[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Pages 19821-19822]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO ANTOINE PETTWAY

 Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I wish to recognize the 
achievements of Antoine Pettway on the occasion of his being honored by 
his high school, Wilcox Central High School, in Camden, AL. During 
ceremonies for Mr. Pettway, the Mayor of Camden, Henrietta Blackmon, 
presented him with a key to the city and a series of speakers praised 
their native son for his skills on the basketball court and for his 
strengths as a person. I have watched his career unfold with special 
interest because I too went to school in the small town of Camden. 
While the community is not a wealthy one, it has produced many 
outstanding young people, and Antoine is one of the most noteworthy.
  Antoine Pettway was born on November 13, 1982, to Joseph Pettway and 
Linda Crawford. Growing up in the small, rural town of Alberta, AL, 
Antoine ate, slept, and breathed basketball, when he was not working on 
his father's cattle farm or in his grandfather's country store. Pettway 
was a high school basketball standout averaging 24.3 points, 5.2 
rebounds, and 6.7 assists, per game. Subsequently, with his athletic 
skills and strong leadership on and off the court, Antoine was able to 
help clinch State championship titles in 1998 for Keith High School, 
and in 2000 for Wilcox Central High School. Antoine was not only known 
for his athletic success, but also his academic success. He was a 4.0 
student in high school and Salutatorian of his graduating class.
  Pettway received athletic scholarships from Jacksonville State, 
Louisiana Tech, Alabama State, and Alabama A&M, but his heart belonged 
to the University of Alabama. Standing at only 6 feet, he was not 
noticed by the Tide's coach, Mark Gottfried, until the State tournament 
and after all scholarship positions had been filled for the upcoming 
season. However, Antoine was approached by Coach Gottfried and asked to 
walk on as a freshman. So, with the help of his father and an academic 
scholarship, Antoine Pettway entered the University of Alabama in the 
fall of 2000 and joined the Crimson Tide basketball team as a walk-on 
for the 2000-2001 season.
  Antoine, determined to prove to Coach Gottfried that he belonged, 
averaged 2.9 points, 1.6 assists, and 1.1 rebounds per game during the 
29 games he played his freshman year. His best game was a stand-out 
performance at Ole Miss in which he scored 19 points. His energy and 
skills on the court earned Pettway a scholarship in July of 2002.
  During his sophomore year, Antoine became a well-recognized figure on 
the Crimson Tide's basketball team not only for his charisma and 
athletic ability, but also his bright red, shiny sneakers. They became 
his trademark. His ``ruby slippers'' earned him fame around the 
country, but he is probably most remembered that year for his lay-up at 
the buzzer that gave Alabama a 65-64 victory over Florida, clinching 
the Tide's first Southeastern Conference title since 1987.
  In the 2002-2003 season, Pettway started 10 games and averaged 6.3 
points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. He was ranked 7th in 
the SEC in assists to turnover ratio and shot 81.8 percent from the 
free throw line, making 36 of 44. His hard work and awesome talent was 
recognized by the basketball community when he was awarded the MVP of 
the Basketball Hall of Fame Tipoff Classic.
  Antoine remained the heart and soul of the Crimson Tide's basketball 
team through his senior year and led his team to the Elite Eight of the 
NCAA Tournament, a plateau that Alabama basketball had never reached 
before. He was the starting point guard and averaged 9.38 points, 3.62 
rebounds, and 3.31 assists per game.
  Antoine's dedication and extraordinary work ethic can be seen not 
only on the basketball court, but also in the classroom. In his senior 
year, he was named Academic All-Southeastern Conference. To make the 
honor roll, an athlete must be a sophomore or higher in academic 
standing and have a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or higher grade point average. 
He graduated from the University of Alabama in May of 2004 with a 
degree in Health Care Management.
  Most recently, Antoine Pettway was selected as the World Basketball 
Association's ``Rookie of the Year'' and was named to the 2nd Team All-
WBA All-Star Team. He helped lead his team, the Kentucky Reach, the 
first Christian-based professional basketball team, to an 11-9 record 
and averaged 4.6 assists and 12.7 points per game. He is ranked second 
in the league in assists and 14th in scoring.
  The people of Camden and Wilcox county are proud of his basketball 
success, and they are even more proud of his leadership, his academic 
achievements, and his character. Indeed, Antoine Pettway's 
accomplishments on and off the court have inspired young and old to 
strive for excellence. He has high ideals and is true to his faith. The 
people of the State of Alabama are proud to call him their native son, 
and I wish him best of luck with his future endeavors. Whatever the 
future holds for this Wilcox County native son, it will be bright 
because he has his priorities straight.

[[Page 19822]]

  I am proud to recognize the accomplishments of a great American and 
Alabamian, and a wonderful representative of Wilcox County, Antoine 
Pettway.

                          ____________________