. 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. '", So just think, if Louise Nathan hadn't put her foot down, maybe no one would have ever heard of "Touchdown Tony.". Tony is a very revered guy here in our community, here in our church community.". "And when they were picking teams, I wanted to get picked. "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. Woodlawn featured running back Tony Nathan and Banks had Jeff Rutledge at quarterback. Sports Illustrated featured him in its "Faces in the Crowd" section after he ran for 228 yards and scored seven touchdowns against Ramsay, and late in the season, along with Banks quarterback Jeff Rutledge, he was named a Parade All-American. Reginald was a member of the now famed "Woodlawn Colonels" football team of 1973 and 1974, which is the subject of the feature film of the same title "Woodlawn". Historical faith-and-football drama from Pure Flix/Provident Films/Lightworkers Media outperforms opening weekend box-office projections. Players (39) Staff (1) 1. Be sure to stay tuned to additions to the expanding Friday Night Legends game as Friday Night Legends will be releasing more great teams and share news about where you can find us around the country! "I don't even know if he realized how good he was back then. "It touched me," he says. Friday Night Legends adds 1973 & ’74 Woodlawn Colonels (AL) from the... HSA Harmony Science Academy – Cypress (K-5), Lone Star College calendar for the 2020-2021 school year, Friday Night Legends (save 10% with coupon code: CNR10), (https://www.patreon.com/CypressNewsReview, Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/CypressNewsReview, Twitter (https://twitter.com/CypressNewsRev, YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKIuHUwXbt_R673iszcLz7g, (Major update to last night’s breaking news), Quinn’s Lemons opening summertime pop-up lemonade stand, Hempstead Bobcats name new head football coach, CFISD football players named to 2020 All-District 17-6A Team, Cypress and Bridgeland ® football players named to 2020 All-District 16-6A Team. "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. Louise Nathan, though, never was wild about her seeing her son get hit. Woodlawn Football Roster. Become a monthly patron for as little as $1 via Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/CypressNewsReview). Nathan played on the B-team his freshman year, and by his sophomore season, he earned a spot on the Woodlawn varsity as the starting free safety on defense. View photos from Woodlawn Colonels sporting events. "We let them run and play," Tony's father, whom the family calls "Pops," says. All rights reserved (About Us). 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. 7:00pm. They all came to see Tony.". After a government-mandate, Tony Nathan, a gifted high school football player, and other black students desegregate Woodlawn High School in Birmingham, Alabama in 1973. Woodlawn (2015, Blu-ray, DVD) When future NFL running back Tony Nathan (newcomer Caleb Castille) arrives at Woodlawn High School after its government-mandated desegregation in 1973. RELATED: See who plays Tony Nathan in 'Woodlawn'. All-time roster. Bookmark us! As depicted in the upcoming "Woodlawn" movie, droves of players, Nathan included, stepped forward to commit their lives to Christ that night. Tony Nathan (Caleb Castille) lands in a powder keg of anger and violence when he joins fellow African-American students at Woodlawn High School after its government-mandated desegregation in 1973. 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. Nathan is flanked by his parents William and Louise Nathan. . 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. "We had a ball. Tony Nathan, left, talks with Jeff Rutledge, right, after the famous Woodlawn-Banks high school football game at Legion Field in 1974. 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. If it had been up to Louise Nathan, her son Tony never would have touched a football. An estimated 42,000 fans turned out to watch the No. "But at that time, I had a concussion. m_gallery_creation_date = "Friday, September 11, 2015, 4:45 PM"; Like Jackson, Nathan excelled at just about any sport he played. "That's a scary thought now," the 58-year-old Nathan says of what might have been. Birmingham, Alabama is a small community that has deep roots. 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. 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. I did believe. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). 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 (defensive lineman) Marty Lyons could play today. Based on the true story of Tony Nathan, it tells of Nathan and other black students who desegregate Woodlawn High School in Birmingham, Alabama in 1973. Like our Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/CypressNewsReview), follow our Twitter (https://twitter.com/CypressNewsRev), and subscribe to our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKIuHUwXbt_R673iszcLz7g). Soon enough, though, Tony would be all around the ball. m_gallery_blog_id = "4558"; On signing day, both Bryant and Alabama basketball coach C.M. "I wanted some kind of meat to serve him," William Nathan remembers. 