Local athletes who played football at Troy University
This is not yet a complete list, but we might get there if readers help me “crowd source” this ambitious research project!
Introduction text
In one of my more ambitious research projects, today I publish a list that attempts to identify every local athlete who ever played football at Troy State/Troy University.
Important notes:
While I spent several days researching this subject, I realize this is not yet the definitive or comprehensive list. That is, omissions are inevitable and are not intentional. As readers contact me via this Substack newsletter or my Facebook page, I will quickly add other former players to this list.
The main criteria for inclusion on this list were athletes who are included on the Troy University data base of letter winners (See link here) … as well as a data base that includes career statistics from Troy players (See link here). However, this data base only included athletes from 1965-2010.
I also relied on my own memory and feedback from friends who contacted me on Facebook.
The text identifies players who lettered, or played in at least one game. Players listed either grew up in Pike County or later lived for at least one year in Troy and Pike County. Where I found season or career statistics, I included them.
This original dispatch includes several photos and I will add more photos later today (and make additions or corrections) so I hope readers re-visit this site and share it with friends or family members.
I also added several personal anecdotes and brief bio info about several of the athletes.
I would not attempt to rank the “greatest local player(s) who ever played college football at Troy,” but some of the obvious candidates would include Willie Collins, Joey Denison, John Johnson, Al Head, Bobby Lee, Chase Riddle, John Faircloth, Mike Turk, Julius Pittman, Richard Bassett, Rodney Jordan, Scott Taylor Renfroe (who is still playing) and new CHHS head coach Phillip Jones among other distinguished student athletes.
I hope you enjoy this nostalgic trip down the 120-yard turf of Memorial Stadium! Names are included in alphabetical order.
- Bill Rice, Jr. (Note: I have added seven names since this story was first published.)
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At least 62 names so far …
Mike Amos (OL/DL) - lettered in 1965, Troy
Note: Amos was inducted into the Troy Sports Hall of Fame several years ago, not for his play on the field, but for being, arguably, the most significant booster and supporter of Troy athletics in the history of the sports program.
As an athlete, Amos was a stand-out lineman at CHHS and originally signed with (believe it or not) Jacksonville State before transferring home to Troy. Amos also played basketball and baseball at CHHS. He’s watched more CHHS games than anyone in local history as the long-time play-by-play man for Troy Cablevision.
Buddy Austin (RB) -1981, Troy
While Austin is a football letter-winner at Troy, his main sport in college was as an outfielder for Coach Chase Riddle’s baseball teams.
Austin, the father of current PLAS baseball coach Will Austin, was a two-sport star at CHHS, excelling as a fullback/linebacker on the football team and a center fielder on Mike Hogan’s baseball teams (Buddy’s dad, Butch Austin, was Hogan’s assistant coach on the baseball teams before leading the PLAS baseball program for many years.)
Buddy was the leading rusher on the 1979 CHHS team that finished 8-2 and played in the Alabama All-Star game in Tuscaloosa.
Richard Bassett (FB) - 1972-74, Troy (CHHS)
Richard Basset has rushed for more yards than any Pike County native who played at Troy, finishing his career with 1,055 yards on 175 attempts (an impressive 6.0 yards per carry).
Bassett averaged 7.2 yards per carry in 1973 on 44 rushing attempts. He rushed for 631 yards his final season at Troy. Basset also had 22 yards receiving and made five tackles in 1972.
Jerry Beverly (RB) - 1981-82, Troy
Beverly, the star fullback and team leader on the 1980 CHHS state championship team, had 12 yards rushing in his two seasons on the Troy team.
Note: Four seniors from the 1980 state championship team ended up earning scholarships and playing at Troy State - Willie Collins, Joey Denison (who transferred to Troy after originally signing with North Alabama), Beverly and Paul Shiver.
