State Legislature Honors Alabama Sports Writers Association, 50th Anniversary

Not less than one identify shall be added each day through the month of March. Not more than two Legends shall be revealed on any given day.

Bulletins is not going to mirror any a part of the voting, and the names are usually not ranked in any means. 

They are going to seem in alphabetical order as they’re added. 

Sam Adams was 38 years previous, promoting insurance coverage and realized he didn’t have the knack for gross sales. Visiting household in Montgomery in 1939, he utilized on a whim for a job on the Montgomery Advertiser. A weekend job changed into three many years as a journalist, overlaying main native and nationwide occasions.

He was deeply concerned in native actions and served at The Alabama Journal for 28 years as sports activities editor – although his colleagues had a distinct title for him. To them, he was “Coach Sam.” 

Tom Arenberg was the sports activities editor and an occasional author for The Birmingham Information for 18 years. On the time he grew to become sports activities editor in 1994, he had written zero sports activities tales in his journalism profession. He beforehand labored as assistant state editor and metro editor for The Information, and as a reporter for newspapers in Iowa.

The Information’ sports activities employees acquired nationwide and ASWA awards yearly, and in 2012 Arenberg grew to become the primary Information journalist in 24 years to win the newsroom’s excellence award a second time.

He labored as curation supervisor for the Alabama Media Group after his tenure as sports activities editor. He at present teaches journalism, together with sports activities writing, on the College of Alabama.

Clyde Bolton was a sports activities author first, creator second, however the sleek prose of his greater than 15 fiction and non-fiction books was woven by way of his work as a long-time columnist at The Birmingham Information.

Earlier than coming to The Information, he labored at papers in LaGrange, Ga., Gadsden, Anniston and Montgomery. Bolton, a member of the ASWA Corridor of Fame, chronicled the expansion of Talladega Superspeedway and the heyday of the “Alabama Gang,” however the scope of his writing encompassed nearly each sport.

Mike Bolton has written about open air, NASCAR and school soccer for the Birmingham Information and AL.com since 1984. He received the 2000 and 2002 Herby Kirby Awards for story of the yr and quite a few different ASWA awards.

Throughout one 11-year stretch, he received the Related Press Sweepstakes Award for finest sports activities story of the yr eight occasions. Twenty years in the past, Bolton’s four-part collection – The Cahaba: A River in Disaster – received quite a few awards and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.

His profession has additionally included the Governor’s Conservation Award and two victories within the Buckmaster’s Basic searching competitors.

With Al Browning’s diploma from Alabama and expertise at The Tuscaloosa Information, irate readers of The Knoxville Information-Sentinel created a bumper sticker, “Will Rogers By no means Met Al Browning” when he labored there as sports activities editor.

Nonetheless, few amongst his colleagues didn’t like Browning, an enticing fellow with persistently distinctive angles in his tales and the various books he wrote.

Earlier than his premature loss of life at 52, Browning had left the newspaper enterprise to put in writing screenplays and as a freelancer – again residence in his native Alabama.

As soon as upon a time, a faithful reader named his fox hound after Jerry Bryan. Naturally, it received the state championship. The canine and the namesake have been each winners. Bryan, one of many early inductees into the Alabama Sports activities Writers Corridor of Fame, was an assistant sports activities editor for the Birmingham Information and a fixture at that newspaper for greater than 4 many years. 

Although he lined a large number of occasions, he settled into his old flame – open air – as a specialty late in his profession till his loss of life in 1968. The outside beat, fortunately, included canine reveals.

It’s stated that the majority good sports activities writers may simply write a ebook. Based mostly on his character alone, Jimmy Bryan was a sports activities author one may simply write a ebook about.

When Bryan handed away in 2006, Jimmy Smothers wrote: “A man cannot spend his life writing sports activities and never have dozens and dozens of newspaper buddies all through the state; particularly a man corresponding to Bryan, who by no means noticed a stranger, nor had an enemy.”

The longstanding golf author spent 36 years for the Birmingham Information after six with The Gadsden Occasions. He was inducted into the ASWA Corridor of Fame in 2000.

Was Al Burleson the perfect golfer amongst writers, or the perfect author amongst golfers? 

In both case, the long-time Huntsville Occasions author and assistant sports activities editor was one of the vital recognizable golf scribes within the state. He lined native and professional golf for greater than 30 years, constructing shut relationships with a few of the best names within the sport. 

