Alabama News

Even though Bo Nix entered the NFL as the 12th player picked in the 2024 draft, he was only the sixth quarterback selected. But of the five quarterbacks chosen ahead of him, Nix threw for more yards and touchdowns and produced more TDs as a rookie.

With evaluators often comparing Nix to Drew Brees, the success seemed inevitable in hindsight. Brees had a Hall of Fame-worthy career across 15 seasons with the New Orleans Saints, who were coached by Sean Payton, now Nix’s coach with the Denver Broncos.

Payton said Nix’s success had more to do with the quarterback than the scheme fit.

“I know that it’s like shopping for shoes,” Payton said on Saturday. “Some people are going to look for a different style. But I think it was asked to me the other day — the fit, the fit. And I said, ‘Look, I don’t know who wouldn’t want this type of quarterback in their system because I think sometimes it gets — there’s that insinuation: Well, it was the perfect fit with our offense. He’s the perfect fit for anyone that wants to win at that position.

“So now it’s putting together the things around them. And it’s not just the weapons around them. It’s building the running game, building up the defense. Again, if you’re a quarterback and you’re playing good defense and you can run the ball, that takes a little stress off your life. And if you can’t do those two things, then you probably have a tough job.”

RELATED: BO NIX WORKS WITH NFL GREAT IN PREPARATION FOR HIS SECOND SEASON

The Broncos hadn’t been to the postseason since 2015 until posting a 10-7 record in 2024 in Payton’s second season at the helm in Denver.

Nix served as a captain for the playoff team even though he was a rookie. Payton said the leadership role comes with Nix’s position. He filled it successfully because he played well.

“The leadership skill set, I think, comes at that position, and he’s comfortable with that,” Payton said. “And when you’re a young player, then it’s just about proving yourself. In other words, the locker room is waiting for you to lead, waiting for you to excel. And when you prove that you can play, they latch onto that. And I think it happened for him last year.

“Man, I think one of the understated, one of the things that he does so well, when you look at minus-play differential — sacks, interceptions, fumbles — his number is off the charts. So he doesn’t get sacked, and I think that’s more of a quarterback statistic than an offensive-line statistic. And he’s extremely accurate. I think we all heard these college air yards (criticisms), and he finished third in the league last year with yards per completion. So he can stretch the field. He’s got plenty of arm.

“But what I really like is his movement out of the pocket, his off-schedule stuff. And he’s just that much more comfortable today than this time last year. You can see it in how he’s operating the huddle and certainly you can see it with his teammates.”

At Pinson Valley High School, Nix led the Indians to consecutive AHSAA Class 6A championships. In 2017, Pinson Valley swept through 15 games without a loss, including a 31-10 victory over Wetumpka in the state-title game. In 2018, the Indians bounced back from a 52-14 loss to two-time defending 7A champ Hoover in the season-opening game to win the remainder of their contests, including a 26-17 victory over Saraland in the 6A championship game.

Nix set AHSAA career records for yards of total offense and touchdown responsibility.

Nix was an All-State selection in 2017 and 2018. In his senior season, he also was selected as Alabama’s Mr. Football and the Class 6A Back of the Year by the Alabama Sports Writers Association.

Nix played at Auburn in the 2019, 2020 and 2021 seasons before transferring to Oregon.

At Auburn, Nix completed 628-of-1,057 passes for 7,251 yards with 39 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. In two seasons at Oregon, Nix competed 658-of-879 passes for 8,101 yards with 74 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

During the 2023 season, Nix set an NCAA FBS single-season record by completing 77.45 percent of his passes as he established school records with 4,508 passing yards and 45 touchdown passes for Oregon.

Nix finished third in the voting for the 2023 Heisman Trophy behind LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, who won the award, and Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr.

With 16,965 yards of total offense in his career, Nix ranks third in NCAA FBS history. He ranks fifth with 152 total touchdowns (113 passing, 38 rushing and one receiving), seventh with 15,352 passing yards and eighth with 1,286 completions.

As an NFL rookie, Nix completed 376-of-567 passes for 3,775 yards with 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions and ran for 430 yards and four touchdowns on 92 carries while starting every regular-season game for Denver.

