Author: Grant Gardner

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Board of Directors of the State of Alabama Sports Hall of Fame is proud to announce that Eddie Conyers will be recognized as the 2022 Frank “Pig” House Award recipient at the 54th Annual Induction Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, May 7, 2022.

The Frank “Pig” House Award is given to someone who has performed outstanding service to sports in Alabama, and whom the Board of Directors feels worthy of special recognition. The award is named after the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame’s first Chairman of the Board who was instrumental in the founding of the Hall of Fame.

Eddie Conyers is being honored for his nearly 60 years of service to University of Alabama athletic department. Born in Montgomery, he and his family eventually moved to Tuscaloosa where he graduated from high school in 1946. After two years of service in the U.S. Navy, he attended the University of Alabama. He was called back into service during the Korean War and served an additional two years. In 1954, he graduated from the University of Alabama with a B.S. in Commerce and went to work for Allen and Jemison Company in Tuscaloosa, where he worked for 26 years. In 1962, Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant hired Conyers as a football practice official and he has served in that position ever since. At age 93, he has worked with 12 national champion teams and many hall of fame inductees, including Bear Bryant, Gene Stallings, and Nick Saban.

Conyers joins a distinguished list of others who have been honored by the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame as Frank “Pig” House Award recipients. They are: Sammy Dunn (2004), Avalee Willoughby (2007), Buddy Anderson (2014), Emanuel “Tubb” Bell IV (2017), Don Hawkins (2020), and Reeves Sims (2021).

The 54th Annual Induction Banquet and Ceremony will be held in the Birmingham Ballroom, at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel, on Saturday, May 7, 2022. For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Museum at (205) 323-6665.

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Board of Directors of the State of Alabama Sports Hall of Fame is proud to announce that Mark McCarter will be recognized as the 2022 Mel Allen Media Award recipient at the 54th Annual Induction Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, May 7, 2022.

The Mel Allen Media Award was created to honor media members in the State of Alabama who have made a lifetime contribution to sports through their work as a media member. The award is named after the 1974 ASHOF Inductee Mel Allen, of Birmingham, who was known as the “Voice of the New York Yankees” for two decades.

Mark McCarter began his career in journalism at The Chattanooga News-Free Press in 1971 before spending over 20 years writing for newspapers in Alabama, first as sports editor of The Anniston Star and then 17 years as a columnist at The Huntsville Times. A four-time Alabama Sports Writer of the Year, he has also been honored as Best Sports Columnist by the Associated Press Sports Editor with three other years as a finalist. His contributions to the sports community include serving as an ASHOF Selection Committee member since 2009, Heisman Trust chairman for Alabama for 12 years, committee member for 15 years for the John Stallworth Foundation Golf Tournament, and past president and more than 20 years as officer or board member of the Alabama Sports Writers Association.

McCarter is an author of three books, and his work has been published in Sports Illustrated, Fortune, The Sporting News, Baseball America, Sport Magazine, USA Today and numerous other publications. He has covered ten Final Fours, numerous college football national championships and bowl games, five Super Bowls, the 2008 Beijing Olympics, 17 Daytona 500s and more than 60 NASCAR Cup races at Alabama’s Talladega Superspeedway. He still contributes to publications in Alabama and has a continuing involvement in sports through his new role as Assistant Athletic Director for External Operations at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

McCarter joins a distinguished list of others who have been honored by the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame as Mel Allen Media Award recipients. They are: John Pruett (2014), George Smith (2014), Tom Roberts (2015), Ron Ingram (2017), Cecil Hurt (2019), Paul Finebaum (2020), and Rubin Grant (2021).

The 54th Induction Banquet and Ceremony will be held in the Birmingham Ballroom, at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel, on Saturday, May 7, 2022. For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Museum at (205) 323-6665.

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Board of Directors of the State of Alabama Sports Hall of Fame is proud to announce that Stan White will be the recipient of the 2022 Starr-Sullivan Achievement Award at the 54th Annual Induction Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, May 7, 2022.

Stan White graduated from Berry High School in Birmingham, AL in 1989. He was a first-team All-State selection while helping captain his team to a State Championship run his senior year. After high school, he attended Auburn University and was named the starting quarterback in 1990 and became the first and only quarterback in Auburn history to start every game from the start of his freshman campaign through his senior year, a total of 45 straight games. White’s senior year he was named permanent team captain while leading the 1993 Auburn team to an undefeated season and fourth-place final ranking. He then signed with the New York Giants where he would play for four years under legendary coach Dan Reeves.

