He started taking online courses through the University of Alabama's Bama by Distance degree program, and this past May, at 58, he graduated. Jeff Rutledge. His zodiac sign is Aquarius More about Jeff Rutledge Photo Gallery Jeff Rutledge Jeff Rutledge I did believe. Birmingham police guessed another 20,000 gave up and went back home when they saw the long lines. Tony Nathan, left, talks with Jeff Rutledge, right, after the famous Woodlawn-Banks high school football game at Legion Field in 1974. How old is Jeff Rutledge? "'And you told me you didn't want me to play this game. The family will receive friends from 12:00-1:30 pm, Wednesday, October 26, 2016 at . After completing the eighth grade, those students who would have gone to Banks instead went to Woodlawn High School, Banks' old rival. He will miss Saturday night's exhibition game against the Giants at Giants Stadium. Relationships We have no records of past relationships for Jeff Rutledge. Everybody else was gone home for Christmas vacation, and I was like, 'What am I doing here?' 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 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. ", Alabama basketball coach C.M. We were playing in front of 20,000 people regularly, so we were getting some big crowds.". ", In the lunchroom, the Woodlawn students would break into impromptu pep rallies, standing in their chairs and yelling, "Rip Jets, rip Jets, rip those Sugar Jets." He had left the University of Alabama in the spring of 1979 without a diploma. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Quarterback Jeff Rutledge played 13 seasons for 3 teams. Newton stood behind Nathan as he sat next to his parents and got his picture taken signing his letter of intent. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. What is Jeff Rutledge's full name? He received his degree from Alabama in Business Administration and in 2011, was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. After seven seasons at Vanderbilt, Rutledge became the head coach at Montgomery Bell Academy, a school for seventh to 12th grade boys in Nashville. Hoover, Alabama. My parents raised me that way. The next year, Nathan and Rutledge became teammates at the University of Alabama. Jeff is survived by his wife, Dana; daughter, Payton Rutledge; son, Parker Rutledge; and several nieces and nephews. Welcome. 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. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). "I wanted to go home. He is now a bailiff for Miami-Dade County Court Judge Edward Newman, a former Dolphins teammate. An estimated 42,000 fans filled the lower bowl of Legion Field for the 1974 Banks-Woodlawn game. 66. Football was going to be it. 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. Ragland recalls. 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. The easygoing Nathan had the ideal temperament for the job, Newman told him. Wore number 17 for the New York Giants. "We had a ball. Jeff Rutledge's net worth Jeff Rutledge date of birth: January 22, 1957. ''That may make the Giants think,'' said Rutledge. He had 274 completions in 526 attempts for 3,628 yards and 16 touchdowns. By Frank Litsky, Special To the New York Times. 1-ranked Huffman Vikings -- Woodlawn fans started calling Nathan "Touchdown Tony" and began clamoring for pictures and autographs. Now he is here and his family is there, and no one is happy. View Jeff Rutledge results in Munford, AL including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. His brother Gary Rutledge was also a quarterback at Alabama from 1972 to 1974. ', "I said, 'I will do that. Jeff Rutledge was born on January 22, 1957 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. Some of the choices Jeff Rutledge made during his journey to become an NFL assistant coach were difficult. 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. "I didn't have to worry about cutting grass because they played all the time.". He is survived by his beloved wife of nearly 38 years, Traci (Ellis) Rutledge and their four children, Hannah, Jacob, Marilynn, and Haylee Rutledge; his two granddaughters, Amelia and Ramona Banerjee as well as his many nieces, nephews, and their families-all of whom he cherished greatly. His parents met at the University of Arkansas, and when he was almost four his family moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I knew when I came to training camp that it would be tough. 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". Stearns recalls. The athletic teams at Banks adopted the name Jets, and in 1961, the Alabama Air National Guard loaned the school a Korean War-era F-86D Sabre jet, which was painted in the school colors of Columbia blue and scarlet and prominently displayed on campus, making it an inviting target for practical jokers from rival schools. | Learn more about Jeff . "I think (defensive lineman) Marty Lyons could play today. "I just felt like I was the oldest cat in the house," he says. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. "The other thing about the wishbone, if you were a truly good back in the wishbone, you had to block, too,'' says Murray Legg, who, as a defensive back on those Alabama teams, often went up against Nathan in practice. Electronic version of this article was lost during the computer . "Almost everybody who played in that (1974) game, you may not have been close friends with them, but you knew who they were," Grefseng, the Banks linebacker, says. Simms is the Giants' starter and Jeff Hostetler is No. WE BUY HOUSES ANY PRICE ANY CONDITION CALL 205 966 4880 NOW. 