"He ate a few pieces of it, but he didn't eat much.". Alabama Crimson Tide football yearly statistical leaders, History of the New York Giants (19791993). Some were easier. "He's very respected here," McNeal says of his old teammate. ''My wife is frustrated,'' said Rutledge. "It was weird," he says. 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. "People drove up, saw the lines outside and just went on by. "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. His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. He had to meet with Coach Bryant to get him to sign off on it, too. Jeff Rutledge Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Jeff Rutledge was born on 22 January, 1957 in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, is an American football coach and former quarterback. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). Tony Nathan talks about racism, 'Woodlawn' The year before, Logan had coached at rural Locust Fork High School in Blount County. He said he hadn't decided whether to keep two or three quarterbacks.''. 6'1", 195 lbs. Jeff Rutledge Stats | The Football Database And when the game finally did kick off a half-hour or so later, the crowd kept pouring in well into the second quarter. "It was odd to see people react and want a piece of cloth off of somebody else who was wearing it. 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. Trailing 35-14 with 10:37 left in the third quarter Rutledge replaced an ineffective Stan Humphries and led a great comeback. Newman serves as a criminal court judge in Miami-Dade County, and six years ago, he hired Nathan to be a bailiff in his courtroom. 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. A three-year starter, he also led Alabama to the #2 National ranking in 1977. White is now retired and living with his wife, June, in Helena. . All rights reserved (About Us). Louise Nathan, though, never was wild about her seeing her son get hit. The purchase date corresponds with most of the transfers from Mr. Slaughter's account, according to the suit. WE BUY HOUSES ANY PRICE ANY CONDITION CALL 205 966 4880 NOW. During preseason camp, evangelist Wales Goebel, who became a born-again Christian after alcohol destroyed his small-college basketball career and nearly cost him his life, came to share his story with the Woodlawn players. Meanwhile, the recruiting letters continued to pour in from schools such as USC, Notre Dame, Texas and Oklahoma, as well as SEC schools Alabama, Auburn, Georgia and Tennessee. So the magic from that night continues to live on. "Up until my eighth-grade year, I had been going to Banks games all my life, watching Jeff Rutledge's older brother, Gary, and Johnny Musso play,'' Ragland 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. 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. ", The Banks players huddle around head coach Shorty White during the 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game at Legion Field in Birmingham. Jeff Rutledge. ", Alabama basketball coach C.M. 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. 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. In 2006, the Birmingham Board of Education decided to close the deteriorating middle school, too, saying it was unsafe and an eyesore. So, how much is Jeff Rutledge worth at the age of 65 years old? In 2013, he married Laura McKeeman (who took Rutledge's name upon marriage), a reporter and host for ESPN and the SEC Network. 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. 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. Rutledge earned MVP honors at the 1978 Sugar Bowl and also earned All-SEC honors in 1978 and 1979. You look at the schedule, and that was the one you've got marked down that you want to win. printers and related vendors. Senior Consultant. Plan B was the system under which each N.F.L. When the Cardinals hired a new offensive coordinator at the end of that season, Rutledge and most of the offensive staff were fired. "We have, I think, one of the best alumni associations in the NFL," Nathan says. 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. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). "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 had 274 completions in 526 attempts for 3,628 yards and 16 touchdowns. "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. Jeffrey Brooks Rutledge, Meg Rutledge, Christen Rutledge. After working as an assistant at Vanderbilt University and with the Arizona Cardinals in the NFL, Rutledge is now the head coach at Valley Christian High School in Chandler, Ariz. After four years at Alabama, Woodlawn's Tony Nathan was drafted in the third round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, where he played for nine seasons under Don Shula, including two Super Bowls. "I didn't have to worry about cutting grass because they played all the time.". The main building, built in 1922, was a grand, three-story structure that always looked more like a palace than a schoolhouse. WIFE'S SUGGESTION OF RETIREMENT LOST ON RUTLEDGE. That 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game would be Shorty White's 100th win at Banks, and his last. 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. '", So just think, if Louise Nathan hadn't put her foot down, maybe no one would have ever heard of "Touchdown Tony.". He also led the Crimson Tide to two Sugar Bowl appearances and two SEC Championships. Jeff Rutledge | American Football Database | Fandom (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). 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. Trivia (4) Quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams (1979-1981), New York Giants (1983-1989) and Washington Redskins (1990-1992). When the Cardinals hired a new offensive coordinator at the end of that season, Rutledge and most of the offensive staff were fired. Nathan is flanked by his parents William and Louise Nathan. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. 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. "I wanted to go home. Our defensive game plan was awesome.". He was a devoted husband and father and his favorite hobby was fishing. At the age of 32, starting his 11th season as a National Football League quarterback, Rutledge was not sure he would make the. I will make you that promise. I said, 'You have to wait until you see me.' 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. His wife, Laura, a former Miss . We have estimated He received his degree from Alabama in Business Administration and in 2011, was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. "It was just that time. 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. "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. It wasn't so much the football I wanted. A creative problem solver with refined approach to crisis communications and media management. Now he is here and his family is there, and no one is happy. A three-year starter, he also led Alabama to the #2 National ranking in 1977. While it has been reported that only one gate was open that night, Walter Garrett, who was the stadium manager at Legion Field for 38 years, says that both gates 7A and 7B at the south entrance to the stadium were open, as was customary at all Birmingham high school games there. 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. 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. Quarterback Jeff Rutledge played 13 seasons for 3 teams. When the Cardinals hired a new offensive coordinator at the end of that season, Rutledge and most of the offensive staff were fired. Nathan scored Woodlawn's only touchdown on a 13-yard run in the fourth quarter. I was so elated that he did it, and I thank the Lord that he did.". After Nathan got out of coaching, another one of his former Dolphins teammates, guard Ed Newman, told him he had the perfect job for him. Rivals in high school, Nathan and Rutledge were teammates for four years at Alabama. Rutledge spent most of his career as a back-up quarterback and a holder on kicks. 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. ''I wanted to know what he was thinking. BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Forty years later, the details have gotten fuzzier and the legends have grown larger. That year, the Cardinals made a late season run and earned a Super Bowl berth, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23. 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. As a senior, he was a member of the 1974 Parade High School All-American team. That year, the Cardinals made a late season run and earned a Super Bowl berth, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23. Jeffrey Hunter - Biography - IMDb "That's what I always wanted. 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.