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. "It was just that time. And when that happened, that movement, I was touched in my heart to do so again.". The easygoing Nathan had the ideal temperament for the job, Newman told him. "When people say Tony Nathan, their ears go up. William Nathan asked, referring to Bryant's bag. 1973 Season Highlights: Tandy Gerelds enters his 3rd season as Head Coach at Woodlawn. 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 Woodlawn Colonels football team is a microcosm of the problems at the school and in the city, which erupts in cross burnings and riots, and Coach Tandy Gerelds (Nic Bishop) is at a loss to solve … 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. 1. "I came to stay until Tony makes up his mind," Bryant replied. "'And you told me you didn't want me to play this game. If all that notoriety affected Nathan, none of his teammates could tell. Tony Nathan, left, goes to midfield for the pre-game coin toss with his Woodlawn High School teammates Mike Allison, center, and Peyton Zarzour, right. ", Tony Nathan breaks free with his tear-away jersey flying in the breeze. 3. 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. The stoic Nathan even teared up as walked across the Coleman Coliseum stage to receive his diploma from outgoing UA President Judy Bonner. Tony Nathan (Caleb Castille) lands in a powder keg of anger and violence when he joins fellow African-American students at Woodlawn High School after its government-mandated desegregation in 1973. "It was odd to see people react and want a piece of cloth off of somebody else who was wearing it. "What are you doing with that grip?'" By his senior year, it wasn't just folks in Birmingham talking about "Touchdown Tony." "That's what I always wanted. He started taking online courses through the University of Alabama's Bama by Distance degree program, and this past May, at 58, he graduated. "It was weird," he says. Even though the Dolphins eventually lost in overtime, the play lives on in Miami lore. Among the primary characters in the movie are Coach Tandy Gerelds (played by Nic Bishop), a cynical agnostic struggling with a powder keg of anger and violence within the Woodlawn Colonels football team, and African American football player Tony Nathan (played by Jason Castille), who was eventually recruited by legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant (portrayed by Jon Voight) to play for the University of … He was worn out, and he was just tearing the rest of his jersey off.". 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. HOME0-6 AWAY0-4 NEUTRAL0-0. 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. Chris Allen jr. QB • So. The 1973 & 1974 Woodlawn Colonels (AL) from the film Woodlawn (watch on Amazon) show what happens when a team bands together and fights as a team. Nathan played nine years with the Dolphins and started in two Super Bowls. 'Woodlawn' chronicles racial tension affecting a high school football team in Birmingham Alabama in the early 1970s. I still get chills thinking about it.". Football Drama 'Woodlawn' Coming Soon to Theaters. The Panther football program surprised some in the state of Louisiana during the COVID-shortened 2020 football season. Follow the Boys Varsity Football Colonelss schedule, roster, events and photos all in one place. m_gallery_permalink = "http://photos.al.com/4558/gallery/tony_nathan_from_woodlawn_to_a/index.html"; Darnell Jefferson - Woodlawn Demetrius Harris - DC Everest Derek McConnel - Buenos Aires Donnie Billingsey - Permian Earl Megget - Kilpatrick Ivory Christian - Permian Jimmy Sanderson - … They got at least part of that right. It is ... a gifted high school football player, and other African-American students desegregate Woodlawn High School in Birmingham, Alabama in 1973. The next year, Nathan and Rutledge became teammates at the University of Alabama. They made great souvenirs, too, and fans mobbed him after the games to get a piece of Nathan's jersey. 