Alfred Williams, A Deserving Hall of Famer

When Alfred Williams was nominated and then elected to be inducted into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, I knew it was a big deal. After the induction ceremony at the end of September, I now know it was an even bigger deal than I’d expected. Williams showed up to universal acclaim, gave a concise and  heartfelt speech, and left an even bigger legend.

Oddly enough, in many of the articles I read and podcasts I watched, the commentators made little mention of the fact that Williams was the first African American angler to qualify for and fish the Bassmaster Classic. Instead, they talked about him as a frog fishing pioneer, and as a hammer on Ross Barnett. Both of those things are true, but to ignore his race at this point doesn’t tell the most meaningful part of the story. 

He was not our Jackie Robinson, per se. In the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, there was nothing preventing anglers of any race from competing in Bassmaster events (unless they were females, who were categorically and unfairly banned). That may have prevented some people from voting for Williams, who never won a Classic or an AOY trophy. Nevertheless, when his candidacy was discussed among the Hall’s Board of Directors, several members who were around during the early portions of his career talked bluntly about some of the things he’d been through. It could not have been easy. The sport’s not easy for anyone, but it’s particularly tough if you stand out.

Williams, as was his right, chose not to talk about those things during his speech. He focused on the ways in which he’d been accepted and the ways in which he’d been encouraged and helped to succeed. His humility was overwhelming and if you didn’t leave the speech a little bit humbled yourself you probably don’t have a pulse. On a night when several very luminous stars were added to the Hall’s rolls, he shone every bit as bright as any of them.

Our sport is not perfect, but the state of our union is increasingly strong.