Link: The Ghost Of Speedy Cannon

TideMan09

Hall of Fame
Jan 17, 2009
12,187
1,156
187
Anniston, Alabama
A friend of mine that's related to a Player on Wellborn's team, that actually played in the game, when Speedy died posted this SI article on Facebook & I wanted to share it with you all on TideFans..This story really hits close to home, cause I live in the Wellborn area, went school there, and both my Baby Girls are in school at Wellborn..I've always heard stories about the accident, and I do believe it was not intentional to kill "Speedy", this happened in the 70's & of course there was racism everywhere in the United States, I honestly think it was just an unfortunate accident..

It's a really long story, if you have the time, read it cause it's a really really good article..It takes you back to a completely different time..There's a videos of the play at the end of the article that you can view the hit & judge for yourself..It's amazing how much things have changed since then..

Here's The Link..CLICK ME
 

CrimsonTheory

All-American
Mar 26, 2012
3,799
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CrimsonBleedRed
Do I believe there were racists on Wellborn's team and in their stands? Yes. Do I think there was a segment of them that were happy Speedy died? No doubt? Do I think "#70" intended to kill Cannon? No. I do believe it was a cheap shot but not one intended to kill Cannon. It was an unfortunate accident that just so happen it occurs during perhaps one of the most tumultuous times in American history. I simply wish that Kirkland guy could give a more detail account from his POV as he came off as being vague. I cannot image the situation he was put through, but I was hoping he would have more context to this whole story.

Sad story.
 

Nolan

Hall of Fame
Jul 4, 2006
5,591
679
137
Oahu
I went to JHS in the mid-nineties for several years. I never knew about this. Thanks for sharing.
 

TideMan09

Hall of Fame
Jan 17, 2009
12,187
1,156
187
Anniston, Alabama
Do I believe there were racists on Wellborn's team and in their stands? Yes. Do I think there was a segment of them that were happy Speedy died? No doubt? Do I think "#70" intended to kill Cannon? No. I do believe it was a cheap shot but not one intended to kill Cannon. It was an unfortunate accident that just so happen it occurs during perhaps one of the most tumultuous times in American history. I simply wish that Kirkland guy could give a more detail account from his POV as he came off as being vague. I cannot image the situation he was put through, but I was hoping he would have more context to this whole story.

Sad story.
Exactly..As well written as the article was, it could have been even better, with a little more informative research..I just dropped my girls off at school, and rode by the stadium, and thought about this article as I rode by it..I don't think it was an intentional deliberate shot at taking his life..
 
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GrayTide

Hall of Fame
Nov 15, 2005
18,810
6,245
187
Greenbow, Alabama
Thanks TideMan, a very interesting and well written article. It is one of those occurrences in life where there is neither a right or wrong answer and as the years pass the ability to understand what happened becomes clouded. Good read, thanks again.
 

BigBama76

Suspended
Oct 26, 2011
1,002
0
0
Atlanta, GA
When did Wellborn get moved to Sand Mountain? After reading that inaccuracy, I had to question the other recollections.
The article didn't say but Lamb could have been an Army brat, which means he might not know about Sand Mountain. I grew up in South Alabama, lived in Gadsden for a while and dated a girl from Anniston but while I've heard of Sand Mountain I have no idea where or what it is.

I graduated from HS in 1972 and our school had become integrated a couple of years prior with no racial problems. In fact our football team welcomed blacks because we needed the extra players. All the schools we played back then had become integrated and I don't recall their being any racial animus in any of our games. I would hope there was nothing like that in the death of the young man in the article.
 

wishbonedays

1st Team
Mar 30, 2003
663
4
0
Hanceville, AL, USA
www.wfl1974.com
I read the article and thought it was a good read...I had never heard of the incident beforehand. I saw the video clip and, while it appeared to be a cheap shot at worst, I don't think it was meant to kill. We played Wellborn in a playoff game a few years later when I was a soph...we had black players on our team and I don't recall any racists threats or remarks...but that was quite a while back...my memory is subject to failures and gaps just like everyone else.
A really sad story all around...sounds like Speedy Cannon was a fine young man...tragic.
 

TideEngineer08

TideFans Legend
Jun 9, 2009
36,284
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The article didn't say but Lamb could have been an Army brat, which means he might not know about Sand Mountain. I grew up in South Alabama, lived in Gadsden for a while and dated a girl from Anniston but while I've heard of Sand Mountain I have no idea where or what it is.

I graduated from HS in 1972 and our school had become integrated a couple of years prior with no racial problems. In fact our football team welcomed blacks because we needed the extra players. All the schools we played back then had become integrated and I don't recall their being any racial animus in any of our games. I would hope there was nothing like that in the death of the young man in the article.
Sand Mountain is a foothill of the Appalachian Mountain range that begins somewhere in Jackson or DeKalb county and extends into the heart of Marshall County. The cities of Albertville, Boaz, and Guntersville are pretty much Sand Mountain.
 

JIB

Suspended
Nov 2, 2011
1,431
0
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Sterrett
I liked the article's ambivalence. Like a lot of events it's not so cut and dry. It's funny how people's memories of the same event can differ so much.
 

