Wide receiver Amari Cooper has posted seven 1,000-yard seasons and received five Pro Bowl invitations during his 10 NFL seasons. But 11 weeks after he became an unrestricted free agent and with NFL teams winding down their offseason work, the former Alabama All-American remains unsigned.
The five NFL teams that had not started the final phase of their offseason programs are doing so on Wednesday. By June 20, all 32 NFL teams will have completed their offseason work and entered the summer break until spring training.
Cooper isn’t the only player from an Alabama high school or college who became a free agent on March 12 and remains unsigned. Others still in need of a team include:
Smith is a 10-year NFL veteran who has been a Pro Bowl selection three times. Wills was the 10th pick in the 2020 draft who is coming off two injury-affected seasons. Hubbard is a 12-year NFL veteran. Abdullah and Uzomah just completed their 10th seasons.
Another set of free agents includes players who had contracts for the 2025 season but have been released this offseason. Players with Alabama football roots in this category include:
Defensive tackle Montravius Adams (Auburn)
Cornerback James Bradberry (Pleasant Grove, Samford)
Defensive tackle Raekwon Davis (Alabama)
Tight end Jordan Matthews (Madison Academy)
Linebacker C.J. Mosley (Theodore, Alabama)
Mosley has been a Pro Bowler five times in 10 NFL seasons. Bradberry missed the 2024 season because of injury, but the 2020 Pro Bowler started 124 games in the eight seasons before that.
There is yet another set of free agents who have been on the open market even longer. These are players who finished the 2024 season on practice squads. Each became a free agent a week after his team’s season ended. Players from Alabama high schools and colleges who appeared in regular-season games during 2024 as practice-squad members and remain unsigned for 2025 include:
Linebacker Kwon Alexander (Oxford)
Defensive tackle Angelo Blackson (Auburn)
Fullback Khari Blasingame (Buckhorn)
Linebacker Rashaan Evans (Auburn High, Alabama)
Cornerback Zyon Gilbert (Jeff Davis)
Safety Eddie Jackson (Alabama)
Safety Kareem Jackson (Alabama)
Defensive back Bobby McCain (Oxford)
Linebacker Nicholas Morrow (Huntsville)
Tight end John Samuel Shenker (Auburn)
Kareem Jackson is a 15-year veteran who ranks fourth with 205 regular-season games and second with 193 regular-season starts on Alabama’s all-time NFL list.
Eddie Jackson is a two-time Pro Bowler and one-time first-team All-Pro with 104 starts in eight seasons.
Alexander, Blackson and McCain are 10-year NFL veterans.
California based Santa Monica Seafood has voluntarily recalled Atlantic Salmon Portions with Seafood Stuffing because it may contain undeclared soy, according to a recent release from the company.
“People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to soy risk a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product,” the release reads.
The products were distributed at Aldi Stores in California, Nevada, and Arizona.
No illnesses linked to the allergen have been reported to date, the release says.
The company advised shoppers to look on the white portion of the label located on the front of the package for the product date code.
If it says to use or freeze by June 2, the release urged buyers to return the product to the store for a full refund.
“The supplier identified the problem during a routine inspection of label proofs from a completed production batch,” the release reads.
“This recall was initiated because the product contains soy, a known allergen, but the packaging does not list it as an ingredient. This labeling error means that individuals with a soy allergy may unknowingly consume the product.”
For questions, shoppers can contact Santa Monica Seafood at 1-800-969-8862, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. PST, the release says.
A “small tornado” caused severe damage Tuesday evening to a NASA building on Redstone Arsenal but resulted in no injuries, according to the arsenal Garrison.
The incident occurred about 7:30 p.m. as a line of severe thunderstorms moved through the area. Building 4604 at the Marshall Space Flight Center, which is unoccupied, suffered “severe damage to the exterior,” a Garrison news release stated.
“We are grateful that no one was injured during this severe weather event,” Garrison Commander Col. Erin Eike said. “Our team is working diligently to assess the damage and ensure the safety of all personnel.”
The area around Building 4604 has been secured.
Redstone officials are advising personnel to watch for potential hazards and to report any damage or safety concerns to their supervisors or the Directorate of Emergency Services, 256-876-2222.
Jared Hudson, a former Navy SEAL who founded an organization to fight human trafficking, has announced he will run for Tommy Tuberville’s seat in the U.S. Senate.
Hudson is a graduate of Mortimer Jordan High School. Following graduation, Hudson completed fire college and became a firefighter but said he felt led to join the military.