Defensive lineman Jacob Money also signed a scholarship with either Tuskegee or Alabama State. Chad Carter, a junior on the team, later was a walk-on at Auburn and the late Charles Bradshaw, a sophomore on the state championship team, later signed a scholarship and played one year at Florida.
Running back Mike Lott played two years at Troy as a baseball pitcher. Team safety Todd Rainey, who attended Troy on a track scholarship, played one season at Troy as a punter and his younger brother, Scott (also a sophomore on the state title team), was the back-up punter at Army for three seasons. Scott had one career punt at Army - against Navy on national TV … and that punt went for 51 yards!
UPDATE: I think Kevin Ingalls, the starting tight end on the 1980 team, played junior college football at Marion Military Institute.
KC Bradford (DB/Special Teams) - 2023 to present, Troy (PLAS)
Bradford, the son of Melissa and David Bradford of Troy and a former standout for PLAS, joined the Trojans as a preferred walk-on in the signing class of 2023.
In 2024, he started 11 of 12 games on special teams for the Trojans and played 95 total snaps on special teams on both return units …In 2023, Bradford played in 10 games as a true freshman… Saw action on 69 special teams snaps, with 30 on kickoff return, 33 on kickoff cover and six on punt return … Season-best 15 snaps in victory over ULM.
Bradford is also one of the team’s top academic athletes.
Dylan Bradshaw (center) - 2016-2021, Enterprise and Troy
Bradshaw is an Enterprise native but has made Troy home the past three years. He was the starting center at Troy for the last three years of his career. (He got an extra year because of Covid).
Robert (K.T.) Cole - (WR) - 1965, Troy
Note: K.T. became one of the state’s most successful stock brokers and managed the investments for several ultra-successful pro athletes, including DeMarcus Ware, John Hannah and Bob Cryder. K.T. and former teammate Mike Amos were the original play-by-play announcers on “Bogie Vision” on Troy Cable.
Steven Coleman (RB) - 1992-94, Brundidge
“Mr. Football” in Alabama at Pike County High School in 1989, Coleman originally signed with Grambling but did not play for the Louisiana school. After not playing football for several years, he later enrolled at Troy where he ended up playing in 19 games, gaining 545 yards on 68 carries with 5 TDs. His best season at Troy was his senior season when he rushed for 358 yards on 41 carries. (Coleman ranks first in school history for average yards per carry (8.03 - minimum of 60 rushing attempts).
He also returned two punts for 23 yards and five kicks for 57 yards.
In high school, Coleman was the most decorated local player since Bobby Marlow as Coleman tallied gaudy statistics as a tailback, punt returner and kick returner and also played defensive back.
From 1987-89, Coleman accounted for 8,456 all-purpose yards and 90 touchdowns! He had 66 TDs as a running back, 12 on punt returns, six on kickoff returns, three on interception returns and two on fumble returns.
His senior year, when he became the first and only local athlete named “Mr. Football” in Alabama, he rushed for 2,251 yards.
Willie Collins (DL) - 1981-84, Troy
An All-State defensive lineman on the CHHS state championship team of 1980, Collins played 41 games in a 4-year-career at Troy. Collins finish his career with 189 tackles and 14.5 sacks. He made 51 tackles his sophomore season, 67 his junior season and 59 his senior season when TROY won the national championship.
Willie also recorded one interception in his sophomore year, which he returned 55 yards for a TD. Willie also had 10 sacks in his sophomore campaign.
Collins, surely one of the most accomplished football players who excelled at CHHS and Troy State, was later a member of the Troy Police Department and was a long-time assistant at his high school alma-mater.
Editorial comment: I’ve always thought if Willie was three inches taller he would have ended up in the NFL.
Jeff Cotton (RB/DB) - 1966-68, Arlington, Ga. & Troy
Cotton, a native of Arlington, Ga., later made Troy home for many years. Cotton rushed for 950 yards in the 1967 and1968 seasons and also had 188 receiving yards on 25 catches, giving him 1,138 all-purpose yards. He was a member of the 1968 NAIA national championship team.
