Bryant Alumni-Athlete Award Will Honor Former Players at Season Opener

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Two former University of Alabama standout football athletes – Randy Billingsley of Mobile and the Rev. Colenzo “Rock” Hubbard of Memphis, Tenn. – will be presented the 2010 Paul W. Bryant Alumni-Athlete Award on Sept. 4 at halftime of the UA vs. San Jose State football game in Tuscaloosa.

The prestigious award is presented by the UA National Alumni Association to former athletes whose accomplishments have been outstanding based on character, contributions to society, professional achievement and service.

Randy Billingsley became a national champion with the Crimson Tide in 1973. He is the president of Mobile Asphalt and serves on the board of directors of the Alabama Asphalt Company LLC, A-Club Charitable Foundation and Crimson Tide Foundation, and serves as a director on the bank boards of Compass Bank, Vision Bank and Capstone Bank.

The Rev. Colenzo “Rock” Hubbard played football for the Tide from 1973-1976 and graduated from UA in 1977. In 1985, he founded the Emmanuel Episcopal Center, an urban outreach of the Diocese of West Tennessee located in one of the largest and poorest housing communities in Memphis, Tenn. His community involvement and leadership have been recognized with numerous awards and a PBS documentary about his work. Hubbard says when he was a young football player he regarded Coach Bryant as a father figure, and he now credits the “Bear” with shaping his life and guiding his values.

Past recipients of the UA NAA Paul W. Bryant Alumni-Athlete Award include:

1988 – John Croyle

1989 – Young Boozer

1990 – Charlie Boswell

1991 – Fred Sington

1992 – Hoyt “Wu” Winslett

1993 – Holt Rast, Tom Rast

1994 – Bart Starr

1995 – Bud Moore

1996 – Ozzie Newsome

1997 – Jerry Duncan

1998 – Dwight Stephenson

1999 – Lee Roy Jordan

2000 – Joe Kelley, Wendell Hudson

2001 – Dr. Andrew Burch, Jack McKewen

2002 – Harry Lee, I. L. “Pat” O’Sullivan Jr.

2003 – Harry Gilmer, Don Salls

2004 – Jeremiah Castille, William E. Sexton

2005 –  Bill Battle, Dr. Noah Langdale Jr.

2006 – Jim Loftin Sr., Bobby Luna, Mal Moore

2007 – Clem Gryska, Cecil “Hootie” Ingram

2008 – Barbara Mack Harding, George A. McCain Jr., Ben W. McLeod Jr.

2009 – Jerry Belk, Jack V. Brown Sr.