Willie's Gift - 1975 Athens Golden Eagles State Championship Team

655 U.S. 31,Athens AL 35611

20 April, 2023

Description

Don't miss your opportunity to see "Willie's Gift", a documentary film honoring the 1975 Athens Golden Eagles State Championship Football Team. This film, by nationally acclaimed author, documentarian, and historian, Keith Dunnavant, will premiere on Thursday, April 20, at 6:30 PM at the Athens Performing Arts Center (APAC) at Athens High School. Coach Larry McCoy's Golden Eagles finished with a 12-1-1 season and claimed Athens High School's first STATE TITLE! The Athens High School 1975 Class 3A State Championship team is considered one of the greatest in Alabama history. Dunnavant's film features extensive interviews with running back/linebacker Freddie Smith, who was also named Class 3A Player of the Year and went on to play at Auburn, Coach Larry McCoy, and key players including John Marshall, Steve Parker, Bill Ming, and Thomas Woodroof. Eight members of the 1975 AHS Championship Team have also been inducted into the Limestone County Sports Hall of Fame. According to Dunnavant, "This is the story of a great football team, one that was a big part of my life growing up, and it's also a story about the connective tissue between the program and its community. It digs into the power of pride and shared values and how a loving parent can make all the difference." Dunnavant is a 1983 Athens High School alum who started his journalism career as a teenager before becoming an award-winning writer and editor for newspapers and magazines in New York, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. He has written definitively about many sports legends, including Paul "Bear" Bryant, Joe Montana, and Bart Starr, and is frequently seen as a featured historian on television, with prominent roles in ESPN's college football history series "The American Game" and SEC Network's "Saturdays in the South". Dunnavant is also the author of the 2006 bestseller, "The Missing Ring", a story about the 1966 Alabama Crimson Tide team. Fans are encouraged to walk the red carpet and mingle with the team members at 5:30 PM. After the presentation, Dunnavant will host a brief Q & A session with team members. Dunnavant is looking forward to coming home to host the world premiere story that is close to his heart. "This will be a night of celebration for Athens. This is our opportunity as a community to recognize this championship football team and also what high school football represents to our culture. I look forward to seeing old friends and sharing this special moment with my hometown," said Dunnavant. Presenting sponsors include Athens State University, City of Athens, First Metro Bank, Jimmy Bryan Homes, Jimmy Smith Buick GMC, Martin & Cobey, Mauldin & Jenkins, Ming Group, and The Orthopedic Center. Tickets are $20 each plus processing fees. Proceeds will benefit the Black and Gold Circle's Feed the Eagle program, a food and nutrition program supporting Athens Football.