Iconic Huntsville Sports Editor, Columnist John Pruett Dies

When the Alabama Sports Writers Association celebrated its prestigious 50 Legends in 2022, John Pruett wasn't just one the names to headline the list, he was tabbed to be a presenter and place the medal around the recipients' necks.

That's the kind of status and respect he held, both as a sports journalist and within the organization.

Pruett, who first joined The Huntsville Times in 1966, and became the longstanding sports editor in 1974, died Wednesday following a long illness. He was 83.

Pruett was the first person in ASWA history to accomplish the grand slam of being named to the Hall of Fame, winning the Herby Kirby Award for story of year, the Bill Shelton Award for community service, and serve as the organization's president. The only two other journalists to follow so far have been Mark McCarter and Tommy Hicks.

In 2014, Pruett and George Smith were the first recipients of the Mel Allen Media Award by the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Pruett was also named Alabama's Sportswriter of the Year 17 times by the the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.

“He came up during that era where as a columnist, you did all the big-time stuff,” McCarter said about Pruett to AL.com . “He went to the Masters, he went to the Olympics, he went to all the big college football games. But when John would talk about his career, he said the most fun he ever had was early on covering local sports, high schools. That was the ‘big-time’ stuff to him. Those people that John wrote about when he started out in his career in the 1960s, those are the guys who became his circle of friends as the years went on.

“… Through much of his career, there were other ‘screaming’ columnists who were just consistently, constantly ripping institutions and teams and coaches. With John it was more like with your parents, where you’d much rather for your parents to yell at you than to say ‘I’m disappointed in you.’ When John wrote something negative about a team or institution, it was like, ‘uh oh.’ Those people paid attention because John was disappointed in them. It had more impact than all the yelling of a dozen other columnists.”

Pruett was married 57 years to his late wife Bobbi, which led to three children, seven grandchildren and two step-great grandchildren. He graduated from Auburn High School in 1959, and Auburn University in 1963, before earning his master's degree in journalism from Georgia in 1964.

Pruett was an enlisted member of the U.S. Army Reserve from 1965-1986., which earned him the nickname "The General" from many of his colleagues.

Per his obituary: Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, June 30, 2025, at Sherwood Baptist Church in Huntsville. The funeral will follow at the church with Robbie Boyd and John Dees officiating. Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery.

The Alabama Sports Writers Association Hall of Fame:

1983: Benny Marshall (Birmingham News), Zipp Newman (Birmingham News), Bob Phllips (Birmingham Age-Herald and Post-Herald)
1986: Sam Adams (Montgomery Advertiser-Alabama Journal)
1989: Alf Van Hoose (Birmingham News), Naylor Stone (Birmingham Post-Herald)
1992: Ronald Weathers (Birmingham News)
1993: Bill Lumpkin (Birmingham Post-Herald)
1997: Bill Shelton (Cullman Times), Jimmy Smothers (Gadsden Times)
2000: Jimmy Bryan (Birmingham News), Bill Easterling (Huntsville Times)
2001: Clyde Bolton (Birmingham News)
2002: Jerry Bryan (Birmingham News)
2003: John Pruett (Huntsville Times)
2006: Wayne Martin (Birmingham News)
2008: Charles Hollis (Birmingham News)
2012: Kirk McNair (‘Bama Magazine)
2013: Ron Ingram (Birmingham News)
2018: Tommy Hicks (Mobile Press-Register)
2022: Cecil Hurt (Tuscaloosa News) and Mark McCarter (Huntsville Times)