This is a series of articles we call "People You Should Know". Each week throughout the season we will hopefully spotlight a few of the many individuals around the great state of Alabama who work tirelessly behind the scenes to made high school sports great in our state.

We a joined today by the voice of the Fyffe Red Devils Adam Ward.  For those of you who do not know Adam this is your opportunity to gather a glimpse into his life.

1.       You must be one of the busiest people in north Alabama and I am grateful for a few minutes of your time. Give us an insight into the life of Adam Ward. Did you grow up in the area and where did you attend school? Any sports?

Hi, David! Thank you for thinking of me for this. I truly appreciate it and am so grateful for you and the work you guys do with AHSFHS.org. It truly has become an essential part of high school sports, especially football. My crew and I utilize your services every week during the season and, without it, we don't sound half as knowledgeable as we seem. So thank you!

The first thing I'd like for people to know is I'm a blood bought and paid for, born again believer in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Without Him, I'm nothing, or as the song says, "How lost I would be." I have lived in Rainsville practically all my life. I am a 2009 graduate of Plainview High School, home of the Bears and a rival to the team of which I've called many a games for in the Fyffe Red Devils. God has blessed me with the profession I'm in and what I have a passion for doing on Friday nights in the broadcast booth, so it's a bit ironic that I never played sports in high school. I was in the band and truly enjoyed that side of the "Friday Nights Under The Lights" experience. I played a variety of instruments, including the trumpet, but always had a desire deep inside to be suited up playing the game of football.

I developed my love for the game from my mom, LaVonda, and grandfather, Jerrol Byrum. My mom and dad took me to my first Alabama game at Legion Field in 2000 vs. Southern Miss. Alabama fell that day, but I loved every second of it. I remember watching "The Catch" by Tyrone Prothro with my mom on television, and begging her in 2010 to take me, last minute, to the Alabama vs. Florida game. She did, even though we really didn't have the money for it at the time, and we had a blast just the 2 of us. My Pawpaw Jerrol was about the biggest Alabama fan I knew. For as long as I can remember, every week of every year it seemed, he'd call me and ask me about a recruit coming to the University of Alabama or we'd sit in my Uncle's basement on Saturdays and watch as Alabama would battle their opponent. Even when there wasn't a game on television, we were constantly talking about it.

I love the game of football so much. I began to watch any college game I could find on YouTube to serve as "film study" so I could learn the game when I was in my teens. Today, I have access to Hudl and the NFHS Network, but I still will turn on YouTube to "study" and even use it to train new sportscasters that come to work for me.

2.       You are a 4-time Alabama Broadcasters Association Sportscaster of the Year. You are the Operations Manager for the FUN Media Group at 92.7 - 104.9 covering the northeast corner of the state. How did you get into the radio business?

Well, after a fall of being a part-time board op for WKEA in Scottsboro helping do Wildcat games, I got an opportunity to come to Arab to work for WAFN-FM, The FUN Media Group as a part-time Production Assistant to the late Lee Masters. I did this for a couple of years beginning in 2013 and took over production full-time in 2015. I began to slowly take over operational duties in 2021 and this year really stepped into the whole Operations Manager role.

In the 10+ years I've been with FUN Radio, I've been very blessed to work for 2 of the best bosses, colleagues, and friends I could ever hope for in Michael and Melanie St. John. Those 2 have been tremendous in not only aiding my career, but in working with me and being supportive in my personal life and allowing me to handle the things outside of the business that I need to. Not many people can say they have bosses like that and I'll always be grateful for it.

3.       You are also the voice of the Fyffe Red Devils on Friday nights. Tell us how that got started and when you first got behind the microphone for the Red Devils? How was that first game?

So that one's interesting. In 2010, I was listening to the Alabama vs. South Carolina game on the radio and listening to Eli Gold masterfully call the game on the FM airwaves. I was hooked, not because of the game, but because of how I could almost see the game in front of me just by how he called it. I knew right then that sports casting was what I wanted to do for a living.

Fast forward to 2012, I'm sitting at lunch with a friend of mine at the Mexican restaurant in Fyffe and Paul Long, a Godly man I've known for a long time, heard me talking about what I wanted to do after college. I told him I wanted to sportscast and he told me he was looking for help for a sideline position on his radio crew with the Fyffe Red Devils that fall. Without hesitation, I said yes! While Paul served as the play-by-play man, I acted as sideline reporter for the Red Devil Radio Show in 2012 and 2013.

That 1st game is certainly in my top-5 all time favorites. It's one I'll never forget: August 31, 2012, 1st game of the year, Geraldine came to, then, Long-Ridgeway Stadium. This was a night I'll remember for a long time. Fyffe was down 10-0 going into the 4th quarter. The offense hadn't been able to do much all night long and the game just felt like it was in control of the Bulldogs all night. I didn't even bother to interview Coach Benefield at halftime because he was mad and, honestly, I was afraid of him. (I've gotten over that in the time since.)

