Celebrating sports fellowship, spirit and community pride.
GCAC funds scholarships for local athletes and athletic department requests. The club is made up of more than 80 men and women who are graduates and supporters of college athletic programs across the country, including the SEC and other conferences.
Membership dues, our pick’em pool and annual golf tournament raise funds to support our mission. Since its inception in 1999, our non-profit organization has provided in excess of $150,000 in benefits to local high school athletic programs.
Thank you for your continued support of GCAC!
George Autrey, President
FALL MEETINGS
Location: Craft Farms Cotton Creek Club, Palmer Dining Room in Gulf Shores, AL
6:00 - Social Time (cash bar)
6:30 - Dinner
7:00 - Welcome, Scholar Athletes, Team Reports, “Crying Towel”
7: 30 - Guest Speaker
8: 30 - Closing
scholar athletes
Every year, GCAC awards $2,500 scholarships to two scholar athletes in our community. Nominees are presented throughout the fall meetings and voted on at the end of the season. Congratulations to the 2023-2024 recipients, Henley Hollis and Morgan McCartney!
golf tournament
Our yearly golf tournament is our largest fundraiser for the community and is packed with fun, prizes and networking. We hope to see you there!
2024 - 2025 Fall meetings
August 26 - Allen Baynes
September 9 - Tony Barnhart
September 23 - Brad Bradford
October 7 - Jim Nagy
October 21 - Tyler Siskey
November 4 - Houston Nutt
November 18 - Joseph Goodman
January - TBD
Dr. Gaylon McCollough
We, as a club, have been blessed to have Dr. Gaylon McCollough as a "founding father" of GCAC. He continues to amaze us with stories, commentary, and a strong resolve to "pay it forward" to our young Scholar Athletes.
From providing access to big name Athletes, sharing personal stories of Alabama's most beloved football coach, to mentoring young, aspiring athletes, students, and future professionals. His dedication never ends.
But beyond that, we have a prolific author, philanthropist, mentor, that can make you look pretty awesome too!
You and the club members should know that it is I who has been blessed with the companionship and friendships developed through GCAC. I consider it an honor to share stories about some of the great coaches, administrators and teammates I’ve been fortunate to be around, especially the life lessons I took away from those relationships.
In the presentation I gave a few back years about Coach Bryant (and in my latest book VICTORY IN THE GAME OF LIFE) I shared the origin of what has now become a tradition in football all throughout the world, i.e., players and coaches holding four fingers in the air at the beginning of the fourth quarter. In truth, the gesture originated as a solemn pledge—to one’s parents, teammates, faithful fans in the stands, and those watching on TV. The Pledge is this:
“Here and now, I pledge before everyone, in sight, that I am going to do everything in my power—to the best of my ability--to see that MY TEAM WINS THE UPCOMING QUARTER..”
It was a challenge Coach Bryant laid down at halftime (when we were behind) in a big game in 1962. And when the clock expired ending the third quarter, we were reminded to make the pledge… but only if we absolutely meant to abide by it. That was the origin of the “Four Fingers in the Air, Fourth Quarter Gesture”.
I don’t know that I have seen the pledge carried out any better than in the fourth quarter of yesterday’s SEC Championship Game. In the first half of the game, Alabama was clearly not the superior team. However in the second half—particularly the 4th quarter (and in every phase of the game), players stepped up, lived up to the pledge they made, and played like champions.
-Dr. Gaylon McCollough