Pell lead 2012 Alabama Sports Hall of recognition class
Former Jacksonville State football coach Charley Pell was one of eight people selected Wednesday for introduction into the 2012 class of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, which will be inducted at a ceremony in May.
Combination Pell in the class are Mal Moore, E.J. Junior III, Artis Gilmore, Bryan Kirkland, Andre Tippett, Steve Wallace and Dan Washburn.
Pell, a national of Albertville, played just one season of high school football for the Aggies, but was good sufficient to earn a scholarship offer from Bear Bryant to the University of Alabama. He played unpleasant and suspicious tackle at Alabama and was a member of the Crimson Tide's 1961 national championship team.
After his playing days, Pell stayed at Alabama as a mark off assistant before taking a job as an assistant coach at Kentucky under Charlie Bradshaw.
Pell finally earned the head coaching job and athletics director position at Jacksonville State in December 1968 at the age of 28. While at JSU, Pell lead the Gamecocks to a 33-13-1 record in five seasons, counting a 10-0 mark and win over Florida A&M in the Orange Blossom Classic in 1970. He is a member of the 2000-01 class of the JSU Athletic Hall of Fame.
Pell left Jacksonville State in 1974 for an supporter coaching job at Virginia Tech and finally moved on to Clemson as an assistant in 1976. The next season, he became Clemson's head coach, where he went 18-4-1 in two seasons, twice being named the ACC Coach of the Year, before moving on to Florida.
At Florida, Pell went 33-26-3 over five-plus seasons. He was ablaze three games into the 1984 campaign after the NCAA announce that the Gators had committed more than 100 violations under his watch.