However he was a flexible expertise as properly, making use of his ability to a complete spectrum of sports activities earlier than shifting to the copy desk, serving to different writers enhance their craft.

One of many founders of the Alabama Sports activities Writers Affiliation, Paul Cox acquired into the newspaper trade after graduating from Marshall County Excessive College in 1948, and fashioned the one-man sports activities employees on the Anniston Star. Two tales he was particularly identified for there was the 1954 Cotton Bowl and Tommy Lewis’ well-known sort out of Dickie Moegle, and Paul W. “Bear” Bryant leaving Texas A&M for Alabama.

His 53-year profession led him to Miami, Atlanta, Columbus (Ga.), and eventually Opelika, the place he received the Herby Kirby Memorial Award for story of the yr in 1975. He  ultimately grew to become writer.

Gregg Dewalt first got here to the TimesDaily in Florence in 1988 and was (and nonetheless is) a fervent believer in native sports activities protection.

He retired from being a sports activities editor in 2020, however stays energetic each on the course and within the media. Dewalt nonetheless writes for Alabama Golf Information and for Teetimes, a golf-focused publication in Nashville.

He additionally nonetheless helps the TimesDaily as a self-described “minion” with its protection of excessive colleges and the College of North Alabama. Dewalt, a former UNA golfer, and his spouse of 36 years, Rhonda, met when he was on the Cullman Occasions.

Invoice Easterling was “the guts and soul of The Huntsville Occasions,” as his writer as soon as stated. He got here to the paper straight out of highschool, working first as a replica boy however inside two years was the sports activities editor, constructing an all-star employees, establishing his part as the most effective within the state and dazzling readers along with his phrases.

Easterling, a member of the ASWA Corridor of Fame, left sports activities in 1974, ultimately turning into the general-interest columnist, pouring his personal coronary heart and soul into work that touched generations of readers.

Paul Finebaum started his writing profession in 1980 with the Birmingham Publish-Herald as a sports activities author and columnist and shortly grew to become one of the vital notable newspaper voices within the South. He would go on to win quite a few nationwide, regional and state writing awards, together with twice profitable the ASWA’s Herby Kirby Award for sports activities story of the yr. 

Finebaum additionally wrote for the Cellular Press-Register and was a columnist for SI.com.

He is additionally authored a number of books and is maybe finest identified for his each day Paul Finebaum Radio Present and his work on the ESPN and the SEC Community.

Charles Goldberg lined Auburn, Alabama, the SEC and plenty of different issues for 40 years, working as sports activities editor on the Anniston Star and later as an assistant sports activities editor and author with the Birmingham Information. 

He was a recipient of the nationwide Related Press Sports activities Editors Award for finest sports activities information story. He received ASWA and AP awards in Alabama for columnist of the yr, finest sports activities story and writing on deadline. 

He needed to climb fences to get out of locked stadiums, wore a fedora to a sport and sat on a bucket to cowl the Clay Bowl.

Rubin E. Grant is the Alabama Sports activities Corridor of Fame’s 2021 Mel Allen Media Award recipient. He’s a graduate of Carver-Montgomery Excessive and the College of Alabama, the place he was the primary Black sports activities editor for the Crimson White scholar newspaper.

Grant spent 25 years on the Birmingham Publish-Herald the place he served as prep editor.

In 1981, he received the ASWA’s Herby Kirby Award. He was inducted into the Birmingham Barons Corridor of Fame after 25 years of overlaying the staff.

Since 2004, he has labored as a contract journalist. He additionally co-authored “Tales from Alabama Prep Soccer.”

Harwell grew up simply exterior of Cellular and as a junior at Samford acquired his foot within the door with the Related Press as a teletype operator. After graduating he began writing for the information service in Cellular, labored a bit in Atlanta, was named AP’s Birmingham Chief in 1966 and headed that workplace till retiring in 1992.

Harwell lined main sports activities within the state for 26 years, however his attain went means past the taking part in fields. He did quite a few tales on the Civil Rights Motion together with the Freedom Riders, the sixth Road Baptist Church Bombing, and the 1968 Democratic Nationwide Conference in Chicago. 

