UA Alumni-Athlete Award Recipients Honored at Football Game

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Three University of Alabama alumni — Sylvester Croom Jr., Charles Wayne Owen and Lillie M. Leatherwood — were honored with the 2015 Paul W. Bryant Alumni-Athlete Award during a ceremony Saturday, Sept. 12, at Bryant-Denny Stadium on the UA campus.

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-Middle Tennessee State game.

This year’s presenters were UA President Dr. Stuart Bell; Calvin Brown, director of alumni affairs; Bill Battle, athletic director; Lee Boles, National Alumni Association president; Alex Smith, National Alumni Association president-elect; and Jerry Duncan, A-Club president.

Biographies:

Sylvester Croom Jr.

During his time as a UA student, Sylvester Croom Jr. was a three-year football letterman under Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. He started at center on the 1973 national championship team and was a part of three SEC championships for the Crimson Tide. Croom has since dedicated his life to coaching, beginning as a graduate coaching assistant for UA in 1976 and spending 10 years in numerous roles with the team’s coaching staff. Croom went on to serve in various positions for seven NFL orga

nizations and as head coach of Mississippi State University from 2004 to 2008.

Croom is the running backs coach for the Tennessee Titans and was unable to attend the award ceremony due to coaching responsibilities. Accepting on his behalf was Ricky Davis, co-captain of the 1974 UA football team.

Lillie Mae Leatherwood

Lillie Mae Leatherwood was a two-time national champion as a track and field athlete at UA, securing national titles in the women’s 400 meter race in both 1985 and 1986. She won Olympic gold in the women’s 4 x 400 relay in 1984 and followed up with a silver medal in the 1988 games. Leatherwood joined the Tuscaloosa Police Department in 1993 and began working with the Police Athletic League gym program in 1995. She has served as director of the after-school enrichment program since 2012.

Wayne Owen

Wayne Owen was a three-year letterman under Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, beginning on the freshman squad in 1965. During the following three years, the Crimson Tide won 27 games, losing only four and tying one. For his contributing efforts, Owen was named to the Academic All-SEC Team in 1968. He graduated from the UA School of Law in 1972 and was elected Etowah County district court judge in 1983. He served in that position for 28 years, presiding over more than 8,000 misdemeanor and juvenile cases annually until his retirement in 2011.

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

2014 — Dr. Jeff Laubenthal,  L.W. “Red” Noonan and Fred Sington Jr.