One of the year’s most eagerly awaited golf events is set for Monday: the 29th annual Kevin Turner Prattville YMCA Golf Tournament.
This year’s celebrity hosts are both kickers former University of Alabama kicker Michael Proctor and current Auburn University kicker Alex McPherson.
Proctor, a Pelham High School alum, joined the Crimson Tide in 1992, just one year after Turner was drafted by the New England Patriots. Still, he vividly recalls the infectious personality of the Prattville native, which left a lasting impression on his teammates. “I’d heard about the tournament over the years,” Proctor said. “It’s a big event. Kevin is a big deal. Whether during his playing days or after his tragic death, he’s still remembered and respected. Whatever I can do to support something in his name, I’m willing. I met him when I was at Alabama. He’d come back, obviously knowing guys on the team he had played with. Anything for his legacy… I’m sure anyone at Alabama or anyone who knew him would do anything for him because he would do the same for you.”
McPherson, a Fort Payne High graduate, arrived at Auburn in 2022, endured an inflammatory bowel disease that kept him off the field in 2024, and is now gearing up for his fifth season as the Tigers’ kicker. Though he never met Turner personally, he’s excited to take part in the tournament.
“I’m honored,” McPherson said. “I learned about what the tournament stands for, Kevin and his story. I was told that a former Alabama kicker would be participating, and they wanted an Auburn kicker to join. They thought I’d be a great fit.”
Proctor was recruited as one of the top high school kickers in the nation and went on to convert 184 of 185 extra points during his high school and college career. He booted a then-record 60-yard field goal at Pelham, and nine of his 26 field goals came from beyond 50 yards. He finished his four-year college career as Alabama’s second-leading scorer with 326 points, earning All-American honors in 1993 and 1994 after winning a national title in 1992 and being named the SEC’s top kicker the following year.
McPherson was also recruited as a top national kicking prospect and set a high school record with a 61-yard field goal before joining Auburn. Like Proctor, his breakthrough came as a sophomore in 2023, when he went 13-for-13 on field goals and 40-for-40 on extra points, earning semifinalist status for the Lou Groza Award.
Turner endured a five-year battle with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), which was caused by CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) a condition that resonates deeply with many college players from his era, who witnessed it first with Turner and more recently with former Tide running back Kerry Goode.
The tournament supports the “Coach A Child Scholarship Fund Campaign,” which provides financial assistance to ensure YMCA services are accessible to everyone, regardless of their financial situation.
The Prattville YMCA has offered financial aid to more than 3,300 individuals many of them children at a cost exceeding 400,000.Thisyear’sgoalistoraise285,000 for the Coach A Child Fund Campaign.
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