In 2001, White broadcast his first Auburn football game with the legendary Jim Fyffe and the Auburn Sports Network. White has been in the booth every year since, totaling 21 years and 269 consecutive broadcasts, the most broadcasts by a commentator in Auburn history. From 2003 to 2018, White was alongside Rod Bramblett for some of the most iconic calls in Auburn history, including the famous “Prayer in Jordan-Hare” and “Kick Six” broadcasts of Auburn’s 2013 SEC championship team. In 2019, White and Andy Burcham became the current broadcast partners for the Auburn Sports Network.

White has owned a State Farm Insurance and Financial Services agency for 20 years in Birmingham. He spends much of his time as a volunteer coach at John Carroll Catholic High School, where his passion has been mentoring and coaching student athletes and using their experiences in sports as a teaching tool for the challenges in life.

Named in honor of two extraordinary men from Alabama, Bart Starr and Pat Sullivan, the Starr-Sullivan Achievement Award recognizes a former collegiate quarterback that exhibits exemplary character and has made a significant contribution in his community. In 2020, Brodie Croyle was honored as the inaugural recipient.

The 54th Annual Induction Banquet and Ceremony will be held in the Birmingham Ballroom, at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel, on Saturday, May 7, 2022. For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Museum at (205) 323-6665.

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Board of Directors of the State of Alabama Sports Hall of Fame is proud to announce that Gene Hallman will be recognized as the 2022 Distinguished American Sportsman at the State of Alabama Sports Hall of Fame 54^th Annual Induction Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, May 7, 2022.

Gene Hallman is CEO and Owner of Bruno Event Team which was formed in 1995. Bruno Event Team, based in Birmingham, Alabama, has grown into one of the country’s largest dedicated sports event management companies with more than 80 employees located in nine offices throughout the United States and Bermuda. Hallman is also CEO of both ZOOM Motorsports and Bruno Hospitality (catering), and Bruno Event Team serves as the event management team for the Alabama Sports Council.  

Hallman’s company has managed a wide variety of events including major golf tournaments on all major tours – PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, Korn Ferry Tour, and LPGA. Additionally, Hallman has overseen the management of more than 20 USGA national championships (U.S. Senior and Women’s Opens and Walker Cup), 1996 Olympic Soccer at Legion Field,  2004 Olympic Marathon Trials, SEC Baseball Tournament, Magic City Classic, SWAC Football Championship, Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, Davis and Fed Cups (tennis), The World Games 2022, and the management of the football gameday operations for the University of Alabama, Auburn University, UAB and Alabama State University. Hallman’s first golf event, the Regions Tradition, will celebrate its 30^th anniversary in 2022 having raised more than $20 million for Alabama charities.

Hallman joins an impressive list of others who have been honored as Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Distinguished American Sportsmen. They are: Bob Hope (1988), Hugh Culverhouse (1991), Former President George H.W. Bush (1992), Charles O. Finley (1993), Larry D. Striplin, Jr. (1998), Bill Ireland (2000), Roy Kramer (2003), Jim Wilson, Jr. (2005), Michael E. Stephens (2006), Joseph Gibbs (2008), Nick Bollettieri (2009), Rick Woodward (2010), Don Logan (2011), Ron Froehlich (2015), Mike Slive (2015), Edgar Welden (2016), Pete Derzis (2017), Jimmy Rane (2018), Daniel Moore (2019), Robbie Robertson (2020), Angus R. Cooper II (2021), and John McMahon, Jr. (2021).

The 54^th Annual Induction Banquet and Ceremony will be held in the Birmingham Ballroom, at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel, on Saturday, May 7, 2022. For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Museum at (205) 323-6665.

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Board of Directors of the State of Alabama Sports Hall of Fame is pleased to announce the Class of 2022 to be inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame on May 7, 2022. The Class was selected by ballot through a statewide selection committee; votes were tabulated by the accounting firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The newly elected inductees for the Class of 2022 are as follows:

DOYLE ALEXANDER

WILLIAM ANDREWS

KEITH ASKINS

RUSTY GREER

PATRICK MURPHY

JAKE PEAVY

PHILIP RIVERS

JUSTIN TUCK

Starting with the first class in 1969, this will be the 54th Class inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. The eight newly elected inductees will bring the total number of inductees to 385.

The 54th Annual Induction Banquet and Ceremony will be held in the Birmingham Ballroom, at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel, on May 7, 2022. For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Museum at (205) 323-6665.

