About Inductee

Near the end of World War II, University of Alabama football coach Frank Thomas was coaching in a high school all-star game in Wheeling, W.Va. Any football players up in this area? Thomas asked a local high school coach. Well, the chap replied, you might want to look at Clem Gryska over in Steubenville. Its just up the river a piece. Thomas crossed the Ohio River and drove up to Steubenville, a river town in the thin Tennessee state neck where Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania come together. As Gryska would later say, I guess Coach liked me because I was one of the few guys around who was 6-2, 185, 4F in the draft, and played football. Gryska was a tough blocking back and right end for Catholic Central. Thomas visited the Gryska home, liked what he saw, and offered a scholarship on the spot. Just a few days after his graduation from high school in 1945, Gryska was on a train to Tuscaloosa with two other Frank Thomas recruits, Frank DiMonico of Steubenville and Steve Fortunato of Mingo Junction, Ohio. Mom said, If youre going off to college, youre going to have to have some new clothes, Gryska related. So right after Christmas, she went out and bought me two new suits, a gray herringbone and a brown herringbone, both 100 percent wool. I was wearing one of those suits when I got off the train at the Tuscaloosa train station on a hot June day. Boy, that was some introduction to the South. That suit was ringing wet by the time I got over to the old gym. We started practice the next day. He was never a great player in college, Gryska said, but he still has a number of special memories. I was on the 37-man traveling squad my freshman year, Gryska said, and got to play in the Rose Bowl against California. My junior year, we played TCU and Bobby Layne in the Sugar Bowl. Those were good times. Gryska came to Huntsville High as an assistant coach for Buck Hughes in 1949 and went to Emma Sansom in Gadsden as head coach in 51. With Hughes recommendation, Gryska returned to Huntsville High as head coach in 1954. Those years in Huntsville gave us some of the great experiences of our lives, Gryska said. We only lived a couple of blocks from the school, my wife taught at Fifth Avenue, wed just had the twins. It was a great time. I dont guess we had a great football program, but it was a good one. We played in a good league, the old TVC, and I was fortunate to be able to coach a lot of fine young men. Gryska coached several outstanding players at Huntsville High, including Bobby Luna, Benny Nelson, Mike Hopper and Boots Ellett, all of whom went to Alabama, and Sam and Bob Sullins and Bruce Hammer, who played at Vanderbilt. Gryska left HHS in 1960 to join Coach Paul Bear Bryants football staff at Alabama. Coach Bryant didnt miss many tricks, Gryska said. I think the reason is wanted me was because I was president of the Alabama High School Coaches Association and he thought having me around would be a good way to get in with the high school coaches. Whatever the reason, I was happy to accept his offer. He has been a fixture in the Alabama athletic department ever since. Gryska, a widower, has three children the twins, Debby and Ted, both of whom live in Tuscaloosa, and Greg, who lives in Atlanta.