Nix’s touchdown passes rank second in the NFL rookie record book, and his passing yards rank eighth. With seven games of at least 200 passing yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, Nix had the most for a first-year player in league history.

Nix started training camp on Wednesday for his second season with the Broncos, which kicks off on Sept. 7 against the Tennessee Titans. Before then the Broncos will play three preseason games – against the San Francisco 49ers on Aug. 9, Arizona Cardinals on Aug. 16 and New Orleans Saints on Aug. 23.

“I think we’re all excited at that position,” Payton said about Nix at quarterback. “When you have someone in place, man, your team doesn’t have that ceiling sometimes you might think you have if you don’t.”

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.

We’re in a golden moment of the Leo solar journey when kitten energy is new and the closing moves of Venus in Gemini play up the lightness of flirtatious swipes, breezy detachment and adorable casualness. When Venus enters Cancer, everything will soften and deepen. Love the levity while it lasts. Use it to get to know someone in the spirit of fun.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Pretending eats energy. Sometimes you don’t even realize how you’re changing yourself to fit the situation. Today, you’ll see it and stop. No over-curating yourself today. Let go of roles that no longer serve so you can be stronger, freer and more available for what matters.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You’ve done the hard part — faced the feelings, made the decisions, brought yourself right to the edge of something new. Now the door is open. All that’s left is the step. You’re ready. One breath, one step, and it’s on.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). This load you carry? It’s real. But the power is in your framing. You choose how to see things, what to call them and what they mean to you, and this makes all the difference between lifting a “burden” or lifting a “gift.”

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Your heart is on the line, and that’s exactly where it belongs. You’re made of strong stuff. Not fragile — forged. Go ahead and feel it all. Risk doesn’t scare you when the potential prize is love, sweet love.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). It is a mystic tradition to see joy, awe and unstructured time as key elements of divine connection. Whether you think you have the time or not, you really can afford to lose track of yourself while making art, being in nature, dancing or daydreaming.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Your reputation as a hard worker is undisputed, but hard work isn’t always required. Knowing the right thing to do — the thing that will flip the script, raise the scenery, transcend the limits — is not about work, but about awareness.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). A thought takes you deep. It’s interesting to visit those depths, but you don’t want to live there. Feel it, name it, and learn from it. Then make a move. Your mind is built for both analysis and action.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). There are those who like you but don’t know you. Being appreciated for your image is still being appreciated. It’s not exactly what you’re looking for, but there’s power here you can leverage to get closer to what you really want.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You’ve got options. You’ve got angles. You could spin this 10 ways and make all of them interesting. But one version feels best in your body, and that’s the one to follow. Trust the story that feels easy to live inside.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You’re feeling your way through the day like a musician learning a song. Keep moving toward what resonates. Tune in to what people mean, what they hide, what they’re aching for. This is your native language — the one you sing without words.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You care big. You always have. But now you’re realizing how much your own rest, fuel and space matter in the mix. Fill your own cup without guilt. That’s what allows you to stay strong and show up for others.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). It’s mix-and-match energy today. The loud will be asked to listen. The soft will speak up. Everyone’s stretching. You’re right in the middle of it, finding new dimensions of yourself through brave moves.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (July 28). This year brings exciting invitations and secret passages into worlds you only speculated about before. It will turn out that the places and states of being you dreamed of are viable, real places to live, love and work. More highlights: You’ll stumble upon thrilling knowledge, collect friendships like rare coins, and use your creativity to build something totally unique. Virgo and Aquarius adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 7, 15, 3, 26 and 11.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Cultural historians and civic advocates still point to the work of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis as having shaped the White House and New York’s cityscape by preserving Grand Central Station, Lafayette Square, the Rose Garden and much more. The initiatives of the Leo first lady laid the foundations for modern historic preservation movements. The enduring legacy of “Jackie O” lives in fashion runways, civic campaigns, streaming dramas, meme threads and symphonic stages.

Holiday Mathis’ debut novel, “How To Fail Epically in Hollywood,” is out now! This fast-paced romp about achieving Hollywood stardom is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit creatorspublishing.com for more information. Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.

The Scottsboro Police Department and Alabama Public Safety Drone Association on Sunday released a drone video of the arrest of a man charged in the shooting of a police officer during a chase.