He served as a SEAL operator with Naval Special Warfare and was deployed multiple times to combat zones including Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Foal Eagle.
He served one year as a deputy with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and worked as a reserve deputy with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
He also worked as an investigator with a prosecutor’s office in Indiana and is certified with the Alabama Peace Officer Standard Training Commission.
Hudson, who has his MBA, is CEO of his business, The Shooting Institute, which he founded. Through the institute, he has trained area law enforcement agencies, military personnel and civilians in self-defense.
He and his wife. Lauren, founded the Covenant Rescue Group, which fights human trafficking. Through Covenant Rescue, Hudson and his team train law enforcement agencies and also work with them to carry out human trafficking operations.
Hudson becomes the second candidate in the race, following Kyle Sweetser of Mobile, who announced in April that he would seek the Democratic nomination.
Sweetser is businessman and former two-time Donald Trump voter who bashed the president at last year’s Democratic National Convention.
Potential Republican candidates include Attorney General Steve Marshall, former Congressman Mo Brooks, U.S. Rep.Barry Moore, former Congressional candidate Caroleene Dobson, former Secretary of State John Merrill, and former Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Kent Davis.
Bubba had more than 20 ways to cook shrimp in the movie Forrest Gump.
But no matter how you like your shrimp cooked, they’ve first got to be caught. And in Alabama shrimping season begins in coastal waters at sunrise on June 1.
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) announced Tuesday that the annual season for state waters begins at 6 a.m. Sunday. It will last for nearly seven months, until New Year’s Eve on Dec. 31.
The season begins for all inside waters not permanently closed by Alabama state law or regulation. That includes Mobile Bay, Bon Secour Bay, Mississippi Sound, Perdido Bay, Arnica Bay, Wolf Bay, and Little Lagoon.
ADCNR is reminding live bait dealers holding a permit for special live bat areas that the area beside the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park south of the Tensaw River Bridge will be open from one hour before sunrise until sunset from June 1 to Dec. 31.
The Alabama Gulf Coast is among the more popular shrimping spots in the United States. The Gulf typically accounts for about 70% of the country’s shrimp catch due to the long season that generally runs from June to December.
June through August is considered the peak season when huge numbers of brown shrimp are harvested. White shrimp catches ramp up more in late summer and fall.
The state urges people to call 251-861-2882 for more information.
While we all love an entree, whether it be fried chicken, a burger, barbecue or something else altogether — sometimes it’s the side dishes that really make a meal.
After all, would a plate of barbecue taste as good without the mac and cheese or baked beans alongside it? Would a seafood dinner be just as satisfying without the coleslaw and hushpuppies? And let’s be real — a lot of us look forward to the “and-three” part of our favorite meat-and-three meal more than anything else.
That’s why This is Alabama recently asked its Facebook followers about their favorite side dishes at Alabama restaurants, and we pulled some of the responses, along with a few of our favorites too, to highlight the local spots that are serving sides worthy of being the main attraction.
The steam table at Niki’s West Steak & Seafood Restaurant features about 40 fresh vegetables and sides daily. Many of the vegetables come from the nearby Alabama Farmers Market on Finley Avenue West. (Bob Carlton/[email protected])
Niki’s West
233 Finley Avenue West in Birmingham
For more than 60 years Niki’s West in Birmingham has been in business, and that’s given them plenty of time to perfect their recipes. So while you might not know exactly what sides will be up for grabs given that the menu can vary from day-to-day, you can safely bet they’re going to be good (and there’s going to be a lot of ‘em). From Southern classics like mac and cheese, cabbage and fried green tomatoes to more unique dishes like broccoli cheese casserole and rutabagas, you could make a whole meal just out of the sides at Niki’s West — and many do.
In business since 1983 and with seven locations in Alabama (and one in Florida, too,) David’s Catfish House is another restaurant with a long history of serving good eats to customers all over the state. Included in those eats are their sides. While the turnip greens, hushpuppies and creamy coleslaw at David’s Catfish seem to be a draw for hungry diners all on their own, its the restaurant’s cheese grits — which have been named one of the “100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die” by the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel in the past — that are the star of its sides menu.