Wayne Hester was described as a “contemporary, authentic expertise” when he was named sports activities editor of The Anniston Star in 1977. He continued to show that ability as each a author and an editor, serving to rework sports activities sections at The Star and, later, The Birmingham Information with daring hires, distinctive concepts and aggressive protection. 

A 3-year baseball letterman at Jacksonville State, creator of a number of books and a 40-year veteran of journalism, Hester continued to contribute to The Star after retirement.

The longtime Birmingham Information author was inducted into the Alabama Sports activities Writers Corridor of Fame in 2008. He additionally served because the group’s president in 1993-94, and frequently helped coordinate its annual awards banquet.

Hollis graduated from Hanceville Excessive in 1971 and attended each St. Bernard School and Jacksonville State. He began his profession on the Cullman Occasions in 1973 and labored for the Anniston Star earlier than becoming a member of the Birmingham Information as the outside editor in 1978.

Hollis, who lined each Auburn and Alabama throughout completely different factors of his profession, received 12 Nationwide Related Press Awards, 42 ASWA awards and 6 Alabama Related Press Awards.

Tommy Hicks, sports activities editor at Lagniappe newspaper in Cellular, has lined sports activities in Alabama for 46 years at seven completely different newspapers, together with 23 years with the Cellular Press-Register. He’s a three-time Alabama Sports activities Author of the 12 months, two-time Herby Kirby winner, two-time Alabama Sports activities Writers Affiliation president, former Soccer Writers Affiliation of America president, 2020 Invoice Shelton Award winner and 2018 ASWA Corridor of Fame inductee. 

A Troy State graduate and Phenix Metropolis native, he’s a previous Corridor College of Journalism Print Alumnus of the 12 months honoree. He’s married to Julie Hicks and has a daughter, Maren Whittaker.

The phrases most related to Cecil Harm, and likewise the nice praise a sports activities author can in all probability obtain, was recurrently heard from Crimson Tide followers: “What does Cecil assume?”

Harm labored for the Tuscaloosa Information from 1980 till his loss of life in 2021. He served because the beat reporter overlaying Crimson Tide soccer, baseball and basketball and, from 1989, because the sports activities editor/columnist.

Harm was introduced with over 100 skilled writing awards together with many from the Alabama Sports activities Writers Affiliation, and shall be inducted into its Corridor of Fame this summer time. He was honored with the Mel Allen Award from the Alabama Sports activities Corridor of Fame in 2019.

Ron Ingram, communications director for the Alabama Excessive College Athletic Affiliation, served as sports activities editor of the Dothan Progress and Dothan Eagle. For twenty-four years he led prep sports activities protection on the Birmingham Information.

He began and chaired the ASWA’s prep soccer and basketball rankings and all-state groups.

Ingram has received the ASWA’s Invoice Shelton Award and Herby Kirby Award (twice).

He was inducted into the Wiregrass Sports activities Corridor of Fame (2009), the ASWA Corridor of Fame (2013) and the Alabama Excessive College Sports activities Corridor of Fame (2015). The Alabama Sports activities Corridor of Fame introduced him the Mel Allen Media Award (2017).

A local of Gadsden, Jon Johnson has been sports activities editor of the Dothan Eagle since 1988. He acquired the Invoice Shelton Award by the Alabama Sports activities Writers Affiliation in 2005, was acknowledged with the Distinguished Alabama Neighborhood Sports activities Journalist award by the Auburn College College of Communication and Journalism in 2011 and inducted into the Wiregrass Sports activities Corridor of Fame in 2014.

He has served as previous president of the ASWA, at present serves as a voter for the Alabama Sports activities Corridor of Fame and is the state consultant for the Heisman Trophy voting.

Don Kausler Jr. lined Paul Bryant’s final season as Alabama’s soccer coach and returned 27 years later to The Birmingham Information to cowl the second coming of the “Bear.” In between, blessed with a rare employees, Kausler served almost 15 fantastic years on the Birmingham Publish-Herald, beginning as the chief sports activities editor. The Missouri graduate was often known as Paul Finebaum’s boss.

“It’s a unclean job,” Kausler stated jokingly, “however any person’s acquired to do it.”

Sandwiched round stints because the editor of two South Carolina each day newspapers, Kausler documented 4 Nick Saban seasons at Alabama. The Crimson Tide received three nationwide championships and its first Heisman Trophy.

