This week in HS Sports: Inspirational Kerry Goode is a true Hall of Famer

This is an opinion piece.

I was honored last week to be invited and attend the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame ceremony in Birmingham.

I was there to support my friend, radio partner and former boss Randy Kennedy, who received the prestigious Mel Allen Media Award.

Randy joins some pretty exclusive company in winning the award: Rick Karle, Mark McCarter, Rubin Grant, Paul Finebaum, Cecil Hurt, Ron Ingram, Tom Roberts, John Pruett and George Smith. That is pretty much a who’s who of state media legends over the years, and I’ve been privileged to call some of them friends.

Well deserved, RK. Congrats. As you would tell me, that’s a pretty good “little” career you’ve established there.

This year’s inductees into the 56th Class were basketball coaches Mike Anderson and Larry Chapman, gymnast Penney Hauschild Buxton, basketball player John Drew, football players Robert Mathis, David Palmer and Mike Washington and baseball player Scott Sullivan.

Man, I wish I’d had the chance to watch Drew and Palmer on the high school level. Of course, I saw both later in their careers, but I’m told by people who would know that they were unbelievable at the high school level.

Saturday’s attendee list was pretty impressive as well and included former inductees Dabo Swinney, Gene Stallings, Cornelius Bennett, Steve Savarese and Dan Washburn just to name a few.

But clearly the highlight of the night belonged to this year’s Distinguished Alabama Sportsman, former Alabama football player Kerry Goode. Goode was a Hazlewood High legend in the 1980s when the school was winning seven state championships in 11 years. He went on to become a permanent team captain at Alabama despite battling through multiple injuries.

Since his playing career ended, Goode has become an inspiration to many. He was diagnosed with ALS in 2015 and has been battling the disease since. He and wife Tanja founded the Goode Foundation to support ALS patients and their families in the fight against the cruel disease.

“God didn’t bless me with the career I had hoped for but he gave me enough name recognition to help others,” he said in a story for the ASHOF program written by Kennedy.

Though he’s not sure how many days he has left on this earth, Goode attended the banquet in his wheelchair and even quipped that he had no respect for deadlines even though Hall of Fame speeches were supposed to last about three minutes.

“The last time someone gave me a time limit they told me I might live for two years. That was eight years ago,” he said.

No one was counting the minutes during his speech Saturday night, I assure you. He received multiple standing ovations. All well deserved as he encouraged all of us to positively impact others.

He is certainly another example that no matter what you are facing, you still can inspire others.

Thank you, Kerry Goode.

And congratulations to all the inductees and honorees. It was a pleasure being there.

Officials Hall of Fame

The Alabama Sports Officials Hall of Fame has announced its Class of 2024. Ten individuals will be inducted in Oxford on Saturday, Aug. 3. All 10 have worked multiple AHSAA sports championships.

Being inducted this year are Pat Adkinson, Alan Cosby, Don English, George Evans, Mickey Haddock, Mike Murphy, Steve Newton, Keith Robertson, Kathy Odom White and Bill Young.

Returning “home”

As many of you know, I started my writing career at the Gadsden Times and, for the first year out of college, I lived in a nifty little garage apartment in Jacksonville, Ala.

So, when the state baseball and softball finals were moved there a few years ago, I was excited to go back even though the drive is a little further from my home in Daphne than it was to Montgomery.

Choccolocco Park is an exceptional place for the softball tournament and Game 1 of each baseball series, and Jacksonville State’s Jim Case Stadium is an excellent place to crown baseball champs.

My only hope this year is the weather cooperates a little more than it did in 2023, though early forecasts don’t look great.

See you there!

Thought for the week

“Watch to see where God is working and join Him.” – Henry Blackaby.

Ben Thomas is the high school sportswriter at AL.com. He has been named one of the 50 legends of the Alabama Sports Writers Association. Follow him on twitter at @BenThomasPreps or email him at bthomas@al.com. He can be heard weekly on “Inside High School Sports” on SportsTalk 99.5 FM in Mobile or on the free IHeart Radio App at 2 p.m. Wednesdays.