Crimson Column presented by Mercedes-Benz
4/27/2017 10:52:00 AM | General
A-Day a Success
Thank you to the over 74,000 fans (most in the SEC) that joined us at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday! Mother Nature cooperated and held the rain off until after everyone cleared out, making for a beautiful spring day in Tuscaloosa. It was great to meet so many different people during all the various events surrounding A-Day from former players and A-Club members to those in attendance at the Tide Pride luncheon. I was also able to connect with some fans at Denny Chimes as we waited for the Walk of Fame ceremony to begin, which by the way is really a special tradition and was as memorable as everyone told me it would be.
Walking up to the stadium, I was in awe of the amount of people lined up to greet the team at the Walk of Champions. It looked like a crowd for a regular season game in the fall. What a passionate and prideful group of supporters we have here at Alabama.
The game came down to wire, but 10 fourth-quarter points, including a 30-yard field goal as time expired, gave the Crimson Team a 27-24 victory. As you may or may not know, that meant the traditional steak dinner for Crimson, while the White team watched from across the room as it ate beans. Following dinner, the team was presented with its 2016 SEC Championship and College Football Playoff rings.
Anton McKee Named H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete of the Year
It goes without saying that The University of Alabama has enjoyed much success athletically over the years, however what our Crimson Tide student-athletes have been able to accomplish in the classroom is simply outstanding. We are proud to have yet another H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete of the Year winner as Anton McKee, a member of our swimming and diving team, was named the male recipient for the 2016-17 season.
Anton is an 11-time All-American and set multiple Alabama records in the pool, all while holding a perfect 4.0 GPA as a management information systems major. He is the 2017 SEC champion and NCAA runner-up in the 200 breaststroke and was named the 2016 CoSIDA At-Large Team Academic All-American of the Year.
Alabama leads the league in H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete of the Year winners as Anton became the 11th Tide recipient of the prestigious award, and fourth in the last five years. He joins Julie Estin (1987 – gymnastics), Jeff Laubenthal (1992 – baseball), Meredith Willard (1997 – gymnastics), Kristin Sterner (2003 – gymnastics), Lauren Imwalle (2004 – soccer), Emeel Salem (2007 – baseball), Joseph Sykora (2008 – men's golf), Barrett Jones (2013 – football), Cory Whitsett (2014 – men's golf) and Haylie McCleney (2016 – softball).
Congratulations, Anton!
And the Award Goes to ...
Last Tuesday, we celebrated the academic and athletic achievements of our teams at the annual Crimson Choice Awards, held at the Bryant Conference Center. The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, led by senior swimmer Caroline Korst, did a masterful job putting on this event for the athletes, coaches, staff and guests of the community. It was an evening filled with pride, applause and lots of laughs, thanks to our emcee, comedian Jermaine "FunnyMaine" Johnson.
Several awards were handed out throughout the event, culminating with the presentation of the Paul W. Bryant Awards, given each year to the top male and female student-athletes. This year's recipients were Connor Oslin (swimming and diving) and Krystal Rivers (volleyball). Connor is a three-time SEC champion in the 100 backstroke and earned his second straight SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year award in 2017. Krystal became the first to earn SEC Player of the Year and SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year recognition in the same season and set the Alabama career record for kills and points.
Other awards presented throughout the night were:
- Team GPA Award – women's tennis, men's swimming and diving
- Commitment to Service Award – gymnastics, men's basketball
- Team of the Year – women's golf, football
- Coach of the Year – Patrick Murphy (softball), Dennis Pursley (swimming and diving)
- Comeback Athlete of the Year – Bo Scarbrough (football)
- Athlete of the Year – Haylie McCleney (softball), Jonathan Allen (football)
- Rookie of the Year – Cheyenne Knight (women's golf), Jalen Hurts (football)
- Faculty Member of the Year – Dr. Ron Dulek (management)
- Support Staff Member of the Year – Fern Hampton (academics)
- Dress to Impress Award – Anton McKee (swimming and diving), Quincey Gary (volleyball)
Another notable moment at this year's banquet was the video tribute to Bill Battle that followed the awards. You could see just how influential he was to the student-athletes and coaches in their heartfelt messages. What a great way to recognize a man who has meant so much to this university.
University Spotlight
The longer I am here, the more I see just how many incredible things are taking place every day at The University of Alabama. We have some extremely talented individuals excelling in their respective areas, and one example that stood out to me recently was a senior project that evolved into a life-changer for one little boy in the RISE Program. Speaking of RISE, they had their annual fundraising golf tournament and sponsor dinner last week, so I got a chance to say hello to Coach Stallings. Obviously, he has been very involved in growing that program for years, and he is still going strong.
I encourage each of you to visit the university's web site to read more stories like this. Also, keep an eye out in future editions of the Crimson Column as we will continue to highlight UA, its students, faculty and staff.Â
#RollTideFriday
Our #RollTideFriday campaign is gaining ground, and each Friday we look forward to seeing where fans will check in from wearing Crimson Tide gear. As I mentioned last time, the impact of seeing our fans wearing Alabama clothing, particularly with the script A, can help us in ways beyond the obvious, and that's something that can be evident everywhere.
This week, we are sharing photos from Scott Foley in Robertsdale, Alabama, and Ed Rudisill sporting his Alabama sweatshirt all the way from Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France!
Scott Foley showing off his Alabama shirt and the houndstooth hat he received as a gift for his 50th birthday in Robertsdale, Alabama.
Ed Rudisill sporting his Alabama sweatshirt in front of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France.
We encourage you all to keep posting your photos using #RollTideFriday. If you're on Twitter, you can also tweet your photos to me at @Greg_Byrne. We will select at least two photos to feature in each blog and add even more to our #RollTideFriday Fan Hub. Check it out to see how far the Alabama brand reaches.
Upcoming Schedule of Events
View the list of upcoming events, broadcast information, start times and stat links on our composite calendar. (Note: All times are listed as Central Standard Time, i.e. Tuscaloosa time.)
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