Alabama Baseball Legend Butch Hobson Among Those Receiving Degree This Weekend

30 Alabama athletes slated for commencement including numerous All-Americans and Academic All-Americans

Alabama Athletics

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — A total of 30 Crimson Tide student-athletes are slated to take part in commencement at The University of Alabama this weekend. 

The Crimson Tide's tally includes four All-Americans, two CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, 15 members of the football program and an MLB player and manager.

Butch Hobson, who played football and baseball for Alabama in the 1970s, earned his bachelor’s degree this semester. 

A first-team All-SEC baseball player for the Tide, Hobson was named to UA’s All-Century baseball team in 1993. He played eight years in the major leagues and went on to a three-year stint as manager of the Boston Red Sox.

The football graduates include All-SEC honorees Raekwon Davis, Trevon Diggs, Anfernee Jennings and Terrell Lewis along with Benjamin Davis, Mac Hereford, Jalen Jackson, Mac Jones, Sean Kelly, Scott Lashley, Jared Mayden, Joshua McMillon, Tevita Musika, Tyrell Shavers and Taylor Wilson. 

Growing up, everybody has a dream of what they could become one day. Coming from Meridian, most of us don’t ever get a chance to see that dream become a reality. But I did. I never realized what I could achieve until I learned the value of hard work and dedication. pic.twitter.com/ldpa57CtjK

— Raekwon Davis (@Raekwondavis_99) December 12, 2019

It is the second bachelor’s degree for Jennings, who graduated with a degree in human performance exercise science in December of 2018, before earning a bachelor’s in public health this semester.

All-Americans Will Herrscher, Keitavious Walter and Stacey Destin from the track and field teams and Mazen Osama from men's tennis earned their degrees this semester, along with CoSIDA Academic All-Americans Alex Plavin from soccer and Raien Emery from rowing.

Soccer’s Chloe Maize finished off her Crimson Tide career this fall and leaves the Capstone after earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees simultaneously through the University’s Accelerated Master’s Program (AMP).

Other winter graduates include Kyle Cameron (baseball), Sarah Helm (swimming and diving), Taylor Hubbard (soccer), Tamara Moncrieffe (track and field), Madi Moore (softball), Merris Schroder (softball) and Kaley Verpaele (soccer).

The writeup on Butch Hobson from a 1976 Boston Red Sox game program / Image courtesy of Jimmy Bank