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. Alabama Crimson Tide football yearly statistical leaders, History of the New York Giants (19791993). The stoic Nathan even teared up as walked across the Coleman Coliseum stage to receive his diploma from outgoing UA President Judy Bonner. We had a blast. . Efforts to reach him for this story were unsuccessful. Although Woodlawn had history on its side, Banks, by 1974, had the upper hand on the football field, winning state titles in 1965, 1972 and 1973 - all under Shorty White's leadership. They all came to see Tony.". So he signed again with the Giants, but for less than the $400,000 he made last year. he recalls. 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. Ragland recalls. 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". "I was like, 'All right, it's that time.'". Probably, Tony Nathan never would have gone on to play for Paul "Bear" Bryant at the University of Alabama, and without him, it's possible the Crimson Tide might not have won that 1978 AP national championship. "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. 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. His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. Tony Nathan holds his youngest brother, Cedric, after he announces in December 1974 that he will attend the University of Alabama. ''You gear up for a time when you're going to get together as a family. 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. "It was always the biggest game of the year, for both sides," Rutledge says. "Some do come in with attitudes, and you just have to diffuse them before they go in front of the judge. "When people say Tony Nathan, their ears go up. So they put the pressure on him, too. Anyone can read what you share. He had 274 completions in 526 attempts for 3,628 yards and 16 touchdowns. One of them said on the phone, 'What did you get me?' 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. [3][6], Rutledge served as the quarterbacks and tight ends coach for the New York Sentinels of the United Football League in 2009.[3]. Nathan scored Woodlawn's only touchdown on a 13-yard run in the fourth quarter. Louise Nathan, though, never was wild about her seeing her son get hit. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. 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. ''But this is tough on the family. 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. He was part of a team that earned back-to-back state *les at L. Frazier Banks High School in Birmingham, Alabama. 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. We definitely love Miami. The next year, Nathan and Rutledge became teammates at the University of Alabama. White says he was assured by the Legion Field crew that it would be able to handle the crowd. A few years ago, though, Nathan realized one thing was missing in his life. "Before Bo, there was Tony," Ragland says. That 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game would be Shorty White's 100th win at Banks, and his last. He also led the Crimson Tide to two Sugar Bowl appearances and two SEC Championships. An estimated 42,000 fans filled the lower bowl of Legion Field for the 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game. He is married to his wife Laura and has 3 children.[7]. Hoover, Alabama. 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. Six years later, he led the Tigers to an undefeated 15-0 season and a 4A state championship. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). 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. 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 Then There Were Three. "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. As depicted in the upcoming "Woodlawn" movie, droves of players, Nathan included, stepped forward to commit their lives to Christ that night. 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. 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. Fast learner, critical thinker with an eye for efficiency, and generally fun guy. "I had some professors walk up to me and say, 'Hey, we were around when you were playing.'. RELATED:See who plays Tony Nathan in 'Woodlawn'. 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. Denny Ragland, who would become the Woodlawn starting quarterback during Nathan's senior season in 1974, knew something was up during freshman football practice, when most of the basketball team came out just to see what the 14-year-old Nathan could do on the football field. Relationships We have no records of past relationships for Jeff Rutledge. I was so elated that he did it, and I thank the Lord that he did.". Finished career at Alabama has the school's leading passer, surpassing Joe Namath. "It was supposed to be a quick pass but somebody got in there and almost sacked Jeff. 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. Description above from the Wikipedia article Jeff Rutledge, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia. Gerelds' plan to move Nathan to running back was paying off handsomely, too.Sometime during that junior season -- maybe it was after he ran for 231 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-12 upset of the No. 1-ranked Huffman Vikings -- Woodlawn fans started calling Nathan "Touchdown Tony" and began clamoring for pictures and autographs. A three-year starter, he also led Alabama to the #2 National ranking in 1977. [1], Rutledge played collegiately at Alabama,[2][3] where he was a member of three SEC Championship teams under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. Even though the Dolphins eventually lost in overtime, the play lives on in Miami lore. "That Banks-Woodlawn game our senior year, that was all about Tony and Jeff Rutledge," Hendrix says. About Jeff Rutledge is a 66 year old American Football (American) Player born on 22nd January, 1957 in Birmingham, AL. "I wanted to go home. The film builds to a finale where Woodlawn meets crosstown rival Banks, quarterbacked by Jeff Rutledge, who would eventually play at Alabama with Nathan. "We had a ball. fdar charting for blood transfusion $ 0.00 Cart. 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. "If we needed him to throw the football, I knew he could definitely do that. His most notable play with the Giants came in Super Bowl XXI in the third quarter. "But at that time, I had a concussion. 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. In those days, the Banks-Woodlawn rivalry was like the Alabama-Auburn of Birmingham high school football, but maybe just a little friendlier. ''My first year in the league, with the Rams, it was hairy because they had so many quarterbacks in camp. 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. said Rutledge. "Well, Shula knew what talent was," Nathan says. An experienced communications and public affairs professional, with a record of effective strategic planning, outreach and engagement. . (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). They've been married for going on 37 years now, with three children and nine grandkids. "I get to meet a ton of people -- lawyers, defendants, victims -- and they all are different," Nathan says. Rivals in high school, Nathan and Rutledge were teammates for four years at Alabama. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Tony Nathan, left, talks with Jeff Rutledge, right, after the famous Woodlawn-Banks high school football game at Legion Field in 1974. 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. His wife, Laura, a former Miss . 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. , money, salary, income, and assets. "We have, I think, one of the best alumni associations in the NFL," Nathan says. ", RELATED: Turning back the clock at Legion Field. "It touched me," he says.

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