The Scottsboro Police Department along with troopers assigned to ALEA’s Highway Patrol, federal partners including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other agencies had searched Saturday for 29-year-old Daniel Victor McCarn.

Police reported he was captured by 10 p.m. Saturday.

“Scottsboro Police Department deployed a drone to assist in the search,” according to a Facebook post from the police department and drone association. “A heat signature was quickly detected in the vicinity, and once movement was observed, a contact team was deployed with support from assisting agencies.”

“As officers approached the location, the heat signature was confirmed to be a person. The individual was positively identified as Daniel Victor McCarn,” according to the Facebook post.

The search had begun after a suspect fled from an address where police were investigating a reported domestic violence call.

The chase ended up in a crash at the intersection of County Road Park and U.S. Highway 72, according to the outlet. Shortly after the crash, McCarn then left the vehicle he was driving and began shooting at police.

Jalen Hurts has been in John Mateer’s shoes. The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback played three seasons at Alabama before transferring to Oklahoma. Mateer has played the previous three seasons for Washington State, but he’ll be the Sooners’ quarterback in 2025.

“I think, No. 1, is just embracing everything that comes with it,” Hurts said about his advice for Mateer during an NFL Network interview at the Eagles’ training camp on Saturday. “It’s a special place to play, a special support system and support group, and so I’m always supporting. And I’ve actually had a conversation with him in his transition, and so I’m always supporting from afar, always watching both schools, and happy I get to pick my poison when I want to.”

Hurts won the SEC Offensive Player of the Year Award in 2016 at Alabama and helped the Crimson Tide reach the CFP national-championship game for the second straight season in 2017. But in 2018, Tua Tagovailoa replaced Hurts as Alabama’s No. 1 quarterback, and Hurts transferred to Oklahoma after the season.

In his only season with the Sooners, Hurts threw for 3,851 yards and 32 touchdowns and ran for 1,298 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2019. He finished as the runner-up in the balloting for the Heisman Trophy as Oklahoma reached the four-team College Football Playoff.

Mateer comes to the Sooners after throwing for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns and running for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns for Washington State in 2024.

Oklahoma visits Alabama on Nov. 15 for an SEC game.

Hurts is preparing for his fifth season as Philadelphia’s starting quarterback. Last season, he won the most valuable player award for Super Bowl LIX, where the Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 to win the championship of the NFL’s 2024 season.

Hurts has emphasized resetting rather than repeating as Philadelphia’s outlook for the 2025 season as the Eagles seek their third trip to the NFL championship game in four seasons. In the 2022 season, Philadelphia lost to Kansas City 38-35 in Super Bowl LVII.

“It’s just what you want: Everybody to have a similar mentality and a similar approach in what we’re trying to accomplish ultimately,” Hurts said. “You talk about doing something after success, well it depends on where your eyes are and what you hold on to, because I hold on to ’22 and many other shortcomings. So those are things that you use, you use as fuel and use to drive you forward.”

RELATED: JALEN HURTS: ‘EVERY WORD BUT REPEAT’

The Eagles held their first practice at training camp on Wednesday. Philadelphia’s three-game preseason schedule starts on Aug. 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Eagles play in the first game of the NFL’s 2025 regular season on Sept. 4, when the Dallas Cowboys come to Philadelphia to kick off the campaign.

“We’re coming in, you know, we’ve had our own individual summers,” Hurts said, “and we put a lot of work in and we’ve had the opportunity to work together in some spurts. But the beauty about it is it’s coming all together, being here as one and pursuing the main thing. Everybody comes together from their individual journeys to come together to try to find ways to win. And so I think we’re establishing the foundation for that right now.

“It’s a new year, new team, and we just continue to build on the chemistry we have and build the chemistry with some of the new guys we have in different roles.”

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.

Passengers slid down an emergency slide of a smoking jet at Denver International Airport due to a possible problem with the plane’s landing gear, authorities said.

American Airlines Flight 3023 reported a “possible landing gear incident” during its departure from Denver on Saturday afternoon, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The problem involved an aircraft tire, the Fort Worth, Texas-based airline said in a statement.

