By Jerry Humphrey III
The cold air was crisp as Thanksgiving Day graced the River Region on Thursday.
I never thought I would spend a Thanksgiving outside of my hometown of Charlotte. Thanksgiving Day in Montgomery, however, is a spectacle the entire community celebrates, with the Turkey Day Classic as its centerpiece.
My first Turkey Day Classic not only exceeded expectations, I was able to experience it with my father, who travelled in from North Carolina and attended his first ever Alabama State football game.
Here are the sights, sounds and highlights from my first Turkey Day Classic experience, the 99th edition, as Alabama State hosted Tuskegee.
Morning parade sights and sounds
It was an early-morning start for a full day of festivities. I started my day downtown soaking in the parade that is part of this HBCU classic. The streets were filled with smiles as hundreds celebrated.
The Alabama State band rocked the house with a stellar music selection as the Hornet Nation cheered it on proudly. Mayor Steven Reed headlined the list of many local leaders who walked during the event.
With a 2 p.m. kickoff, I headed to Hornet Stadium after the parade just in time as gates opened for the media.
Midday tours and the smell of barbecue
“Wow, that is a lot of RVs,” my dad screamed as I drove around Alabama State’s campus to the media parking lot. The tailgating scene was pandemonium already and we were still hours away from kickoff.
That barbecue-on-the-grill smell immediately hit my nose while we walked to the stadium. And my dad and I knew we had to visit the tailgates first. The Divine Nine group of Greek organizations had it on lockdown out there with their massive tent setups. They had enough food to feed almost everyone in attendance.
The old-school jams were blasting to create great vibes. With about two hours until kickoff now, I thought, “Why not show my dad where I work and give him a tour of the campus and press box?”
The beautiful green Hornet Stadium turf shined under the afternoon sunlight. Seeing one of my personal favorite HBCU college stadiums, my dad was blown away by the view of I-85 and the entire field from the eagle-eye view of the press box.
A game we’ll never forget
The raucous crowd of 28,911 was second-largest crowd in stadium history. From just 28 miles down the road, Tuskegee brought a nice crowd as the entire place was filled with fans to witness 99 years of HBCU history.
Covering Alabama State all season, this was by far the best game I have seen the Hornets play. Both bands brought down the house at halftime. And the Hornets sent the Golden Tigers home with a 41-3 defeat.
With my dad by my side at the postgame press conference, Alabama State coach Eddie Robinson Jr. took the time to thank all the media members for covering the 2023 season. After questions, he walked around and shook everyone’s hand and wished him a happy Thanksgiving.
I had the opportunity to introduce him to my father. The two connected with a fatherly moment together: This was the last game Robinson Jr. would coach his son Jakobi, who joined his father’s team for his final two years of college eligibility. The coach spoke on how special the day was for him and his family Jakobi’s senior day.
“I been coaching Jakobi in every sport. Track, football, basketball – you name it,” Robinson Jr. said. “It gets me emotional to see him grow to that next step in life. It’s a blessing that the (school) president and athletic director allowed him to transfer in and play here. This does not happen a lot at the collegiate level, so I’m honored.”
Hearing that from the coach, my dad expressed how he felt the same way shadowing me and experiencing our first Thanksgiving in Montgomery together.
