Weaver, AL – A large crowd gathered in the lunchroom of Weaver High School on Wednesday, April 26th to see a man honored and to reflect on the impact of his legacy. The dedications drew tears and heartfelt memories as many former athletes shared how they considered Gene Taylor to be a huge influence in their lives and shared how he is still influencing the lives of young students today.
The event opened with Mayor Jeff Clendenning giving opening remarks on what an amazing man Coach Taylor was and the legacy he has left behind. This was followed by a welcome speech by County Commissioner Terry Howell who thanked Coach Fulmer for his hard work as well as Superintended Reyes. He also thanked Senator Kieth Kelley, Mayor Clendenning, the Weaver City Council, and the Calhoun County Board of Education. He then took a few moments to recognize some of the stats that Coach Taylor amassed over his career.
- Coach Taylor was named Alabama’s 1A-4A wrestling coach of the year nine times.
- He was named Wrestining Coach of the Year for the entire Southeastern United States in 1996.
- 55 of his wrestlers won individual state championships.
- Eight were named high school All Americans.
- As a coach his winning record was 500-34.
- In 2010 he was inducted into the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame
After this impressive collection of accomplishments were shared Gadsden-Macedonia Baptist Church pastor Robby Joplin was asked to speak. Mr. Joplin’s social media post asking if it was possible to name a street after Taylor got this entire process started. He thanked Commissioner Howell for helping to guide him down the right paths and to know what hoops to jump through. He also made light of the fact that he stood out from the other speakers based on his lack of wrestling abilities. Despite never being on the wrestling team he was still impacted by Coach Taylor. He shared a story of twisting his ankle and being able to hear how much respect Coach Taylor showed to his mother when he called to inform her. That kindness stays with him after thirty years. That was representative of the type of man Coach Taylor was.
Coach Andy Fulmer spoke next. As the current two time State Champions Weaver Wrestling coach and a former athlete for Coach Taylor he was well equipped to share insights into Coach Taylor. He called him the GOAT (Greatest of all Time). He also shared how “Mean Gene” as he was lovingly called has impacted so many current fathers and husbands. He felt it was more important to Coach Taylor for his boys to grow into good men and fathers then to win a match. He also reflected on his love for his kids Jake and Misty. He described how much he loved coaching Jake and watching Coach Taylor be a father and the grace he showed in allowing Coach Fulmer to truly coach and not to step in and take over when his own son wrestled.
Coach Harley Lamey spoke next. Coach Lacey coached at Piedmont and is now the current Wrestling coach at Hoover High School. Coach Lamey also spoke of the love Coach Taylor had for his kids and how Coach Taylor truly shaped the coach he is today. He even shared a college experience when he used inappropriate language at a match and Coach Taylor shared his disppointment. He talked about how devastating that was and how he would never make that mistake as a coach now.
Coach Frank Hartzog of Alexandria High School shared that a huge take away he had from Coach Taylor was leading with your heart. He talked about how hard all the team would work to make Coach Taylor proud. That desire helped push them. He also shared about the personal sacrifices he knew Coach Taylor made to support all those on his teams. As an high school kid he didn’t always see it, but he has now seen how this actions shaped other’s lives and how much of a personal sacrifice Coach Taylor would make without hesitation.
Coach Joe Lathers an Ohatchee assistant coach and a State Trooper spoke next and choose to speak directly to the Weaver High School students. He stressed the three most important lessons he learned from Coach Taylor.
- Hardwork: Surround yourself with those that share the same goals and work ethics. Those that will encourage not distract.
- Discipline: Approach each day with focus and determination. Don’t waste time hitting the snooze. Approach life with goals that you work to achieve. Focus on real life and not the technology in front of your face.
- Have a big heart: Remember that it is never about you. It is always about someone else. Always look for how you can help, how you can lift, how you can support those around you.
Phyllis Kelley spoke next. Her husband Senator Kieth Kelley was unable to be there due to Senate being in session, but he wanted her to share their perspective as parents. She recalled a story where her son won, but it was an “ugly win”. Coach Taylor wasn’t amused and shared his displeasure. She talked about watching her son get angry and storm off, but then saw them both laughing together only a few minuets later. She said that grace and ability to forgive were true personally traits of Coach Taylor.
Senator Kieth Kelley was unable to attend as mentioned, but he did speak with the Calhoun Journal. He shared when his son Jeremy first came and announced he wanted to join the wrestling team because Coach Taylor said he could win a State Championship he was nervous. He was a little anxious because he didn’t want his son’s hopes to get too high. He actually went to talk to Coach Taylor and challenge him with not being able to guarantee a win. Coach Taylor said he was wrong. He explained that Kieth’s son had the skill and determination. As it turns put Coach Taylor was correct. Senator Kelley also talked about seeing the Weaver boys encourage other players from Piedmont and congratulating them when they won or even lost on having put up a great fight. He stressed that Coach Taylor taught class. He taught that being a man was more important then a win. The kids never got participation trophies, but they get respect for hard work and they learned to respect hard work because of it.
Weaver Councilman Clint Burns was presented and spoke to the Calhoun Journal to add, “I’m glad that we are able to honor someone who has had such an impact on our community. It’s impressive to see he had such a big role on so many people’s lives.”
The final speaker was Jake Taylor and he honored his father’s legacy well. He shared that hearing these stories meant so much to him. He honored Coach Fulmer for his role as his wrestling coach and was proud to know that his father’s legacy was a part of that. He then was asked to unveil the new street sign that will stand as a testimony to Coach Gene Taylor’s impact in this community and all over the county and state.
After the unveiling Mayor Clendenning and Commissioner Howell each presented $1,000 checks to Coach Fulmer for the wrestling team. They also shared their appreciation of Coach Fulmer’s and Coach Brown’s hard work and dedication to continue to build this wrestling program up and to make the Weaver Community Proud.