DeSoto’s Seafood Kitchen, a Gulf Shores landmark, offers a value-oriented home-cooking lunch that attracts a loyal audience of regulars.Lawrence Specker | [email protected]
Desoto’s Seafood Kitchen
138 West 1st Avenue in Gulf Shores
You might expect a seafood restaurant in Gulf Shores to have the standard fare of sides, and Desoto’s Seafood Kitchen certainly does have those, but it also has so much more. In addition to the usual French fries, coleslaw and hushpuppies, you can also get unexpected offerings, like grit cakes, corn fritters, gumbo, lima beans, fried green tomatoes and even sweet potato casserole, alongside your lunch or dinner entree at Desoto’s, which is likely why so many readers ranked the popular eatery at as a good place to go when you’re looking for sides that stand out.
Just to be clear, though, we recognize that sometimes you’re just in the mood for something fried and delicious to munch on alongside your burger, sandwich or salad, and when that’s the case, Ragtime Cafe in Hoover is a popular pick with readers. While its sides offerings include everything from cheese fries to sweet potato fries, tater tots and more that could easily satisfy your fried food craving, it is their onion rings, which consist of Sweet Spanish onions batter-dipped to be perfection and served with a Cajun horseradish sauce, that garnered a shout-out in our reader question.
Chris’ Brussel Sprouts, an appetizer from Gather executive chef Chris McElhaney, is enhanced with honey balsamic, shaved onions and a slice of Nueske’s thick bacon.(Bob Carlton/[email protected])
Gather Restaurant
111 W. Nashville Avenue in Atmore
Tucked away in the small town of Atmore is Gather Restaurant, an eatery that’s putting its own spin on Southern favorites, one (side) dish at a time. Among the standout sides served on its menu are pimento mac and cheese, fried green tomatoes, crispy grit cakes, caramel bacon green beans, sauteed broccolini and more. In addition, Chris’ Brussels sprouts, which are made with honey balsamic, shaved onion and Nueske’s thick bacon, are a serious kick of flavor. Technically speaking, they’re considered an appetizer, but you can order ‘em to eat along with your entree — and we highly recommend you do.
There are a lot of classic sides you might expect to find at most barbecue restaurants in Alabama, and Larry’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q in Enterprise certainly has all of them — including baked beans, mac and cheese, coleslaw and potato salad. But it’s their battered and fried yellow squash, a side you don’t see too often, that has garnered them popularity among our readers and a spot on this list. Of course, if you’re not a fan of squash, their other side options, including fried okra, green beans, mashed potatoes and those listed above, aren’t bad either.
The famous fried green tomatoes at the Irondale Cafe in Irondale, Ala. (The Birmingham News / Michelle Campbell)BN FTP
Irondale Cafe
1906 First Avenue N. in Irondale
You can probably guess which dish garnered the beloved Irondale Cafe in Irondale a spot on this list — yes, it’s those crispy fried green tomatoes made famous by Fannie Flagg’s 1987 novel and the 1991 film based upon it — but those certainly aren’t the only side dish served at the classic Southern meat-and-three worth writing about. From mashed potatoes to red beans and rice, slow-cooked collards, carrot and raisin salad, fried okra and more up for grabs on its menu, which varies daily, the hardest part with be narrowing your sides down to just three.
With more than 100 years in business, The Bright Star in Bessemer is a beloved Alabama restaurant for a lot of reasons, and it turns out that having an expansive and delicious selection of side dishes on its lunch menu is one of them. Our readers noted that when eating there, it’s hard not to simply order a vegetable plate and fill it with everything from homemade dressing to Greek hashbrown potatoes, candied yams, black-eyed peas, creamed corn and the many other dishes that could be served on the eatery’s rotating menu.
Barbecue chicken plate at Jim ‘N Nicks’ Bar-B-Q in Homewood, Alabama. The plate has a quarter of a chicken (white. meat) with red barbecue sauce, potato salad, slaw and cheese biscuits. (Mary Colurso | [email protected])
Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q
Locations throughout the state
Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Qs are a common sight throughout Alabama and the South these days after the popular restaurant got its start in Birmingham in 1985. We can’t help but think that the popularity wasn’t just of its barbecue, but those delicious trimmings served alongside it. While its brisket chili might be the most well-known and its potato salad got plenty of shout-outs in our community question, you can’t really go wrong with the mac and cheese, collard greens, baked beans or other sides offered at Jim ‘N Nick’s either. And yes, if you want to count those sweet cheese biscuits as a side, we’ll allow it.
The last Morrison’s is still going strong in Mobile — with a 100-year history in the city — offering hungry customers a wide selection of entrees, salads, desserts and, of course, sides on a daily basis. Among those side dishes up for grabs at the cafeteria-style eatery is everything from turnip greens, baked mac and cheese and gravy-topped mashed potatoes to carrot souffle and broccoli madeline. And since the desserts are served right beside the vegetables, we’d say a slice of one of their many pies could count as a side too. At the very least, we doubt anyone’s going to tell you it doesn’t.
