Hi yall. I’m Leada Gore – filling in for Ike Morgan for today’s Down in Alabama.

Before we get started on today’s news, I came across an interesting bit of Alabama history I thought I’d share.

Arthur Pershing White was born on Dec. 6, 1915 in Lochart Alabama, going on to become an all-state player at Atmore High School and then, an All-American at the University of Alabama.

White – who picked up the nickname “Tarzan” as a young boy for his daring exploits – was a member of the 1934 Alabama Crimson Tide football national championship team alongside a young Bear Bryant. He went onto the NFL where he was a pro-bowler in 1938, known as much for his toughness as his stocky frame – he was about 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighed 217 pounds.

But it was his career after football that is so interesting. With his gridiron days behind him. Tarzan embarked on a three-decade long wrestling career, earning three heavyweight crowns during the early golden years of wrestling. You can even see some of his matches on YouTube.

After wrestling, Tarzan became the head football coach at Gaylesville High School in 1954 before moving to Menlo where he led his team to a state championship just two years later.

Tarzan White was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. He passed away at the age of 80 on Jan. 23, 1996, remaining, as the town of Atmore’s website described him “truly legendary.”

AJ McCarron makes his first NFL regular-season appearance in almost 3 years

Staying in the sports world, Alabama native and famed Alabama QB AJ McCarron was back on an NFL field Sunday.

When Cincinnati quarterback Jake Browning left with an injury in the fourth quarter against the Indianapolis Colts, McCarron was in the game for his first appearance for the Bengals since Dec. 17, 2017.

McCarron spent his first four NFL seasons with Cincinnati starting in 2014, then was with the Buffalo Bills, Oakland Raiders and Texans before he sustained injury to his right knee during an Atlanta Falcons’ preseason game on Aug. 21, 2021, and spent the season on injured reserve.

After sitting out the 2022 season, the Mobile-native played for the XFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks earlier this year, and he led the league in touchdown passes, completion percentage and passing-efficiency rating.

Tornado in Jefferson County?

It appears there were not one but two tornadoes that touched down in the Birmingham metro area overnight.

The National Weather Service in Birmingham said a storm survey confirmed two short tornado tracks — and the damage with both was given preliminary EF-1 ratings.

More details will be released later, but the weather service said the first tornado track was located roughly north of Lakeshore Parkway and stretched from near the Wildwood shopping center to Samford University. Winds were estimated at around 100 mph.

The second track went from near Brookwood Mall to Mountain Brook and Cahaba Heights. Winds along that stretch were estimated at 90 mph.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Jason Holmes said storms left a trail of damage starting in Bessemer in the western part of Jefferson County.

So far, the weather service has not gotten any reports of injuries from the storms.

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