Two local athletes named winners of the 2025 Bryant-Jordan Scholarship Foundation awards
Madison Academy senior J.R. Howard, center, celebrates with his parents John and Laura Howard after winning two scholarship awards at the 2025 Bryant-Jordan Scholarship Foundation Banquet held in Birmingham.
BIRMINGHAM – The annual Bryant-Jordan Scholarship Foundation awards are regarded as the top honors for any student-athlete among high schools in Alabama. Two local athletes know all too well of what the awards mean and are now among the elite group to be so honored at the Foundation’s annual Awards Banquet held at the Sheraton Ballroom in downtown Birmingham.
Luke Alverson of James Clemens was named the Class 7A Region 4 winner and J.R. Howard of Madison Academy was named the Class 4A Region 8 winner and was also tabbed the Alabama “A” Club Educational & Charitable Foundation Scholarship winner as the Achievement Award Recipient. Both were honored at the special awards banquet highlighting the 40th annual awards named in honor of the late coaches Paul “Bear” Bryant of Alabama and Ralph “Shug” Jordan of Auburn.
“What a special honor to win as I know the annual awards are very competitive featuring some of the top athletes in the state as the awards look at the combination of being an athlete, high academics and community service,” said Alverson, a three-time state champion in track and state runner-up in cross country. “I know there are a lot of good athletes who are good students, but only a few can combine all three areas the awards are handed out for. It was a special night for all of us as our names were listed on the table and chairs, and they even had a red carpet for us.”
“I went into the interview portion of the nomination very confident, but it was a shock to me to find out I won out of the 104 athletes that were nominated,” said Howard, a two-sport athlete for the Mustangs playing basketball and running track. When asked why he thought he was chosen, he said, “Because of my history and being confident in all I do. I elaborated on my life story and I think that’s what pushed me to being chosen.”
Howard’s story is well documented. In 2012 he was diagnosed with Stage 3b Spitzoid Melanoma and underwent years of aggressive treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital of Memphis. Today, the 6-foot-4, 175-pound senior is listed as a survivor as he and his family ventured back to St. Jude in March and was given what the doctors call the “11-year all clear.” He’s cancer free.
“It was a longtime coming,” said Howard, son of John and Laura Howard, who will attend the University of Alabama this fall and earned a $3,000 scholarship for his regional award and an additional $12,000 scholarship from the “A” Club award. “That award is given among the student-athletes who will be attending Alabama and I was shocked I received that special award and I’m so thankful. The look on my mom’s face was priceless as I was asked to make a short speech at the banquet where I thanked my entire family for their help through my journey in life. I felt very proud of myself.”
To enhance his trek to college this fall, Howard elected not to participate in spring track for the Mustangs, but instead chose to work to earn money for college life. He works several days a week after school at the Athletic Club of Alabama in Huntsville where he handles maintenance for the multisport athletic facility located on Leeman Ferry Road.
For Alverson, state champion in the 1,600 and 3,200 meter events and was part of the 4×800 relay team from James Clemens which also took first place in last year’s State Track Meet, he was runner-up in the cross country State Meet. He’s currently ranked second in the state in the 3,200m event. The senior Jet was named All-American in indoor track as a freshman and as a junior a year ago was part of the 4×800 relay team that finished third in the U.S. and earned All-American status in the national meet held in Oregon.
The son of Marty and Sally Alverson also carries a magnificent academic history at James Clemens. He has a 5.2 grade point average and is ranked No. 12 among his senior 2025 class. He signed to run at the University of Michigan with aspirations to earn a degree in mechanical engineering.
“I want to leave a legacy of James Clemens can produce good athletes in cross country and track,” said Alverson, who owns school records in all races from 1K-5K and is the SGA Vice President and Treasurer of the National Honor Society. “My thought is I want to create a good future for James Clemens.”
The Bryant-Jordan Student-Athletic Program was created in 1986 by the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in conjunction with the Alabama High School Athletic Association. The objectives of the program are to recognize and honor student-athletes who excel in the area of academics and athletics, help motivate and encourage students to strive to be the best they can be and to promote the involvement of corporations and individuals to help improve the academic levels of all students.
A total of 104 high school senior student-athletes, 52 in each of the Achievement Category and Scholar- Athlete Category, were selected as regional winners.
