Former Alabama star player, athletic director Hootie Ingram dies at age 90
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Cecil “Hootie” Ingram, a former Alabama football star and athletic director, died Monday. He was 90.
Ingram, who had been injured in a fall in March, died at a Birmingham hospital, an athletic department spokeswoman said, citing information from the family.
He was an All-Southeastern Conference defensive back who led the nation with 10 interceptions as a sophomore in 1952, a school and league single-season record that still stands.
“We will miss Hootie dearly,” Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “He was such a wonderful man and always greeted you with a big smile. Hootie left a lasting impact on The University of Alabama as both a student-athlete and administrator. Our condolences go out to his family and friends.”
Ingram, a Tuscaloosa native who also played halfback, played alongside quarterback Bart Starr and was also an All-SEC second baseman.
He signed with the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles but left and began a coaching career at Tuscaloosa-area high schools. Ingram spent three seasons as head coach at Clemson, going 12-21 from 1970-72 after stints as an assistant at Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Georgia, and Arkansas.
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