Specifically, three of the five black players who walked on to the Crimson Tide in 1967, making them the first black athletes to participate in any practices for an Alabama sport, were named honorary members of the A Club (which is otherwise exclusive to lettermen).
Even though none of them ever played in a game for the Crimson Tide it was a nice honor, and it clearly meant a lot to them.
The line that I really wanted to finish the story with was from Rone: “I feel it was all worth it,” but I just couldn't get it to work and thought that Pernell's line was too important not to include. I asked him about it after the presentation and he wasn't trying to say anything like "this honor took too long," but it is a shame that nearly 50 years later we're still searching for answers when it comes to race and equality.
For me writing a story like this never gets old even though it can be tough to compose. I've always been proud of the stories I've done on Alabama's pioneers when it comes to race, just like when I did a profile piece on Wendell Hudson well before he took over the women's basketball program.
Similarly I was proud to do the story on the former Druid City High School athletes who were killed in the famous Marshall plane crash. Ever since I've always said that they should all be inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, and still feel that way.
P.S. A fun little side note from the Hudson story was my sit-down interview with C.M. Newton, who after I called simply said he'd come over to the newspaper. He entered through a back door and we talked in the employee cafeteria. About halfway through one of our editorial writers came down to get a snack out of a vending machine and his eyes got real wide as he mouthed in awe "Is that ..." behind Newton's back. The guy was a huge fan and he never quite looked at me the same way again.
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