Tony's takes: Remembering recent Alabama father-child combos

My childhood home back in Texas sits on a circle. That ⅓ mile loop served as a victory lap following some of my favorite sports memories. It’s also hosted a few therapy sessions after tough losses and hard times.

What I miss most about home are those nightly walks with my dad.

Since moving away from Texas, I still walk and talk with my dad almost daily. The only difference now is there’s a phone and 650 miles between us. In a way, those phone calls shape my writing.

Whenever I don’t know how to start a story or find myself up against a tight deadline, I ask, “How would I describe this to my dad over the phone?” More often than not, that does the trick.

Sports have always been the bonding force between me and my dad. Despite growing up in Houston, I adopted all of his New England sports teams. It’s been 12 years since I graduated from Alabama and turned in my college fan card for a neutral approach as a professional. My dad, however, still pulls for the Crimson Tide as if he was born in Birmingham instead of Boston.

Sports are funny like that. They transcend locations and unite us with the ones we love. There are times when they drive us to shout until our voices give out and others when they simply take our breath away. Throughout it all, they give us something to talk about.

On this Father’s Day, I couldn't be more thankful for that.

In today’s column, we’ll celebrate the dads in our lives by taking a look at some of Alabama’s recent father-child pairings. With that said, call up your old man, pour yourself a drink, and let’s dive in.

My dad isn’t into cocktails. His idea of a mixed drink is pouring a little Crown Royal into Coke. Even that comes at a rarity. So instead of dedicating this section to him, I’m going with the father of all cocktails.

Like a good dad story, the Sazerac’s origin story is a bit of a legend. The most popular tale is that Antoine Peychaud (the guy who the bitters are named after) invented the drink in New Orleans during the mid-1800s. That story claims that Peychaud mixed his favorite French brandy — Sazerac-de-Forge et fils — with his own bitters, sugar and absinthe. Most importantly, the legend states that he served the concoction in an egg cup known as a “coquetier.” Non-French speakers later butchered that pronunciation to “cock-tay” and eventually “cocktail,” and now I’m writing about it in a Father’s Day column.

This is also a sports column, and I promise I’ll get to that soon.

We’ll fast forward through the history lesson of how the phylloxera plague in Europe limited brandy and cognac production, causing the Sazerac's base liquor to switch to rye whiskey. We’ll also ignore the fact that Peychaud was born in 1803 and the first mention of the drink was in 1806, which makes the charming story above completely false. The point is, this is a cool drink, and maybe you should have one with your dad.

Add two ounces of Sazerac rye whiskey, a half ounce of simple syrup, and four dashes of Peychauds bitters into a mixing vessel and stir. From there, rinse a chilled Sazerac glass with absinthe. Strain the mixture of whiskey, simple syrup and bitters into the glass and twist a lemon peel over the top.

Cheers!

(Commercial break: My drink of the week section is now sponsored by my friends at Session Cocktails in Tuscaloosa. Session has been a mainstay in Tuscaloosa’s cocktail scene since 2019 and offers some of the tastiest drinks in town. Stop by and tell them I said hi!)

Family legacies run deep across Alabama’s athletic teams. I’d still be writing at this time next week if I tried to compile them all in this column. Instead, here’s a list of a few recent Crimson Tide athletes whose fathers also played at Alabama.

Dre Kirkpatrick Jr (2024 signee, football) and Dre Kirkpatrick Sr. (2009-11, football)

Nick Saban retired a year before he would have coached both Kirkpatricks at Alabama. The Dre Sr. joined the Tide as the top-rated cornerback and No. 11 overall player in the 2009 class. He was a two-time national champion (2009 and 2011) and earned first-team All-American honors his final season before being selected by No. 17 overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2012 NFL draft. The Dre Jr. signed with Alabama as a three-star prospect in this year’s class. He played safety during the A-Day game, coming away with an interception in the end zone that was later called off due to a penalty.

