Alabama Crimson Tide football yearly statistical leaders, History of the New York Giants (19791993). We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. ''I wanted to know what he was thinking. His two older sisters went to Banks, but after the Birmingham schools were desegregated, he was zoned for Woodlawn. 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. ----DeOssie and Roberts Out Steve DeOssie and William Roberts missed practice Wednesday. Perhaps that epic 1974 showdown at Legion Field between Birmingham high-school heavyweights Woodlawn and Banks would have been just another Friday night football game. The two schools were just 10 minutes and less than four miles apart. "I wanted some kind of meat to serve him," William Nathan remembers. I will make you that promise. So, how much is Jeff Rutledge worth at the age of 65 years old? The night after that chat, in an exhibition game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Rutledge completed all 8 of his passes for 156 yards. His most notable play with the Giants came in Super Bowl XXI in the third quarter. 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. Mike Perez was waived Tuesday, leaving Rutledge as the only other quarterback on the roster. 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. 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 last game of the regular season, again against the Philadelphia Eagles. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. He will miss Saturday night's exhibition game against the Giants at Giants Stadium. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge. So I ended up saying, 'Thanks, coach, but no thanks.' After completing the eighth grade, those students who would have gone to Banks instead went to Woodlawn High School, Banks' old rival. Rutledge played collegiately at Alabama, where he was a member of three SEC Championship teams under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. So it's tough for her to hear that she should wait. "There wasn't anybody that came to see me play or any of the other guys. Jeffrey Hunter was born Henry Herman McKinnies Jr. on November 25, 1926 in New Orleans, Louisiana, an only child. They included touchdown passes of 29, 20 and 43 yards. 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. Wore number 17 for the New York Giants. 66. in Plant Science from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and a Masters in Agronomy (Weed Science) from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. 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. "It really did.". Jeff Rutledge, Nathan's old rival from Banks, was now his teammate, quarterbacking the Tide. 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. 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. "Somewhere, there is a videotape of that game," Grefseng says. You could call it inspiration, you could call it whatever you like. 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. 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. 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. About Jeff Rutledge is a 66 year old American Football (American) Player born on 22nd January, 1957 in Birmingham, AL. ", 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." ", Tony Nathan is joined by his wife, Johnnie, and his daughters Nichole, Natalie and Nadia at his induction into the Miami Dolphins Walk of Fame in 2014. 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. They all came to see Tony.". The next year, they got Bert Jones. You look at the schedule, and that was the one you've got marked down that you want to win. Rutledge and his wife had just moved into their dream house in Atlanta, but felt it was the best job available. (Birmingham News file) In the 1980s,. Since then, Rutledge has been mostly a backup. "I don't even know if he realized how good he was back then. 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 . "Before I signed to go to Alabama, Coach Bryant told me, 'Well, look, you can try out (for basketball), but if you're not within the top six, you've got to come back out for spring ball.'''. It was Geralds, Nathan would say later, who talked him out of quitting football, and for that, Nathan remained forever grateful. A Valuable Commodity. Rutledge spent most of his career as a back-up quarterback and a holder on kicks. The main building, built in 1922, was a grand, three-story structure that always looked more like a palace than a schoolhouse. "That's why, for two years, we had a lot of focus and attention on Woodlawn. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. We just couldn't put the icing on the cake.". 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. From Banks, defensive lineman Freddie Knighton signed with Alabama, running back Jerry Murphree went to LSU, and linebacker Bob Grefseng played at Ole Miss. And to himself. 1-ranked Huffman Vikings -- Woodlawn fans started calling Nathan "Touchdown Tony" and began clamoring for pictures and autographs. If all of the gates had been open, they would have had 60,000 people.". He is a member of famous Player with the age 65 years old group. "And I didn't like that. Nathan played nine years with the Dolphins and started in two Super Bowls. Jeff Rutledge's net worth Those were the days when running backs wore tear-away jerseys, which ripped when opposing players tried to bring down the ball carrier by grabbing ahold of his jersey. 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. 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. Trailing 35-14 with 10:37 left in the third quarter Rutledge replaced an ineffective Stan Humphries and led a great comeback. But, Knoxville, too, was a little too far from home for Nathan. On Monday night, the Los Angeles Rams lost their backup, Mark Herrmann, for six to eight weeks with broken ribs. By his senior year, it wasn't just folks in Birmingham talking about "Touchdown Tony." 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. 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 knew each other from grammar school.". It hardly seemed like a swan-song performance. Almost assuredly, Nathan would not be the featured character in the upcoming movie "Woodlawn," which opens nationwide on Oct. 16, and most definitely, he would not have written a book, "Touchdown Tony: Running With a Purpose," which comes out Tuesday. The next year, Nathan and Rutledge became teammates at the University of Alabama. The night before the game, Stearns says, members of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapters from both teams gathered for a joint meeting at Woodlawn. 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.. 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. he recalls. The name still resonates in the state, especially since Jeff Rutledge was homegrown (Birmingham) and in 2011 was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. "That Banks-Woodlawn game our senior year, that was all about Tony and Jeff Rutledge," Hendrix says. ''But this is tough on the family. The other day, Rutledge called his wife and told her to wait. The quiet, introverted Nathan didn't know quite what to make of all that attention. 