Tim Cumuze (OL) - 1973-76, Troy
Cumuze, one of the best-known high school players of his era, played four years as an O-lineman at Troy and was the team’s starting center. He also recorded two tackles in 1976.
Joey Denison (OL) - 1983-85, Troy
Denison, a standout on CHHS’s 1980 state championship team, signed with North Alabama out of high school, but later transferred back home to Troy where he was a multi-year starter at offensive guard and a member of Troy’s 1984 national championship team. His son, Joey, was one of the top baseball players in CHHS and Troy University history. Joey is a long-time high school assistant coach and teacher. The late Jay Jefcoat coached Joey in high school and at Troy State.
Another editorial comment: Like Willie Collins, if Joey was three inches taller, he might have made it to the NFL. In my opinion, Joey was the best offensive lineman to ever play for CHHS.
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Phillip East (OL/DL) - 1978-79, Troy (CHHS)
East was previously an All-Star lineman for Coach William Davis at CHHS.
K.D. Edenfield (WR) - 2012-15, Troy
A former standout at CHHS, Edenfield moved across the street and played four years at Troy University for his father, who was the team’s offensive coordinator (see below).
K.D. Edenfield finished his TROY career with 55 receptions. In 2013 as a redshirt sophomore, he caught 19 passes for 251 yards and also returned a blocked punt for a TD against ULM. In 2014, he had 21 catches for 147 yards. He was a three-year starter for Troy.
As a prep player at CHHS, Edenfield was a quarterback and safety. His senior season, he passed for 1,400 yards and 15 TDs and rushed for 750 yards and seven more touchdowns. On defense, Edenfield intercepted eight passes in his high school career, including six his senior year. In his final two seasons, he recorded 136 total tackles. He also lettered in baseball three years.
Ken Edenfield (WR) - 1986-89, St. Charles, Lousiana and Troy
Edenfield was the offensive coordinator at Troy for eight years under Coach Blakeney and an assistant for at least 10 years. He also had a stellar career as player for Troy in the Robert Maddox era, catching 47 passes for 625 yards in three seasons. He added 87 yards on punt returns and 85 yards on kick returns. He scored five TDs in his Troy career.
Note: Edenfield and Julius Pittman (see below) were the starting receivers for Troy for several years.
Coach Edenfield’s son, K.D, followed in his father’s footsteps and was a starting receiver at Troy and a standout at CHHS. Coach Edenfield later became the offensive coordinator at South Alabama.
Billy Ezell (RB/DB) - 1948, Troy
John Faircloth (OL/DL) - 1959-1961, Brundidge.
Mr. Faircloth, who was team captain his senior year, is a member of the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame. He was the long-time director of the AISA, which played its Triple Header State Title games in Troy for many years. His son, Kenny, also played at Troy.
Kenny Faircloth (LB) - 1986-87, Grady
Faircloth, who grew up in nearby Grady but has deep family roots to Pike County, recorded 51 career tackles in 1986-87 and returned one kick. He was a member of the 1987 Division II national title team.
Faircloth trivia: After he graduated from Troy, Ken Faircloth had a distinguished career as a Marine officer where he was once the pilot of Air Force One, the helicopter that transports the president. I remember Kenny once received national press attention when the dog of Bill and Hillary Clinton, Buddy, bit Ken in a game of frisbee/“catch” that went bad.
Pete Farrar (WR) - 1951, Phenix City and Troy
Farrar came to Troy on a football scholarship and lettered one year as a wide receiver. He later became a long-time coach, educator and principal in Troy City Schools.