Fyffe finally punched it in but missed the extra point. They needed a stop. When the defense took the field, I didn't realize what I was doing, but I was yelling to the defense from the sideline, "STONE WALL! STONE WALL!" much like that linebacker from the movie Facing the Giants. I was going nuts hoping for a stop, and force a stop Fyffe did. In fact, they forced a fumble and recovered the ball and went down and scored 4 plays later and converted the 2-point conversion. Fyffe won the game 14-10. I didn't act like much of a sideline reporter that night, more like a fan. I had A LOT to learn, but I'll never forget it.

Then, in the spring of 2014, I got a phone call from Paul. He was stepping down from the show to focus on starting the Long Ranch for Boys. He told me he felt I was ready for the big chair. I'm forever thankful to Paul for believing in me and entrusting me to be his sideline reporter for 2 years, ultimately starting my career. Paul took a chance on a kid with no sports background to speak of who came from a rival school just a few years before and had no prior experience on the radio and propelled me, encouraged me to try and give it my very best.

4.       Fyffe has won seven state championships over the past ten seasons. There must be many memories but what is the most memorable game for you?

Oh, indeed, there are so, so many. Fyffe has made my career behind the mic pretty easy over this last decade. The 2014 Tanner game, Coach Benefield's 300th career victory, so many come to my mind. I guess the most memorable is the 2020 championship vs. Montgomery Catholic. I watched as a Fyffe team battled and gutted out 4 quarters like they never have before to score their 5 championship victory.

Catholic was a tremendously talented team with several projected future college athletes on the field and played Fyffe as hard as I had seen anyone play them. Overcoming huge plays by the Knights and some, I'll call them questionable, calls from the officials, I'll never forget the release of the gut and pure rush of adrenaline that overcame me as I watched Catholic's final pass hit the ground in the end zone. When I looked at the clock and it read all zeros, it was truly an "Oh my, they did it!" moment for me.

5.       What was the most disappointing loss for Fyffe or the game you most remember that the Red Devils should have walked away with a victory?

Fortunately, there haven't been too many of these. I think the one that comes to mind is the 2013 Tanner semifinal. Fyffe lost 16-7 as Tanner would go on that next week to win the championship, but that game was, in my opinion, a game that showed Fyffe that they could be there. They could hang with those championship teams. That it didn’t have to be a dream because they were so, so close. To me it was certainly a launching point for what we've seen over the last decade plus.

6.       Any thoughts on the 2024 Fyffe Red Devils?

They're returning their core players as they move to 3A, much like they did in 2020. This will be a big help as they navigate the new classification. The good news is that most teams in the region are teams they were playing in non-region games anyway. It's the playoffs where they may find a team or 2 they're not as familiar with, but that experience from their core will play a huge factor.

7.       I understand you have a new addition to the family. Tell us a little about your family.

I am married to the most beautiful woman, Beverly, who is truly my best friend. She fears The Lord, loves me, and she can cook! I can't ask for any better nor would I ever. We've been married since December 30, 2017, and, on June 19 of this year, our daughter Olivia Ruth was born. Bev and I always want to give God the glory for all that we do and have, and that's especially true in Olivia's case because we prayed for 5 years for The Lord to bless us with a child. We had to be patient and surrender our desire to Him and His perfect will.

After 5 years of praying, on Friday, November 3rd of 2023, my birthday weekend, we found out we were pregnant. I joke with people and say that I'm normally doing the final Friday night of the regular season on that Friday, but God loved me enough to move the Fyffe vs. Sylvania game that week to Thursday so I could be at home with Bev that night.

8.       I think you have a radio show on FUN 92.7. When and how can the fans listen to you?

Yes, I do an on-air shift on 92.7 FM Monday thru Saturdays from 2pm to 7pm. We play "The Greatest Hits" spanning many generations. I also host a Friday morning coaches show called "Coaches Breakfast" from 6 till 9 every Friday in the fall. I invite anyone and everyone to tune in to 92.7 FM HD1 if you live in Northeast Alabama. You can also tune in online at fun927.com, download our app for Apple and Android devices, and even get us on the Alexa smart speaker by downloading the FUN 92-7 skill for free. And, for those looking for the Fyffe games on Friday nights, we're on 92.7 FM HD2, on fun927.com, and on the Red Devil Radio Show Facebook and YouTube channels.

Adam it was great visiting with you today and learning a little more about you and the Red Devils. Best of luck to Fyffe going forward and I will be looking forward to catching you more often on the radio and the Fyffe broadcast. Thank you so much for sharing your testimony with everyone.