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. When the teams ran back onto the field for the third time, the lower bowl of Legion Field was practically full. Menu Log In Sign Up "But I was raised in the church anyway. Jeff was in the flooring business and owned Vintage Wood Floors, Inc. From Banks, defensive lineman Freddie Knighton signed with Alabama, running back Jerry Murphree went to LSU, and linebacker Bob Grefseng played at Ole Miss. 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. No One Else Wanted Him. 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. A title search shows that Mr. Rutledge and his wife bought a property in Naramata for $1.15-million on Oct. 31, 2016. 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. 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.. He received his degree from Alabama in Business Administration and in 2011, was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. In 2013, he married Laura McKeeman (who took Rutledge's name upon marriage), a reporter and host for ESPN and the SEC Network. 1957 It hardly seemed like a swan-song performance. (Sugar Jets was a reference to a brand of cereal from the 1950s and '60s.). How tall is Jeff Rutledge? Rutledge led Montgomery Bell Academy to a 41-17 record from 20022006, with two state titles in 2002 and 2003 and a #15 ranking in the final USA Today Super 25 poll in 2003. 195 lbs (88.5 kg) 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. Plan B was the system under which each N.F.L. #Jeff #Rutledge #Wiki Biography #Age #Height #Wife #Net #Worth #Family Tags: Age Biography Family Height Jeff Net Rutledge Wife Wiki Worth 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. Former Realtor at ReallivingAdavanceRealty. Six years later, he led the Tigers to an undefeated 15-0 season and a 4A state championship. The main building, built in 1922, was a grand, three-story structure that always looked more like a palace than a schoolhouse. A month ago, Jeff and Laura Rutledge decided that today would be Reunion Day, the day Laura and their three children would leave their home in Mission Viejo, Calif., and fly east to join Jeff for the winter. "What are you doing with that grip?'" On Sunday, the Jets lost their backup, Pat Ryan, for at least six to eight weeks with a sprained knee. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. There's something always new at the courthouse.". "That's a scary thought now," the 58-year-old Nathan says of what might have been. "It wasn't hard to grab a piece of it. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. "The Woodlawn guys were like maniacs, and they were roaring all through their pre-game warm-ups. At the age of 32, starting his 11th season as a National Football League quarterback, Rutledge was not sure he would make the Giants. William Nathan, who worked as millwright at Connors Steel in Birmingham, made his son Tony his first football by stitching together a strip of Naugahyde and stuffing it with rags and cotton balls. They came out in such numbers that the start of the game had to be delayed twice so folks could work their way through the jammed Legion Field turnstiles. He was part of a team that earned back-to-back state titles at L. Frazier Banks High School in Birmingham, Alabama. He was the starting quarterback on the 1978 National Championship team. He resigned in the Spring of 2012 to return to Arizona to spend time with his family. We have estimated Trivia (4) Quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams (1979-1981), New York Giants (1983-1989) and Washington Redskins (1990-1992). 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. They attended some of the same churches and dated some of the same girls. 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. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). 6' 1" (185 cm) How much does Jeff Rutledge weigh? "We let them run and play," Tony's father, whom the family calls "Pops," says. 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. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). 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. A few years ago, though, Nathan realized one thing was missing in his life. ", 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." 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". By his senior season in 1974, Woodlawn running back Tony Nathan was one of the most sought-after high school football players in America. Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. Commissioner Rutledge, a native of Newport, graduated from Newport High School and earned a B.S. "It was odd to see people react and want a piece of cloth off of somebody else who was wearing it. 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. I will make you that promise. Manage Settings As depicted in the upcoming "Woodlawn" movie, droves of players, Nathan included, stepped forward to commit their lives to Christ that night. 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). 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. Rutledge earned MVP honors at the 1978 Sugar Bowl and also earned All-SEC honors in 1978 and 1979.[4]. And I don't know when that will be.'' Alabama Crimson Tide football yearly statistical leaders, History of the New York Giants (19791993). The year before, Logan had coached at rural Locust Fork High School in Blount County. 