Hugh Fountain - 1985 (OL) - Brewton
Coach Fountain was a back-up offensive lineman for Troy State and a member of the 1984 Division II national championship team. He later coached for many years at CHHS. His college offensive line coach was another CHHS head coach, Jay Jefcoat. Coach Fountain died from cancer several months ago. (Note: Coach Jefcoat played college football at Livingston. )
Jerry Groce (LB) - 1973-1974, Athens
Gross recorded 36 tackles for Troy in 1974. Gross and Dale Taylor operated the popular clothing store, The Taylor Shop, which was located on the Square (circa early 1980s).
Bonus tidbit … things I remember … Growing up, my mother bought most of my clothes from The Taylor Shop, Rosenberg’s, Stanton’s and Sikes & Kohn. My best friend, the late Charles Bradshaw, once worked part-time at The Taylor Shop.
Al Head (QB) - 1968-70, Troy
In three seasons on the field, Head passed for 3,578 yards and 28 TDs. The former CHHS standout, passed for 360 yards as Sim Byrd’s back-up in 1968 (TROY’s first-ever national championship team) and then 675 yards in 1969 and 2,543 in 1970.
Head ranks in the Top 12 in several all-time statistical categories for former Troy quarterbacks.
Al later became the executive director of the Alabama State Council on the Arts in Montgomery, serving from 1985-2018.
Richard (Ricky) Huner (DB) - 1972-1973, Troy
Huner was a star on several excellent CHHS teams. In his two seasons on the field at Troy, he had one kick return for 24 yards, made one interception and made 12 tackles in 1972. He later led the engineering/physical plant for Pike County for many years.
Jack Hix (FB) -1951 (and perhaps other seasons)
Bill Hixon (OL/DL) - Banks - 1951
Mr. Hixon’s grandson, Rush, became a standout pitcher for PLAS and later Troy University and is now a junior college assistant baseball coach at Chipola and led PLAS to two state titles in baseball. Bill Hixon was a well-known farmer and cattlemen from Banks and his wife was a long-time faculty member at PLAS.
David Hogan (DB) - 1975-78, Montgomery and Troy
Hogan lived for several years in Troy and was my B-team coach at CHHS. He also was the owner of fitness centers in Montgomery for many years. He finished his career with 102 tackles and broke up eight passes and made five sacks.
Max Howell (OL/DL) - 1960-61, Prattville and Troy
A native of Prattville, Howell started for Troy for two seasons after transferring from Auburn and was named All-Conference. He later became an assistant for Billy Atkins on the staff of the 1968 NAIA national championship team.
Howell became well-known as a host of syndicated sports talk radio shows that aired throughout the South and first became well-known in the Atlanta market. He once coached Emmitt Smith in high school and Deion Sanders in college at Florida State.
Howell was one of the first athletes to become an avid weight-lifter and could once bench press 400 pounds. He briefly worked in athletic administration at Troy and is a member of the Troy Sports Hall of Fame.
Tyler Hussey (WR) - 2019-2020, Troy (PLAS)
A walk-on player from PLAS, Tyler lettered two years at Troy and played for four seasons. After being a member of the scout team for two years, he saw his first game action in a win against Texas State in 2019.
As a prep player at PLAS, Hussey earned all-state honors as a linebacker his sophomore, junior and senior seasons where he averaged more than 100 tackles per season ... Helped lead the Patriots to three straight AISA Playoff appearances ... Played tight end and was the long snapper in addition to linebacker … Also played baseball.
James Jones (0L) - 1979-82, Goshen
Jones was a starting offensive lineman for Troy State in the Charlie Bradshaw era.
Phillip Jones (RB) - 1997-99, East Brewton & Troy
Jones, who is the new head football coach at CHHS, had previously been an assistant coach at CHHS for 21 years, serving on the staffs of four different head coaches and coaching on two different teams that finished state runner-up. Jones has also served as track and field coach at CHHS.
A native of Brewton, Jones earned All-State honors as a running back at WS Neal in 1993 and 1995. He graduated from Troy University, where he played for head coach Larry Blakeney (Mike Turk was his position coach). Jones earned All-Conference honors in 1998 and 1999. He rushed for 539 yards and four touchdowns in 1998, while tallying 729 yards and six scores and throwing another touchdown pass in 1999 as a senior.