Randy Kennedy, host of the “Randy Kennedy Present” on Sports activities Speak 99.5 radio in Cellular with co-host Creg Stephenson, is the previous sports activities editor of the Cellular Press-Register. He has an in depth newspaper background within the state, serving as group information director for AL.com’s Cellular hub, editor of the Opelika-Auburn Information, managing editor of the Alexander Metropolis Outlook, sports activities editor of the Valdosta Day by day Occasions, sports activities author on the Dothan Eagle and sports activities editor of the Shelby County Reporter. 

The Chelsea native and Montevallo graduate writes a sports activities column for Lagniappe newspaper in Cellular. He has received a number of writing awards.

Charles Land was the quintessential newspaper man, beginning within the mailroom of the Tuscaloosa Information and dealing his means as much as sports activities author, sports activities editor, managing editor, basic supervisor and writer.

In a narrative asserting his retirement in 1995, Land stated: “Newspapering is about all I’ve ever actually needed to do.”

He additionally served as president of the Alabama Press Affiliation, president and board member of the APA Journalism Basis, and on the board of the Southern Newspaper Affiliation.

Land was believed to have been the one journalist to have a 1961 Crimson Tide nationwide championship ring.

A. Stacy Lengthy, the present chairman of the ASWA prep committee, and the following ASWA president, has lengthy been an unofficial historian for Alabama highschool sports activities.

He has databases on the AHSAA soccer, basketball, baseball and soccer playoffs, the volleyball and softball state tournaments, and an almost full checklist of all-time out of doors observe and subject championships. Additionally they embody all staff state championships for each the AHSAA and AISA, the ASWA’s All-State groups and the ASWA’s rankings in all sports activities.

Lengthy, at present on the Florence TimesDaily, has additionally labored on the Decatur Day by day and Montgomery Advertiser in a 30-year profession. 

Invoice Lumpkin was each an icon and trade fixture.

The sports activities editor of the Birmingham Publish-Herald for 35 years, Invoice Lumpkin was one of many founders of the Alabama Sports activities Writers Affiliation.

Lumpkin was named Alabama Sports activities Author of the 12 months 5 occasions, received the Herby Kirby Award for finest sports activities story 3 times, and was inducted into the ASWA Corridor of Fame in 1993.

Lumpkin served as president of the group (1976-78), and of the Soccer Writers Affiliation of America in 1993. In 1997, he acquired that group’s highest honor, the Bert McGrane Award, which symbolic of the affiliation’s Corridor of Fame.

She was a pioneer in an nearly male-only trade.

Kathy Jo Lumpkin was the primary feminine member of the Alabama Sports activities Writers Affiliation and served three phrases on the Soccer Writers Affiliation of America board of administrators.

Lumpkin, the daughter of fellow 50 Legends honoree Invoice Lumpkin, labored as a sports activities reporter on the Birmingham Publish-Herald and Montgomery Advertiser, in addition to the Memphis Industrial Attraction and the Alabama Journal. She lined each Alabama and Auburn for the Alabama newspapers, along with being the assistant sports activities editor and an NFL columnist for the Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Mississippi. 

Benny Marshall labored on the Birmingham Information and Age-Herald for 25 years, together with 12 years as columnist. He wrote one of many first books about Alabama soccer coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, “Successful Isn’t The whole lot… However It Certain Beats Something That Comes In Second.”

Over a interval of 13 years, Marshall was voted Alabama Sports activities Author of the 12 months 11 occasions and received numerous different writing awards. He was elected to the Alabama Sports activities Corridor of Fame in 1982.

Together with son Phillip, he’s one among three multi-generational pairings among the many 50 Legends.

Phillip Marshall has been a sports activities author in Alabama for greater than 52 years and since 2008 has been the “go-to” supply for Auburn followers as senior editor and now columnist/senior editor emeritus for Auburn247 Sports activities.

The 2-time Alabama Sports activities Author of the 12 months, and winner of greater than 20 statewide writing awards, Marshall is likely one of the most famous reporters and writers within the Southeast. He’s labored for the Huntsville Information, Birmingham Publish-Herald, Tuscaloosa Information, Decatur Day by day, Montgomery Advertiser and Huntsville Occasions, serving as sports activities editor on the latter three.

