By DAVID DAVIDSON
All-American offensive tackle Buddy Brown and nerves-of-steel quarterback Gary Rutledge have been named Deep South lineman and back of the year by the Atlanta Touchdown Club and will be honored at the club’s annual Jamboree at the Hyatt Regency Hotel Saturday night.
Brown and Rutledge were members of the Alabama offense which led the nation and came within two points of becoming the national collegiate football champion. A one-point loss in the Sugar Bowl to Notre Dame prevented that from happening.
The Jamboree will get under way Friday at 6 p.m. with a cocktail party, followed by a buffet dinner.
Saturday at noon, former Clemson Head Football Coach Frank Howard will address a brunch gathering and at 7 p.m. Saturday there will be another cocktail party, followed by the grande finale banquet.
Also to be honored at the banquet are the TD Club’s high school coaches of the year, back of the year and lineman of the year.
Ted Sparks, who directed Southwest High of Atlanta to the Class AA championship and a 13-0 record, is the club’s overall coach of the year.
Carlton Kell of Wheeler High in Class AAA, James Rakestraw of Druid Hills High in Class AA, Ted Missildine of Briarwood High in Class A and Cecil Morris of Duluth High in Class B will be honored as coaches of the year in their respective classifications.
The high school lineman of the year will come from a list of 12 linemen of the week awardees.
They are: Ken Coleman of Sequoyah, Tommy Bowen of Lakeside, Mike Brewer of Woodward Academy, Bill Queen of Marietta, Lanny Martin of St. Pius X, Jeff Conley of Lovett School, Charles Bloodworth of Shamrock, Ralph Bullard of North Springs, Bert Rayle of Westminster School, David Barron of Towers, Harold Shaw of Wheeler and Justin Burns of Southwest DeKalb.
There are 13 backs from which the TD Club will choose its back of the year.
They are: Tony Johnson of South Cobb, Mike Dross of Wheeler, Anthony Flanagan of Southwest Atlanta, Rusty Knight of Avondale, Gregory Graves of Southwest DeKalb, Steve Jennings of Forest Park, Bart Campbell of Roswell, Ronnie Nations of Douglas Co., Ricky Payne of Rockdale Co., Jim Wellen of Henderson, Tommy Southard and David Middour of Druid Hills (who were co-backs of the week), and Charles Middlebrooks of Douglas-Atlanta.
Tickets for the Jamboree may be purchased at the door or from Touchdown Club members. It is for men only.