In his career at TROY, Jones rushed for 1,619 yards on 349 carries and had three kickoff returns for 98 yards (32.7 average return). He also caught 10 passes for 64 yards.
John Johnson (WR) - 2014-2017, Troy (Photo to come).
Johnson, who passed away at the age of 24 in a motorcycle accident the day after Christmas in 2019, was “by far the best player we had the chance to sign from across the street,” said Coach Larry Blakeney. “On the field, he stepped right in as a true freshman and contributed to our football team. Off the field, he was mature beyond his years.”
In his four-year Troy career, Johnson had 80 career receptions for 949 yards and 4 TDs, playing for Blakeney and Neal Brown.
He was nominated for both the Wuerffel Trophy and Allstate Good Works Team and was named to the Sun Belt Conference Leadership Team in the spring prior to his senior season.
In high school, Johnson was an all-state selection on the football field for Charles Henderson and helped guide the CHHS Trojans to back-to-back baseball state championship as the starting center fielder.
Rodney Jordan (OL) - 1999-2002 - Goshen
Jordan was a four-year starter at then Troy State and certainly one of the best offensive lineman to ever come out of Pike County.
Jordan is entering his fourth season as the head coach at Satsuma High School. In more than 20 years in high school coaching, Jordan also served as offensive coordinator at Eufaula, Elba, and Charles Henderson.
Michael Kelley (TE) - 1984-1987, Troy
Michael was Troy’s starting tight end on its 1987 national championship team. Michael, who graduated from CHHS in 1984, finished his career with seven receptions for 177 yards and two TDS. He averaged 25.3 yards per catch.
In high school, “Silk” Kelley was also a standout basketball player for Coach Eddie McCarter’s excellent teams.
Johnny Kreis - TE, 1948, Troy
Note: Mr. Kreis was the long-time State Farm Agent in Troy (Jerry Beckett succeeded him). Mr. Kreis was a member of the 1947-48 undefeated Troy High School team that included multiple future college players, including Bobby Marlow, the most distinguished football player who ever grew up in Troy. The 1948 THS team went undefeated and, if I recall, won almost every game by lopsided margins.
Bobby Lee (QB) - 1972-75, Lanett and Troy
A native of Lanett, Lee was a former CHHS assistant coach, head coach and principal. He played quarterback at TSU from 1972-1975, finishing his his career with 3,278 yards, including 25 TDs and only 13 interceptions. Lee played in 40 games for Troy. He also scored five TDs rushing.
Coach Lee still ranks in various statistical categories for former Troy quarterbacks, including being tied for first for “most yards per completion.”
Fitz Lee (DL & special teams) - 1974, Louisville & Troy
Lee lettered in 1974, when Troy started the season ranked No. 1 in Division II and finished 6-4. Lee primarily played on special teams units and blocked for Perry Griggs, who he remembers returning two punts for TDs in a game against Livingston. Griggs also had one punt return for a TD called back in that game due to a penalty. Lee later made Troy his home and is a long-time home-builder, who has built many homes in Palos Verdes Estates.
Robert Maddox (DB) - 1974-1975 - Langdale, AL & Troy
Maddox was a long-time assistant coach at Troy State for Charlie Bradshaw, Chan Gailey and Rick Rhodes (on teams that won two Division II national titles) before being named head football coach in 1988. Coach Maddox was succeeded by Larry Blakeney in 1990. He later became a long-time high school head coach in Valley and at Lee-Scott.
As a player at Troy, he finished his career with 86 tackles, four interceptions and broke-up 18 passes.
Coach Maddox trivia: Coach Maddox started his college career as a walk-on at Auburn, then transferred to Samford and then transferred to Troy.
