Squad Sunday at Calvary Baptist Church began in 1964, the same year the Alabama FCA huddle was organized. This picture was taken at the 1984 service. Pictured left to right are Wayne Atcheson, John Erickson (FCA National President and guest speaker), Paul Fields (Charlie Compton award recipient), Coach Ray Perkins, and Allan Watson (Calvary pastor). Dr. Watson called the first meeting of the Alabama FCA in September 1964.

ALABAMA FOOTBALL TEAM ATTENDS SQUAD SUNDAY TOGETHER 39-Year Tradition August, 2002 Wayne Atcheson It is a unique setting to see the entire Alabama football team and coaching staff sitting in church together. They literally fill up several pews. For 39 years, Calvary Baptist Church has honored the Alabama football team with Squad Sunday just prior to the football season. The church, which is one block from Bryant-Denny Stadium, first began Squad Sunday with Pastor Allan Watson in 1964. It began the same time the Fellowship of Christian Athletes was organized on campus. Coach Paul Bryant would attend the service with his teams and all other coaches since then have followed the tradition. It is a big day at Calvary, none bigger except for Easter Sunday. This year, Coach Dennis Franchione and the team attended on August 18. On the previous Sunday, he took the team to College Hill Baptist Church, a predominately African-American church. Kelvin Croom, a former Crimson Tide player before a career ending injury, pastors at College Hill. Coach Fran repeated what he did last year by attending both services as a team. "This is something I have done with all of my teams since I became a head coach," says Coach Fran. "It builds team unity and oneness. We do a lot of things together as a team and attending worship together brings our team closer together. They enjoy it and it is a good experience for us." From the first Squad Sunday service, Calvary Baptist has given the Charlie Compton Award for the player who has demonstrated the most outstanding Christian leadership. Compton was an outstanding tackle from Sylcauga who lettered in 1942. He interrupted his career to serve heroically in World War II. He was decorated with two purple hearts, the Bronze Star and the Congressional Medal of Honor. He returned to the Alabama football field as a tough and tenacious performer. Against Georgia, he broke through and blocked a quick kick by Charlie Trippi. The ball hit him smack in the face, in the day of no face masks, and the ball bounced back 40 yards down the field. "I see Charlie coming toward the bench," said Head Coach Frank Thomas, "but I pay no attention to him. So I put in another tackle and then I look around and there is Charlie pulling a loose tooth with pliers he’s taken from Red Burdette’s trainer’s bag. The ball had busted out his bridge work and Charlie was extracting one of the teeth snagged in there. Pretty soon he comes up and gets my attention from the game again and says, 'Coacher, I’m ready; get me back in there.'" After college and seminary, Compton became a missionary in Brazil. In 1972, he was killed in an automobile accident in a remote area of Brazil. Through the years, the Charlie Compton Award has been selected by the coaches, FCA leaders and for the past several years by vote of the football team. This year the honor went to senior walk-on receiver Joel Babb of Phenix City. Last year’s recipient was quarterback Jonathan Richey. Some of Alabama’s most notable players have won the award. All have been members of the Alabama football team except one. Pastor Allan Watson was so impressed when I joined the Fellowship of Christian Athletes national staff in Kansas City in 1967, that he gave the award to me. I had been a graduate assistant to Athletic Publicity Director Charlie Thornton when FCA was organized at Alabama in 1964. I became the ninth person on the original FCA staff. The Squad Sunday sermons have been delivered by many outstanding men in athletics such as Paul Dietzel, Bobby Richardson, Bill Battle, J.C. Watts, Grant Teaff, Raymond Berry, FCA presidents James Jeffrey and John Erickson, country comedian Jerry Clower, and Dr. Ross Rhoads, chaplain of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Squad Sunday speakers and Charlie Compton Award winners: 1964 : Allan Watson - Gaylon McCollough 1965 : Steve Sloan - Paul Crane and Steve Sloan 1966 : Bubba Scott - Richard Cole 1967 : Allan Watson - Wayne Atcheson 1968 : Allan Watson - Mike Ford 1969 : Bubba Scott - Mike Dean 1970 : Allan Watson - Neb Hayden 1971 : Bobby Richardson - Jeff Beard 1972 : Tony Romeo - Steve Wade 1973 : James Jeffrey - John Croyle 1974 : Loren Young - Gary Rutledge 1975 : Paul Dietzel - Robert Fraley 1976 : Steve Davis - Sid Smith 1977 : Bill Battle - Pete Cavan 1978 : Hootie Ingram - Jeff Rutledge 1979 : Mike Kolen - Steadman Shealy and Keith Pugh 1980 : Fob James - Major Ogilvie 1981 : Clebe McClary - Mark Nix 1982 : J.C. Watts - Darryl White 1983 : Paul Crane - Walter Lewis and Mike McQueen 1984 : John Erickson - Paul Fields 1985 : Edgar Arendall - Hardy Walker 1986 : Tim Owings - Ricky Thomas and Hoss Johnson 1987 : John Hannah - Kerry Goode 1988 : Tim Owings - Howard Cross 1989 : Tim Owings - Willie Wyatt 1990 : Walter Draughn - Alan Ward 1991 : John Croyle - Martin Houston 1992 : Clebe McClary - Willis Bevelle 1993 : Jerry Clower - Jay Barker 1994 : Grant Teaff - Tommy Johnson 1995 : Raymond Berry - Tony Johnson 1996 : Johnny Musso - Chad Goss 1997 : Jeremiah Castille - Curtis Alexander 1998 : Shaun Alexander and John David Phillips - John David Phillips 1999 : Ross Rhoads - Shaun Alexander 2000 : Bruce Chesser - Tony Dixon 2001 : Bruce Chesser - Jonathan Richey 2002 : Bruce Chesser - Joel Babb

All Squad Sunday services are special occations as was this 1991 service. Pictured left to right are Bruce Chesser (Calvary Baptist Church pastor), Hootie Ingram (Athletic Director), John Mark Stallings, Coach Gene Stallings, Martin Houston (Charlie Compton award recipient) and John Croyle (Big Oak Boy's and Girl's Ranches founder and guest speaker).