Eight new members of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (ASHOF) will be inducted next May.
The Class of 2026 was selected by ballot through a statewide selection committee and votes were tabulated by the accounting firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The newly elected inductees for the Class of 2026 are as follows:
JEFF BRANTLEY
JASON CAMPBELL
JOHN COPELAND
KIM EVANS
EVAN MATHIS
RAY ODUMS
LES STUEDEMAN
TOMMY TUBERVILLE
Starting with the first class in 1969, this will be the 58th Class inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. The eight newly elected inductees will bring the total number of inductees to 417.
The 58th Annual Induction Banquet and Ceremony will be held in the Birmingham Ballroom, at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel, on May 9, 2026. For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Museum at (205) 323-6665.
CLASS OF 2026 BIOGRAPHIES:
JEFF BRANTLEY / BASEBALL
Born September 5, 1963, in Florence, AL. Brantley pitched at Mississippi State University where he was a two-time All-SEC honoree and 1985 All-American. He helped lead the Bulldogs to the 1985 College World Series, finishing the season with an 18-2 record. Brantley is tied for the most career pitching wins in SEC history with 45 wins. He was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the sixth round of the 1985 MLB Draft. In his second season in the majors, Brantley pitched in three games of the 1989 World Series. The Giants ultimately lost the World Series to the Oakland Athletics. Brantley was named an All-Star the following season. In 1994, Brantley signed with the Cincinnati Reds as a free agent. He led the National League in saves in 1996 and was named the NL Rolaids Relief Man Award winner. Brantley also played with the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, and Texas Rangers in his 14-year MLB career. Brantley worked as an ESPN broadcaster from 2002 to 2006. He has worked with the Cincinnati Reds radio and television broadcast teams since 2006.
JASON CAMPBELL / FOOTBALL
Born December 31, 1981, in Laurel, MS. Campbell was a three-year starting quarterback at Auburn University. In his junior year, he led the Tigers to a Music City Bowl victory and was named MVP. The following year, Campbell led Auburn to an undefeated season, the SEC Championship, and the Sugar Bowl. He was named MVP of both those games. Campbell also was named First-Team All-SEC and the 2004 SEC Player of the Year. His 2004 team was recently recognized as national champions. Campbell was drafted 25th overall by the Washington Redskins in the 2005 NFL Draft. He played five seasons in Washington before he was traded to the Oakland Raiders. Campbell also played with the Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, and Cincinnati Bengals before retiring. He passed for over 16,000 yards and 87 touchdowns in ten seasons in the NFL.
JOHN COPELAND / FOOTBALL
Born September 20, 1970, in Lanett, AL. Copeland transferred to the University of Alabama from Hinds Community College in 1991. He was named Second-Team All-SEC defensive end in his first season at Alabama. In his senior year, Copeland helped lead his team to a national championship victory and was also named a consensus All-American. He was drafted fifth overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1993 NFL Draft. Copeland was named to the All-Rookie Team following his first year in Cincinnati. He spent his entire eight-year career with the Bengals and finished his career with 24 sacks, nine forced fumbles, three interceptions, and one touchdown.
KIM EVANS / GOLF – COACHING
Born December 6, 1958, in Decatur, AL. Evans played golf at Auburn University from 1977-1981. She was named Auburn’s women’s head golf coach in 1994 and remained at the helm for 21 years. She led Auburn to eight SEC championship titles and coached seven SEC Players of the Year. During her stint, Auburn made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances and finished among the Top 10 NCAA programs seven times. Evans is a five-time SEC Coach of the Year. In 2002, she won the Golf Coaches Association National Coach of the Year Award, and she was inducted into the National Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2008.
EVAN MATHIS / FOOTBALL
Born November 1, 1981, in Birmingham, AL. Mathis started his first three seasons at the University of Alabama as an offensive tackle, before transitioning to left guard his senior season. As a senior, he was named First-Team All-SEC. In the 2005 NFL Draft, he was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the third round. Throughout his 12-year NFL career he played for the Carolina Panthers, Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos, and the Arizona Cardinals. Mathis was named First-Team All-Pro in 2013 and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2013 and 2014. He was also a member of the Denver Broncos’ Super Bowl 50 championship team in 2016.
RAY ODUMS / BASKETBALL – FOOTBALL
Born October 30, 1951, in Birmingham, AL. From 1970-1973, Odums played both basketball and football at the University of Alabama. He was named Third Team All-SEC following the 1972-73 basketball season. Odums was a member of the first all-black starting basketball lineup in SEC history on December 28, 1973 against the University of Louisville. The 1973-74 team would later win the SEC regular season championship. In his junior basketball season, he became Alabama’s all-time assist leader. Following his collegiate career, Odums played ten seasons in the Canadian Football League with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Saskatchewan Roughriders, and Calgary Stampeders. He was a three-time CFL All-Star. Before retiring, Odums played one season with the Memphis Showboats of the USFL.
LORRAINE “LES” STUEDEMAN / SOFTBALL – COACHING
Born May 31, 1969, in Tuscaloosa, AL. Stuedeman played volleyball and softball at Samford University for one season before transferring to Huntingdon College. While playing catcher at Huntingdon, she received All-District honors from 1990 to 1992 and was named an All-American in 1992. In 1995, Stuedeman was named the first softball coach at the University of Alabama-Huntsville. In 30 seasons, she guided her team to 1,297 wins, nine conference titles, and has appeared in 26 NCAA Tournaments. Coach Stuedeman is also a 10-time Gulf South Conference Coach of the Year and won the Gulf South Conference Coach of the Decade Award in 2010 and 2020. Stuedeman announced her retirement following the 2025 season.
TOMMY TUBERVILLE / FOOTBALL – COACHING
Born September 18, 1954, in Camden, AR. Tuberville is most known for his successful tenure as head coach of Auburn University, where he led the Tigers to six consecutive Iron Bowl wins and five SEC Western division titles. In 2004, Tuberville led the Tigers to an undefeated season and a Sugar Bowl victory over Virginia Tech. Following the 13-0 season, Tuberville received six Coach of the Year honors including SEC Coach of the Year and AP Coach of the Year. His 2004 team was recently recognized as national champions, with four Auburn players being selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. Prior to assuming the head coaching job at Auburn, Tuberville served as head coach at Ole Miss, where he was named 1997 SEC Coach of the Year. Before assuming head coaching roles, Tuberville had assistant stops at Arkansas State, the University of Miami, and Texas Tech. At Miami, he was part of three national championship teams—1987, 1989, and 1991. Tuberville coached three years at Texas Tech and four years at Cincinnati before retiring as one of the ‘Top 50 Most Winning Coaches of All Time’ with an overall record of 159-99. TG
