Who Is The Most Famous Former Husky?

TRUSSVILLE, AL - Since its very first graduating class in 1927, Hewitt-Trussville High School has produced a bevy of successful graduates. In its long history, athletes, actors, writers, physicians and more have been proud to call themselves former Huskies.

But who is the most famous Hewitt-Trussville High School alum? Here are five suggestions for the answer to that question, and while it is by no means a definitive list, it is a good place to start:

Jay Barker '90

Barker was the Huskies quarterback for the 1989 season, and wound up at the University of Alabama as a relatively unheralded recruit. All Barker did at the Capstone was become the school's all-time winningest quarterback, lead the Crimson Tide to a national championship, anchor a 27-game winning streak, and finish 5th in Heisman Trophy voting. Barker was drafted in the 1995 NFL Draft in the fifth round by the Green Bay Packers, but did not make the team. Subsequently, Barker was on the roster of the New England Patriots and the Carolina Panthers, but never played in a regular season game. He also played in the Canadian Football League and the XFL.

Whaley Hall '60

Hall was a football and baseball star at HTHS and went on to play football at Ole Miss, becoming part of a Rebels squad that would finish undefeated in 1962. As a senior, he was voted as the SEC Most Outstanding Lineman by the Birmingham Touchdown Club. Hall then was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round (48th overall) of the 1963 NFL Draft with a future draft pick, which allowed the team to draft him before his college eligibility was over. In 1964, he made the team as a backup offensive guard, but did not play a down as a rookie. He was released before the start of the 1965 season. He was inducted into the Ole Miss Hall of Fame in 1995.

Irene Latham '89

Author Irene Latham's first novel, "Leaving Gee's Bend," was released in January, 2010. It was a SIBA Book Award finalist, Crystal Kite Award finalist, ALSC Notable Children's Book Nominee, Bank Street College Best Book, Kentucky Bluegrass State Finalist and the 2011 Alabama Library Association Children's Book of the Year. Her second novel, "Don't Feed the Boy," was released in October, 2012. Her collection of poems, "What Came Before," in 2007 earned a Bronze Independent Publisher Book Award and was named Alabama State Poetry Society's Book of the Year. Her latest volume of poetry, "The Color Lost Rooms," won the Writer's Digest 19th Annual Self-Published Book Prize for Poetry.

Mike Mordecai '86

Mordecai was a three-sport star at Hewitt-Trussville, but stuck with baseball for college. At the University of South Alabama, he was a two-time All-American and named to the All-Sun Belt Conference team each year. In 1987, he helped the Jaguars to the conference title. He went on to play 11 seasons in the major leagues, playing on two World Series championship teams (the 1995 Braves and 2003 Marlins). In 2010, Mordecai was hired by the Toronto Blue Jays as a minor league infield coordinator. In 2015, he was promoted to coordinator of instruction, and on January 10, 2018, Mordecai was promoted to the quality control coach position.

Daryl Perry '96

Perry attended Jefferson State Community College on a scholarship with the debate team, and later on a management scholarship with WJSR-FM, the college radio station. Perry made a run at the Libertarian Party's nomination for president in 2016, and is currently the head of the Libertarian Party for the stage of New Hampshire. He hosts the daily newscast FPPradioNews, the podcast Peace, Love, Liberty Radio, the weekly news podcast FPP Freedom Minute, and is a regular co-host on Free Talk Live.

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