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CULLMAN COUNTY SPORTS HALL OF FAME: Gardner, Castille and Putman set for induction

Jake Winfrey and Justin Travis | The Cullman Times, The Cullman Times, Ala.
·5 min read

Jul. 19—This year's Cullman County Sports Hall of Fame banquet is slated for Saturday, July 22 at Stone Bridge Farms.

The annual induction ceremony — scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. — will usher in the 23rd class of the CCSHOF.

Inductees include Charlie Krenkel (Cullman), David Schaffer (Cullman), Ivan Richard (Cullman), Randy Jones (West Point), Jeff Lovell (Holly Pond), Jeremy Gardner (Fairview), Dee Merriweather Castille (Hanceville), Mark Putman (Hanceville), Stanley Parker (Vinemont), Tracy Means (Good Hope), Kelley Freeman (Cold Springs) and Paul Bailey (at large).

The Times will highlight each honoree prior to the banquet.

Let's take a closer look at Jeremy Gardner, Dee Merriweather Castille and Mark Putman below.

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Jeremy Gardner (Fairview)

Fairview — Class of 1992

— Lettered in Football, Baseball, Basketball and Track

— Most Valuable Player — Most Valuable Back — Ran for more than 1,000 Yards as a Junior and Senior — Team Captain

— All-County (Football)

— All-Area (Basketball) — Won County Tournament — Team Captain — Led Team in Assists

— Most Valuable Player (Baseball) — Played in East-West All-Star Game — Team Captain — Led Team in Stolen Bases

— Played Two Years of College Football at Cumberland College

— Played for Five Hall of Fame Coaches (Dafford Smith, Wade Knight, Mark Moore, Hobson Hite and Marty Hardman)

— Son of 2014 Inductee Connie Gardner

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Inductee Speak

"I'm not much for awards or being singled out for anything that was a team sport. All my friends, teammates and family deserve to be on the plaque just as much as me. Anyone that ever laced up a cleat with me, buckled up a chinstrap with me and opened a hole for me to run through all deserve to be on my plaque also." — Jeremy Gardner

"They say it takes a village to raise a kid, and I had a big village." — Jeremy Gardner

"He always worked hard and he took it very seriously." — Daymon Gardner

"At an early age, he would be playing out in the yard by himself. I'm talking about a 5-year-old playing quarterback, announcer and referee all at once in the backyard." — Daymon Gardner

"The coaches wrote letters of recommendation for him and some of the stuff they said I remember to this day." — Daymon Gardner

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Dee Merriweather Castille (Hanceville)

Hanceville — Class of 2001

— Lettered in Basketball

— Two-Time Class 3A Player of the Year

— Led Hanceville to 2001 Class 3A State Championship

— Three-Time All-County, All-Region, All-Area and All-State Selection

— Won Three County Championships

— Played in Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game

— Averaged 22 Points and 16 Rebounds as Senior

— Signed Basketball Scholarship with Alabama

— Three-Time Academic All-SEC

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Inductee Speak

"I had no clue that I was on the board's mind as far as being an inductee. It was a surprise, but I am thankful to be recognized for all the work I did way back when. It's special for me. I have two daughters who are just getting into basketball and a son. I don't talk too much about all this with them, so it'll be nice to have them be part of this."

"My senior year when we won state will always be one of the most memorable moments. We had high hopes. To see us all work together and be able to accomplish that is something I'll always remember. It was a special group of girls. At Alabama, I feel like I grew a lot in that time as far as being able to get through adversity, because it wasn't easy. The friendships I made, too, are special. We still keep up with each other. Just a lot of people I met along the way made it special."

"Things are going to happen and you aren't going to feel like doing stuff sometimes. But in order to get great and get things done, you've got to push through and do things you don't want to do. When you push through, you're going to come out on the other side of it."

"Determination is my whole thing, because basketball is fun ... but it's not easy. It's made me who I am today. Being able to accomplish all those things is definitely surreal."

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Mark Putman (Hanceville)

Hanceville — Class of 1986

— Lettered in Football — Three-Year Starter

— All-County (1984-85), All-Area (1985) and All-State (1985)

— Played on Hanceville's 1985 State Semifinal Team

— Rushed for 155 Yards and 3 Touchdowns in Quarterfinal Win Over Sheffield

— Most Valuable Offensive Back (1984-85)

— Played in Class that had 28-8 Record over Three Years

— Played for Hall of Fame Coaches Ray Talley, Rodney Terry and Keith Burns

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Inductee Speak

"It's an honor, but I played on a great football team. We had a great coach and we had some great players."

"The first time I went on a football field and the last time I walked off a football field was with the same guys. I played wee-wee, pee-wee, junior high and varsity — all with the same guys. I played with some guys that, during practice, you know they weigh 155 pounds. Then, Friday night comes and they weigh 210 pounds."

"Coach Talley had a lot of class. He never got excited, he never got upset. I was proud to play for him, and he was a good guy. Coach Terry ... he about lost his hand and came back. He had three fingers on one hand, so you can't tell him nothing he doesn't already know."