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. Roberts, the starting left guard, has a slightly sprained left knee, which was reported improved. A couple of weeks before their game, Banks' White alerted the Legion Field staff to expect a monster crowd. That year, the Cardinals made a late season run and earned a Super Bowl berth, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23. When he retired from football, Nathan also got into coaching - first with the Dolphins and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and then at Florida International University. He was worn out, and he was just tearing the rest of his jersey off.". Center Dwight Stephenson and defensive back Don McNeal, who were a year behind him, would join the Dolphins the next year. An estimated 42,000 fans filled the lower bowl of Legion Field for the 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game. Jeff Rutledge takes a breather during the 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game at Legion Field in Birmingham. Birmingham, Alabama. ''My first year in the league, with the Rams, it was hairy because they had so many quarterbacks in camp. ''You gear up for a time when you're going to get together as a family. "We have, I think, one of the best alumni associations in the NFL," Nathan says. He and his wife, Johnnie, who was his high school sweetheart at Woodlawn and his college sweetheart at Alabama, still live in the same house they bought in 1983. "I played with older guys, and I wanted to be able to play on their level," Nathan says. We definitely love Miami. All rights reserved (About Us). Jeff Rutledge Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge Position: QB Throws: Right 6-1 , 195lb (185cm, 88kg) Born: January 22 in Birmingham, AL (Age: 66-029d) More bio, uniform, draft, salary info 2x SB Champ 8 17 10 SUMMARY Career G 117 AV 8 QBrec 2-7-1 Cmp% 52.1 Yds 3628 Y/A 6.9 TD 16 Int 29 FantPt 151.0 Jeff Rutledge Overview Game Logs Career Postseason 1979 1980 By his senior season in 1974, Woodlawn running back Tony Nathan was one of the most sought-after high school football players in America. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. I still get chills thinking about it.". View the profiles of professionals named "Jeff Rutledge" on LinkedIn. "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. "It was time for people to actually get along -- no matter what race or color you were," he says. Not once, but twice, both teams were sent back to their respective locker rooms to allow the crowd to file into the stadium. His zodiac sign is Aquarius More about Jeff Rutledge Photo Gallery Jeff Rutledge Jeff Rutledge See also [ edit] Rule 5 draft results References [ edit] And when that happened, that movement, I was touched in my heart to do so again.". 100.00 Down Payment and Houses with No Credit Check. "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. William Nathan was sold, though, and eventually, so was his son Tony. 2. "If we needed him to throw the football, I knew he could definitely do that. 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. Woodlawn students used to yell, ''Rip those Sugar Jets," which was a reference to this brand of cereal. 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. The following Friday night, Woodlawn closed out its season on a cold, rainy night at Fair Park, defeating Carver 12-0. 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. If all that notoriety affected Nathan, none of his teammates could tell. One of them said on the phone, 'What did you get me?' And the majority of us did that. 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. Woodlawn, meanwhile, had a nice streak going, too, winning 11 in a row since it fell to Banks 17-7 in 1973. "He's very respected here," McNeal says of his old teammate. [4], Rutledge is a Christian and attends Arizona Community Church in Chandler. White is now retired and living with his wife, June, in Helena. 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. "And when they were picking teams, I wanted to get picked. Nathan scored Woodlawn's only touchdown on a 13-yard run in the fourth quarter. "I get to meet a ton of people -- lawyers, defendants, victims -- and they all are different," Nathan says. In 2013, he married Laura McKeeman (who took Rutledge's name upon marriage), a reporter and host for ESPN and the SEC Network. 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. Discover Jeff Rutledge's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. ", RELATED: Turning back the clock at Legion Field. I knew it even before that, when Plan B came along.'' 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. When the Cardinals hired a new offensive coordinator at the end of that season, Rutledge and most of the offensive staff were fired. 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. 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. He started taking online courses through the University of Alabama's Bama by Distance degree program, and this past May, at 58, he graduated. "I was like, 'All right, it's that time.'". He said, 'Well, make sure you promise me you're going to finish what you started. "We were out there playing in the mud and the rain," Woodlawn's Ragland says. ", Woodlawn's Tony Nathan ran for 112 yards and scored a touchdown in the 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game, but Banks linebacker Greg Muse was all over him all night long. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). He had 274 completions in 526 attempts for 3,628 yards and 16 touchdowns. It wasn't anything boastful for him. Once he started playing, though, she never let him quit. Jeff Rutledge, of Newport, represents the White River and his term expires in 2024. Tandy Gerelds left Woodlawn after the 1975 season to join his father in the family insurance business, but in 1984, he returned to coaching at Deshler High School in Tuscumbia. "I've never known a Nathan to quit anything," she said. Jeff Rutledge Position: QB Birthdate: January 22, 1957 College: Alabama Draft: Selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 9th round (246th overall) of the 1979 NFL Draft Stats Gamelogs 300-Yard Passing Jeff Rutledge Stats Jeff Rutledge career stats with the Los Angeles Rams, New York Giants and Washington Redskins. His most notable play with the Giants came in Super Bowl XXI in the third quarter. Even though the Dolphins eventually lost in overtime, the play lives on in Miami lore. Their two-year reign as 4A state champs also ended with a 12-0 shutout loss to eventual champion Homewood in the first round of the playoffs. So he signed again with the Giants, but for less than the $400,000 he made last year. [2] Rutledge spent most of his career as a back-up quarterback and a holder on kicks. [3][6], Rutledge served as the quarterbacks and tight ends coach for the New York Sentinels of the United Football League in 2009.