Wetumpka High School quarterback
Jamal Golden joined an elite group Wednesday. He was named the 29th recipient of the Alabama Sports Writers Association's annual Mr. Football Award Wednesday at a luncheon hosted by the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex. Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Carnell "Cadillac" Williams was the keynote speaker.
Like Golden, Williams is one of the 29 to be named a recipient of the award that signifies the winner as the best prep football player in the state. Williams was the 2000 recipient out of Etowah High School in Attalla. He went on to Auburn University, then on to the NFL.
Golden plans to sign next month with Georgia Tech. The 6-foot, 185-pound three-year starter at quarterback for Coach Chad Anderson's Indians accounted for 3,477 yards total offense and 37 touchdowns as a senior and compiled more than 6,200 yards and 63 touchdowns in the last two seasons. He rushed for 1,148 yards and 14 touchdowns in 12 games while passing for 2,351 yards and 23 touchdowns this season.
He told the gathering that included Linemen and Back of the Year winners in each of th AHSAA's six classes and the AISA that he almost quit before his prep career ever got started. "I was ready to give up football after three days when I was a sophomore but Coach (Ryan) Wilson wouldn't let me. He talked me into staying and now here I am."
Also chosen the Class 6A Back of the Year by the ASWA, Golden guided Wetumpka to a 10-2 record this past season and the Region 4 championship. Included was two wins over powerful Prattville. Golden was honored in December as the Gatorade Player of the Year for Alabama as well. He was chosen to the ASWA Class 6A All-State Team at quarterback and was named to the ASWA's Super 12 All-State Team.
Golden finished with 222 points in the voting conducted by the 22-member ASWA football committee of state sports writers. Spanish Fort offensive lineman
Reese Dismukes, an Auburn commitment, edged out fellow Auburn commitment Russellville running back
Brent Calloway for second with 190 points. Calloway had 184, followed by Leeds defensive back
Jonathan Rose with 145 points and Leroy wide receiver
Sammie Coates with 141. Rose and Coates are also Gene Chizik commitments.
Wetumpka's Golden becomes the eighth quarterback in the last 10 years to win Mr. Football and is the fourth player from the Montgomery area to earn the coveted honor. Others include quarterback Larry Smith of Prattville (2006), tight end Gorman Thornton of Jeff Davis (1995) and running back Larry Ware of Lee-Montgomery (1986). Smith is currently quarterbacking at Vanderbilt, Thornton played at Alabama and Ware, the head coach at Montgomery-Lee, had an outstanding career as a running back at the University of Georgia.
ASWA Back of the Year winners in the AHSAA included: running back
Kendarius Fritts, Linden (1A); receiver Sammie Coates, Leroy (2A); defensive back Jonathan Rose, Leeds (3A); quarterback
Kyle Caldwell, Dadeville (4A); running back Brent Calloway, Russellville (5A); and Golden, Wetumpka (6A). Back of the Year for the Alabama Independent School Association (AISA) was
Mark Lear of Clarke Prep, who led the state in rushing with more than 2,400 yards this season. AISA Lineman of the Year was
Buchanan Watson of Monroe Academy.
AHSAA Lineman of the Year winners were: linebacker
Ryan Chamblee, Collinsville (1A); linebacker
Shaquille Roberson, Reeltown (2A); tight end
David Reeves, Greensboro (3A); defensive end
Diaheem Watkins, Bibb County (4A); center Reese Dismukes, Spanish Fort (5A); and linebacker
Vinnie Sunseri, Northridge (6A).
Among other past Mr. Football winners was NFL No. 1 draft pick out of LSU Jamarcus Russell of Williamson (2002); University of Alabama Outland Trophy winner Andre Smith of Huffman (2005); Crimson Tide All-America wide receiver Julio Jones of Foley (2007); and former Tider and Minnesota Vikings receiver/ return specialist David Palmer of Jackson-Olin (1990).
ASWA Mr. FOOTBALL WINNERS1982 -- Tommy Compton, Prichard-Vigor (quarterback)
1983 -- Freddie Weygand, Gadsden-Emma Sansom (wide receiver)
1984 -- Roderick Green, Gardendale (wide receiver)
1985 -- Pierre Goode, Town Creek-Hazlewood (running back)
1986 -- Larry Ware, Montgomery-Robert E. Lee (running back)
1987 -- Robert Jones, Birmingham-Parker (running back)
1988 -- Darrell Williams, Prichard-Vigor (running back)
1989 -- Steven Coleman, Brundidge-Pike County (running back)
1990 -- David Palmer, Birmingham-Jackson-Olin (running back)
1991 -- Robert Davis, Homewood (running back)
1992 -- Freddie Kitchens, Attalla-Etowah (quarterback)
1993 -- Thomas Banks, West Jefferson (running back)
1994 -- Dawud Rasheed, Shades Valley (running back)
1995 -- Gorman Thornton, Montgomery-Jeff Davis (tight end)
1996 -- Antoneyo Williams, Tuscaloosa-Central (running back)
1997 -- Mac Campbell, Alexandria (running back)
1998 -- DeMarco McNeil, Blount (defensive lineman)
1999 -- Cory Whisenant, Springville (running back)
2000 -- Carnell Williams, Attalla-Etowah (running back)
2001 -- Brandon Cox, Hewitt-Trussville (quarterback)
2002 -- JaMarcus Russell, Mobile-Williamson (quarterback)
2003 -- Chris Nickson, Brundidge-Pike County (quarterback)
2004 -- Jarod Bryant, Hoover (quarterback)
2005 -- Andre Smith, Birmingham-Huffman (offensive lineman)
2006 -- Larry Smith, Prattville (quarterback)
2007 -- Julio Jones, Foley (wide receiver)
2008 -- Clint Moseley, Leroy (quarterback)
2009 -- Coty Blanchard, Centre-Cherokee County (quarterback)
2010 -- Jamal Golden, Wetumpka (quarterback)