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. So I've never come to camp feeling confident I'd be in place. "It was time for people to actually get along -- no matter what race or color you were," he says. "He ate a few pieces of it, but he didn't eat much.". "That's why, for two years, we had a lot of focus and attention on Woodlawn. William Nathan asked, referring to Bryant's bag. He resigned in the Spring of 2012 to return to Arizona to spend time with his family. Once he started playing, though, she never let him quit. And when the game finally did kick off a half-hour or so later, the crowd kept pouring in well into the second quarter. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). Horgan III, Jeff Hart, Jim Rutledge of Canada, Gary Hallberg and Jeff Freeman pose together with their Qualifying cards during the Champions Tour. 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. ", Tony Nathan prepares to take a hand-off from quarterback Jeff Rutledge at the University of Alabama. 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. "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. "Somewhere, there is a videotape of that game," Grefseng says. They included touchdown passes of 29, 20 and 43 yards. Another one of football's coaching greats, Don Shula of the Miami Dolphins, drafted Nathan in the third round of the 1979 NFL Draft, and even though it was a long way from Birmingham or Tuscaloosa, Miami was like a home away from home for Nathan. I do believe. As a senior, he was a member of the 1974 Parade High School All-American team. "Some of the other running backs didn't want to be that lead blocker. Bold denotes league leader. If all that notoriety affected Nathan, none of his teammates could tell. 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. "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. Rutledge was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. "That's what I always wanted. ", Tony Nathan runs behind his Miami Dolphins teammate Jeff Toews in a game against the New York Jets. 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. The Colonels had something else going for them, too. If they cut me and someone picks me up, they would have to get someone else not familiar with their system.'' Roberts, the starting left guard, has a slightly sprained left knee, which was reported improved. Anyone can read what you share. And to himself. Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. The attendance was out of this world.". "But it didn't bother me that I was forced to go to Woodlawn because a lot of my friends were at Woodlawn, too.". Discover Jeff Rutledge's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. "It was the thrill of my life," Louise Nathan says. "In high school, he was the best quarterback in the state of Alabama, and Coach Bryant did his job. A creative problem solver with refined approach to crisis communications and media management. It wasn't anything boastful for him. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. So, how much is Jeff Rutledge worth at the age of 65 years old? . The following Friday night, Woodlawn closed out its season on a cold, rainy night at Fair Park, defeating Carver 12-0. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? The quiet, introverted Nathan didn't know quite what to make of all that attention. It wasn't so much the football I wanted. 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. A three-year starter, he also led Alabama to the #2 National ranking in 1977. Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge (born January 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. "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. I don't remember that whole week. I bought them last week. are hard-pressed to remember the final score. "It was one heck of a game. That University of Alabama sorority girl who was in the stands at Legion Field that night? 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. You look at the schedule, and that was the one you've got marked down that you want to win. Former Buyer/Planner at Rutledge Properties LLC. Wasn't it 14-0? RELATED:See who plays Tony Nathan in 'Woodlawn'. Jeff is an experienced communications and public affairs professional with more than a decade working in government and the private sector. 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. Jeff Rutledge, of Newport, represents the White River and his term expires in 2024. "I did accept Christ in my life at that time, they say," Nathan says. 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". Rutledge earned MVP honors at the 1978 Sugar Bowl and also earned All-SEC honors in 1978 and 1979. 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. 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. We definitely love Miami. 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. 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. They got at least part of that right. "I remember going back and forth to get more tickets to sell. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. So I ended up saying, 'Thanks, coach, but no thanks.' His wife, Laura, a former Miss . "And when they were picking teams, I wanted to get picked. It was Grefseng's only touchdown catch of his Banks career. A three-year starter, he also led Alabama to the #2 National ranking in 1977. Fully committed to football now, Nathan became one of the key cogs in a wishbone offense that was clicking on all cylinders. As that 1974 season progressed and both teams kept winning week after week, that friendly rivalry between Banks and Woodlawn reached a new level, though. Add to that the fact that, back in those days, only one team from each region made the state playoffs. "They had the best running back in the state and we had the best quarterback," former Banks head coach George "Shorty" White remembers. He got permission from his academic advisers to drop his courses with a withdraw-passing grade and come back to finish his degree later. "If we needed him to throw the football, I knew he could definitely do that. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. In his teens, he acted in productions of the North Shore Children's Theater and, from 1942 to 1944, performed in . 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. When the Cardinals hired a new offensive coordinator at the end of that season, Rutledge and most of the offensive staff were fired. Contact . Rutledge and his wife had just moved into their dream house in Atlanta, but felt it was the best job available. "He's very respected here," McNeal says of his old teammate. He resigned in the Spring of 2012 to return to Arizona to spend time with his family. Not once, but twice, both teams were sent back to their respective locker rooms to allow the crowd to file into the stadium. Rutledge played collegiately at Alabama, where he was a member of three SEC Championship teams under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. 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. That iconic Banks jet was turned over to the Southern Museum of Flight, where it has been restored to its Korean War glory days. "There are people who went to that game that I've heard from all my life," Rutledge says. As a senior, he was a member of the 1974 Parade High School All-American team. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Though Rutledge was available, no other team signed him. But Norman, Okla., was cold and rainy when Nathan went to visit, and besides that, Switzer never bothered to come visit Nathan and his parents in Birmingham. Nathan says. (Birmingham News file/Charles Nesbitt). "And I didn't like that. He said he hadn't decided whether to keep two or three quarterbacks.''. Gerelds, recognizing Nathan's underutilized potential, thought he needed to have the ball in his hands more often and moved him to offense his junior year.Before the start of that 1973 season, something else happened that changed the Woodlawn football team's fortunes. fatal car accident in tulare county / how to endorse a check for mobile deposit wells fargo / jeff rutledge wife. "Coach Tandy Gerelds was a fine man and a fine coach, and he had a lot to do with a lot of players on that team coming to know the Lord," Brad Hendrix, a senior defensive end on the '74 team, says. Jeffrey Hunter was born Henry Herman McKinnies Jr. on November 25, 1926 in New Orleans, Louisiana, an only child. "I told him, me being so far behind, I didn't want to flunk out. That year, the Cardinals made a late season run and earned a Super Bowl berth, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23. "I played with older guys, and I wanted to be able to play on their level," Nathan says. "I came to stay until Tony makes up his mind," Bryant replied. 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. So it's tough for her to hear that she should wait. He was just a humble high school athlete. 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. And the majority of us did that. He is from United States. Rutledge is a Christian and attends Arizona Community Church in Chandler. "We dedicated our season to the glory of the Lord, and we played at a much higher level those two years (1973-74) than we probably should have. He was worn out, and he was just tearing the rest of his jersey off.". 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. "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. A three-year starter, he also led Alabama to the #2 National ranking in 1977. After Friday morning's practice, they will break camp and return to Giants Stadium, where practices are closed to the public. 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. DeOssie, who has been starting at inside linebacker, strained his back lifting weights. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Jeff Rutledge Biography. He had to meet with Coach Bryant to get him to sign off on it, too. And much to the surprise of probably everybody who was there that night -- fans, players, coaches, cheerleaders and sportswriters -- neither one of the teams would go on to win it all that year. 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,. team protected 37 players during the off season and made the unprotected players available to other teams. WIFE'S SUGGESTION OF RETIREMENT LOST ON RUTLEDGE. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. 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. His most notable play with the Giants came in Super Bowl XXI in the third quarter. Since then, Rutledge has been mostly a backup. 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. 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. Description above from the Wikipedia article Jeff Rutledge, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia. "It was just that time. The regular season game was played in . He also led the Crimson Tide to two Sugar Bowl appearances and two SEC Championships. 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. I told Coach Gerelds that I didn't want him to be anywhere near the ball.".