Meet the 2017 class of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
The 2017 Alabama Sports Hall of Fame inductees and their representatives. (Solomon Crenshaw Jr. / Alabama NewsCenter)
Jimmy Tom Goostree didn’t always realize how good he had it growing up as the son of the late University of Alabama athletic trainer Jim Goostree.
“I lived a life that most kids can only dream of, just being around all those athletes at the university,” he said. “The life I was fortunate enough to have led is a byproduct of all his hard work.”
Jim Goostree’s hard work garners another benefit this weekend as he and others are honored at the 2017 Alabama Sports Hall of Fame induction. The induction banquet is Saturday night in the Birmingham Ballroom at the Sheraton Birmingham.
Goostree goes into the hall along with Auburn basketball star Lee DeFore, Alabama assistant football coach Ken Donahue, Birmingham native and Ole Miss football standout Jeff Herrod, former Jacksonville State and major league pitcher Todd Jones, Auburn football players Takeo Spikes and Carnell “Cadillac” Williams, and Alabama football player Kevin Turner.
Three other individuals will be honored. Pete Derzis is the Alabama Sportsman, Dr. Galon McCollough is the United States Sportsman and Ron Ingram will receive the Mel Allen Media Award.
Lee Defore (contributed)
Lee DeFore, Basketball
DeFore played collegiately at Auburn and was a three-year letterman on the basketball team and team captain his senior year. He left Auburn as the school’s all-time scoring leader and currently ranks 16th on Auburn’s all-time scoring list with 1,386 points. He was Auburn’s first 1,000 point scorer.
DeFore died in 2014.
“He would absolutely be so honored and thrilled to be part of it,” said his widow Anna DeFore. “To be with all these other guys, he would be absolutely thrilled. That’s what disappoints our family, that he’s not here with us. But I know he will be in spirit.”
Ken Donahue, Football
Donahue was an assistant football coach for 38 years. He had coaching stints at Memphis State, Tennessee, Mississippi State, Alabama and Tennessee again. He was named “Working Coach of the Year” in the SEC twice, in 1975 at Alabama and in 1985 at Tennessee.
Ken Donahue (contributed)
“My dad was coaching defense at Mississippi State and Coach (Bear) Bryant called by dad through Gene Stallings,” his son Ben Donahue said. “Twenty-one years later, my dad was still coaching.”
In 1985, the Football News named Donahue Best Assistant Coach nationally. For 21 years, he served as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Alabama. During that time period, the Alabama defense led the SEC in least yards allowed seven times, in rushing nine times and in pass defense three times.
Alabama won 12 SEC titles and five national championships during his tenure. He passed away in March 2001.
Jim Goostree (contributed)
Jim Goostree, Administrator
Goostree served as athletic trainer for 27 years at the University of Alabama and was inducted into the National Athletic Trainer’s Association’s Hall of Fame in 1984. He served as head trainer for both the Blue-Gray and Senior Bowl All-Star games for 15 years.
In 1984, Goostree was promoted to assistant athletic director at Alabama. He was in charge of the Tide Pride donor program. He supervised the renovation and expansion of Bryant-Denny Stadium, the building of the indoor practice facility and football buildings.
Goostree died in October 1999.
Jeff Herrod, Football
Jeff Herrod poses with his Alabama Sports Hall of Fame display. (Solomon Crenshaw Jr. / Alabama NewsCenter)
A 1983 graduate of Birmingham’s Banks High School, Herrod played collegiately at the University of Mississippi after growing up with dreams of playing at Alabama.
“I guess the good Lord wanted me to be an Ole Miss Rebel,” he said. “I got teary eyed watching the movie ‘Woodlawn.’ I was inspired to play football by watching Tony Nathan. I was a big fan of Tony Nathan growing up in Avondale projects.”
Herrod holds the single game total for tackles (28) and the single season total for tackles (168). He finished as the all-time leader in tackles at Ole Miss with 528. He is second all-time leading tackler in SEC history.
Herrod played 11 years in the NFL – 10 with the Indianapolis Colts and one year with the Philadelphia Eagles. He led the Colts in tackles for seven seasons and finished as the Colts all-time leader in tackles with 1,347.
Herrod was named Defensive Player of Year three times (1989, 1990, and 1992). The Colts named him their MVP in 1991. In 1993, he was selected as member of the Ole Miss Team of the Century.
Todd Jones, Baseball
Former major league pitcher Todd Jones gets a first look at his display case with Scott Meyers, executive director of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. (Solomon Crenshaw Jr. / Alabama NewsCenter)
A native of Marietta, Ga., Jones played collegiately at Jacksonville State University. He helped lead the Gamecocks to back-to-back College World Series appearances in 1988 and 1989, striking out 171 batters in those two years.
He played in the Major Leagues for 16 seasons with eight different teams. He had his best season in 2000 with the Detroit Tigers, being named to the American League All-Star Team and winning the American League Relief Man of the Year Award.
“It’s an amazing honor when you look around and see the people who are going in this year and the ones that are already in,” Jones said of the state hall of fame. “Playing in an all-star game, playing in a World Series, having the opportunity to pitch for my country – those are tremendous honors. There’s a lot to be thankful for today.”
In 2006, Jones helped lead the Tigers to the American League Pennant. He was inducted into the Jacksonville State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999.
Takeo Spikes, Football
Takeo Spikes is a member of the 2017 Alabama Sports Hall of Fame class. (Solomon Crenshaw Jr. / Alabama NewsCenter)
Born in Atlanta, Spikes didn’t realize he was eligible for the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
“I thought it was only available to those who were from here, from the state of Alabama,” he said. “When I received the phone call, I thought, ‘Somebody’s playing with me.’”
Spikes led the Auburn Tigers to the SEC Western Division Championship in 1997, pacing the team in tackles with 136. He was drafted 13th overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1998 NFL Draft.
Spikes was a two-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time All-Pro selection. He also played for four other NFL teams – the Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers and San Diego Chargers. He had fewer than 70 tackles just one season in his NFL career.
Kevin Turner (contributed)
Kevin Turner, Football
Turner, a native of Prattville, played collegiately at the University of Alabama and was captain of the 1991 team. He was a third-round draft choice in the 1992 NFL Draft to the New England Patriots.
Turner played three seasons with the Patriots and was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he played five seasons. He was presented the NFL Ed Block Courage Award in 1996 by the Eagles for overcoming adversity on and off the field.
Turner passed away on March 24, 2016, due to ALS.
Carnell “Cadillac” Williams, Football
Carnell “Cadillac” Williams is among the 2017 Alabama Sports Hall of Fame inductees. (Solomon Crenshaw Jr. / Alabama NewsCenter)
The Gadsden native played collegiately at Auburn University, counting his 80-yard touchdown run on the first play of the 2003 Iron Bowl among his career highlights.
“Growing up, I never got into the game to become a hall of famer,” Williams said. “To be considered a hall of famer is an amazing sight.”
Williams was an All-American and All-SEC running back and All-SEC return specialist for the Tigers. He helped lead them to the 2004 SEC Championship. He led Auburn in rushing three of his four seasons.
The running back broke all-time Auburn career records in most rushing attempts (741) and most touchdowns (45). He was second all-time leader in career rushing (3, 831) and all-purpose yards (5,084); he was the SEC Special Teams Player of the Year in 2004.
Williams was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2004 NFL Draft and was the fifth overall pick. During his rookie season he became the first player in NFL history to debut with three consecutive 100-yard performances.
