Byrne Notice presented by Mercedes-Benz
5/11/2021 11:10:00 AM | General
More than 100 Crimson Tide Student-Athletes Graduate Following the Spring Semester
Congratulations to the more than 100 Crimson Tide student-athletes who joined the ranks of our alumni last week. That total included more than 70 undergraduate degrees as well as 30-plus graduate degrees, with two swimmers - Lydia Jackson and Tor VanBuskirk - earning both their bachelor's and master's degrees concurrently through Alabama's Accelerated Master's Program (AMP). Men's basketball legend Robert Horry added a UA diploma to his trio of SEC Tournament and seven NBA Championship rings. This year's graduates also included an NCAA Champion, 16 All-Americans and three CoSIDA Academic All-Americans. We are very proud of our graduates as they make their way into the world for the next chapter in their lives.
Several with Crimson ties Inducted into Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
More congratulations are in order as we celebrated the induction of three of our former student-athletes - Steve Hudson, Lillie Leatherwood and George Teague - into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday. We'd also like to congratulate Angus Cooper II and John McMahon, Jr., members of the Crimson Tide Foundation Board, Trustee Emeriti of The University of Alabama and longtime generous supporters of Alabama Athletics who were recognized as Distinguished American Sportsmen at the 2021 festivities, as well as Rubin Grant, winner of the Mel Allen Media Award. Well-deserved honors for each of these outstanding individuals.
Mitchell and Wiley Inducted into NJCAA Halls of Fame
More exciting Hall of Fame announcements came out last week, this time from the National Junior College Athletic Association, where John Mitchell and Blaine Wiley were recognized. John, who played at Eastern Arizona Junior College before becoming the first African-American to play football at Alabama, is one of seven individuals that will be inducted into the inaugural NJCAA Foundation Hall of Fame Class. Blaine, who was associate head coach at South Plains in Texas from 2006-15 prior to joining the Tide as an assistant track and field coach with the Tide, is one of two who entered the NJCAA Cross Country, Track & Field, and Half Marathon Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2021. Congratulations to both!
SEC Softball Championships Coming to Rhoads Stadium
For the second time in a month's time, we will play host to a Southeastern Conference Championship, with the SEC Softball Tournament opening play Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. CT. Patrick Murphy and his squad, ranked No. 3 in the nation, begin play on Thursday following byes on Tuesday and Wednesday. The softball tourney comes after we played host to the SEC Women's Tennis Championships. I am very proud of the stellar reputation that Alabama Athletics has when it comes to hosting events on campus. That reputation has been built on the efforts of our event management crew and so many others who work tirelessly to make sure we run events on our campus in a first-class manner. And speaking of hosting first-class events, we have already been selected as one of 20 possible sites for NCAA softball regionals.
Alabama Notches 13 spots in the National Postseason, So Far
When our men's golf team earned a spot in the NCAA Championships last week, it boosted our national postseason total in 2020-21 to 13, including a dozen teams who advanced to the NCAA Championships and yet another appearance in the College Football Playoff. That total will continue to grow as softball, baseball, rowing, and men's and women's track & field are still ramping up for the NCAA postseason.
Women's Golf NCAAs to Begin Tuesday in Baton Rouge
Our women's golf team was set to begin NCAA Regional play yesterday, however rain has forced a Tuesday start in Baton Rouge. The top six teams along with the top three individuals from non-advancing teams will advance to the NCAA Championships in Scottsdale, Ariz., which begin May 21. We are so proud of this team's 15th-consecutive trip to the Regionals under Coach Potter and 22nd overall.
Conference Championships on Deck for Rowing and Track & Field
Two more of our sports have wrapped up regular seasons with rowing and track & field gearing up for the postseason. The SEC Track & Field Championships take place this week in Bryan-College Station, Texas, with events scheduled Thursday through Saturday. Our rowing team, which competes in the Big 12, will head to Austin, Texas for the Championships on Saturday, May 15. Best of luck to our teams!
Ten Football Players Drafted, Including Six First-Rounders
A total of 10 former Alabama football players were selected in the 2021 NFL Draft, which took place April 29 - May 1 in Cleveland. The 10 picks are tied for the second-most in a single draft in program history, while the six first-round selections tied for the most by a program in a single year. Since 2017, we have had at least nine draft picks each year. While we will miss cheering them on in crimson and white, we look forward to seeing their success at the next level.
The 2020-21 Crimson Choice Awards
For the second year in a row, we have taken our annual Crimson Choice Awards show virtual. This year's celebration of Crimson Tide excellence took the form of a 30-minute show that is currently streaming on RollTide.com. While we are all very much looking forward to the time when we can once again all gather together for the CCAs, our thanks go out to Roger Hoover and Kennedy Chase for serving as hosts, along with our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Crimson Tide Productions, Athletics Photography and so many more who worked behind the scenes to make this year's virtual show a success.
Thank You, Coach and Mary Battle
At last Thursday's softball game, former Director of Athletics Bill Battle and his wife, Mary, were recognized for their service and generosity to The University of Alabama. When Team 24's extremely promising season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was concern that our seniors might not have their final year. Once the NCAA granted the extra year of eligibility, Coach and Mary responded with a gift to provide scholarship support to all seven of softball's returning seniors. We thank Coach Battle and Mary for their tireless support of Alabama Athletics and The University of Alabama.
University Spotlight
We always look forward to seeing this Year in Review video that shows all of the incredible highlights from campus over the past academic season. In a year unlike any other, The University of Alabama continued to flourish in so many ways.
#RollTideFriday
We're going global for this week's #RollTideFriday photos. First, we have Greg Hulsey in sunny Turks and Caicos and secondly, Professor E in Italy.
Greg Hulsey
Professor E
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!
Schedule of Events
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