[3]. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. 1957 "We were just talking about it. After Thursday morning's practice, the Giants will leave for their annual welcome-home lunch at the Sheraton Centre. 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. 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. "I just felt like I was the oldest cat in the house," he says. Now he is here and his family is there, and no one is happy. 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. Commissioner Rutledge, a native of Newport, graduated from Newport High School and earned a B.S. But there was one catch. ''Maybe it will make them think a bit or at least make their decision tough. 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. "There is no doubt in my mind that the delay in the game helped us,'' Banks' Grefseng says. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. New York Giants. We prayed together, and from then on, I respected them and they respected me. 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. He is now a bailiff for Miami-Dade County Court Judge Edward Newman, a former Dolphins teammate. 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,. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). Some of the choices Jeff Rutledge made during his journey to become an NFL assistant coach were difficult. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. "It was weird," he says. Jeff Rutledge, Nathan's old rival from Banks, was now his teammate, quarterbacking the Tide. He had to meet with Coach Bryant to get him to sign off on it, too. Something like that. Tony could have gone anywhere. 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. 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. 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. Contents 1 Early years 2 College career 3 Playing career 4 Coaching career 5 Personal life 6 See also 7 References Early years Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. 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. He is from United States. Contact . Nathan, who wore number 22, went through as many as a dozen jerseys in some games. Wasn't it 14-0? Rutledge played collegiately at Alabama, where he was a member of three SEC Championship teams under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. 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. 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. The easygoing Nathan had the ideal temperament for the job, Newman told him. Woodlawn High School had a much longer history that went back to 1916, when the community of Woodlawn was annexed into Birmingham. 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. #Jeff #Rutledge #Wiki Biography #Age #Height #Wife #Net #Worth #Family Tags: Age Biography Family Height Jeff Net Rutledge Wife Wiki Worth He was part of a team that earned back-to-back state titles at L. Frazier Banks High School in Birmingham, Alabama. printers and related vendors. 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. 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. So by the time he arrived at Woodlawn High School to start the ninth grade, his reputation as a wizard of the basketball court preceded him. fdar charting for blood transfusion $ 0.00 Cart. 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. 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. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. 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). "'And you told me you didn't want me to play this game. The kids are disappointed. Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. 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. "And then they told me that that guy (Nathan) was an All-American basketball player, and he wasn't going to be playing football. The quiet Nathan, who teammates say tried to shy away from all of the attention, was one of Birmingham's first superstar black athletes in a city that was still adjusting to integration. "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. He was part of a team that earned back-to-back state titles at L. Frazier Banks High School in Birmingham, Alabama. Jeff Rutledge. "All I had ever seen of football games was everybody falling on each other and piling on each other," she says. "It was Banks-Woodlawn. But she's been through this every year. What is Jeff Rutledge's full name? Quarterback Jeff Rutledge played 13 seasons for 3 teams. "People drove up, saw the lines outside and just went on by. Ragland recalls. 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. That 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game would be Shorty White's 100th win at Banks, and his last. As a senior, he was a member of the 1974 Parade High School All-American team. The next year, I was on injured reserve. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. We had a blast. It's tough for me to tell her to wait. We have estimated 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". He played college football at Alabama, where he was the team's starting quarterback for their 1978 National . 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. UNEASY LIES THE HEAD OF NO. "Some of the other running backs didn't want to be that lead blocker. He is currently single. He was a devoted husband and father and his favorite hobby was fishing. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). "Before Bo, there was Tony," Ragland says. 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. "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. He is married to his wife Laura and has 3 children.[7]. "It was one heck of a game. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. ", Tony Nathan prepares to take a hand-off from quarterback Jeff Rutledge at the University of Alabama. 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. So the magic from that night continues to live on. 6'1", 195 lbs. 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. . 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. 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. Trivia (4) Quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams (1979-1981), New York Giants (1983-1989) and Washington Redskins (1990-1992). Where was Jeff Rutledge born? In those days, the Banks-Woodlawn rivalry was like the Alabama-Auburn of Birmingham high school football, but maybe just a little friendlier. DailyPress.com. 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. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. 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. On Nov. 8, 1974 -- 40 years ago this Saturday - the two-time defending state champion Banks Jets met their eastern Birmingham rivals the Woodlawn Colonels in front of what was then and remains today the biggest crowd to ever watch a high school football game in Alabama.