Jack Simmons, a senior at Geneva High School, and Excel’s William Antonio “Will” Thomas were named the Bryant-Jordan Scholarship Foundation’s 2024 state Scholar-Athlete and Student Achievement award recipients at Monday night’s 39th annual Bryant-Jordan Student Athlete Awards Banquet held at the Sheraton Ballroom in Birmingham Monday night.
Simmons received the Larry Striplin, Jr., Scholar-Athlete Award, and Thomas received the Ken and Betty Joy Blankenship Student-Achievement Award as the overall state recipients. The Achievement award was being presented for the 36th consecutive year. A total of 104 high school regional senior honorees are recognized and awarded more than $500,000 in scholarships through the Bryant-Jordan program annually.
The scholarship program, named in honor of the late coaches Paul “Bear” Bryant of Alabama and Ralph “Shug” Jordan of Auburn, recognized 52 regional scholar-athlete winners selected for their excellence in athletics and academics and 52 achievement winners chosen for their ability to overcome major obstacles during their high school careers. Eight students in each category were selected as regional winners in Classes 1A through 6A. Four regional winners in each category were selected from school nominations in Class 7A. Each of the 104 regional winners received a $3,000 scholarship. The 14 Class winners received an additional $3,500; and for each overall state winner, the stipend received was $4,000.
Simmons’ honor placed him in a very special circle – with his father John Simmons Jr., who received the Bryant-Jordan Scholar-Athlete state award in 1998, and his uncle David Simmons, also a physician, who received the same award in 2000. All three were representing Geneva High School. John Simmons attended medical school and became a doctor – same as his father John Simmons Sr. So did Jack’s mother. The 2024 Bryant-Jordan overall state winner says his future plans including going to medical school and becoming a doctor and then joining his family’s practice back in their hometown.
He and his dad are the only father and son tandem to receive the Bryant-Jordan Award.
A straight-A student throughout his high school career, Jack has a 4.63 GPA on a weighted 4.0 scale and is in line to become Geneva’s 2024 valedictorian. He scored a perfect 36 on the ACT test, and a near-perfect 1,550 on the SAT college entrance exam. Jack also played four AHSAA sports in high school – football, basketball, track and soccer – and was part of the school’s bass fishing team and soccer team. He was captain of the football and soccer teams.
Jack also serves as captain of the school’s Scholars Bowl team, is president of the Beta Club and a key contributor to the Panther Sports Network which produces livestreams of the school’s athletic events. He is considered the Network’s student ‘IT.’ He is a “Panthers 4 Christ” leader at GHS and is also active at Maple Avenue Baptist Church and has volunteered in numerous school and community projects. He attended Harvard University as a Summer School attendee in 2023.
An outdoors enthusiast, Jack also finds time to hunt whitetail deer and feral hogs and learned how to snowboard. His father also refers to Jack as an “accomplished spear fisherman,” and is his “spare time” he has become quite an accomplished chef.
“I really hate being bored,” Jack told Josh Bean in an earlier published interview. “I always want to have something to do. I’m always trying to fill my schedule. I don’t really like to have time after school to do whatever. I like to always be going to practice and having something to do.”
His AP social studies teacher Ryan Tidwell describes Jack Simmons’ impact. “Mr. Simmons’ accomplishments academically and athletically are impressive on their own,” he said. “But once you consider the impact Jack Simmons has had on his peers and younger students in our community, it is undeniable that his young man is special.”
Simmons also received the McCollough Medical Scholarship, which was presented by Dr. Gaylon McCollough at the Bryant-Jordan banquet for the 36th year.
Thomas, and accomplished three-sport standout at Excel in rural Washington County, has overcome one major tragedy after another, thanks in big part to his unshakable will “to keep moving forward” and the support of a community and his youth and school coaches at Excel that provided stability and guidance along the way. Thomas’ younger brother died after his mother, who had struggled with addiction problems, left the infant in a hot car in 2016 in nearby Monroeville. The tragedy was especially difficult for Will, who said he always dreamed of having a sibling.
The tragedy played out publicly as the case became big news in tiny Monroe County and drew attention from statewide, regional, and national news outlets. His mother was eventually sentenced to prison in 2018.
“He had some obstacles to overcome with some tough situations, but he’s navigated that deal really well,” Excel football coach Jason Phillips said. “Sometimes you go through some troubles in your life, and it causes you to be a little bit more resilient. He’s really mature for his age. He’s a big-time leader. Will is just a tremendous young man. You run out of superlatives when you talk about someone like that.”