Marshall served because the ASWA president from 1982-84. 

Wayne Martin wasn’t employed by his school newspaper as a result of, he was informed, “you don’t have sufficient expertise.” As an alternative, he grew to become a replica boy on the
Birmingham Publish-Herald, assumed some menial writing duties – and ended up with greater than 4 many years expertise within the enterprise.

Most of that point was with The Birmingham Information, the place he was a flexible author finest identified for his protection of UAB athletics and the Birmingham Barons. In 1994 he chronicled each day the exploits of a lanky Barons outfielder named Michael Jordan.

Mark McCarter is one among eight writers to obtain the Alabama Sports activities Corridor of Fame’s Mel Allen Award, for “a lifetime contribution to sports activities as a media member.” He was chosen in 2022 to the ASWA Corridor of Fame and was a four-time Alabama Sports activities Author of the 12 months as named by the Nationwide Sports activities Media Affiliation.

McCarter, creator of three books, started his profession with The Chattanooga Information-Free Press, grew to become sports activities editor of The Anniston Star, and spent 17 years as a columnist with The Huntsville Occasions.

Kirk McNair has twice served as president of the Alabama Sports activities Writers Affiliation and been inducted into its Corridor of Fame. 

He joined the Birmingham Publish-Herald in 1967 and was named assistant sports activities editor in 1969. In 1970, McNair left to affix the Alabama sports activities division and in 1974 was named sports activities data director.

He left Alabama following the 1978 season to start out ’BAMA Journal and later BamaMag.com. He offered each in 2002, however continued to work each for varied house owners together with BamaOnLine.

He is lined over 600 Alabama soccer video games. His books embody “What It Means To Be Crimson Tide” and “Gamechangers: The Best Performs in Alabama Soccer Historical past.”

Ray Melick was named the Alabama Sportswriter of the 12 months 3 times, is a two-time Herby Kirby winner, and previous president of the ASWA. 

He was a beat author and lead sports activities columnist for the Birmingham Publish-Herald, ending his sports activities profession as a sports activities columnist for the Birmingham Information. 

Melick additionally hosted a long-running afternoon sports activities discuss present on WJOX radio and ABC 33/40 TV. His work has appeared in a number of nationwide publications, together with Sports activities Illustrated, ESPN, and CNN and he liked each minute of being a sportswriter. 

He’s at present Editor in Chief of 1819 Information, a statewide on-line media outlet overlaying all issues Alabama.

Max Moseley, referred to as by many “Mole,” much like a fictional character he generally utilized in his columns, was one of many South’s best-known sports activities writers earlier than his retirement in 1979.

He labored 47 years for the Montgomery Advertiser, each as a author and the newspaper’s sports activities editor.

He helped discovered each the Montgomery Quarterbacks Membership and the Montgomery Golf Affiliation, and is inducted into the Montgomery Golf Corridor of Fame. Moseley was additionally the founder and president of the state left-handers golf event, and he served 40 years because the commissioner of the Central Alabama Soccer and Basketball Officers Affiliation. 

Zipp Newman went from being the South’s youngest sports activities editor, when he took over the Birmingham Information in 1919, to the Dean of Southern sports activities writers. It wasn’t till 1959 that he grew to become Sports activities Editor Emeritus.

Newman was one of many organizers of the Birmingham Monday Morning Quarterback Membership, and he was the driving drive behind the institution of the Alabama Sports activities Corridor of Fame in 1967. He served as its first government secretary and was inducted within the Class of 1975.

Newman was additionally a constitution member of the ASWA Corridor of Fame together with Benny Marshall and Bob Phillips. 

The graduate of Suwanee was the sports activities editor of the Birmingham Age-Herald from 1931 to 1950 and government sports activities editor of the Birmingham Publish-Herald from 1950 to 1973. He lined soccer and baseball, however was particularly identified for his golf tales and his column “On the Roof.”

Phillips was a mainstay on the Masters. He was inducted into the Birmingham Golf Affiliation Corridor of Fame in 1965, and served because the secretary-treasurer of the Alabama Golf Affiliation for 40 years (1937-77). Phillips was inducted into the Alabama Sports activities Corridor of Fame, and the Alabama Sports activities Writers Affiliation’s Corridor of Fame.

