MONTGOMERY – Alabama State University Head Football Coach Reggie Barlow found himself back where his accolades began and that was at Sidney Lanier High School as his jersey (#8) was retired in a Thursday evening ceremony.
“Coach C.J. Harris the coach over there, and the Booster Club reached out to me and told me that was something they wanted to do,” Barlow said. “Obviously I was honored and I do know the tradition and the history and all the great people that have been through Lanier High School and not just athletes. We have had people that have turned out to be lawyers, doctors, mayors, just really top of the line folks. It was a blessing to be honored and have the jersey retired.”
Barlow was able to parlay his All-State play at Lanier into an All-SWAC career at Alabama State, and from there into an eight-year career in the National Football League (NFL).
“We didn’t win a lot of games (at Lanier),” Barlow said. “I think they looked at the body of work with me being there and being All-State, and coming over here (ASU) and doing what I was able to do here and of course in the NFL. Maybe it was just an accumulation of all those things that have happened to me in my sports career.”
“It was a nice gesture and it is similar to what I said last night that it is not about me. It’s about me having three friends over there that are my best friends today and they have supported me when I was not in the best of shape, Terry Thomas, Author Dixon and Tim Acres. It was about my parents and my brothers who were kind of motivating factors for me along with my kids. It really was humbling and it was a good ceremony to really give them the praise.”
As Barlow ended his speech to the people in attendance, he asked for all of them to remember Sidney Lanier’s proud tradition and history in the football program and to get involved once again in the program as graduates.
“I really wanted to bring more awareness about Lanier football to the people that were there,” Barlow said. “We need to spread the word, for us to have success over there we have to give back and make an investment in the program.”
