About Inductee

Duffy Boles vividly recalls his first football game at Huntsville High School. Boles was one of only four sophomores to make the traveling squad for the Crimson Panthers opener of the 1968 season against Lincoln County High of Fayetteville, Tenn. As one of the rookies, he had to sit on the floor of the bus on the way to the game because all the seats were taken. Late in the second quarter, starting tailback Mark Jones had to leave the game because of an injury. Huntsville High coach Tommy Owen called on Boles. While pass-blocking for Robbie Rowan, Boles broke his nose on his first play. In the huddle, Rowan offered a word of advice to his young teammate. Just block the end low, he said. At halftime, Boles consulted with Dr. Robert Sammons, the team doctor, who confirmed the nose was badly broken. I was ready to watch the second half from the safety of the sideline, Boles recalls, when Dr. Sammons came to me, placed a strip of athletic tape across my nose, helped tighten my chin strap, gave me some words of encouragement and pushed me back on the field. Scared of being hit, I scored on several long runs. Thanks to Dr. Sammons, I became a better player. Coach Owen made sure I had a seat on the bus for the return trip to Huntsville High. Boles went on to become a Prep All-American halfback at Huntsville High and was named the citys most outstanding offensive player in 1970. He went on to play three years at the University of Alabama from 1973-75, during which time the Crimson Tide won a national championship and three Southeastern Conference championships. When I look back on my football career, I think mostly about the coaches who gave me the opportunity to play and who cared enough to teach me what I needed to learn, says Boles. He singled out his junior high coach, John Childress; his high school coach, Owen; his freshman coach at Alabama, Clem Gryska, and Alabama head coach Paul Bear Bryant. What I remember most about Duffy is that he was a very serious hard-nosed guy who didnt mind blocking and tackling and mixing it up, says Gryska. Coach Bryant loved him. Born in Birmingham and a resident of Madison County since 1959, Boles is married to Lee Watkins Boles and they have three children: John Raynor Boles, Katherine Watkins Boles and Susan Merrill Boles.