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New DeKalb Hall of Fame class announced

By Lew Gilliland
The Times-Journal

Published September 30, 2008

A pioneer in local sports writing joins three former Fort Payne High School football standouts in the DeKalb County Sports Hall of Fame’s Class of 2008.

Joe Baxter Brown, Joe Griggs, Tommy Groat and Mike Locklear were recently selected for induction by the hall’s board of directors. They will be inducted Feb. 7 at 4 p.m. the Tom Bevill Enrichment Center in Rainsville. Ticket information will be available at a later date.

“We always think that every class is the best one, but this one could be the strongest class we’ve ever hard,” hall chairman Larry Hancock said. “Joe Baxter Brown is certainly deserving for all the work he has done. All of these guys are very deserving, and I think our board is excited about inducting this group.”

The Class of 2008 will be the second in Hall history to be inducted in the calendar year following its election. The Hall previously held its induction banquet on the Saturday after Thanksgiving but decided last year to switch to a February date so not to conflict with the Alabama/Auburn football game.

Brown began writing about DeKalb sports in high school and continued past the age of 40. His stories were picked up by papers in Birmingham and spread across the state.

He became the first public address announcer for the DeKalb County and Fort Payne Wildcats, holding the job from 1950-68. He has also written sports history books for Landmarks of DeKalb County.

Griggs was a two-sport letterman in football and baseball at Fort Payne and was a member of the 1965 state championship football team. He played defensive end and tight end for the football squad and was selected a team captain. He also earned all-area honors.

He signed with Tennessee-Chattanooga, where he also lettered in football and baseball. He started three years on the football team at offensive and defensive end. He played first base for the baseball team.

Groat played three years of football and one year of baseball at Fort Payne and also ran track for a year. He played quarterback and linebacker for a football team that finished 9-0-1.

In his senior season of 1963, Fort Payne went 8-2, and Groat was selected MVP of the Northeast Alabama Football Conference. He signed with Auburn and started for two years.

Locklear also played football and basketball and ran track for the Wildcats.

He suffered a hip separation that limited his participation as a senior, but he still received several scholarship offers from SEC schools.

Locklear signed with Auburn in 1976. He played linebacker, fullback and defensive end for the Tigers before settling at tight end, where he blocked for future NFL standouts William Andrews, Joe Cribbs and James Brooks.

Locklear signed with the Houston Oilers and played for two years before an injury ended his career.

Locklear’s father, Jack, was a member of the Hall’s Class of 1998. They will become the third father/son pair to be inducted, joining Al and Matt Hammond and Harold and Mike Bobo.

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