Sarah Ashlee Barker (2022 to present, women’s basketball), Braxton Barker (2018-21, football) and Jay Barker (1991-94, football)

The Barkers are one of several Alabama families to have success in multiple sports. Jay quarterbacked the Crimson Tide in its title-winning season in 1992 before going on to earn SEC Player of the Year honors as well as the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award in 1994. Braxton followed in his father’s footsteps as a quarterback, walking on at Alabama from 2018-21 before becoming an assistant on the team’s staff in 2022. After spending her first two years at Georgia, Sarah Ashlee transferred to Alabama in 2022. Last season, she earned first-team All-SEC honors, leading Alabama with 16.8 points per game and a 49.1 shooting percentage. She will be returning for her final season this fall.

Trey Shiels (2020-24, swimming) and Tobie Shiels (1990-93, football)

The man snapping to Jay Barker on Alabama’s 1992 championship team also went on to produce a son who would represent the Crimson Tide. Toby Shiels started at center for Alabama, earning All-SEC honors in 1992 and 1993 while taking home the Jacobs Blocking Trophy in his final season. His son, Trey, just completed his senior season as a swimmer for the Crimson Tide, competing in the breaststroke and freestyle.

Jaala Torrence (2021-24, softball) and Jeff Torrence (1992-95, football)

Jeff’s Alabama career was outshined by his daughter. However, he still has the family’s only national title ring after serving as a linebacker on the Tide’s 1992 championship team. Jaala recently finished a solid four years, recording a 25-8 record with a 2.31 earned-run average and 205 strikeouts over 227.2 career innings pitched.

Brandon Miller (2022-23, basketball) and Darrell Miller (1991, football)

Darrell Miller’s lone season as a redshirt tight end on Alabama’s 1991 team wasn’t memorable. However, it played a role in producing one of the Crimson Tide’s best-ever basketball talents.

Despite stepping away from football and moving back to Nashville in 1991, Darrell still supported the Tide. That fandom was eventually passed down to his youngest son, Brandon, who signed with the Crimson Tide as the No. 17 overall player in the 2022 class.

Brandon’s lone year at Alabama was a bit more productive than his dad’s.

The five-star forward was named SEC Player of the Year and SEC Freshman of the Year while averaging 18.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Miller helped Alabama to the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament where it advanced to the Sweet 16. He was selected No. 2 overall by the Charlotte Hornets in last year’s draft and was named to this past season’s NBA All-Rookie team.

Ben Davis (2016-20, football) and Wayne Davis (1983-86)

It’s hard to fill your father’s shoes when he’s one of the best defenders in Alabama history. Unlike his father, Wayne Davis, who still holds Alabama’s all-time record with 327 tackles, Ben Davis never lived up to his potential with the Crimson Tide.

Ben starred at Gordo High School in Alabama and joined the Tide as the top-rated inside linebacker and No. 5 overall player in the 2016 class. However, in his four years in Tuscaloosa, the five-star defender totaled a combined seven tackles and one sack.

Avery Johnson Jr. (2016-19, basketball) and Avery Johnson (2015-19, basketball HC)

It’s not often a father gets the opportunity to coach his son at the college level. Avery Johnson and his son Avery Johnson Jr. shared that bond for three years at Alabama. Avery Sr. took over as Alabama basketball’s head coach and 2015 and was followed by his son, who transferred to the Crimson Tide after a season with Texas A&M. NCAA transfer rules forced Avery Jr. to sit out a year. However, he played the next three seasons under his dad, averaging 4.35 points per game. During his four seasons in charge of Alabama, Avery Sr. led the Tide to a 75-62 record, including an NCAA Tournament berth during the 2016-17 season.

Sydney Booker (2016-18, softball) and David Booker (1977-80, football)

The daughter of a two-time national champion at Alabama, Sydney Booker grew up dreaming of playing for the Crimson Tide. Her father, David Booker, was a split end on Paul “Bear” Bryant’s 1978 and 1979 national title teams. While he passed down his athletic ability and love for the Tide, Sydney had to wait before her Alabama dream came true.

