About Inductee

Cotton Johnson was born in Madison County and has lived here all his life. He graduated from Butler High School in 1955. While at Butler, he gained honors in football and baseball and was awarded an athletic scholarship to Livingston State University upon his graduation. Coach Fulton Hamilton, Sr., his football coach at Butler, has always been a great influence on his life. In 1968, Cotton managed the bus fleet for the Huntsville City Schools and in 1970 went with Dr. J. Homer Crim, Principal of Butler High School, to Chicago to purchase a charter bus for Butler High School. This led to Cotton starting his own bus company and he continued to transport athletic teams all over the Southeast. He has also provided transportation for Alabama A&M, the Huntsville Stars Baseball Team and the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Coach Lennie Acuff, Mens Basketball Coach at UAH, had this to say, We are now honoring what I would consider the greatest ambassador for athletics this city has ever known Mr. Cotton Johnson. He is a man of the highest character, integrity and wisdom. We have seen many eras of coaches, athletes and administrators come and go but there will only be one Cotton Johnson. He is a gentleman who makes each person he comes in contact with feel special and who still impacts countless lives through his love for athletics, the city of Huntsville and most importantly, his concern for others. John Childress had this to say, I have known Cotton as a teammate in football, as a tire salesman, as a bus driver, a loyal supporter, a parent of one of my former players and as a devoted father and husband. Cotton has always been there for Butler High Coaches, as well as other coaches in the city and county, with bus transportation and support in general. I have always thought of him as Mr. Butler Rebel, a man who did anything or everything for athletes and coaches at Butler High School. Cotton is simply put A WINNER. Cotton has been married to Linda Lewis for 50 years and they have three children and twenty grandchildren.