A multi-year starter on Excel’s football, baseball and basketball teams, Thomas carries a 3.9 GPA and serves as president of the National Honor Society. He quarterbacked Excel to the 2022 Class 3A, Region 1 championship – the school’s first region title since 1997 and first playoff appearance since 2009 – and has become the baseball team’s ace pitcher. He earned All-County honors in baseball and basketball and was awarded the baseball team’s “All-Heart” Award. He spends much of his free time finding ways to provide community service working with young students in recreational league programs. He also helped classmates provide a Valentine’s Day breakfast/lunch for the teachers at Excel High School.
Phillips added, “He’s all-around. He does it on the field. He does it in the classroom. He does it in the community. He’s just an all-around leader.”
Thomas also received one of three Embrace Alabama Kids scholarships, which have been presented at the Bryant-Jordan banquet to selected regional winners for the 10th straight year.
The individual Class winners for the 2023-24 school year:
2024 BRYANT-JORDAN SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
LARRY STRIPLIN JR. SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARD RECIPIENT
OVERALL: Jack Simmons, Geneva
CLASS WINNERS
CLASS 1A – Daymion Winfrey, Alabama School for the Blind; CLASS 2A – Reagan Taylor, Horseshoe Bend; CLASS 3A – Ryan Cobb, Straughn; CLASS 4A – Jack Simmons, Geneva; CLASS 5A – Molly Conway, Beauregard; CLASS 6A – Brady Bolding, Muscle Shoals; CLASS 7A – Amelia Cantwell, Prattville
KEN AND BETTY JOY BLANKENSHIP STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT RECIPIENT
OVERALL: Will Thomas, Excel
CLASS WINNERS
CLASS 1A – Payton Miller, Phillips of Bear Creek; CLASS 2A – Cody McLane, Sand Rock; CLASS 3A – Will Thomas, Excel; CLASS 4A – Emma Wilson, Slocomb; CLASS 5A – Talan Smith, Moody; CLASS 6A – Julius Williams, Wetumpka; CLASS 7A – Kolton Nero, Foley
For the third straight year, the Bryant-Jordan Scholarship Program’s newest scholarship, the W. Edgar Welden Service Award, was presented to two recipients, one from each category. The recipients were Jamir Crooker of St. Michael Catholic High School and Riley Stewart of Enterprise High School. The $2,500 grants are named in honor of Mr. Welden, who currently serves as the Chairman Emeritus of the Bryant-Jordan Board and the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Board.
The list of other class and special scholarship recipients honored Monday night:
2024 BRYANT-JORDAN SPECIAL SCHOLARSHIPS
HERMAN L. “BUBBA” SCOTT COACHING SCHOLARSHIP
Dylan Chastain, Scottsboro High School
DR. GAYLON MCCOLLOUGH MEDICAL SCHOLARSHIP
Jack Simmons, Geneva High School
W. EDGAR WELDEN SERVICE AWARD SCHOLARSHIPS
Jamir Crooker, St. Michael Catholic High School
Riley Stewart, Enterprise High School
ALABAMA “A” CLUB EDUCATIONAL & CHARITABLE FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS
Maci Caldwell, Houston Academy
Aniya McCaslin, Oak Mountain High School
AUBURN FOOTBALL LETTERMEN CLUB SCHOLARSHIPS
Ephan Benjune, Plainview High School
Thea Hamlin, Elkmont High School
UNITED METHODIST CHILDREN’S HOME ‘EMBRACE ALABAMA KIDS’ SCHOLARSHIPS
Zachary Blake Lee, New Hope High School
Julius Williams III, Wetumpka High School
Will Thomas, Excel High School
2024 BRYANT-JORDAN SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE REGIONAL RECIPIENTS
CLASS 1A
REGION 1: Landon Hanks, Kinston; REGION 2: Parker Townsend, Sweet Water; REGION 3: Makasiah Burns, Autaugaville; REGION 4: Daymion Winfrey, Alabama School/Blind; REGION 5: Haley Hendrix, Victory Christian; REGION 6: Cale Tittle, Lynn High; REGION 7: Amelia Tafazoli, St. Bernard; REGION 8: Caroline Lambert, Waterloo
CLASS 2A
