Bill Battle
David Lee, our Fearless Leader, returned to the podium after a short vacation. He thanked Acting President Linda Martin for her great job and also to Kevin Corcoran for his awesome Crying Towel stint during David’s first meeting absence.
He commented on Michigan and Oklahoma woes and welcomed Coach Bill Battle to our club. He had the Club Visitors and Guests introduced and decided not to call on Membership Chairman David DeMeyer in the interest of time.
The Office Football Pool is going great. Leading the pack at this point is UNAJIM, Jim Richards.
Coach Blake’s Gulf Shores High School Dolphins said the Dolphins won their Homecoming game against Faith Academy 31-30! One of the team’s smallest players broke through to block the game-tying extra point. It’s only the second Homecoming win in GSHS history. Girls Volleyball is doing great. Boys and Girls Cross Country teams and the Swimming team are all doing fine.
Team Reports were handled artfully by Dec McClelland, noting that 13 teams were still undefeated. The Crying Towel was awarded to Oklahoma for their loss to Iowa State, ending the nation’s longest current winning streak at 14 games. Sadly, Anne McCormick was not there to receive the award.
Coach Bill Battle, recently retired University of Alabama Athletic Director, was introduced. He was born in Birmingham and his father was Director of Athletics at Birmingham Southern College. He played Tight End for Coach Bear Bryant’s 1961 first National Championship, and was selected for the All SEC Team. After graduation, he coached under both Bud Wilkinson at Oklahoma and Paul Dietzel at Army. He later joined the University of Tennessee where he became Head Coach at age 28. He was 59-22-2, and won 4 of 5 Bowl Games. He beat Coach Bryant’s Alabama team 24-0 in their first meeting.
He was selected on Alabama’s All Decade Team and in 2005, won the Paul W. Bryant Award, ironically in Bear’s later years, Battle was Coach Bryant’s agent! That gave him the idea for licensing and he then founded the Collegiate Licensing Company and did licensing for the NCAA, so when you pay a licensing fee on those school caps or uniform jerseys, it all started with Coach Battle, who was working for Larry Striplin in Selma after leaving UT. His company was bought out by IMG in 2007.
He noted that he was wanted to come here for years, but now he doesn’t have to go to Away Games. He said he played at West End High School and they won 6 games in 4 years. Then, he said that his 1959 recruiting class at Alabama shut out Auburn for the next 4 years! He was in ROTC, and served two years of military service after graduation.
Coach Battle remembered many of his experiences for the Club. He said Bryant was a great teacher and mentor, tough but mental. Bryant said he did what he needed to do to keep you from getting fat-headed and you needed to keep them focused. (Ed. - Sounds like the current Bama coach). Coach Battle was also involved with Coach Bryant’s “Call Your Momma” TV ad for South Central Bell that many in the club remembered fondly.
In 2013, Alabama called and Coach Battle said he never wanted to be an AD. “If I hadn’t taken it, I would have always regretted it.” Although tough on his wife, Mary, he did it until health issues forced him to retire in March 2017.
He gave reflections on Bryant and Saban – both the best of their times. Alabama now has 525 students athletes with an average 3.2 GPA. Noting Saban gets $75,000 per speech, Battle noted Saban is focused and intense, highly organized, has a great routine, and works hard.
After Coach Battle’s presentation, the 50-50 was drawn and awarded to Fred Dickinson.
President Lee adjourned the meeting at 8:50pm.
