Robert Brazile
President Linda Martin opened the January 21, 2019 meeting of the Gulf Coast Athletic Club at 6:55pm. She started the meeting with introduction of new members and guests. She said we have had a great year of speakers and meetings. She also thanked Craft Farms for their food and performance.
David Lee gave a final update on the Office Football Pool with the year-end Office Football Pool results. We had 20 players this year and a $400 payout. In third place and winning $75 was “Dixie Dave” DeMeyer. Coming in second with a check of $125 is the “PinkCaddyDiva” herself, Debbie Bower. Winning the 2018 GCAC Office Football Pool with a $200 check and the famed Pigskin Prognosticator of the Year trophy is “HiYield” Cynthia Tunnell!!! She was correct on almost 54% of her 210 picks against the point spread over a fourteen week season. CONGRATULATIONS!!
Dr. Gaylon McCollough presented our Student Athletes for this month, saying it’s always a pleasure to introduce these quality students. Our female honoree is Ally Stevens. She has a 4.4 GPA and a 31 on the ACT. She ranks 6th in her class of 212 students. She has played soccer since the 5th grade and is the President of the National Honor Society. She plans to major in Nursing at UAB. She thanked her parents and her coaches.
Our male Student-Athlete is Jake Lartique. He also has a 4.4 plus a 32 on his ACT. He’s been playing tennis since age 9 and has made all A’s since the first grade. He’s been responsible for the GSHS Tennis Team making the State Championships three years in a row. He is going to Auburn to major in Business & Finance with a career goal of becoming an Investment Banker. He said he’s worked hard and thanked his parents.
Coach Owen Cocoran gave the Gulf Shores High School report. He noted winter sports are winding down and spring sports are gearing up. Wrestling is good and the Girls Bowling Team won the Regional and will vie as one of 16 teams in the State Championship. Basketball is having a good year also.
Subbing for the missing Dec McClelland, David Lee presented the Team Reports, highlighting the Top 25, Bowl results, and other teams with GCAC fans. The SEC had 7 of the Top 16 teams at year’s end.
The Crying Towel was awarded to Barb Patty and her University of Alabama Crimson Tide for their colossal defeat at the hands of the BCS National Champions, the Clemson Tigers. Barb took it all in stride and finished with her traditional “Roll Tide, Baby.”
Taylor Means has done a great job acquiring speakers this year and introduced a great finale with former Houston Oiler Linebacker Robert Brazile, a 7 time NFL Pro Bowler and a member of the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame, along with 7 other Halls of Fame, including a 2018 induction into the NFL Hall of Fame, the 312th inductee from more than 25,000 NFL players in its history. A proud graduate of Vigor High School in Mobile, he was overlooked by the major colleges when he broke his arm kicking off at Vigor. He went to Jackson State in Jackson, MS where he roomed with “Sweetness” Walter Payton.
Robert’s nickname of Doctor Doom was actually given to him by Howard Cosell who named him “Death On Offensive Men”. He was drafted in the 1st round of the 1975 NFL Draft at #6 by the Oilers, while Payton went at #4. He played 147 straight games without missing one. He roomed with Earl Campbell on the road. Coach Bum Phillips was like “my second Dad”.
Wearing his gold Hall of Fame jacket, he said he came back to Mobile and said, ”What can I do?” He taught middle school for 27 years and made quite a contribution to his home town over that time.
The 50/50 was drawn and awarded. Adjournment was at 7:55pm.