Banana pudding at Dreamland Bar-B-Que.(Bob Carlton/[email protected])
Dreamland Bar-B-Que
Locations throughout the state
While Dreamland Bar-B-Que, which first opened in Tuscaloosa in 1958 and now has several locations throughout the state, is best known for its barbecue, its fixins’ have developed a following of their own. From its popular mac and cheese to its filling potato salad, coleslaw and even its signature banana pudding — because anyone with a sweet tooth will tell you some desserts are hard to wait for — Dreamland has all the sides you could need. Even their barbecue sauce, soaked up with their white bread, got a shout-out as a side worthy of praise.
The Costway Patio Furniture Set usually sells for $439, but is now on sale for only $199. The outdoor conversation set comes with one love seat, two single chairs and a glass-top coffee table. It features a black rattan frame with white weather-resistant cushions.
Costway 4-Piece Patio Furniture Set
$439 $199.99
The Costway 4-Piece Patio Furniture Set is on sale for less than $200 this week at Walmart.
One promising review reads, “I can’t begin to stress enough how much I enjoy this set, especially for the price! The only downside I’d say would be the build time. It took about 90 minutes total. They have not faded in all day direct sunlight for months. Durable too! Funky cushion smells went away after a week of being outside.”
Another helpful and detailed review states, “This is a fairly decent set, especially for this price. The chairs/love seat are smaller than you’d get in more expensive sets. It’s sturdy and comfortable to hold me at 230 lbs and six feet tall. As others have said, it can be a bit annoying to put together as the bolts are in hard to reach places and YOU CAN NOT TIGHTEN THE BOLTS UNTIL THE WHOLE PIECE IS PUT TOGETHER. It says this in the directions but people don’t seem to listen. All you have to do it hand tighten all the bolts about halfway, once it’s all put together, go back through and tighten them all. To make it easier, I used a cordless drill with a snake attachment and hex (allen key) bit so it can reach the tight spots and do the work for me. Doing it myself, I had the whole set put together in less than an hour.”
The 2025 WNBA continues to move along, with a strong slate of games set for this week. On Friday, the Indiana Fever will take on the Connecticut Sun. The Fever will be without superstar Caitlin Clark, as she’s expected to miss the next two weeks with a quadriceps strain.
Fans still looking to tune into the Fever vs Sun game can do so on Fubo, who’s offering a free trial to new subscribers.
Here’s everything you need to know before the Fever and Sun tipoff:
When: Friday, May 30, 2025
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
Time: 7:30 p.m. E.T.
Fans still looking to tune into the Fever vs Sun game can do so on Fubo, who’s offering a free trial to new subscribers.
Alabama A&M’s plans for a new student amenity building cleared a major hurdle Tuesday night.
The Huntsville Planning Commission approved the location, character and extent of the building.
The 93,000-square-foot building will serve as a hub for student engagement and support services. It will feature dining facilities, meeting spaces, study areas, faculty offices, a gaming lounge and social gathering spaces, all designed to enhance the campus experience. The facility will address the university’s growing enrollment and will provide a state-of-the-art environment for academic and social development.
Christine Jones of Nola Van Peursem Architects said the building will primarily be a three-story brick building with capstone columns. It will be west of Meridian Street and south of Holloway Road near the athletic facilities on campus.
“It will be a beautiful building,” Planning Commission member Kelly Schrimsher said. “It will be a great addition to campus.”
It is one of two buildings the university is constructing. The university is also building a 125,000-square-foot state-of-the-art science building that will house classrooms and laboratories for the physics, biology, and chemistry departments, providing students and faculty with modern spaces for teaching, learning, and research. The building is designed to support the university’s growing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs and will enhance both academic instruction and scientific discovery.
That building had been on the draft agenda for the commission meeting but was not addressed at the meeting. Fuqua & Partners Architects is the architect for the science building.
Freedom Real Estate and Capital is advising Alabama A&M on the two building projects. Freedom is overseeing the general contractor, design team, and construction process, making recommendations in Alabama A&M’s best interest. The company and Alabama A&M have collaborated on several projects.
The two projects together total more than $140 million.
Other planning commission action
The commission approved the location, character and extent of the Port of Huntsville’s equipment storage building at Huntsville International Airport. Rob Van Peursem of Nola Van Peursem Architects said the building will be used to store snow removal and de-icing equipment used by the airport.