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. "We have, I think, one of the best alumni associations in the NFL," Nathan says. ', "She said, 'No, but even more so, you're not going to be a quitter. Unfortunately, he doesn't remember anything about it. "You go through life carrying that (lesson): If you start it, you better try to be the best at it, and finish what you've got to finish," he adds. "All I had ever seen of football games was everybody falling on each other and piling on each other," she says. "Before Bo, there was Tony," Ragland says. So you go all out and do what you can do just to fit in.". Nathan says. It took him 36 years, but Nathan kept that promise to his coach. We definitely love Miami. The Woodlawn Colonels football team is a microcosm of the problems at the school and in the city, which erupts in cross burnings and riots, and Coach Tandy Gerelds (Nic Bishop) is at a loss to solve … So, when Tony was in the 10th grade, and he came home one day and told his mother he had left the Woodlawn High School football team, she replied, in no uncertain terms, no, he had not. Home • Non … ", RELATED: Remembering the 1974 Woodlawn-Banks game. Starting at Offensive Tackle, he was honored to have blocked for the legendary Tony Nathan. Everybody else was gone home for Christmas vacation, and I was like, 'What am I doing here?' "That Banks-Woodlawn game our senior year, that was all about Tony and Jeff Rutledge," Hendrix says. 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. "I was running down the baseline trying to follow my guy around, and, all of a sudden, they set a pick and this guy's elbow hit me in the eye and that cured my basketball desire," Nathan says. 3. But, Knoxville, too, was a little too far from home for Nathan. Playing in the wishbone -- a four-pronged attack with two tailbacks, a fullback and the quarterback all sharing carries -- Nathan never amassed huge numbers like Crimson Tide workhorses Bobby Humphrey or Shaun Alexander or Trent Richardson, but for his career, he averaged an eye-popping 6.4 yards every time he carried the ball at Alabama. 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. 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. OVERALL 0-10 0.00 Win %. "We were down 24-zip and nothing was going right, and that was the play that gave us the spark to come back. As cross burnings and riots erupt in the city, Tandy Gerelds, the Woodlawn Colonels football coach, struggles to ease racial tensions between his players. "I just felt like I was the oldest cat in the house," he says. 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. We prayed together, and from then on, I respected them and they respected me. So they put the pressure on him, too. Football was going to be it. The Colonels faced with integration were turned around when Coach Tandy Geralds allowed a FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) chaplain Hank Erwin to speak to the team. 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. The 1973 & 1974 Woodlawn Colonels (AL) from the film Woodlawn (watch on Amazon) show what happens when a team bands together and fights as a team. Tony Nathan (Caleb Castille) lands in a powder keg of anger and violence when he joins fellow African-American students at Woodlawn High School after its government-mandated desegregation in 1973. The film culminates in high school football history. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. It's been very interesting. "Some of the other running backs didn't want to be that lead blocker. Dunn and Anthony Murray and that would go on to make it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, losing to eventual champion Indiana. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Channeled rage coupled with gridiron glory, Coach Geralds suggests, might be the best the Woodlawn Colonels can hope for as they launch their fall 1973 gridiron campaign. "And then they told me that that guy (Nathan) was an All-American basketball player, and he wasn't going to be playing football. m_gallery_json = "https://blog.al.com/photogallery/4558/18734842.json"; 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. ", Alabama basketball coach C.M. The quiet, introverted Nathan didn't know quite what to make of all that attention. It all built up to Nov. 8, 1974, when Woodlawn, which had won 11 games in a row, met its old nemesis Banks, which was riding a 34-game unbeaten streak, at Legion Field. "I knew some of those guys, and I'm like, 'Why would y'all be out here in the hot sun watching freshman football?'" On one particular visit, Bryant brought his overnight bag, Tony's father remembers. © 2021 Advance Local Media LLC. "It was time for people to actually get along -- no matter what race or color you were," he says. The Erwin Brothers' faith-based film tells the true tale of the history-making 1973 Woodlawn High School football team. "It really did.". 2. Out on October 16th is the release of the new inspirational movie Woodlawn. "Well, Shula knew what talent was," Nathan says. WOODLAWN tells the true-life story of Tony Nathan (newcomer Caleb Castille), who lands in a powder keg of anger and violence when he joins fellow African-American students at Woodlawn High School in Birmingham, AL, after its government-mandated desegregation in 1973. 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. "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.'''. I think Tony could definitely play today. Center Dwight Stephenson and defensive back Don McNeal, who were a year behind him, would join the Dolphins the next year. "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. Rivals in high school, Nathan and Rutledge were teammates for four years at Alabama. 