Sad news for Alabama Crimson: i wish never to return

Former Alabama football running back Kerry Goode won’t be returning to Neyland Stadium after mistreatment in 2022 | Goodbread

Kerry Goode suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, but his mind is unaffected by the disease.

The former Alabama football running back, who is paralyzed and uses a wheelchair, believes that the Tennessee fan who threw a drink at him at Neyland Stadium last year is not typical of the UT fan base as a whole. He can think and reason just like anyone else.

He’s also made the decision not to come back, though.

That’s how Goode now, a year later, remembers being treated horribly in the moments following Tennessee’s victory over Alabama, ending a 15-year losing streak. He was present to assist his son Roman, a recruiting analyst on the support staff of head coach Josh Heupel. In support of his son, he even donned a UT shirt during the first half. However, he felt obliged to switch to an Alabama shirt during the second half. Following being drenched

The only other member of my group who was aware of what was happening to me was my daughter. She put up her whole 100 pounds to protect me. “(I’m) grateful that the usher saw everything too and that she helped us leave quickly,” the speech-impaired Goode emailed The Tuscaloosa News. “My daughter wanted to punch someone’s lights out because she was so upset. However, I advised her to cool down and allow them to enjoy themselves. We’re not used to being beaten by them. In addition, I didn’t want Roman to feel bad about (what transpired). We kept it a secret from him.Like everyone else, he learned about it from my Facebook post. But I will never again watch a game at Neyland Stadium.”

Every fan base, including Alabama’s, has its share of “bad actors,” according to Goode. He’s seen enough of them in Knoxville, though. In addition, he didn’t enjoy some of the verbal abuse he endured while entering the stadium. He remembered leaving the field as a player in 1984 while using crutches after a Jack Daniels bottle broke a yard from his feet.

But on Saturday, when the rival Volunteers return for a crucial SEC matchup, Goode will be at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

The Kerry and Gary Challenge, which will run through the Iron Bowl and benefit Alabama families battling ALS, begins this week. Along with fellow ALS patient Gary Godfrey, a former Auburn basketball player, Goode has organized a fundraising campaign where supporters of Auburn and Alabama vie for the largest donation total.

The contest that could determine how the UA-UT rivalry is renewed on Saturday pits Alabama’s run defense against Tennessee’s rushing attack. At 231.3 rushing yards per game, the Volunteers are far ahead of Alabama’s offense on the SEC standings by more than 80 yards. Alabama’s run defense (104.4 yards allowed per game, third in SEC) will need to play its best game of the year if the Vols’ lead is to be lessened.