Following his senior season at Alabama in 1978, Banks' Jeff Rutledge went on to play 13 years in the National Football League. He got permission from his academic advisers to drop his courses with a withdraw-passing grade and come back to finish his degree later. He said he hadn't decided whether to keep two or three quarterbacks.''. The purchase date corresponds with most of the transfers from Mr. Slaughter's account, according to the suit. He had 274 completions in 526 attempts for 3,628 yards and 16 touchdowns. He was just a humble high school athlete. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). But, Knoxville, too, was a little too far from home for Nathan. 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. "It really did.". It wasn't anything boastful for him. That was Laura Holmes, whom Rutledge later met when his Fellowship of Christian Athletes adviser suggested that he ask her to go with him to the team banquet following his freshman year at Alabama. He was part of a team that earned back-to-back state titles at L. Frazier Banks High School in Birmingham, Alabama. 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. "And when they were picking teams, I wanted to get picked. A three-year starter, he also led Alabama to the #2 National ranking in 1977. "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. 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 . 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. "We have, I think, one of the best alumni associations in the NFL," Nathan says. And in the memories of those who were there. "There is no doubt in my mind that the delay in the game helped us,'' Banks' Grefseng says. We prayed together, and from then on, I respected them and they respected me. 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. Nov 09, 1990 at 12:00 am. We just couldn't put the icing on the cake.". 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. 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. "The touchdown was a busted play," he recalls. "I get to meet a ton of people -- lawyers, defendants, victims -- and they all are different," Nathan says. BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Forty years later, the details have gotten fuzzier and the legends have grown larger. Woodlawn students used to yell, ''Rip those Sugar Jets," which was a reference to this brand of cereal. Jeff Rutledge date of birth: January 22, 1957. Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. A few years ago, though, Nathan realized one thing was missing in his life. DailyPress.com. He was indeed a basketball guy, but Tony Nathan would be playing football for a long time. The next year, I was on injured reserve. "That was neat, that she had just come up (for the game), not knowing anything that was going to happen years later," Rutledge says. [2] Rutledge spent most of his career as a back-up quarterback and a holder on kicks. "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. 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. Some were easier. "Everywhere Tony lined up, there was Greg," Rutledge remembers. Unbeknownst to either one of them at the time, she would later marry one of the game's biggest heroes. 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. Something like that. Trailing 35-14 with 10:37 left in the third quarter Rutledge replaced an ineffective Stan Humphries and led a great comeback. 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. View Jeff Rutledge results in Munford, AL including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. Description above from the Wikipedia article Jeff Rutledge, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia. 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). They made great souvenirs, too, and fans mobbed him after the games to get a piece of Nathan's jersey. That iconic Banks jet was turned over to the Southern Museum of Flight, where it has been restored to its Korean War glory days. Also learn how He earned most of networth at the age of 63 years old? "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 creative problem solver with refined approach to crisis communications and media management. Trailing 35-14 with 10:37 left in the third quarter Rutledge replaced an ineffective Stan Humphries and led a great comeback. 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. "It's . "I remember going back and forth to get more tickets to sell. 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. 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. 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. Nose tackle Bob Baumhower, who was two years ahead of Nathan at Alabama, was already there when Nathan arrived for his first camp. "It was an amazing thing to see all of those kids -- who grew up together and went to church together, played at Wahouma Park together - in that room together that night," Stearns says. 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. The kids are disappointed. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge. "That's why, for two years, we had a lot of focus and attention on Woodlawn. It took him 36 years, but Nathan kept that promise to his coach. The Nathans go to the same church, New Testament Baptist Church, with his former Alabama and Miami teammate McNeal and his wife, Rhonda. From Banks, defensive lineman Freddie Knighton signed with Alabama, running back Jerry Murphree went to LSU, and linebacker Bob Grefseng played at Ole Miss. "I knew some of those guys, and I'm like, 'Why would y'all be out here in the hot sun watching freshman football?'" All three of Nathan's daughters have their college degrees - Nichole from South Florida and Natalie and Nadia from Alabama - as does his wife. On fourth down with a yard needed, he was sent by head coach Bill Parcells for a potential decoy play. [4], Rutledge is a Christian and attends Arizona Community Church in Chandler. 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. 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. The main building, built in 1922, was a grand, three-story structure that always looked more like a palace than a schoolhouse. "In high school, he was the best quarterback in the state of Alabama, and Coach Bryant did his job. After seven seasons at Vanderbilt, Rutledge became the head coach at Montgomery Bell Academy, a school for seventh to 12th grade boys in Nashville. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. He also led the Crimson Tide to two Sugar Bowl appearances and two SEC Championships. White is now retired and living with his wife, June, in Helena. Jeff Rutledge, Nathan's old rival from Banks, was now his teammate, quarterbacking the Tide. "All I had ever seen of football games was everybody falling on each other and piling on each other," she says. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. 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. I still get chills thinking about it.". "But this particular year, we were both undefeated going in. 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.". "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. In 2006, the Birmingham Board of Education decided to close the deteriorating middle school, too, saying it was unsafe and an eyesore. Welcome. Only two practice sessions remain at the Fairleigh Dickinson campus here. (Birmingham News file/Robert Adams). he recalls. A couple of weeks before their game, Banks' White alerted the Legion Field staff to expect a monster crowd. Experienced backup quarterbacks can be valuable when injuries strike. Roberts, the starting left guard, has a slightly sprained left knee, which was reported improved. Now he is not sure what he is. 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. Six years later, he led the Tigers to an undefeated 15-0 season and a 4A state championship. 2. No One Else Wanted Him. Tony -- the second oldest of five siblings -- used to wear out the grass playing ball with their neighbors in the backyard of their house in Parker Heights, near the airport. After completing the eighth grade, those students who would have gone to Banks instead went to Woodlawn High School, Banks' old rival. ''You gear up for a time when you're going to get together as a family. Rutledge played collegiately at Alabama, where he was a member of three SEC Championship teams under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. Rutledge lived up to his star billing that night, completing 9 of 10 passes for 188 yards and that touchdown to Grefseng. . Fast learner, critical thinker with an eye for efficiency, and generally fun guy. 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. Jeff Rutledge. 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. 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. See also [ edit] Rule 5 draft results References [ edit] "They had the best running back in the state and we had the best quarterback," former Banks head coach George "Shorty" White remembers. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. When the Cardinals hired a new offensive coordinator at the end of that season, Rutledge and most of the offensive staff were fired. 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".
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