The Boeing 737 MAX 8 carrying 173 passengers and six crew members was on its way to Miami International Airport, American said.

Video aired by local media showed people sliding down the inflatable chute near the front of the plane while clutching luggage and small children. Some passengers, including at least one adult carrying a young child, tripped at the end of the slide and fell onto the concrete runway. Passengers were then taken to the terminal by bus.

Shay Armistead, a 17-year-old from Minturn, Colorado, described a chaotic scene.

After hearing a loud “boom,” the plane “started to violently shake and we were drifting to the left side of the runway,” Armistead told The Associated Press in an interview.

Armistead and her teammates on a ski racing team were on their way from Colorado to Chile when it happened.

“I started grabbing my friend’s hands, I was like ‘Oh my God,’ and then they slammed on the brakes, and we all like went forward and they finally brought the plane to a stop,” she said. “It was just terrifying.”

One of the passengers was taken to a hospital with a minor injury, American Airlines said in its statement. Five people were evaluated for injuries at the scene but did not require hospitalization, airport officials said.

“About halfway to takeoff speed, we hear a big bang and a pop,” passenger Shaun Williams told KUSA-TV. “The pilot immediately started abort procedures for taking off. You could feel him start to hit the brakes.”

Firefighters extinguished a fire on the aircraft, the Denver Fire Department said.

“All customers and crew deplaned safely, and the aircraft was taken out of service to be inspected by our maintenance team,” American said.

In a statement, the FAA said it’s investigating.

Armistead said she’s thankful for everyone who helped her and the other passengers, and grateful that she’s safe.

“You’ve just got to appreciate what you’re given, and I’m so grateful that it wasn’t worse,” Armistead said. ___ This story corrects the spelling of a passenger’s name. She is Shay Armistead, not Armisteaz.

The Athletes Unlimited Softball League closed its first season in a way familiar to the fans at Rhoads Stadium – with Montana Fouts as the winning pitcher.

The former Alabama All-American pitched a shutout in Game 2 of the best-of-three AUSL Championship to clinch the inaugural league crown for the Talons.

Fouts struck out seven and yielded five hits and two walks in seven innings during the Talons’ 1-0 victory over the Bandits on Sunday in Tuscaloosa.

Sunday’s victory followed a 3-1 win by the Talons in Game 1, a contest that was suspended because of rain in the sixth inning on Saturday and completed at the Crimson Tide softball program’s home field on Sunday morning.

In Game 2, the only run came on Sydney Romero’s home run in the top of the sixth inning.

Game 2 also had a rain delay, with a stoppage of more than one hour coming after the fourth inning. The Bandits had four of their baserunners against Fouts after the delay, but did not score. An unassisted double play by first baseman Mary Iakopo put the Talons within one out of the victory, which Fouts recorded with a strikeout.

The Talons had the best record during the AUSL regular season at 18-6, with the Bandits qualifying for the championship series at 15-9.

The softball circuit has four teams – the Bandits, Blaze, Talons and Volts – that barnstormed through the league’s inaugural season. The schedule included stops in Rosemont, Illinois; Wichita, Kansas; Sulphur, Louisiana; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Norman, Oklahoma; Omaha, Nebraska; Round Rock, Texas; Seattle and Salt Lake City as well as Tuscaloosa.

A four-time All-American selection by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association – first team in 2021 and 2023 and second team in 2019 and 2022 — at Alabama, Fouts posted a 100-32 record with a 1.66 earned-run average in 160 games. In 852.2 innings, Fouts struck out 1,181 with the Crimson Tide.

The NFCA Pitcher of the Year in 2021, Fouts threw a perfect game against UCLA in the Women’s College World Series that season.

During the AUSL regular season, Fouts had a 3-2 record in 11 games, including five starts. She posted a 2.71 ERA in 31 innings. Fouts struck out 26 while yielding 27 hits and nine walks. The Talons put Fouts on the injured list on June 20, and she returned to the active roster on July 13.

Fouts moves on to compete in the AUSL All-Star Cup beginning on Saturday. During August, 60 AUSL players will compete to win an individual championship under a unique scoring system while playing on teams redrafted each week by the top points producers.

