He played on an undefeated Auburn Tigers football team, and now he’s set to receive one of the highest literary honors in the state, one named for the author of “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

Prolific author Ace Atkins will receive the 2026 Harper Lee Award, organizers of the Monroeville Literary Festival have announced. The elite club of previous winners includes E.O. Wilson, Winston Groom, Rick Bragg and Fannie Flagg.

READ MORE: Ace Atkins talks true crime and more

The award will be presented at the festival in February. According to festival organizers, the award “recognizes the lifetime achievement of a writer either born in Alabama or strongly connected to the state.” Atkins certainly is that: Born in Troy, he was a defensive end for the Tigers in 1993. He came off the bench in a big way when the underdog Tigers faced the Florida Gators, also undefeated; he sacked Danny Wuerffel twice as the Tigers racked up an upset victory.

He graduated with a degree in mass communications in 1994, began working as a sports and crime reporter and published his first novel, “Crossroad Blues,” in 1998. Atkins has long been based in Mississippi and many of his novels are set there, including a long-running series about sheriff Quinn Colson; but his 2008 novel “Wicked City” was set amid the rampant crime that dominated Phenix City, Ala., in the 1950s. He also has written a series of “Spenser” novels, continuing the franchise launched by the late Robert B. Parker.

“I’m beyond honored and thrilled to be receiving this award,” Atkins said in a news release provided by the festival. “Harper Lee and ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ have always represented ordinary Southerners standing up and doing the right thing to fight for social justice. From my books ‘Wicked City,’ inspired by the true tale of Phenix City, Ala.; to my stories about Quinn Colson and fictional Tibbehah County, Mississippi; these are ideas and themes I always wanted to embrace in my work.”

“Returning to Monroeville is a special time for me,” said Atkins, who has previously appeared as a featured writer at the festival. “Visiting the courthouse and museum is a potent reminder of how important novels can be, and the obligations we Southerners have to make our voices heard against injustice.”

The festival will take place Feb. 26-28, with most events taking place in the courtroom of the Old Courthouse Museum. A full schedule of events and registration details will be announced later at MonroevilleLiteraryFestival.com; tickets for the award reception and dinner will be available beginning in November.

For more information, call the museum at 251-575-7433 or email [email protected].