JIB

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Nov 2, 2011
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Sand Mountain is a foothill of the Appalachian Mountain range that begins somewhere in Jackson or DeKalb county and extends into the heart of Marshall County. The cities of Albertville, Boaz, and Guntersville are pretty much Sand Mountain.
I just think of Sand Mountain as that snake handlin' church region. The place we Alabamians don't talk about.
 

TideMan09

Hall of Fame
Jan 17, 2009
12,187
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Anniston, Alabama
When did Wellborn get moved to Sand Mountain? After reading that inaccuracy, I had to question the other recollections.
Yeah that was odd about the article..He did correct it & state Wellborn is in the Anniston area later on within the article..

Thanks TideMan, a very interesting and well written article. It is one of those occurrences in life where there is neither a right or wrong answer and as the years pass the ability to understand what happened becomes clouded. Good read, thanks again.
I'm going to Wellborn's football game Friday night, and I usually sit with a bunch of Wellborn Alumni..I'm going to inquire with them as to what they all know about the death of Speedy..

I read the article and thought it was a good read...I had never heard of the incident beforehand. I saw the video clip and, while it appeared to be a cheap shot at worst, I don't think it was meant to kill. We played Wellborn in a playoff game a few years later when I was a soph...we had black players on our team and I don't recall any racists threats or remarks...but that was quite a while back...my memory is subject to failures and gaps just like everyone else.
A really sad story all around...sounds like Speedy Cannon was a fine young man...tragic.
Exactly..It was a definite cheap shop, and I have no doubt the Wellborn Coaches may have told the team to take "Speedy" out of the game, does that translate into kill the boy, no way is that what the coaches told the team..We're a proud bunch here in the Wellborn area, we love our Panther Football, I've never seen racism like we're renown for..Some of the absolute nicest & friendliest folks in the world live in Wellborn.. And "Speedy" sounded like a great guy & a really really good football player..It's a tragic event that we all wish had never ever happened..
 

skrayper77

All-American
Sep 4, 2003
3,511
228
182
Old memories of a tragic event - but the tragedy comes after the actual event, so the memory isn't burned into memory like a terrorist attack, or watching someone die in front of you. The brain does strange things then, filling in the gaps with assumptions based on your own bias. Without a time machine, no one will ever know the whole story.
 

Alasippi

Suspended
Aug 31, 2007
12,875
2
57
Ocean Springs, MS
I thought that was Walker County.:conf3:
Did you know that Jasper, the Walker County seat, once had more millionaires per population than any city in the United States.
There were 10,000 people and about 500 millionaires, largely based on the coal mining industry.
It's actually a very wonderful class of people overall and I'm very proud to have grown up there.
sip
 

TideEngineer08

TideFans Legend
Jun 9, 2009
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Did you know that Jasper, the Walker County seat, once had more millionaires per population than any city in the United States.
There were 10,000 people and about 500 millionaires, largely based on the coal mining industry.
It's actually a very wonderful class of people overall and I'm very proud to have grown up there.
sip
Sip, I'm proud of Sand Mountain. It's where I was born and raised, and I still live in the shadow of it.

I was just being facetious. No harm intended.
 

JIB

Suspended
Nov 2, 2011
1,431
0
0
Sterrett
So for clarification: Sand Mountain = backwoods superstitious yokels, Walker County = coal barons who walk on streets of gold.
 

ptw1961

1st Team
Dec 8, 2011
793
0
0
Story brought back some bad memories for me- I was only 11 years old at the time but remember this very well. Attended his funeral and knew the family- graduated from Jacksonville High School in 1980. There was always a "feeling" around town that Wellborn targeted Speedy to get him out of that game- but certainly very few people really believed that anyone was trying to kill this great kid. His death hung over the school and town for quite some time. I have seen this film on several occasions when I was in High School- some coaches at the school showed this to our baseball team one day. It was a very different time back then- sad story about a young life that was ended way too soon. It was actually too tragic for anyone to accept- but yes, I do believe this was more accidental than intentional.
 

ptw1961

1st Team
Dec 8, 2011
793
0
0
I have no doubt there are fine people that live in the Wellborn area-but it really was different in the 70"s everywhere in Alabama and west Anniston was a rough area back in that time. Played baseball at JHS and we played Wellborn one afternoon when the school was let out to see the game-there were guys smoking pot sitting on the outfield fence and someone's mother was poking her umbrella through the dugout fence during the game. Really had to watch what you said and did when in that part of town back in the day.
Yeah that was odd about the article..He did correct it & state Wellborn is in the Anniston area later on within the article..

I'm going to Wellborn's football game Friday night, and I usually sit with a bunch of Wellborn Alumni..I'm going to inquire with them as to what they all know about the death of Speedy..

Exactly..It was a definite cheap shop, and I have no doubt the Wellborn Coaches may have told the team to take "Speedy" out of the game, does that translate into kill the boy, no way is that what the coaches told the team..We're a proud bunch here in the Wellborn area, we love our Panther Football, I've never seen racism like we're renown for..Some of the absolute nicest & friendliest folks in the world live in Wellborn.. And "Speedy" sounded like a great guy & a really really good football player..It's a tragic event that we all wish had never ever happened..
 

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