The AUSL All-Star Cup will be contested in Rosemont, Illinois, and Holly Springs and Greenville, North Carolina.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.

Bubba Wallace became the first Black driver to win on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 2.5-mile oval, surviving a late rain delay, two overtimes, concerns over running out of fuel and a hard-charging Kyle Larson on Sunday in the Brickyard 400.

The third NASCAR Cup victory of Wallace’s career was also his biggest. It snapped a 100-race winless streak that dated to 2022 at Kansas. He also won at Talladega in 2021. It’s his first win at one of NASCAR’s four crown jewel races.

“Unbelievable,” Wallace shouted on his radio after crossing the yard of bricks.

And while the final gap was 0.222 seconds, he didn’t reach victory lane without some consternation.

Larson trailed by 5.057 seconds with 14 laps to go but the gap was down to about three seconds with six remaining when the yellow flag came out because of rain. The cars rolled to a stop on pit lane with four to go, giving Wallace about 20 additional minutes to think and rethink his restart strategy.

But after beating Larson through the second turn, a crash behind the leaders forced a second overtime, extending the race even more laps as Wallace’s team thought he might run out of gas.

Wallace risked everything by staying on the track then beat the defending race winner off the restart again to prevent Larson from becoming the fourth back-to-back winner of the Brickyard.

It also alleviated the frustration Wallace felt Saturday when he spent most of the qualifying session on the provisional pole only to see Chase Briscoe surpass with one of the last runs in the session.

He made sure there was no repeat Sunday, giving an added boost to the 23XI Racing co-owned by basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan and last week’s race winner, Denny Hamlin, as it continues to battle NASCAR in court over its charter status.

Amid a battle with cancer, famed 1980s rock star David Roach has announced his marriage to his fiancée, Jennifer Roach.

Junkyard, Roach’s heavy metal band, posted a photo to their Instagram story of the newlywed sliding a ring onto his partner’s finger and wrote, “Congratulations to the happy couple — Mr. and Mrs. David Patrick Roach.” A second photo showed band members sitting with Roach, who was in a wheelchair, according to reports from PennLive.com.

The marriage announcement comes shortly after the band reported on their website that Roach had received an “aggressive cancer diagnosis.”

“We all know and love David Roach—not just as our incredible singer, but as a true friend, an inspiration, and a fighter. Right now, he’s facing one of the toughest battles of his life: an aggressive cancer diagnosis,” the Junkyard website reads.

A GoFundMe for Roach has raised more than $35,000 toward a $50,000 goal to treat his “aggressive squamous cell carcinoma affecting his head, neck and throat.”

“To help with the overwhelming medical expenses David is selling his plaque art. Every purchase, share, and donation can make a real difference in getting him the care he needs. In the coming months, we’ll be making our classic merch available for purchase, with a portion of every sale going directly to David and Jennifer,” the Junkyard website reads.

“Let’s rally behind him like we always have. Much love and gratitude to you all.”

Jennifer Roach also provided an update on her husband’s condition through a GoFundMe comment.

“We want to express our heartfelt thanks for all your messages and support. Please know they are not being ignored. This past month has been a bit of a nightmare rollercoaster ride, with many ups and downs and differing opinions from various medical teams,” Roach wrote on GoFundMe on July 21.

“David is in good spirits, keeping his humor alive, and currently enjoying time spent with his close family…We’re optimistic about coming home from the hospital within the next few days and we are definitely not giving up on this fight!! We’ll keep you updated as we gather more information and the medical teams come together as one. Thank you so much for your love and support!”

A former employee has filed a federal lawsuit against the Alabama High School Athletic Association, alleging gender, age, and race discrimination after she was denied a promotion to lead the organization.

The case was filed on behalf of Kim Vickers, former associate executive director of the AHSAA, in Middle District Court of Alabama.

Vickers, 59, has previously filed three discrimination complaints against the AHSAA in the last 12 months. She filed an original charge on July 12, 2024, followed by a supplemental charge on Oct. 25, 2024, and another on June 25, 2025, following her termination from the AHSAA.

The U.S. Department of Justice issued right to sue notices on July 17, 2025, for Vickers’ original and supplemental Equal Employment Opportunity charges.