John Pruett first joined The Huntsville Occasions in 1966, and have become the longstanding sports activities editor in 1974. He has been named Alabama’s Sportswriter of the 12 months 17 occasions by the Nationwide Sportswriters and Sportscasters Affiliation. 

In 2014, Pruett and George Smith have been the primary recipients of the Mel Allen Media Award by the Alabama Sports activities Corridor of Fame. 

Pruett was the primary particular person in ASWA historical past to win the Herby Kirby Award for story of yr, the Invoice Shelton Award, be named to the Corridor of Fame, and function president. The grand slam of the ASWA has solely been completed 3 times.   

Kevin Scarbinsky wrote sports activities for The Birmingham Information and al.com. Grew from intern to columnist. Stays the one sports activities columnist in Information historical past born north of the Mason-Dixon line. Lined every part from Closing Fours to World Collection. 

Was named Alabama Sports activities Author of the 12 months 5 occasions. Instructed you Nick Saban can be the Alabama coach as Saban stated in any other case. Helped deliver UAB soccer again to life. Right now works with CoachSafely and the Nationwide Council of Youth Sports activities. 

Writes a weekly column for The Lede. Loves spouse Cindy and level guard sons Kaiser and Kanon. Nonetheless wears black.

A local of Montgomery, Doug Segrest lined the SEC and baseball for 20 years on the Birmingham Information, the newspaper he first delivered as a 12-year-old. 

A two-time Herby Kerby winner and previous president of the ASWA, Segrest acquired his begin on the Alabama Journal after graduating from school. He then spent seven years on the Nashville Banner earlier than returning to the state as sports activities editor of the Decatur Day by day in 1990. 

His debut novel, A Storm Got here Up, was just lately tailored for the stage by the Wetumpka Depot. A member of the Birmingham Barons Corridor of Fame, Doug lives in Hoover.

Invoice Shelton, one of many nation’s most inspirational journalists, was Cullman County Sports activities Corridor of Fame’s first inductee. He’s additionally enshrined within the Alabama Excessive College and Alabama Sports activities Writers corridor of fames.

The graduate of West Level Excessive and the College of North Alabama, labored by way of quite a few bodily limitations from a polio analysis at age 9. Regardless of that, he discovered to drive and sort with one hand with a view to be a part of the employees on the Cullman Occasions, the place he grew to become the outlet’s first full-time sports activities editor.

Amongst these he mentored embody Charles Hollis and Johnny Thornton. The ASWA’s Invoice Shelton Award is called in his honor. 

George Smith made his mark as sports activities editor of The Anniston Star, and for for a number of generations of Calhoun County readers he was the folksy basic columnist with wry observations and a connection to the group.

Smith was the Star’s sports activities editor from 1958-1977, a lot of these years as a “one-man” band, and dutifully lined close by Talladega Superspeedway. He grew to become basic columnist in 1977 and was writing up till his loss of life in 2019.

A co-founder of the Alabama Sports activities Writers Affiliation, Smith served because the group’s first president. 

Jimmy Smothers could have written for a small paper, however few writers have had an even bigger impression on the ASWA or sports activities on this state.

Smothers joined The Gadsden Occasions in 1961 and have become its sports activities editor in 1963, a publish he held for 43 years. Even upon retirement, he continued to supply columns and articles for the paper.

A founding member of the ASWA and an inductee into the Alabama

Sports activities Corridor of Fame, Smothers “was born for the newspaper enterprise,” as a buddy eulogized upon his loss of life in 2015 at age 82.

Jon Solomon labored for The Birmingham Information and AL.com for 9 years, writing columns, enterprise and investigative tales, and overlaying the SEC workplace and NCAA matters.

He was acknowledged because the Herby Kirby Award winner 3 times for the state’s sports activities story of the yr and received a number of Related Press Sports activities Editors honors, together with for investigative tales about Hoover Excessive College soccer (with reporter Erin Inventory) and basketball participant Eric Bledsoe (with reporter Marie Leech).

Solomon later labored as a nationwide school soccer reporter at CBSSports.com. He’s at present editorial director of the Aspen Institute Sports activities & Society Program in Washington D.C.

Creg Stephenson is a Mississippi native. A 1996 graduate of the College of Alabama, Stephenson returned to the varsity and earned a grasp’s diploma in 2003. He labored on the Meridian Star from 1996-98 and the Mississippi Press from 1998-2000, returning there for a second stint, 2009-14. 

