ASWA Hall of Fame and Hall of Honor

The Hall of Fame is the highest honor by the Alabama Sports Writers Association

Christopher Walsh | Jun 18, 2022

Alabama Sports Writers Association's Hall of Fame celebrates and recognizes those who have excelled in the profession throughout the years, and is the organization's highest honor.

To be considered for induction a candidate must fulfill four requirements:

1. A nominee must have been a full-time sports writer in the state of Alabama for at least 10 years.

2. Full-time sports writers will include those who worked or have worked at a daily newspaper, a weekly newspaper, a wire service, an Internet service, a specialty sports publication or a magazine published in the state of Alabama.

3. The Association established a Hall of Honor to recognize those individuals whose service has been instrumental to the growth and success of the ASWA, but who do not meet the criteria outlined in Paragraph 2.

4. Hall of Fame inductees will continue to be determined by a vote of the ASWA membership. The executive committee will select three finalists based on nominations and the previous year's results. To be elected, a nominee must receive more than 65 percent of the votes cast.

ALABAMA SPORTS WRITERS HALL OF FAME

1983: Benny Marshall (Birmingham News), Zipp Newman (Birmingham News), Bob Phillips (Birmingham Age-Herald and Post-Herald)

1986: Sam Adams (Montgomery Advertiser-Alabama Journal)

1989: Alf Van Hoose (Birmingham News), Naylor Stone (Birmingham Post-Herald)

1992: Ronald Weathers (Birmingham News)

1993: Bill Lumpkin (Birmingham Post-Herald)

1997: Bill Shelton (Cullman Times), Jimmy Smothers (Gadsden Times)

2000: Jimmy Bryan (Birmingham News), Bill Easterling (Huntsville Times)

2001: Clyde Bolton (Birmingham News)

2002: Jerry Bryan (Birmingham News)

2003: John Pruett (Huntsville Times)

2006: Wayne Martin (Birmingham News)

2008: Charles Hollis (Birmingham News)

2012: Kirk McNair (Bama Magazine)

2013: Ron Ingram (Birmingham News)

2018: Tommy Hicks (Mobile Press-Register)

2022: Cecil Hurt (Tuscaloosa News), Mark McCarter (Huntsville Times)

There had been only one person inducted into the ASWA Hall of Fame since 2013, a streak ended in 2022 with two additions.

Presenter: Chad Mize

Cecil Hurt tribute at Alabama basketball — Alabama Athletics

In honor of Cecil Hurt

Mark McCarter joined John Pruett as being named to the Hall of Fame after years of outstanding work at the Huntsville Times.

Presenter: Patricia McCarter

Mark McCarter gives his Hall of Fame induction speech.

Hall of Honor

2007: David Housel (Auburn University), Don Naman (Talladega Speedway), Charles Thornton (University of Alabama)

2009: Larry White (University of Alabama)

2018: Greg Seitz (Jacksonville State)

2021: Ivan Maisel

2022: Vic Knight

2023: Joshua Underwood (Jacksonville State)

Published Jun 18, 2022

CHRISTOPHER WALSH

Christopher Walsh is the founder and publisher of BamaCentral, which first published in 2018. He's covered the Crimson Tide since 2004, and is the author of 26 books including Decade of Dominance, 100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, Nick Saban vs. College Football, and Bama Dynasty: The Crimson Tide's Road to College Football Immortality. He's an eight-time honoree of Football Writers Association of America awards and three-time winner of the Herby Kirby Memorial Award, the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s highest writing honor for story of the year. In 2022, he was named one of the 50 Legends of the ASWA. Previous beats include the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, along with Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks. Originally from Minnesota and a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he currently resides in Tuscaloosa.