REGION 1: Brodie Medlen, Wicksburg; REGION 2: A.J. Dyson, G.W. Long; REGION 3: Reagan Taylor, Horseshoe Bend; REGION 4: Alex Montgomery, Westminster-Oak Mountain; REGION 5: Eli Moore, Winston County; REGION 6: Ciara Calvert, Cold Springs; REGION 7: Emily Driskill, Whitesburg Christian; REGION 8: J.D. Martin, Pisgah
CLASS 3A
REGION 1: Ryan Cobb, Straughn; REGION 2: Maci Caldwell, Houston Academy; REGION 3: Wilson Albrecht, Trinity Presbyterian; REGION 4: Karli Wood, Randolph County; REGION 5: Emily Huang, Fayette County; REGION 6: Luke Rhinehart, Piedmont; REGION 7: Ephan Benjume, Plainview; REGION 8: Thea Hamlin, Elkmont
CLASS 4A
REGION 1: Ashland Ross, Satsuma; REGION 2: Jack Simmons, Geneva; REGION 3: Avery Rogers, Prattville Christian; REGION 4: Jackson Burel, Talladega; REGION 5: Noah Morgan, Cleburne County; REGION 6: Makenna Shirley, Oneonta; REGION 7: Lauren Buchanan, DAR; REGION 8: T.J. Carter, Westminster Christian
CLASS 5A
REGION 1: Gianna Estrada, St. Paul’s Episcopal; REGION 2: Carter Sanders, Headland; REGION 3: Kevin Honer, Brewbaker Tech Magnet; REGION 4: Molly Conway, Beauregard; REGION 5: Madison Moore, Jasper; REGION 6: Avery Prickett, Alexandria; REGION 7: Coy Mier, Arab; REGION 8: Avery Watts, Russellville
CLASS 6A
REGION 1: Price Beall, Spanish Fort; REGION 2: Samantha Wilson, Stanhope Elmore; REGION 3: John Walker, Northridge; REGION 4: Presley Lively, Helena; REGION 5: Kayla Warren, Homewood; REGION 6: Austin Ray, Clay-Chalkville; REGION 7: Maggie Rosencrance, Decatur; REGION 8: Brady Bolding, Muscle Shoals
CLASS 7A
REGION 1: Sanders Daniell, Fairhope; REGION 2: Amelia Cantwell, Prattville; REGION 3: Collin Pate, Hoover; REGION 4: Bhavya Chalasani, James Clemens
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT REGIONAL RECIPIENTS
CLASS 1A
REGION 1: Donovan Hopkins, Fruitdale; REGION 2: Jayden McMillian, McKenzie; REGION 3: Rachel Ray, Calhoun; REGION 4: Javaris Livingston, Billingsley; REGION 5: Charles Neal, South Lamar; REGION 6: Kylee Dunn, Hubbertville; REGION 7: Payton Miller, Phillips; REGION 8: Luke Davis, Athens Bible
CLASS 2A
REGION 1: Lilly Rice, Cottonwood; REGION 2: Nic Danner, Ariton; REGION 3: Elanna Lewis, Francis Marion; REGION 4: Kat Holley, Fayetteville; REGION 5: Isabella Pollard, Ranburne; REGION 6: Cody McLane, Sand Rock; REGION 7: Sydney Perkins, Lindsay Lane Christian; REGION 8: Fallon Starkey, Pisgah
CLASS 3A
REGION 1: Morgan Sims, Mobile Christian; REGION 2: Aniya Barkley, New Brockton; REGION 3: Will Thomas, Excel; REGION 4: Ja’Kayla Tinsley, Dadeville; REGION 5: Mason Scruggs, Carbon Hill; REGION 6: Railey Colvard, Hokes Bluff; REGION 7: River Walling, Geraldine; REGION 8: Isaac Hill, Phil Campbell
CLASS 4A
REGION 1: Samir Crooker, St. Michael; REGION 2: Emma Wilson, Slocomb; REGION 3: Kessa Steele, Bibb County; REGION 4: Matthew Gilliland, Munford; REGION 5: Colton Mayfield, Cleburne County; REGION 6: Hayden Ramos, Haleyville; REGION 7: Zach Lee, New Hope; REGION 8: Bogdan Ryaboshapka, Deshler
CLASS 5A
REGION 1: Cori Towner, B.C. Rain; REGION 2: Chris Santoyo, Headland; REGION 3: Charlie Graced Card, Demopolis; REGION 4: Addison Belcher, Central, Clay County; REGION 5: Zay Miller, Pleasant Grove; REGION 6: Talan Smith, Moody; REGION 7: Dylan Chastain, Scottsboro; REGION 8: Riley Miller, Brewer
CLASS 6A
REGION 1: Daelyn Fine, Baldwin County; REGION 2: Julius Williams, Wetumpka; REGION 3: Will McClain, Northridge; REGION 4: Markell Bell, Pelham; REGION 5: Abby Wesson, Pell City; REGION 6: Cooper Jarvis, Gardendale; REGION 7: Layla Kirby, Fort Payne; REGION 8: Rodney Evans, Mae Jemison
CLASS 7A
REGION 1: Kolton Nero, Foley; REGION 2: Riley Stewart, Enterprise; REGION 3: Aniyah McCaslin, Oak Mountain; REGION 4: Daniel Leija, Albertville