Vickers was hired under former AHSAA executive director Steve Savarese in December or 2014 as director of publications. She was promoted to assistant director and eligibility coordinator in 2018 and to associate executive director in 2021 under former executive director Alvin Briggs.

Briggs announced his retirement from the job in 2024, opening a search by the AHSAA’s Central Board of Control for the next executive director. Vickers, the No. 2 person on staff at the time, applied for the job and was one of five candidates interviewed by the Board.

The Board narrowed the candidates down to two men and former Oxford High principal Heath Harmon was hired on June 6, 2024. He remains the AHSAA’s executive director today.

Vickers alleges in the suit that she was “substantially” more qualified than Harmon. She also had applied for the position in 2021 when Briggs was selected to follow Savarese in the job. Harmon is just the sixth full-time director of the AHSAA. All have been males.

There has never been a female in the Executive Director position since the founding of the association in 1921, the lawsuit states.

The suit alleges that “because Harmon was less qualified than (the) Plaintiff, she was required to explain to him day-to-day operations and other basic knowledge” of the job. It also alleges that Harmon excluded her from meetings and interviews and demoted her to her former position after she filed her first EEOC Charge.

In 1968, a court order mandated the merger of the AHSAA with the Alabama Interscholastic Athletic Association, which had previously overseen athletics at segregated African-American schools in Alabama. That order mandated that the top two positions in the AHSAA be occupied by persons of the opposite race, representative of each of those organizations.

Vickers and Harmon are both white. Brian McRae, who is black, was hired by Harmon as the new associate executive director.

Vickers’ suit states that “because McRae had little to no experience in athletic administration, he was substantially less qualified than the Plaintiff for the job, if even qualified at all.” It also alleges that Harmon “continued to discriminate and retaliate against her by excluding her from meetings, including committee meetings, interviews, government relations and other parts of her job.”

On June 23, 2025, according to the complaint, Harmon called Vickers into his office and told her it was not working out and the two needed to part ways. The suit states Vickers asked Harmon if she was being fired because she had filed EEOC charges, and Harmon refused to answer.

Vickers, who was inducted into the AHSAA Hall of Fame in 2024, is seeking reinstatement into the position she should have held as well as compensatory, punitive and liquidated damages.

A text message to Harmon on Sunday afternoon was not immediately returned.

See the complete complaint below.

AT&T is paying out a $177 million settlement after two data breaches exposed customers’ personal information, according to reports from CNET.

AT&T will pay any current or former customer whose data was accessed in at least one of the breaches, with higher payments going to people who can provide proof that they suffered damages from their data being stolen.

If you’re eligible, you should receive either an email or mail about it in the coming months. The company expects that the claims process will begin on Aug. 4, 2025, according to CNET.

The data breaches

CNET reported that the first data breach happened in 2019. AT&T found that about 7.6 million current and 65.4 million former account holders had their data exposed to hackers, including social security numbers, names and dates of birth.

The company began investigating in 2024 after it reported that customer data had appeared on the dark web.

The second breach began in April of 2024, when a hacker broke into AT&T’s cloud storage provider, Snowflake, and accessed call and text records for almost all of their U.S. customers, about 109 million.

AT&T said no names were attached to the stolen data. Two people were arrested in connection with the breach, according to CNET.

Both data breaches led to multiple class action lawsuits, according to CNET.

How to receive payment

On June 20, U.S. District Judge Ada Brown gave preliminary approval to AT&T’s proposed settlement for to two lawsuits related to the data breaches to pay customers who were affected, according to reports from Reuters.

To be eligible for the highest payouts, you will have to “reasonably” prove damages caused by these data breaches, according to CNET.

For the 2019 breach, people who were impacted can receive up to $5,000. For the 2024 breach, people can claim up to $2,500.

The deadline for submitting a claim is currently set at Nov. 18. The final approval of the settlement needs to be given at a court hearing on Dec. 3 for payments to begin, CNET reported.

What is left of the $177 million settlement will be disbursed to anyone whose data was accessed, even without proof of damages.

CNET reported that AT&T said payments will begin in early 2026. Exact dates aren’t available but the recent court order approving the settlement lists a notification schedule from Aug. 4 to Oct. 17, 2025.