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. Bold denotes league leader. 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. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. ''My first year in the league, with the Rams, it was hairy because they had so many quarterbacks in camp. Carden Jefferson "Jeff" Rutledge - Wages and sons Everybody else was gone home for Christmas vacation, and I was like, 'What am I doing here?' Jeff Rutledge Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Nathan says. We definitely love Miami. And when that happened, that movement, I was touched in my heart to do so again.". He will miss Saturday night's exhibition game against the Giants at Giants Stadium. His zodiac sign is Aquarius More about Jeff Rutledge Photo Gallery Jeff Rutledge Jeff Rutledge "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. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. 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. Senior Consultant. So it's tough for her to hear that she should wait. 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. "I said, 'What's wrong, Mike, they didn't have crowds like this at Locust Fork?'" The following Friday night, Woodlawn closed out its season on a cold, rainy night at Fair Park, defeating Carver 12-0. 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. Rutledge served as the quarterbacks and tight ends coach for the New York Sentinels of the United Football League in 2009. McNeal has been a pastor and counselor at the church, and he and Nathan are close, a friendship that dates back to their playing days at Alabama. "I wanted to go home. It took him 36 years, but Nathan kept that promise to his coach. "I think (defensive lineman) Marty Lyons could play today. As a senior, he was a member of the 1974 Parade High School All-American team. 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. DeOssie, who has been starting at inside linebacker, strained his back lifting weights. 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. American football player and coach (born 1957) 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. (Birmingham News file) In the 1980s,. People around the country were starting to notice him, too. 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. 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. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. He got permission from his academic advisers to drop his courses with a withdraw-passing grade and come back to finish his degree later. I did believe. 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. 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. This week, Birmingham filmmakers Jon and Andrew Erwin began shooting a movie, "Woodlawn," which takes place during Nathan's days at Woodlawn High School and focuses in on that 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game. 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. Mike Perez was waived Tuesday, leaving Rutledge as the only other quarterback on the roster. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge. 6'1", 195 lbs. 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. And while most college players today are bigger, faster and stronger now than they were during Nathan's college days, Legg has no doubt that, had Nathan come along four decades later, Nick Saban would find a place for him with Derrick Henry and Kenyan Drake in the Crimson Tide's current running back rotation. "In high school, he was the best quarterback in the state of Alabama, and Coach Bryant did his job. 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 didn't have to worry about cutting grass because they played all the time.". Banks High School - named for school superintendent L. Frazier Banks - opened in 1957 in Birmingham's South East Lake neighborhood and fielded its first football team three years later. 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 most notable play with the Giants came in Super Bowl XXI in the third quarter. Jeff was in the flooring business and owned Vintage Wood Floors, Inc. We just couldn't put the icing on the cake.". On fourth down with a yard needed, he was sent by head coach Bill Parcells for a potential decoy play. "We both started to laugh.". The Nathans go to the same church, New Testament Baptist Church, with his former Alabama and Miami teammate McNeal and his wife, Rhonda. They all came to see Tony.". (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). 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. (Photo courtesy of Banks High School Facebook page). So, how much is Jeff Rutledge worth at the age of 65 years old? "Including his wife. Woodlawn never beat Banks during Nathan's three years on the varsity. The next year, Nathan and Rutledge became teammates at the University of Alabama. Jeff is an experienced communications and public affairs professional with more than a decade working in government and the private sector. After playing in three college all-star games following his senior season, Nathan fell behind in his classes, and he was worried he might flunk out his spring semester. 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. Experienced backup quarterbacks can be valuable when injuries strike. Stearns recalls. 90+ "Jeff Rutledge" profiles | LinkedIn At the age of 32, starting his 11th season as a National Football League quarterback, Rutledge was not sure he would make the. Jeff Rutledge Net Worth Newton stood behind Nathan as he sat next to his parents and got his picture taken signing his letter of intent. Not once, but twice, both teams were sent back to their respective locker rooms to allow the crowd to file into the stadium. It was Grefseng's only touchdown catch of his Banks career. Charles Rutledge Obituary (1938 - 2019) - Boiling Springs, SC - Legacy Woodlawn vs. Banks 1974: Remembering the biggest game in Alabama high The attendance was out of this world.". "It's been home a long time," Nathan says. So he signed again with the Giants, but for less than the $400,000 he made last year. That spiritual awakening not only inspired the team, but it reverberated throughout the entire school, defusing some racial tension that Nathan says he felt his first couple of years at Woodlawn. At 65 years old, Jeff Rutledge height not available right now. he recalls. On signing day, both Bryant and Alabama basketball coach C.M. I bought them last week. Jeff is survived by his wife, Dana; daughter, Payton Rutledge; son, Parker Rutledge; and several nieces and nephews. Bill Battle, the young coach at Tennessee, wanted Nathan to come play for him in Knoxville, and Vols star quarterback Condredge Holloway showed him around on his official visit. I was so elated that he did it, and I thank the Lord that he did.". He resigned in the Spring of 2012 to return to Arizona to spend time with his family. 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. Jeff Rutledge | American Football Database | Fandom Birmingham, Alabama. Unbeknownst to either one of them at the time, she would later marry one of the game's biggest heroes. He started taking online courses through the University of Alabama's Bama by Distance degree program, and this past May, at 58, he graduated. That year, the Cardinals made a late season run and earned a Super Bowl berth, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23. 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. Finished career at Alabama has the school's leading passer, surpassing Joe Namath. ABOUT | Jeff Rutledge The next year, I was on injured reserve. 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. We prayed together, and from then on, I respected them and they respected me. 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. The other day, Rutledge called his wife and told her to wait. "That's a scary thought now," the 58-year-old Nathan says of what might have been.