The commission also granted final approval for 53 lots in the third phase of the Crowne Creek Village subdivision south of Nick Davis Road and west of Old Railroad Bed Road. Tennessee Valley Communities, LLC, is the developer. 2 The Point, Inc., is the engineer. Previous phases of the homes in the subdivision are from 1,164 to 2,171 square feet and advertise for more than $230,000.
The commission zoned 1.14 acres west of Old Big Cove Rd and north of Knotty Walls Road Residence 2, which will allow single-family homes to be constructed. City Planner Lady Kassama said three or four homes were planned on the recently annexed site. Planning Commission member Ian Harris voting against the zoning out of concerns the proposed homes did not match the character of that part of the city.
A second person on Tuesday announced plans to run for the District 1 Decatur City Council seat, two weeks before qualifying begins.
Decatur Youth Services coordinator Nick Perkins spoke at a press conference at Progressive Christian Outreach on Memorial Drive Southwest along with several of his supporters.
“I stand here before you today the son of a teacher and a custodian, so trust me when I say I know the value of hard work,” Perkins said.
Perkins’ younger brother Steve was fatally shot by Decatur police in the early hours of Sept. 29, 2023, as a tow truck driver repossessed his truck from his driveway.
Nick Perkins, 44, said becoming a campus safety officer at Alabama A&M University helped shape his opinion of public safety and he learned “the balance between keeping people safe and respecting their rights.”
One of his main priorities is bringing jobs to District 1, the importance of which he said he was reminded of while driving down West Moulton Street recently.
“I couldn’t help but notice the empty storefronts, reminders that while the rest of north Alabama is booming, too many of our neighbors still live and leave all of Decatur just to find a decent job or a simple night out,” Perkins said. “That stops now.”
Perkins was raised in Hillsboro and moved to Decatur in 2019 and has been a resident in District 1, which encompasses Northwest Decatur, since 2022.
He said one of his first priorities would be to bring the city together by encouraging more community forums.
“My goal is to bring everyone to the table,” Perkins said. “Decatur cannot go forward unless everyone is on the same page. That would be my No. 1 priority.”
In February, Perkins said he was considering running for mayor but on Tuesday said he changed his mind after consulting with his family and decided councilman was a better route to go at this time.
“That is the goal eventually, but we’ll get there,” Perkins said of running for mayor.
Longtime District 1 Councilman Billy Jackson announced May 19 that he would give up his council seat and run for mayor.
Perkins said he supports the hiring of Torry Mack as Decatur’s new police chief, with Mack beginning the new role on Monday.
Social justice group Standing in Power co-founder Terrance Adkins, 37, announced his candidacy for the District 1 seat May 20. Standing in Power has coordinated numerous demonstrations in protest of Steve Perkins’ death and city officials’ actions in the aftermath.
Adkins said he also yearns for more job opportunities in the district as well as more resources its residents can utilize, like a grocery store.
“Our constituents have to leave outside of District 1 to pretty much do anything, like buying groceries and buying different things,” Adkins said Tuesday. “I think having somewhere for them to go to purchase food inside of District 1 would be a great thing. Also, we don’t really have anything for our youth to do, so our youth and senior citizens are being hit the most. In District 1, there is literally nothing for them to do.”
He said he wants to revitalize Vine Street and West Moulton Street to bring businesses back to the area.
Adkins said as far as the city is concerned, he is concerned about what he refers to as a “lack of leadership.”
“It starts at the top,” Adkins said. “So, with us having this election and having a new mayor and City Council coming forward, I think that will help with some of the issues because I don’t think they took the concerns of Decatur as seriously as they could.”
Adkins said he would like to see Mack work with the police command staff, introduce more community policing, and communicate better with the council.
“I would like for them to believe Chief Mack when he gives them information,” Adkins said.
Adkins said Jackson, who has been the councilman for District 1 since 1996, has been like a mentor to him and leaves big shoes to fill for whoever is elected.
“I want to make sure that I am as knowledgeable and personable as he was,” Adkins said. “I would love to be as half the councilman as he is, but I think I will be able to take it a little bit further.”
Adkins was raised in District 1 and, after coming back to the area from college, lived in District 2 for six years and has been living in District 1 for the past year.
City qualifying for the municipal election is June 10-25. The cost to register to run is $50. The election is Aug. 26, with the runoff, if necessary, on Sept. 23. The next four-year term begins Nov. 3.
The council president’s annual pay is $24,000 while other council members’ pay is $21,000 a year.