CLASS OF 2022 BIOGRAPHIES:

DOYLE ALEXANDER – BASEBALL | Born September 4, 1950 in Cordova, AL. Over his 19-year MLB career, Alexander played for the Dodgers, Orioles, Yankees, Rangers, Braves, Giants, Blue Jays, and Tigers. Drafted by the Dodgers in 1968, he debuted with the team on June 26, 1971. In 1976, he helped the Yankees win the AL East division and pitched game one of the World Series. In 1984, he led the AL with a .739 winning percentage. He was traded from Atlanta to Detroit during the 1987 season. After the trade, he went 9-0 with a 1.57 ERA and helped the Tigers secure a division title. The next season he was elected to the AL All-Star team. He finished his career with a 194-174 record, 3.76 ERA, and 1,528 strikeouts.

WILLIAM ANDREWS – FOOTBALL | Born December 25, 1955 in Thomasville, GA. Andrews played football at Auburn University from 1976-1978 where he amassed over 1,000 yards rushing. He was drafted in the third round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons with the 79th pick. He played with the Falcons from 1979-1986 and his career started with a bang as he tallied 167 rushing yards in his first NFL game. Andrews broke 1,000 rushing yards as a rookie and was named on the All-Rookie team. In 1981, Andrews led the NFL with 2,036 yards from scrimmage and also scored 12 touchdowns. In 1983, Andrews continued to dominate with 1,567 rushing yards and 2,176 scrimmage yards, second in both categories that year. Andrews was selected to the Pro Bowl four times from 1980-1983 and was named first-team All-Pro in 1983 after receiving the honor of second team All-Pro in 1981 and 1982. In total, Andrews amassed 5,986 career rushing yards which was 24th all time at his retirement.

KEITH ASKINS – BASKETBALL | Born December 15, 1967 in Athens, AL. Askins played forward for the University of Alabama from the 1986-87 to 1989-90 seasons. In 1989, he was named first-team All-SEC Tournament. Askins was a member of three SEC Tournament champion teams and reached the Sweet Sixteen twice. He signed with the Miami Heat in 1990 as an undrafted free agent. He played nine seasons as a reserve and defensive specialist with the Heat. Askins served as a captain for the Heat for four consecutive seasons from 1995-99 and won the team’s leadership award in both the 1994-95 and 1995-96 seasons. He retired from playing in 1999 with career totals of 1,852 points and 1,428 rebounds. Immediately after retiring, he joined the Heat’s coaching staff as an assistant for Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra where the team won three championships. After 14 years on the Heat coaching staff, he became the organization’s director of college and pro scouting.

RUSTY GREER – BASEBALL | Born January 21, 1969 in Fort Rucker, AL. Greer graduated from Albertville High School and played baseball at the University of Montevallo. The Texas Rangers drafted him 279th overall in the tenth round of the 1990 MLB Draft. On May 16, 1994 he made his MLB Debut versus the Oakland Athletics. He hit a home run in his second at-bat. In 1996, he had one of the best seasons of his career, batting .332 (fifth in the American League) and recording his first of three 100-RBI seasons. The next season he finished seventh in the AL with a .321 batting average and hit a career high 26 home runs. For his career, he had a .305 batting average and a slugging percentage of .478. Greer spent his entire 15-year career in the Rangers organization. In 2007, he was inducted into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame.

PATRICK MURPHY – SOFTBALL – COACHING | Born November 28, 1965 in Waterloo, IA. Murphy began his collegiate coaching career at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette in 1990. He was hired as an assistant at the University of Alabama in 1996. He was named head coach at Alabama in 1999, taking the team to its first Women’s College World Series in 2000. In 2012, Murphy led Alabama to its first National Title and the first in SEC history. Under Coach Murphy, the Crimson Tide have appeared in 13 Women’s College World Series, won six regular season championships, and won five SEC Tournament Championships. Since Murphy became head coach in 1999, Alabama has made the NCAA Tournament every year. He is a five-time SEC Coach of the Year and his staff has won a NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year award and 11 NFCA South Region Coaching Staff of the Year awards.

