By Andrew Edwards
Staff Writer
Former University of Alabama center Roger Shultz will be the guest host for the 24th annual Kevin Turner Golf Tournament on June 14 at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Capitol Hill.
“This is going to be the 24th and when I think of 24, I think of Kevin Turner,” said Shultz, referring to Turner’s jersey number. “Just to be the guest host is an honor. I’m just so thankful they thought of me.”
“First of all, he’s probably one of the greatest teammates ever,” Shultz said of Turner. “He was a tough guy, but nobody outworked him. He was focused, he was a leader. He was a great teammate.”
Shultz, an All-Southeastern Conference selection at center for Bill Curry in 1989 and Gene Stallings in 1990, has been employed for the past five years for Republic Services, a waste management service and recycling center, but spent the previous 25 years in a variety of sports-related roles, including as an assistant coach at the high school and collegiate levels and as an administrator at the collegiate level.
The event is named after Turner, a Prattville native who starred at Alabama and eight years in the NFL. Turned battled Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE, and passed in March of 2016.
Keith Cantrell, Assistant General Director at the Prattville YMCA, gave his thoughts on the significance behind the event.
“Each year the Prattville YMCA hosts an annual golf tournament that honors former Alabama great Kevin Turner and benefits the Coach a Child Scholarship Fund. This scholarship fund makes possible happen for children and families who view the YMCA as impossible due to financial hardship,” Cantrell said.
Annually over 2,500 different individuals, at a cost of over $200,000, receive financial aid from the Prattville YMCA. This year, the goal is to raise $218,000 through the Coach A Child Fund Campaign, Cantrell says.
“Most of you will remember that Kevin wore number 24 while at Alabama. Each year a former player, usually one of Kevin teammates, comes back and serves as our guest host, and we’re excited to have Roger Shultz this year,” Cantrell said.
This is the sixth year that the golf tournament will be held at Robert Trent Jones Golf Course after 18 years at the Prattville County Club. The tournament was moved to September last year due to coronavirus concerns.
All teams will be provided lunch, beginning at 11 a.m., prior to the 1 p.m. shotgun start and will have the opportunity to have their picture made with Shultz. For more information or to sign up your team to participate in the tournament, contact Cantrell at (334) 358-9622 or e-mail him at kcantrell@prattvilleymca.org
“We would love to have you participate in any way you see fit. If you are a golfer, we would love to have you put a team in the tournament. Maybe you don’t play but you would consider sponsoring hole. For an additional amount, hole sponsors are permitted to come and set up a tent on their hole and promote their business. It will be a fun day with over 240 players participating,” Cantrell said.
From the Kevin Turner Foundation Website: We started the foundation in 2010 after reading Dr. Ann McKee’s paper linking ALS and CTE. We wanted to fight to stop ALS, but if it was, in fact, connected to CTE and repeated concussions, then we felt we had a duty to warn and hopefully prevent the devastation of this disease for someone else.
OUR MISSION
KTF is working to raise awareness to the seriousness of brain trauma in athletes, at every level of competition, and its connection to ALS. KTF also financially supports efforts to study, treat, prevent and ultimately cure this disease.
