UA’s NAA Present Namath, Lang Alumni-Athlete Award

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Two former University of Alabama outstanding athletes – Martha Jones Lang and Joe Namath – have received the 2013 Paul W. Bryant Alumni-Athlete Award.

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

Lang, of Birmingham, and Namath, from Beaver Falls, Pa., received the award during a Sept. 21 halftime ceremony of the UA vs. Colorado State football game. This year’s presenters were UA President Judy Bonner; Charlie Schaeffer, president of the UA National Alumni Association; Jimmy Warren, president-elect of the National Alumni Association; Calvin Brown, director of Alumni Affairs; Cecil Ingram, president of the A-Club; and Bill Battle, athletic director.

Martha Jones Lang, a 1973 UA graduate, played on UA’s first female golf team, where she tied for fourth place in the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women Championship. She went on to accomplish much both on and off the course: She was a member of the U.S. Curtis Cup team in 1992, captaining the team in 1996, and she has won amateur competitions, including the Women’s Southern Senior Amateur Championship in 2005. She is a member of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and has served as chairman of the U.S. Golf Association Women’s Golf Committee.

Joe Namath was quarterback for the Tide from 1962 to 1964 and played under the legendary Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. In his three years at UA, he led the Tide to a 29-4 record, including three bowl appearances and a national championship. He signed to the New York Jets in 1965, where he played for 12 years and won the 1969 Super Bowl, which helped influence the 1970 merger of the American Football League and the National Football League. While with the Jets, he became the first player to pass for more than 4,000 yards. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1984 and returned to UA in 2006 to earn his Bachelor of Arts in December 2007.

Past Recipients of the Paul W. Bryant Alumni-Athlete Award are:

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.

2010 – Randy Billingsley, Colenzo “Rock” Hubbard

2011 – Clark Boler, Tommy Brooker, Lt. Col. Howard Pierson

2012 — Johnny Musso, Marlin “Scooter” Dyess