UA Alumni-Athlete Award Recipients Honored at Football Game

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Three outstanding University of Alabama alumni — Dr. Jeff Laubenthal,  L.W. “Red” Noonan and Fred Sington Jr. — were honored with the 2014 Paul W. Bryant Alumni-Athlete Award during a ceremony Saturday, Sept. 6, at Bryant-Denny Stadium on the UA campus.

Noonan was honored posthumously.

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. The awards were given during halftime of the UA-Florida Atlantic game.

This year’s presenters were UA President Judy Bonner; Calvin Brown, director of alumni affairs; Bill Battle, athletic director; Jimmy Warren, National Alumni Association president; Lee Boles, National Alumni Association president-elect; and Jerry Duncan, A-Club president.

Biographies

Dr. Jeff Laubenthal: During his time at UA, Dr. Jeff Laubenthal was a four-year baseball letterman and three time SEC Academic Honor Roll member. He was honored as the H. Boyd McWhorter Southeastern Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 1992. After graduating from UA, he received his medical degree from The University of Alabama at Birmingham. In 2001, he joined the West Alabama Family Practice & Sports Medicine in Tuscaloosa. He also serves as a team physician for the Crimson Tide baseball, softball and soccer teams. He is the clinical affiliate assistant professor in the department of family medicine. In 2012, he was honored as a member of the first group of SEC Baseball Legends.

L.W. “Red” Noonan: Red Noonan, honored posthumously, was a four-year starting fullback for the Crimson Tide, appearing in the 1948 Sugar Bowl. Noonan graduated from the University in 1949 and earned both his law and master’s degrees from UA. He spent much of his career with Merchants National Bank of Mobile, where he was vice president and trust officer. A recipient of the Freedom Foundation’s George Washington Award, he represented Alabama State Senate District 24 from 1971 to 1978, going on to serve as probate judge of Mobile County from 1983 until his retirement in 2001. His wife, Ruby, accepted the award on his behalf.

Fred Sington Jr.: Former National Alumni Association president Fred Sington Jr. was a letterman on the 1958–59 football team. He holds both a bachelor’s and law degree from UA as well as a master’s degree from Cornell. He is the director of the Northeast Alabama Regional Airport and chairman of the Gadsden Airport Authority. He has served as president of the Northeast Alabama Red Elephant Club, president of both the Golden Fifties Club and Etowah County Alumni Association and past captain of the Gadsden Quarterback Club. He has also served as a longtime sportscaster for Gadsden High School and other Etowah County high school games

Past recipients 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 –  Marlin “Scooter” Dyess,  Johnny Musso

2013 –  Martha Jones Lang,  Joe Namath