Byrne Notice presented by Mercedes-Benz
5/7/2020 10:58:00 AM | General
100 Spring Graduates for the Crimson Tide
We are thrilled for the 100 student-athletes who earned either an undergraduate or master's degree (or in the case of Luca Fabian and Drew Williams, one of each) this spring. While the current circumstances prevented us from celebrating together in Coleman Coliseum with the traditional commencement ceremonies, the accomplishments of each of our student-athletes, and everyone graduating this past weekend, should be appreciated and cheered. What our May 2020 graduates achieved during their Crimson Tide tenures, highlighted by this great graduation video, is phenomenal. We'd also like to thank every donor and fan who supported these young men and women as they worked tirelessly toward their diploma. Your contributions have provided funding for scholarships, program support and the capital infrastructure necessary for our student-athletes to reach their academic and athletic goals. While this year's celebration looked a little different, Alabama Athletics is no less proud of our student-athletes and deeply appreciative of our donors and supporters.
Another Successful NFL Draft
Congratulations to our nine NFL draft picks and two former players that signed as undrafted free agents. We had four first-round selections including quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (No. 5, Miami Dolphins) and offensive lineman Jedrick Wills Jr. (No.10 Cleveland Browns) along with wide receivers Henry Ruggs III (No. 12, Las Vegas Raiders) and Jerry Jeudy (No. 15, Denver Broncos), bringing Coach Saban's career total to 38 first-round picks. Also, with Tua's fifth overall selection in the first round, Coach Saban became the first college head coach in the NFL's common draft era to produce a first-round pick at every non-specialist position. In addition, the pick of both Jeudy and Ruggs III in the first round mark the first wide receiver duo in program history to be drafted in round one.
The second and third rounds featured five of our former standouts. Defensive back Xavier McKinney was the first Crimson Tide player off the board on day two of the Draft (No. 36, New York Giants), while defensive back Trevon Diggs (No. 51, Dallas Cowboys) and defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (No. 56, Miami Dolphins) went in the second round. Linebackers Terrell Lewis (No. 84, Los Angeles Rams) and Anfernee Jennings (No. 87, New England Patriots) were selected in the third round.
In addition, defensive backs Shyheim Carter signed as a free agent with the New York Jets and Jared Mayden with the San Francisco 49ers.
Men's Basketball to Play Clemson in Holiday Hoopsgiving in Atlanta
Men's basketball will take on Clemson in Atlanta this December as part of the Holiday Hoopsgiving quadruple-header which will feature four SEC teams. Alabama will face Clemson at State Farm Arena, home of the Atlanta Hawks, on Saturday, Dec. 12. Other games include LSU vs. South Florida, Mississippi State vs. Dayton and Auburn vs. Memphis. Game times will be announced at a later date.
The 2020 Crimson Choice Awards (Virtual) Show
On Monday, we celebrated Crimson Tide excellence with our annual Crimson Choice Awards. Like so many other things this spring, this year's presentation looked a little different, with our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) taking the event virtual, announcing the finalists and winners of each category via SAAC's Twitter and Instagram accounts. It was an innovative and fun way to recognize our accomplishments. CCA co-chairs Sarah Giuliani (rowing) and Lexi Souther (swimming and diving), SAAC president Alize Ford (track and field) and everyone who had a hand in putting on this year's virtual show did a wonderful job and we certainly appreciate the creativity and resourcefulness that went into recognizing our student-athletes, coaches, staff and faculty.
Alabama's SEC H. Boyd McWhorter Award Finalists
Congrats to Bailey Hemphill (softball) and Zane Waddell (swimming and diving) for being finalists for the SEC H. Boyd McWhorter Postgraduate Scholarship, which recognizes the SEC's Scholar-Athletes of the Year. Bailey and Zane, who were named the A-Club Athletes of the Year and the Bryant Award winners during Monday's Crimson Choice Awards (Virtual) Show, are outstanding examples of excelling at the highest levels both academically and academically. They are both outstanding ambassadors for The University of Alabama and make us extremely proud time and time again. The winners of this year's McWhorter Scholarships will be announced on May 26.
The Crimson Tide's SEC Brad Davis Community Service Leaders of the Year Finalists
Earlier this week, Kyle Cameron (baseball) and Makena Clark (rowing) were announced as our finalists for the SEC Brad Davis Community Service Leaders of the Year honor. Both Kyle and Makena are tremendous servant leaders, and we are very proud of the way they make a difference not only on the diamond and the water, but in the world around them as well. This year's Davis Award winners will be announced on May 28.
Gabrielle Krieger Selected for USRowing Selection Camp
Rower Gabrielle Krieger is one of just nine women from across the United States to earn an invitation to the 2020 Under 23 Selection Camp, USRowing announced recently. While the realities of safety in a time of social distancing have thrown the timeline for the camp up in the air, just being invited to try out for Team USA is a tremendous honor. Gabrielle's accomplishments, and this latest recognition, are further examples of the leaps our rowing program has made recently.
The SEC Network's #HomeSchoolSpirit
The SEC Network launched its #HomeSchoolSpirit campaign this week, encouraging our fans to use the hashtag in conjunction with photos and video clips to show how they're keeping their Crimson Tide fandom active. Things like this and our own #RollTideFriday hashtag are great ways to share your Alabama spirit until we can all be together again, cheering on the Tide together.
Hey Bama
Over the past month, Alabama Athletics has combined the principals of social distancing with video conferencing to come up with "Hey Bama," a social-media based show that catches up with Crimson Tide coaches, student-athletes and staff. These come out Monday, Wednesday and Friday and the plan is to keep them going through the summer. Looking for your next binge-able show? Here you go ... Jay Seawell (men's golf), Kaley Verpaele (soccer), Coley Stickels (swimming and diving), Bobby Colantonio Jr. (track and field), Dana Duckworth (gymnastics), Lindsey Devine (volleyball), George Husack (men's tennis), Kristy Curry (women's basketball), Mic Potter (women's golf) and Darcy Jennings (rowing). Zane Waddell (swimming and diving) is slated for Friday and then we'll keep rolling from there.
University Spotlight
Not only did we celebrate the graduation of 100 student-athletes last week, but we also celebrate all 6,500 spring graduates at The University of Alabama. That group includes 4,893 applicants for bachelor's degrees, 1,148 applicants for master's and other graduate degree and nearly 100 applicants for a doctoral degree. Also represented is nearly every county in Alabama, all 50 states and 24 countries. I encourage you to check out this video showcasing the story of the Class of 2020.
#RollTideFriday
We are going with a few pre-social distancing pics today for our #RollTideFriday features. First up, we have Jeff McCrary and siblings from Huntsville, Alabama, and secondly, Karmel Nonya's submission from the Tetons.
Jeff McCrary and siblings
Karmel Nonya
Remember to use the hashtag #RollTideFriday in your social posts and tweet your photos to me at @Greg_Byrne. We will select two photos to feature in each blog and add even more to our #RollTideFriday Fan Hub. Let's keep these great photos coming!