Alabama didn’t recruit Sydney out of high school, leading her to spend her freshman season at Southeastern Louisiana. There she caught the Tide’s attention, setting school records in RBIs and triples. After transferring to Alabama in 2016, Sydney started at shortstop all three of her seasons with the Tide, leading the team in fielding assists each year.

Connor Short (2015-17, baseball) and Ben Short (1990-91, baseball)

This is my favorite pairing on the list, as Connor Short is a personal friend of mine. The former Hoover High School quarterback began his college career on the other side of the Iron Bowl rivalry, starting 25 games for Auburn during his freshman season in 2014. His time on The Plains was short-lived as he transferred to his father’s alma mater the following season.

After sitting out a year due to NCAA rules, Short played three seasons for the Tide. He tied for second on the team with 11 doubles in 2017 while also belting four home runs that year.

Ben Short played two seasons as a relief pitcher for Alabama. He was selected in the 14th round by the New York Yankees in the 1991 Major League Baseball draft.

Cammie Gray (2013-17, women’s golf), Kate Gray (2008-11, swimming), Stabler Gray (football), Hampton Gray (football) and Alan Gray (1977-81, football)

The Grays have stamped their names all over Alabama athletics. Alan was a quarterback under Bryant and was a member of the 1978 and 1979 national championship teams. Two of his boys, Stabler and Hampton, played football for the Crimson Tide, while his other son, Seaborn, also attended Alabama. His oldest daughter, Kate, was an All-American swimmer at Alabama while his youngest daughter, Cammie played golf, winning an SEC title with the Tide in 2016.

Marlon Humphrey (2014-16, football) and Bobby Humphrey (1985-88, football)

The Humphreys are arguably the most talented duo on this list.

Bobby starred as a running back, eclipsing the 1,000-yard rushing mark in his sophomore and junior years before suffering a season-ending foot injury two games into his senior campaign. Despite the setback, he finished his college career with 3,420 rushing yards and 33 rushing touchdowns, good enough for fourth place and eighth place respectively on the Tide’s all-time lists. His 1,471 rushing yards in 1986 rank fourth on Alabama’s single-season list. His 284 rushing yards against Mississippi State that season is the second-highest single-game total in school history.

Marlon served on the defensive side of the ball, starting at cornerback in 2015 and 2016 after redshirting during the 2014 season. He helped the Tide to a national title in 2015, earning Freshman All-SEC honors while recording three interceptions and eight pass breakups to go with 3.5 tackles for a loss and a pair of forced fumbles. The following season, he earned first team All-America recognition by the Football Writers Association of America, recording a pair of interceptions, including one for a touchdown, to go with five pass breakups, three tackles for a loss and a forced fumble.

Marlon was selected No. 16 overall by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2017 NFL draft. Since then, he has made three Pro Bowl appearances.

Mikey White (2013-15, baseball) and Mike White (1983-84, football)

Mike White served as an offensive guard for the Crimson Tide under Ray Perkin in 1983 and 1984. His son, Mikey, started at shortstop for all three of his seasons at Alabama, hitting .308 with 13 home runs and 98 runs batted in over 184 career games. Mikey was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the second round with the 63rd overall pick of the 2015 MLB draft.

Alexa Guarachi (2010-13, women’s tennis) and Fernando Guarachi (1970-74)

The Guarachis boast an athletic family with several Alabama ties. Born in Chile, Fernando was one of the Crimson Tide’s first foreign athletes. His brother, Felipe, served as a kicker for Alabama for a season. Like her father, Alexa starred on the tennis court for the Tide, advancing to the semifinals of the NCAA championships in both singles and doubles while earning All-America honors. Alexa’s Alabama lineage also extends to her mom’s side, as her great-grandfather, Hilman Holley played football for the Tide from 1930-32.

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