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. Fri, 8/21. William Nathan was sold, though, and eventually, so was his son Tony. "So it was a great lesson for me. Tony could have gone anywhere. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (each updated 1/1/21). "I didn't have to worry about cutting grass because they played all the time.". 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. The Woodlawn Colonels football team is a microcosm of the problems at the school and in the city, which erupts in cross burning and riots, and Coach Tandy Gerelds (Nic Bishop) is at a loss to solve these … (Linebacker) Barry Krauss could play today. I will make you that promise. CB, WR • Jr. It wasn't anything boastful for him. "I wanted to go home. All three of Nathan's daughters have their college degrees - Nichole from South Florida and Natalie and Nadia from Alabama - as does his wife. (Photo courtesy of Tony Nathan). WOODLAWN tells the true-life story of Tony Nathan (newcomer Caleb Castille), who lands in a powder keg of anger and violence when he joins fellow African-American students at Woodlawn High School in Birmingham, Ala., after its government-mandated desegregation in 1973. 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. m_gallery_pagetype = "embed"; PF53 PA458 STREAK10L. I wanted him to have his degree. There's something always new at the courthouse.". Tony Nathan lands in a powder keg of anger and violence when he joins fellow African-American students at Woodlawn High School after its government-mandated desegregation in 1973. In 1973, a spiritual awakening captures the hearts of the Woodlawn High School Football team. "They all looked at me like, 'OK, don't you think it's your time?'" The next Christmas, Santa Claus brought Tony his first official football. ", Tony Nathan runs behind his Miami Dolphins teammate Jeff Toews in a game against the New York Jets. We had a blast. Play Friday Night Legends (save 10% with coupon code: CNR10) with one of the great high school football movie teams of all time. A sports chaplain who came to Christ listening to Billy Graham preach, Hank's got a radically different message for the members of Coach Geralds' team. "He wasn't too pleased," Nathan recalls. Support the Cypress News Review: (Birmingham News file/Robert Adams). They got in the car, and she drove him back to the football field, where she told Woodlawn coach Tandy Gerelds to do whatever he needed to discipline her boy for skipping practice, just as long as he was allowed back on the team. he recalls. "And you're not going to be the first.". m_gallery_id = "18734842"; "I get to meet a ton of people -- lawyers, defendants, victims -- and they all are different," Nathan says. 4 Woodlawn Colonels 18 – 7 at Legion Field in Birmingham on Nov. 8, 1974. After a government-mandate, Tony Nathan, a gifted high school football player, and other black students desegregate Woodlawn High School in Birmingham, Alabama in 1973. As cross burnings and riots erupt in the city, Tandy Gerelds, the Woodlawn Colonels football coach, struggles to … And the majority of us did that. He was indeed a basketball guy, but Tony Nathan would be playing football for a long time. ", Tony Nathan strikes a Heisman-like pose as he tries to avoid a linebacker. Bryant sealed the deal by promising Tony he would get a shot at playing basketball at Alabama, too. The Birmingham City School System does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, national origin, color, disability and age, in any of its programs and activities. Ragland recalls. Their dedication to love and unity, in a newly desegregated school filled with racism and hate, leads to the largest high school football game every played in the torn city of Birmingham, Alabama, and the rise of superstar, Tony Nathan. 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. 1-ranked Huffman Vikings -- Woodlawn fans started calling Nathan "Touchdown Tony" and began clamoring for pictures and autographs. But there was one catch. "Some do come in with attitudes, and you just have to diffuse them before they go in front of the judge. "But I was raised in the church anyway. Korrin Williams. He was just a humble high school athlete. His Christ-centered speech began something that not only eased racial tensions but brought them together as a team. "If we needed him to throw the football, I knew he could definitely do that. Those roots go in many different directions, sports, personal interests, employment, but there's Jeff Rutledge, Nathan's old rival from Banks, was now his teammate, quarterbacking the Tide. ", RELATED: Turning back the clock at Legion Field. ", 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." "He's very respected here," McNeal says of his old teammate.
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