member of the 1974 Parade High School All-American team. "In high school, he was the best quarterback in the state of Alabama, and Coach Bryant did his job. I did believe. He played college football at Alabama, where he was the team's starting quarterback for their 1978 National . He got permission from his academic advisers to drop his courses with a withdraw-passing grade and come back to finish his degree later. Unfortunately, he doesn't remember anything about it. A few years ago, though, Nathan realized one thing was missing in his life. Jeff Rutledge Biography. On fourth down with a yard needed, he was sent by head coach Bill Parcells for a potential decoy play. The next year, Nathan and Rutledge became teammates at the University of Alabama. he recalls. 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. Jeff is survived by his wife, Dana; daughter, Payton Rutledge; son, Parker Rutledge; and several nieces and nephews. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. In May 2013, Rutledge was hired by Valley Christian High School in Chandler, Arizona as a full-time staff member and also to lead the football program. Woodlawn High School had a much longer history that went back to 1916, when the community of Woodlawn was annexed into Birmingham. (Birmingham News file/Robert Adams). 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. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. A Valuable Commodity. [4], Rutledge is a Christian and attends Arizona Community Church in Chandler. And when the game finally did kick off a half-hour or so later, the crowd kept pouring in well into the second quarter. I remember it was good we didn't start when we were supposed to because they were at their peak. 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. 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. The main building, built in 1922, was a grand, three-story structure that always looked more like a palace than a schoolhouse. After games, fans mobbed Nathan to get a piece of his jersey. "And you're not going to be the first.". They included touchdown passes of 29, 20 and 43 yards. Tony Nathan, left, talks with Jeff Rutledge, right, after the famous Woodlawn-Banks high school football game at Legion Field in 1974. ", Tony Nathan prepares to take a hand-off from quarterback Jeff Rutledge at the University of Alabama. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). The attendance was out of this world.". He is not dating anyone. 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. He was just a humble high school athlete. His zodiac sign is Aquarius More about Jeff Rutledge Photo Gallery Jeff Rutledge Jeff Rutledge Even though the Dolphins eventually lost in overtime, the play lives on in Miami lore. 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. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). "We dedicated our season to the glory of the Lord, and we played at a much higher level those two years (1973-74) than we probably should have. Gerelds, recognizing Nathan's underutilized potential, thought he needed to have the ball in his hands more often and moved him to offense his junior year.Before the start of that 1973 season, something else happened that changed the Woodlawn football team's fortunes. 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. 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. When the teams ran back onto the field for the third time, the lower bowl of Legion Field was practically full. Once he started playing, though, she never let him quit. 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. 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. By his senior year, it wasn't just folks in Birmingham talking about "Touchdown Tony." 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 Colonels had something else going for them, too. "I said, 'What's wrong, Mike, they didn't have crowds like this at Locust Fork?'" We had a blast. His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. Contact . ", The Banks players huddle around head coach Shorty White during the 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game at Legion Field in Birmingham. After seven seasons at Vanderbilt, Rutledge became the head coach at Montgomery Bell Academy, a school for seventh to 12th grade boys in Nashville. After Friday morning's practice, they will break camp and return to Giants Stadium, where practices are closed to the public. 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. 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. 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. ", Alabama basketball coach C.M. 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.. Trivia (4) Quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams (1979-1981), New York Giants (1983-1989) and Washington Redskins (1990-1992). 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. 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. Rutledge lived up to his star billing that night, completing 9 of 10 passes for 188 yards and that touchdown to Grefseng. It was Grefseng's only touchdown catch of his Banks career. He said, 'Well, make sure you promise me you're going to finish what you started. It wasn't so much the football I wanted. [1], Rutledge played collegiately at Alabama,[2][3] where he was a member of three SEC Championship teams under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. See the article in its original context from. 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. A couple of weeks before their game, Banks' White alerted the Legion Field staff to expect a monster crowd. 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. A title search shows that Mr. Rutledge and his wife bought a property in Naramata for $1.15-million on Oct. 31, 2016. Everybody else was gone home for Christmas vacation, and I was like, 'What am I doing here?' 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,[5] with direct charge over Kurt Warner. By his senior season in 1974, Woodlawn running back Tony Nathan was one of the most sought-after high school football players in America. "I didn't have to worry about cutting grass because they played all the time.". Bold denotes league leader. of development through completion. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. Nathan says. 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. "People drove up, saw the lines outside and just went on by. According to our records, Jeff Rutledge is possibly single. 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. If all of the gates had been open, they would have had 60,000 people.". View the profiles of professionals named "Jeff Rutledge" on LinkedIn. "What are you doing with that grip?'" . But she's been through this every year. 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. Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). ''I talked to Bill after practice Saturday,'' said Rutledge. ''But this is tough on the family. 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Only two practice sessions remain at the Fairleigh Dickinson campus here. They've been married for going on 37 years now, with three children and nine grandkids. He is currently the head football coach at Valley Christian High School (Chandler, Arizona) in Chandler, Arizona. Another, a little fireplug of a linebacker who had moved to Birmingham from Texas the year before, became the surprise defensive star of the game. "To be a 16-, 17-year-old kid, I had never seen anybody run and do the things Tony did athletically. 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. 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. 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. "It was supposed to be a quick pass but somebody got in there and almost sacked Jeff. 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. Many of the players on both teams grew up playing pee-wee football together at East Lake and Wahouma parks, and as teenagers, they hung out together at Eastwood Mall. He had 274 completions in 526 attempts for 3,628 yards and 16 touchdowns. "But at that time, I had a concussion. Soon enough, though, Tony would be all around the ball. After completing the eighth grade, those students who would have gone to Banks instead went to Woodlawn High School, Banks' old rival. We prayed together, and from then on, I respected them and they respected me.

Melissa Hernandez Dublin, Articles J