Greatest Names In Bama Football History-Billy Neighbors
The University of Alabama has many great names associated with its storied history. Many have gone on to professional football careers in the National Football League or American Football League, others to successful careers in business, and still others in the entertainment industry.
Today we take a look at another great name in Alabama football. His name is William Wesley "Billy" Neighbors.
Neighbors was born on February 4, 1940. As a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide he attained All-American status. After his college career he was selected in the sixth round of the 1962 AFL Draft, and was also drafted in the fourth round of the 1962 NFL Draft Day by the Washington Redskins. He chose to play in the American Football League for the Boston Patriots, and played from 1962 until 1969 in the guard position.
Of note, Billy's son Wes also played football for the University of Alabama. He was an All-SEC center from 1984 to 1986.
Billy Neighbors died of a heart attack on April 30, 2012.
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3-Star Shawn Jennings Narrows List to 3
Dadeville, Alabama three-star athlete Shawn Jennings has narrowed his list of schools to Alabama, Auburn, and Memphis. Jennings still plans a July 28th announcement date, just four days from now.
Jennings is listed as the 25th best player in the state of Alabama, according to Scout.com. He has been a highly sought-after commodity, and Bama has been going after him hard.
The best recruiting minds believe Jennings will choose the Crimson Tide this coming Tuesday. Jennings is currently enrolled at the University of Alabama, so it is thought he'd like to spend some of his college future with big brother.
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Bama Gymnast Kim Jacob Named SEC Nominee For NCAA Woman Of The Year
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
University of Alabama student-athletes regularly are in the limelight because of their talent. Many have worked for years, sacrificing things that other children, and eventually as young adults, take for granted in order to excel at their chosen sport. And the best of the best receive the recognition deserved for such an accomplishment.
One of those deserving student-athletes is University of Alabama gymnast Kim Jacob. Yesterday she was named the Southeastern Conference nominee for the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year. This prestigious award in now in its 25th year honoring graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academics, athletics, service, and leadership.
Thirty nominees, ten from each of the three NCAA divisions, will be selected and then narrowed to three in each of the divisions. Finally, the members of the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will select the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year from those top nine finalists. The winner will be announced on Sunday, October 18th.
Alabama's representative, Jacob, was an 11-time All-American and 2014 NCAA all-around champion. She played on the 2011 and 2012 national championship teams as well as SEC championship teams in 2011 and 2014.
Jacob has a 4.0 grade point average, and is the first student-athlete in league history to earn SEC Gymnastics Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors three years in a row. She is an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship winner, and was on the SEC Community Service Team as a junior and senior.
After earning the 2014 NCAA all-around championship, she won the Honda Award for Gymnastics honoring the nation's top gymnast. She then became the first Alabama student-athlete to win the Honda Cup. To top it off she was honored as the nations top scholar being named the Capital One Academic All-America of the Year, recognizing her as the top student in all of NCAA Division I, regardless of sport or gender.
"I am so proud to be a part of the University of Alabama's tradition of excellence and to be recognized in this amazing way by the Southeastern Conference," Jacob said. "I am truly awestruck by the championship legacy that I have had the privilege to be a part of both at Alabama and as part of SEC. I have to thank my family, my teachers, my coaches and especially my teammates for everything that I've accomplished. Their support, love and constant encouragement provided the platform for all the success that I enjoyed."
Former Alabama head gymnastics coach Sarah Patterson said, "I am incredibly excited that Kim has been honored by the Southeastern Conference as its NCAA Woman of the Year candidate. To me, she represents what this award is all about -- balancing everything it takes to be a champion in the classroom, community and as a competitor. Kim was one of the finest leaders I had the opportunity to work with because she was the epitome of excellence in all areas of her life. Now she is being recognized as the best of the best by the nation's finest conference - an honor of which she is most deserving."
Current Alabama head gymnastics coach Dana Duckworth said, "The word that describes all the amazing honors Kim has earned is excellence. It is an awesome accomplishment that she made history as the first student to ever be named both the National Woman Athlete of the Year and NCAA Division I's top scholar. She is once again being recognized for her amazing career as the SEC's nominee for the NCAA Woman of the Year. Kim Jacob is a shining example of the fact that at Alabama, you can truly have it all. We applaud Kim for all she's done and I am beyond proud to have her as a part of my first staff. She is a shining example to us all."
Alabama student-athletes have been the Southeastern Conference's nominee four times in the past four years with Jacob joining gymnast Ashley Priess (2013), golfer Brooke Pancake (2012) and softball player Brittany Rogers (2010).
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Tide Receives All-Academic Honors
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
UA head coach Dan Waters commented, "The balance between academic and athletic excellence is extremely important to us and I feel like these latest honors really drive that point home."
RollTide.com reports that Alabama's women were the only team in 2015 to finish in the top-20 nationally both indoors and outdoors, as well as post better than a 3.4 team grade point average. The Crimson Tide women came in with a 3.48 GPA, and finished 17th at the NCAA Indoor Championships and 20th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Leading the honors for the Crimson Tide is Quanesha Burks, winning the 2015 NCAA outdoor long jump championship while carrying a 3.6 cumulative GPA. She was one of twelve members of the Alabama women's team to earn the coaches' association All-Academic honor. The others are Nia Barnes, Filippa Fotopoulou, Alex Gholston, Katelyn Greenleaf, Danielle McConnell, Sarah Thomas, Lacey Dent, Meropi Panagiotou, Anna Rawles, Haley Teel, and Merilyn Uudmae.
For the men, it was 2014 NCAA discus champion Hayden Reed, again earning both All-America and All-Academic honors in 2015. Also on the All-Academic list was All-American Jacopo Lahbi, as well as Matt Airola, Joe Williams and Jacob Zalesky.
