Remembering Four Sports Writing Legends

The Alabama Sports Writers Association paused its yearly awards night to honor four influential sports journalists who passed away in the past year. These writers were key figures when the group was founded in the early 1970s, helping shape its direction and values. The ceremony also celebrated current award winners in writing and highlighted the last student‑athlete honors of the academic year, naming Mr. Baseball and Miss Softball. Photographs taken by Vasha Hunt of AL. com and videos shot by Christopher Walsh captured the event’s moments. Mike Bolton, a long‑time contributor to the Birmingham News and AL. com, was remembered for his coverage of outdoor sports, NASCAR, and college football. He earned the Herby Kirby Award twice and was a multiple‑time recipient of the Associated Press Sweepstakes Award for best sports story. His investigative series on the Cahaba River earned a Pulitzer nomination and he also received conservation honors and hunting competition victories. Rubin Grant, the first Black sports editor at the University of Alabama’s Crimson White, spent a quarter‑century with the Birmingham Post-Herald as a prep editor. He earned the Herby Kirby Award in 1981, was inducted into the Birmingham Barons Hall of Fame after covering them for twenty‑five years, and later worked as a freelance journalist. He co‑authored a book about Alabama high‑school football.

Phillip Marshall, who worked for several Alabama newspapers and later became the senior editor for Auburn247 Sports, was a two‑time Alabama Sports Writer of the Year and won over twenty statewide awards. He served as ASWA president in the early 1980s and was a respected voice across the Southeast. John Pruett, who began at The Huntsville Times in 1966 and became its sports editor a decade later, was named Alabama Sportswriter of the Year seventeen times. He and George Smith were the first recipients of the Mel Allen Media Award from the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Pruett achieved a rare ASWA “grand slam” by winning the Herby Kirby Award, Bill Shelton Award, Hall of Fame induction, and presidency. The Presidents’ Award that year went to Philip Rivers, a high‑school football coach who returned from retirement to inspire his players, highlighting the organization’s tradition of recognizing unsung heroes. Other honors included Pro Athlete of the Year for Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, Amateur Athlete of the Year for Auburn golfer Jackson Koivun, Small College Athlete of the Year for Alabama State quarterback Andrew Body, and Community College Athlete of the Year for Northeast Alabama softball player Addie Edward. The ASWA’s online platform, SI/BamaCentral, continues to share news and stories about Alabama sports.

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