Alabama Athletics Finalizes Plans to Honor Cameron Luke Ratliff
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama Athletics has formalized its plans to honor Cameron Luke Ratliff, better known as "Fluffopotamus" or "Fluff." Ratliff was an active student leader and president of Crimson Chaos, who passed away on Friday, April 2, 2021 at the age of 23.
Through the Crimson Tide Foundation, the Luke "Fluffopotamus" Ratliff Memorial Gift Fund has been created. This fund is designed to assist the future presidents of Crimson Chaos, specifically the leader of the men's basketball student section, with travel expenses to road events as well as merchandise for students and promotional giveaways.
The newly elected president of Crimson Chaos will also be presented a plaid jacket as part of the Tide Tipoff preseason basketball event to wear at games as Ratliff did. Additionally, a plaque will be affixed on the seat he continually occupied in Coleman Coliseum, and that seat will be reserved for the sitting president.
For those wishing to support the Luke "Fluffopotamus" Ratliff Memorial Gift Fund, click on the link above or visit uactf.org/fluff.
"He is what embodies college athletics," Alabama coach Nate Oats told the media earlier this month. "You've got a student section that's passionate about their team, about their sport, about the individual players on the team, the coaching staff — I just felt like he was one of us. I mean, he'd been over to my house in the fall. He'd hung out with Bryan [Hodgson] at his house — Bryan had taken him to dinner at Chuck's on Wednesday the night before he was admitted to the hospital, two days before he passed away."
"We felt like he was one of us, so to lose one of us is not easy and we're going to do everything we can to honor his legacy here and I my heart goes out to the family but we're going to keep him and his spirit and what he's about kindled around here and I'm glad the last season that he was able to participate in ended up being as good of a season.
"Tough to lose him but we're going to honor his legacy moving forward."
