Trailblazers Pride and Slater lead a group of eight inductees

By David Elwell
The Decatur Daily

The impact of an athletic career is not always left on the playing field or the gym floor.

Sometimes it carries over into the community where it can leave an impression that last forever.

At least two members of the Morgan County Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2018 have made that kind of impact.

Bobby Joe Pride was a running back at Decatur's Lakeside High School. In 1967 he transferred to Decatur High and starred on the school's first integrated football team.

"It's been 50 years since I played at Decatur and it's quite an honor to be remembered so many years later," Pride said. "It's not every day that a person goes into a hall of fame."

Jeaniece Slater played a role in the growth of girls basketball in Alabama. She was part of the powerhouse Hartselle program in the 1980s. Slater was a four-year starter at Hartselle and played on the 1985 state championship team.

"I had the opportunity to play basketball at Hartselle with a lot of great teammates like Vickie Orr," Slater said. "I would like to think that we helped push girls basketball to the popularity that it has today."

Pride and Slater are joined in the Class of 2018 by six other inductees. They are Jimmy Brazelton, a star in basketball and baseball at Austinville and in football, basketball and baseball at Decatur in the early 1960s; Katherine Eick, a state champion gymnast at Decatur in the 1980s when she was known at Katie Hughes; Leon Mooney, a five-time All-Morgan County basketball selection at Ryan in the 1960s; Gary Morris, star three-sport athlete at Decatur in the 1970s; Larry Peck, a fixture on the Hartselle football coaching staff for nearly three decades, who closed out his career with the Tigers' 2011 state championship; and Joe Weaver, a star football player at Hartselle in 1970 and 1971, who signed with Alabama to play for Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant.

The eight will be inducted into the Morgan County Sports Hall of Fame at a banquet on Saturday, May 5 at the Ingalls Harbor Pavilion. Tickets are $30. For information on tickets or to inquire about reserving a table, call Joe Bailey at 256-286-9048 or David Varner a 256-340-3466. Proceeds go to the Boys & Girls Club of Morgan County.
Pride will be joining three of his coaches in the hall of fame. Lorenzo Jackson, who coached Pride at Lakeside, was inducted in 1996. Earl Webb, who coached him at Decatur, was inducted in 1992. Hal Self, who coached him at what is now the University of North Alabama, was inducted in 1990.

"They were three wonderful men who had a huge impact on my life," Pride said.

Slater holds the distinction of being Alabama's first Miss Basketball. The award was started in 1988. Several girls from the area have won it over the years, including Decatur's Yolanda Watkins, Lawrence County's Natasha Thomas, Speake's Starr Orr and West Morgan's Hayden Hamby, but Slater will always be the first.

Slater's last game in high school was one of the most memorable in state championship history. Hartselle fell to Pell City in the finals on a last second shot. Pell City was coached by Larry Slater, Jeaniece's father. He was inducted into the Morgan County Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.

"I like to think that game helped a movement that is still going strong today with women's athletics in our state," Slater said.