Dwayne Mahone (OL) - 1984-86, Goshen
Nick McLaughlin (TE/H-back) - 2013-2015, Tennille and Troy (PLAS)
McLaughlin was a walk-on at Troy, who later earned a scholarship and played in many games for Troy as a tight end/H-back, fullback and on special teams units. As a freshman, Nick had an 8-yard TD reception against Savannah State.
He was also named to The Dothan Eagle’s “Super 12” team of top baseball players in the Wiregrass while a student at PLAS.
McLaughlin compiled eye-opening stats for the Patriots. For his career, he rushed for 4,026 yards with a 7.8 average yards per carry while scoring 47 touchdowns. He also had 408 yards receiving, 15.1 yards per-catch average, and two scores along with 102 yards passing and two TDs. Defensively, he racked up 471 career tackles with 10 interceptions while returning one for a touchdown
McLaughlin helped Pike to the 2008 and 2009 AISA state titles in football ... He was also an all-state baseball player for the Patriots, hitting .449 with a .662 on-base percentage and 24 home runs in his career ... Pike Lib won the 2012 AISA AAA state championship in baseball.
Eric Mizell (OL) - 1990-91, Lucedale, MS and Troy
Mizell, a native of Lucedale, Miss. who transferred to Troy from a junior college, made his home in Troy after being a two-year starter on the Troy offensive line in Coach Blakeney’s first two seasons.
Mizell worked for Troy Bank & Trust for 15 years before tragically dying of a heart attack at age 46. He was president of the University’s T-Club and had been an officer of the Letterman’s Club since its creation in 2006. (One project of the T-Club was to update the lettermen’s data base, which I used for research in this story!)
Mizell was survived by his wife, Tiffany and two sets of twins (Cassidy and Kaley and Beau and Bryson).
Julius Pittman (WR) - 1987-90, Troy
A four-year letter winner for Troy, Pittman recorded stats in 29 games. His senior year, he averaged 19.3 yards per catch (26 catches for 503 yards) and had a long reception of 78 yards.
Julius also ranks as one of the top punt returners in school history, returning 48 kicks for 420 yards and one TD (68 yards). Julius Pittman ranks 7th for most punt returns in career and his yards per catch his senior year is also among the highest in school history.
In his four-year career, Julius had 1,201 all-purpose yards. He had 768 yards receiving on 48 career receptions with four TDs. He also rushed for 13 yards.
Julius was standout receiver, kick returner and safety at CHHS (Class of ’86), where he also was the centerfielder on excellent baseball teams.
Butch Powell (LB) - 1970, Troy
Ralph “Bulldog” Railey (OL/DL) - Troy, 1952
Mr. Railey was the long-time administrator at Pike Manor Nursing home and before that the manager of the Double Delight, a popular local hangout for many years and one of the first Highway 231 restaurants. The Railey family would be in the Hall of Fame for “Great Troy Athletics” supporters.
His daughter, Dawn, told me that Bulldog got his famous nickname because he “growled when he played.”
Todd Rainey (punter) - 1981, Troy
Todd was the starting free safety and punter/kicker on CHHS’s state championship team of 1980 (he also split time at quarterback in 1979). Todd only had two punts in his football career at Troy. However, he was a standout discuss and shot-putt athlete on Troy’s track and field team. (Not many safeties and quarterbacks excel at the short putt and discuss!)
Rainey trivia: Todd’s younger brother, Scott Rainey, was also a free safety at CHHS (first team All State 1982) and later became a punter at West Point.
Scott Taylor Renfroe (kicker) - 2022-current, Troy (PLAS)
After redshirting his freshman year, Renfroe, a product of PLAS, has become one of the best place-kickers in America.
Renfroe took over the starting role in the 2023 season, finishing the year making 19-of-24 field goal attempts and was a perfect 50-for-50 on extra point attempts. The Troy native put his name in the Trojans' record books with the second most made field goals in a single season, the seventh-best single-season percentage in program history, and tied the school record with four field goals made in a single game.