JAKE PEAVY – BASEBALL | Born May 31, 1981 in Mobile, AL. Peavy was drafted out of St. Paul’s Episcopal School by the San Diego Padres in the 15th round as the 472nd pick of the 1999 MLB Draft. He was called up to the major leagues in 2002 where he pitched for the Padres from 2002-2009, before he was traded to the Chicago White Sox in 2009. Peavy played five seasons in Chicago before being traded to the Boston Red Sox in 2013. In 2014, he was traded to the San Francisco Giants where he eventually retired in 2016. Peavy was an All-Star in 2005, 2007, and 2012 and won back-to-back World Series with the Red Sox in 2013 and with the Giants in 2014. He was named the National League Cy Young award winner in the 2007 season, where he led the NL in wins and strikeouts and led the MLB in ERA. He was awarded a Gold Glove Award in 2012. Peavy ended his career with a record of 156-126 with a 3.63 ERA and 2,207 career strikeouts.

PHILIP RIVERS – FOOTBALL | Born December 8, 1981 in Decatur, AL. Rivers played quarterback for NC State from 2000-2003. He was awarded ACC Rookie of the Year in 2000, ACC Player of the Year and ACC Offensive Player of the Year in 2003, and ACC Athlete of the Year in 2004. Rivers was also named to the second-team All-ACC team in 2002 and to the first-team All-ACC team in 2003. He was selected by the New York Giants as the fourth pick of the 2004 NFL Draft but was traded to the San Diego Chargers for Eli Manning. In 2008, Rivers led the NFL in passer rating and was the co-leader for passing touchdowns. He led the league in passing yards in 2010 and in completion percentage in 2013. Rivers was a nine-time Pro-Bowler (2006, 2008-2011, 2013, 2016-2018) and was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2013. In 2020, Rivers signed with the Indianapolis Colts after 16 seasons with the Chargers. He retired after the 2021 season and currently coaches football at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, AL.

JUSTIN TUCK – FOOTBALL | Born March 29, 1983 in Kellyton, AL. Tuck attended the University of Notre Dame where he redshirted his freshman year and played three seasons with the Irish. He set several school records despite struggling with an ACL injury in his final season. His sophomore season he set the school record with 13.5 sacks and 43 tackles for loss. He holds the school record with 24.5 career sacks. In 2005, he was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round of the NFL Draft. During his career, Tuck won two Super Bowl titles (XLII, XLVI), was a two-time Pro-Bowler (2008, 2010), second-team All-Pro (2010), first-team All-Pro (2008), and was presented with the New York Giants Ring of Honor in 2016. He had 510 career tackles, 66.5 sacks, 22 forced fumbles, and three interceptions.

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Board of Directors of the State of Alabama Sports Hall of Fame is proud to announce that Reeves Sims will be recognized as the 2021 Frank “Pig” House Award recipient at the 53^rd Annual Induction Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, May 8, 2021.

The Frank “Pig” House Award is given to someone who has performed outstanding service to sports in Alabama, and whom the Board of Directors feels worthy of special recognition. The award is named after the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame’s first Chairman of the Board who was instrumental in the founding of the Hall of Fame.

Reeves Sims was born May 25, 1936 in Birmingham, AL. A graduate of Woodlawn High School and Auburn University, Sims is being recognized for his life of volunteer service, including 25 years in the Air National Guard where he retired as a Lt. Colonel. As a member of the Monday Morning Quarterback Club and charter member of the Birmingham Tip-Off Club, he volunteered at the first AHSAA Super Six and AHSAA Final 48 championships when they were established in the 1990s; he has been a part of every championship event since. Sims has also been a Pro-Am Chairperson for the Regions Tradition golf tournament since it began in 1992. He proudly serves his alma mater Auburn University and volunteers annually at the SEC Baseball Tournament. Since the late 1990s, he has volunteered with the Bryant-Jordan Student-Athlete Program. Among many other organizations, he has also served as director for local chapters of the YMCA and FCA. For his selfless contributions, Sims has already been recognized with the 2005 Birmingham YMCA Lifetime Achievement Award, 2004 Birmingham Tip-Off Club Leon Marlaire Award, 2014-15 Birmingham Tip-Off Club Frank Nix Distinguished Service Award, 2016 PGA Tour Champions Volunteer of the Year Award, and the 2019 NFHS State Award for Outstanding Service.

Sims joins a distinguished list of others who have been honored by the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame as Frank “Pig” House Award recipients. They are: Sammy Dunn (2004), Avalee Willoughby (2007), Buddy Anderson (2014), Emanuel “Tubb” Bell IV (2017), and Don Hawkins (2020).

The 53^rd Induction Banquet and Ceremony will be held in the Birmingham Ballroom, at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel, on Saturday, May 8, 2021. For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Museum at (205) 323-6665.

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