Clay-Chalkville names field for Jerry Hood in pregame ceremony

By David Knox
Sports Editor

CLAY — The Clay-Chalkville Cougars will now be playing on turf named for the winningest
football coach in school history.

Former Clay-Chalkville football coach Jerry Hood was honored in a ceremony before Friday night’s game. Photo by Ron Burkett/For the Tribune

Former Clay-Chalkville head football coach Jerry Hood was so honored before tonight’s regular-season finale against Park Crossing.

The No. 7 Cougars (8-1) and No. 8 Thunderbirds (8-1) are squaring off in a battle at 7 p.m. on Jerry Hood Field at Cougar Stadium.

Hood, who retired as Cougars head coach last spring, was visibly touched by the honor.

“It’s unbelievable,” Hood said. “You don’t ever really think about something like this. This community is so special to me and the kids are so special to me. All these men and women who come into our lives as coaches and administrators, I’m just touched.

“I kept looking around, ‘cause I kind of knew what was going on, but I couldn’t find it till they dropped over there (a banner on the fieldhouse), it brings tears to your eyes.”

Hood coached the Cougars for eight seasons, leading them to a 15-0 record and the Class 6A state championship in 2014. The Cougars went 14-1 and finished as runner-up in 2015. In 2011, he led the Cougars to a 10-0 season on the field, marred only by an AHSAA finding that resulted in handing over nine of those wins.

The Cougars captured four region titles and went 15-6 in playoff games. He had five 10-plus win seasons on the field.
He was named USA Today and Alabama Football Coaches Association Alabama Coach of the Year in 2014.

On the field, he led the Cougars to a 84-17 mark and is the school’s all-time winningest coach. He came to Clay-Chalkville after posting a 28-26 record at Oak Mountain for a career mark of 112-43.

Principal Michael Lee said this was the right time to honor Hood.

“Obviously, this took a lot of people to get this done, and Dr. Pouncey and the (Jefferson County) Board of Education, I just want to thank them for letting us do this.

“But just doing this for Jerry for what he’s meant to our community and our school, and me as a principal, I felt this was the right thing for us to do and the right time for us to do it.”

Hood’s wife, Amanda, and some of their children were with Hood on the field. Clay Mayor Charles Webster, City Manager Ronnie Dixon, former CCHS Principal Steve Laney, Jefcoed AD Ken Storie, and other members of the Hood family were present as well.