Renfroe finished this past season, connecting on 11-of-13 field goals to improve to 30-of-37 for his career. Last season, he made a 50-yard field goal against Southern Miss and a 49-yard field goal against ULM.
He'll enter his senior season seventh all-time in program history in career field goals (20 shy of the program record) and 15th in career scoring, with 174 points. Renfroe was one of the nation’s top kickers in high school at PLAS.
Gary Rumph (DL) - Troy, 1984-87
Gary is a former classmate of mine (CHHS Class of ’83) and one of my favorite people. He was also a great defensive lineman in high school and had a solid career at Troy State, where he played on the 1984 national team as a reserve freshman and the 1987 national championship team as a key contributor.
Gary played in 49 games in his career and finished with 40 tackles and nine sacks.
Jerry Richards (DL) - 1981 - Troy
Note: This name intrigues me. I remember a Jerry Richards who was a great basketball player at CHHS in the late 1970s and, I think, played basketball at Troy. If this is the same Jerry Richards, I didn’t know he played one year of football. Maybe readers can provide more bio info on Jerry.
Jerry Reeves (DB) - 1961-1964, Americus, Ga & Troy
A native of Americus, Ga. Reeves, who previously owned a rental business in Troy, was the first cousin of NFL Hall of Fame coach/player Dan Reeves.
Chase Riddle (FB) - Late ‘40s and 1950 - Troy, native of Columbus, Ga.
Coach Riddle was, of course, the legendary baseball coach at his alma mater, Troy State. However, as a student he was a standout running back on the football team, earning “Little All-American” honors in 1950. He also played on Troy’s basketball team.
Coach Riddle started college at an older age as he fist signed a minor league baseball contract with the Boston Red Sox after graduating from Jordan High School in Columbus, Ga. He played in the minor leagues and then served three years in the U.S. Navy in World War II before choosing to attend Troy Normal School after the war.
At Troy, he was on the football and basketball teams and continued to play minor league baseball each spring.
After graduation, he coached at Troy State for three years and then became a long-time scout for the St. Louis Cardinals before becoming Troy’s head baseball coach in the late ‘70s, leading Troy to back-to-back national titles later in his coaching career.
Ultimate display of respect: Fourteen of Coach Riddle’s former players named their sons “Chase.” (One of these Chase’s is current CHHS baseball coach and former standout player, Chase Smartt.
Sam Sellers (DB) - 2007-2010, Troy (PLAS)
Sellers made 31 tackles in his career and broke up one pass. He played in 51 games.
Note: Sam’s father, Gilbert Sellers, was a reserve linebacker and deep snapper at Auburn for four years in the mid to late 1970s.
Brian Snyder (WR) - 1981, Goshen
Brian was an invited walk-on at Troy after being an All-State player at Goshen High in 1979-1980. He earned a scholarship prior to the start of the 1981 season, where he lettered for Coach Bradshaw’s team.
Coby Smith (DT) - 2017, Troy (CHHS)
Smith was a member of the Trojan squad for three seasons, lettering in 2017 - when he had one solo tackle against Texas State. At CHHS, he earned all-state, all-district and all-city honors. As a sophomore, recorded 44 tackles, nine for loss, 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery for a touchdown in the state semifinals ... Helped lead the Trojans to four playoff appearances, including the title game as a sophomore ... Finished third in the state as a senior in the shot put and discus.
Paul Shiver (LB) - 1981, Troy
Paul, who led the CHHS state champs of 1980 in tackles from his middle linebacker position, is the brother-in-law of Neil Armstrong. Paul, who now lives in Auburn, played in five games as a freshman for Troy in 1981, recording three tackles.
Zach Swindall (OL) - 2008-2011, Troy
Swindall was a key, starting offensive lineman for Troy for several seasons for Coach Blakeney’s Trojans.