In Alabama, Stephenson has labored on the Cullman Occasions (2003-04), Anniston Star (2004-09) and AL.com (2014 to current). He served as ASWA president (2019-20) and received the Herby Kirby Award in 2018 for his Oral Historical past of Alabama’s 1992 nationwide championship soccer season. 

He lives in Irvington along with his spouse Cristina and daughter Callie.

Naylor Stone’s illustrious profession started when he named sports activities editor of the Arkansas Democrat in 1915, simply earlier than his 18th birthday and he subsequently labored in Memphis, Cincinnati, New York, Cleveland, Boston and Chicago earlier than ending in Birmingham. 

Stone joined the Birmingham Publish in 1940, and he was sports activities editor of the Publish-Herald in Could 1950. Stone additionally served as Jack Dempsey’s publicity man, managed boxer Purple Herring, and authored the ebook “Coach Tommy of the Crimson Tide”, about former Alabama teaching legend Frank Thomas. 

The media room within the Crimson Tide soccer constructing is called in his honor. 

Ben Thomas has labored for AL.com and the Cellular Press-Register the previous 15 years and is at present the lone prep sports activities author for AL.com. 

A 31-year sports activities writing veteran, he has additionally labored on the Gadsden Occasions, Marietta (Ga.) Day by day Journal and the Montgomery Advertiser, the place he was sports activities editor. He’s the 2020 Nationwide Sports activities Media Affiliation Alabama Sports activities Author of the 12 months, served as ASWA president (2009-10) and was the 2017 Invoice Shelton Award winner. 

He and his spouse Michelle have three youngsters — Robbie Rolls, Alyssa Rolls and Jayden Thomas.

Alf Van Hoose joined the Birmingham Information sports activities employees in 1947 after a distinguished navy profession in World Struggle II, together with incomes a Silver Star on the Battle of the Bulge and a Bronze Star. He labored for the newspaper for 43 years.

He was an assistant sports activities editor, award-winning baseball author and columnist, plus lined SEC soccer. He grew to become sports activities editor in 1969, and held the place for 21 years till retirement in 1990. His successor, Wayne Hester, stated, “To many sports activities followers through the years, Alf Van Hoose has been The Birmingham Information.” 

Van Hoose was inducted into the Alabama Sports activities Corridor of Fame in 1999.

Christopher Walsh arrived in Alabama in 2004 to cowl the Crimson Tide and labored for quite a few media retailers till he based BamaCentral in 2018.

He’s an eight-time award winner from the Soccer Writers Affiliation of America and is one among solely 4 three-time winners of the Herby Kirby Award for story of the yr from the Alabama Sports activities Writers Affiliation. He’s the present ASWA president.

Walsh has authored 26 books, together with many on Alabama soccer.

Initially from Minnesota and a graduate of the College of New Hampshire, he at present resides in Tuscaloosa along with his spouse Megan and youngsters Evelyn and Declan. 

Ronald Weathers started working for the Birmingham Information in 1943 and spent 47 years with the newspaper earlier than retiring in 1990. He lined highschool sports activities for the primary 38 years, incomes the moniker “Mr. Prep Sports activities,” earlier than turning into a replica enhancing within the Eighties.

He was additionally identified for getting some scoops from his buddy Bobby Bowden.

Weathers was inducted into the Alabama Excessive College Sports activities Corridor of Fame, into the ASWA Corridor of Fame, and the Alabama Tennis Basis Corridor of Fame. He additionally acquired a Distinguished Service Award from the Alabama Baseball Coaches Affiliation in 2004. 

John Zenor has been the Related Press sports activities author for the state of Alabama for 20 years. He has lined 10 nationwide championship video games in school soccer due to the success of the state’s applications.

Zenor began his profession overlaying Auburn sports activities for the Opelika-Auburn Information six months earlier than graduating from school. He lined minor league baseball and native sports activities for The Albany (Ga.) Herald earlier than returning to his residence state. Zenor lined Alabama soccer for the Montgomery Advertiser for 2 years earlier than becoming a member of AP.

He served as ASWA president 2017-18.

The fiftieth Anniversary ASWA Awards Banquet shall be held June twelfth in Birmingham.