John Merrill

BUDDY AYDELETTE The team changed. The responsibility stayed. When Buddy Aydelette looked back on his Alabama career, his fondest memories were not limited to championships. “I guess my fondest memories are the relationships you form with your teammates,” he said. “We had competition for positions, but everyone liked each other.” The Mobile Murphy graduate arrived at Alabama in 1975. His path included time on the freshman offensive line and a redshirt season at tight end before Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant moved him permanently to the offensive line. It became a championship opportunity. During his three varsity seasons, 1977–79, Alabama went 34–2, won three Southeastern Conference championships, and captured the 1978 and 1979 national titles. Aydelette was a starter on both national-championship teams and earned All-SEC recognition. He went on to the Green Bay Packers, became an All-USFL selection in each of his three seasons with the Birmingham Stallions, and later played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. But his story did not stop when football ended. In a 2020 interview, Aydelette reflected on a long healthcare career and eight years of service on the Trussville City Council. He described that work in familiar terms: “The thing about public service is that I don’t mind volunteering to be a part of those teams. Your participation is as a teammate, pitching in and doing what you can.” Available public records indicate Buddy Aydelette is living. Trussville Gas and Water currently lists him as a Utilities Board director, continuing his connection to the community he has long called home. Two national championships belong to his football résumé. The value he placed on relationships—and on doing his part—connects that career to the life that followed. Recognizing Buddy Aydelette, a Crimson Tide champion whose understanding of teamwork reached beyond the field. Roll Tide. — Elephant Ink