From the Diamond to the Gridiron the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Inductees Are In a Class of Their Own

The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame inducts 11 members as its Class of 2024

Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024 / Joe Gaither

The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame welcomed media, friends and family into its facility on Friday to kick off the Class of 2024's induction weekend. Legendary figures from the University of Alabama football program, a Super Bowl winner, a ground-breaking gymnast, two historic coaches and a 10-year MLB veteran make up this year's crop of inductees.

In total, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame will induct 11 new members during Saturday's ceremony with eight selected by statewide committees and the other three being specially recognized by the Hall of Fame for their contributions to Alabama sports.

Mike Anderson is a Birmingham native who played basketball at Jefferson State Community College before transferring to Tulsa where he led The Golden Hurricanes to an NIT championship before joining the coaching staff as an assistant. Anderson coached as an assistant at Tulsa and then Arkansas before becoming the head basketball coach at UAB in 2002. He led the Blazers to the NCAA Tournament three straight times and was named the C-USA Coach of the Year in 2004. Anderson went on to take head coaching jobs at Missouri, Arkansas and St. John's where he became Big East Coach of the Year in 2021.

Penney Hauchild Buxton was a groundbreaking gymnast at the University of Alabama. She was the first athlete from the SEC To win an NCAA Title, winning four in her career. Buxton was the all-around champion in 1985 and 1986 while claiming the uneven bars title in 1985 and the floor exercise title in 1986. She is the only female member inducted into the class and was named an SEC Great in 2006.

Larry Champion served as the head basketball coach for Auburn University at Montgomery for 37 years winning 714 games. He was inducted into the AUM Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005 and was named the 1988 NAIA Coach of the Year.

John Drew set the ASHAA career scoring average at J.F. Shields High School, posting 41 points per game in his career. He went on to play at Gadner-Webb before being selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the 1974 NBA Draft. Drew was named NBA All-Rookie First Team and was a two-time NBA All-Star tallying 15,291 points and 5,088 rebounds over the course of his 12 seasons.

Robert Mathis played four years of football at Alabama A&M University setting the single-season NCAA I-AA record in sacks his senior year with 20. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts and helped them win the Super Bowl in 2006. Mathis retired with 538 tackles, 123 sacks and 54 forced fumbles, the most in an NFL career.

David Palmer was born in Birmingham and was one of the most electrifying football players of his time. Palmer became the University of Alabama's first receiver to record a 1,000 yard season and was a vital piece of the Crimson Tide's 1992 national championship season. Palmer was drafted in the second round by the Minnesota Vikings in 1994 and played seven years in the league, largely as a punt and kick return specialist.

Scott Sullivan was born in Tuscaloosa and walked on to the Auburn University baseball team. Sullivan pitched three years for the Tigers as a reliever before being drafted by the Cinncinnati Reds in the second round of the 1993 MLB Draft. He set a club record for pitching 100 innings of relief for four seasons in a row from 1998-2001 and ranks second in Reds history with 494 pitching appearances. Sullivan's career ERA ended at 3.98 and he had 622 strikeouts across his 10 year professional career.

Mike Washington was born in Montgomery and played defensive back for the University of Alabama. He was a member of the 1973 national championship team and named All-SEC and All-American in 1973 and 1974 before being drafted by the Baltimore Colts in the third round of the 1975 NFL Draft. Washington was traded to Tampa Bay and played nine year for the Buccanneers, starting 105 games. He ended his career with 28 interceptions, two fumble recoveries and scored three defensive touchdowns.

"It was never even on my radar, so when I got the call I was surprised. I'm very honored to be a part of this group," said former Alabama A&M star and Super Bowl Champion Robert Mathis.

The group is joined by three special inductees to round out the class.

Former Crimson Tide running back Kerry Goode was selected as this year's Distinguished Alabama Sportsman. Goode was the 1983 SEC Freshman of the Year. He was chosen as an Alabama team captain and team MVP and his hands and feet are immortalized at Denny Chimes in Tuscaloosa. Despite suffering injuries in college he was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1988. He was diagnosed with ALS in 2015, sparking his wife Tanja to form the Goode Foundation to support ALS patients. Goode is a recipient of the Paul Bryant Alumni Athlete Award, Vivian Malone “Crimson Flame” Courage Award, and the University of Alabama Distinguished Alumni Award.

Randy Kennedy will be recognized as the 2024 Mel Allen Media Award recipient. Kennedy graduated from Chelsea High School and kicked off his broadcasting career as a student at Montevallo. Kennedy spent time working the Auburn and Alabama beats. He has since been a columnist and editor for various outlets and was named one of the 50 Legends of the Alabama Sports Writers Association in 2022.

Roy Parker will be recognized as the 2024 Frank “Pig” House Award recipient. Parker is a Montgomery native and in 2002 was voted into the Robert E. Lee High School Hall of Fame. He worked with the Blue/Gray Football Classic for 24 years and has volunteered with the Auburn athletic department working the sidelines in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Parker has missed just one game since 1989.