Ford Taylor (RB/DB) - 1948, Troy
Mike Turk (QB) - 1984-1987, Montgomery and Troy
One of the most-decorated athletes in Troy State history, Turk walked-on to Troy and excelled in the wishbone offense run by Coach Gailey and then Rick Rhodes.
Coach Turk lived in Troy for 17 years - four as a student and 13 years as a key assistant for Coach Larry Blakeney - before becoming the head coach at Huntingdon in 2004.
As a player, Turk was a consensus All-American his senior season. For his career, he accounted for 6,707 yards in total offense (145.8 ypg), rushing for 2,533 yards (5.1 ypc) and passing for 4,174 yards. Turk scored 35 TDs on the ground and passed for 30 TDs.
He split time as QB on Troy’s 1984 national title team and was the starter on the 1987 championship team, where he was the runner-up for the Harlon Hill Trophy, which honors Division II’s Player of the Year.
As a senior, Turk rushed for 930 yards, averaging 5.7 yards per rush. He also passed for 1,460 yards his senior season.
In the spring of 2012, Turk was one of 11 inducted into the inaugural Troy University Athletic Hall of Fame. He has enjoyed great success as Huntingdon’s head coach the past 20 seasons. In high school, Turk was the quarterback on several excellent teams for Jeff Davis High School and also played baseball.
Turk trivia: When I was in high school, the Jeff Davis baseball team played a game against CHHS in Troy. I remember Mike Turk stole home in the game, the only time I’ve ever seen that happen in person.
Mike was also a classmate and teammate of John Longshore, the co-host of the popular “John and Barry” sports radio program (now a podcast). John was Turk’s back-up QB.
Tommy Wasden - 1985-1987 - QB - Selma, Goshen, Troy & Brundidge
Wasden, whose father was a famous high school coach, backed up Mike Turk as a wishbone QB at Troy. He later was the head coach at Goshen, Pike County High and is a long-time high school principal. Tommy’s brother, Shayne, was a stand-out receiver for Pat Dye’s teams at Auburn.
Wasden had 194 career rushing yards and 32 yards passing. Coach Wasden was a member of the 1987 national championship team. He played in 18 games in 1985 and 1987.
Whitey Whitman (OL/DL) - 1956-57
Coach Whitman, a native of Phenix City, was told he was far too small to play college football as an offensive lineman, but didn’t listen to these naysayers and ended up starting for at least two years for Troy State teams coached by his mentor, Bill Clipson. (See previous Troy Citizen feature story on Coach Whitman here.)
Coach Whitman also participated in field events on the track team (where his coach was Nick Costes) and became, perhaps, the only offensive lineman in the country to become well-known as a gymnast, tumbler and trampoline athlete! He later led the physical education program at CHMS, which was considered one of the best in the nation.
Randy Wilkes (OL) - Goshen - 1987-88
Randy Wilkes, who started on the O-line at Troy for two years and played on the 1987 national title team, is the first-ever Superintendent of Orange Beach City Schools. He also served as superintendent in Crenshaw County from 2011-2014 and in Phenix City from 2014 to 2022, where he was “Alabama’s Superintendent of the Year” in 2018. His father was a familiar site on baseball diamonds in the area as a long-time umpire.
Mack Wood (RB/DB) - 1957-58 - Originally from Greenville, Troy & Elba
The late Coach Wood was a former head football coach at CHHS, but became one of the winningest coaches in state history at Elba High School. Coach Wood’s son, Russ Wood, started for three years at outside linebacker at Alabama in Coach Bryant’s final years as a coach.
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My grandfather, Jeff Cotton, played for the 1968 Troy State Champion team. Not sure of his exact stats, but he went on to live in Troy for many many years after his time on the team.
My son in law, Dylan Bradshaw is an Enterprise native but has made Troy home, working and involving himself in the community, since marrying my daughter 3 years ago. He was a member of the Troy football team for 6 seasons. From 2016-2021 and was the starting center for the last three seasons of his career.