72 Days 'Til Kickoff: Alabama Route 72

If you find yourself in "The Magic City" (aka Birmingham, Alabama) with nothing to do, head north on I-65 for about an hour and exit at U.S. Route 72. Drive west for about half an hour and you'll find yourself in the tiny little burg of Town Creek. To the casual observer, it is a tiny little town with a few stores, a post office, and a stoplight slowing you down on your way to Muscle Shoals, Florence, and points west.

But this is no ordinary small southern town. One extraordinary family produced a large number of offspring who went on to star on the gridiron for the Crimson Tide and for some of them, the NFL:

• Chris Goode was the oldest of the Goode brothers and blazed the family trail to Tuscaloosa. He was a stalwart in the Alabama secondary and special teams. He was drafted by the Colts in the 1987 NFL Draft and spent seven seasons with the team.
  
• Kerry Goode was an electric running back who was destined for stardom. Against Boston College in the opening game of his sophomore year, he ran for a TD, caught a TD pass, and returned a kickoff for a touchdown but injured his knee later in that same game and was never the same. After a long rehab, he had some flashes of his former brilliance and made his way to the NFL playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1988) and Miami Dolphins (1989). Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with ALS last September.
• Pierre Goode may have been the fastest one in the family. The 1985 Mr. Football played wide receiver for the Tide but may best be remembered for a 100-yard kickoff return that he took the distance against Ole Miss in 1988. He later spent some time in the NFL and CFL. He was coaching track at Stillman until the school president shuttered all sports except basketball in December.
  
• Clyde Goode was named after his father and grandfather. Despite offers from other schools, he chose to walk on at Alabama. The youngest of this brood, he lettered at Alabama from 1989-1991 as a defensive back. Sadly, he passed away from leukemia in 2012.
  
• Antonio Langham lived across the street from his cousins, the Goodes, but was treated like a brother. He was a consensus All-American and winner of the Jim Thorpe Award in 1993. He was a vital cog in the 1992 National Championship. He would nab 14 interceptions over seven NFL seasons.
  
• Tarrant Lynch is a distant cousin who continued the family tradition as a fullback in the early 90s. He too was part of the 1992 team. He played in 48 games over his career, gaining 859 rushing yards for 5 TDs and 518 receiving yards and two more scores.

Other Hazlewood High School Golden Bears to play for Bama include former All-SEC DE Chris Hood (2nd team 1996, 1st team 1997) and FB Montoya Madden.