Delvin Sullivan
Class of 2016
Before his senior year at Butler High in 1990-91, Delvin Sullivan met with football coach Mike Shipp to decide between pursuing basketball or football. Shipp’s advice was direct — his size and athleticism were rare in football. Already a two-time All-City wide receiver, Sullivan earned first-team All-State honors that season, also excelling in basketball and track, where he won the Bailey Award for all-around achievement.
Growing up in Huntsville’s Mason Court, Sullivan faced tough surroundings but credits his mother, Jannie Jefferson, and Butler coach Jack Doss for guidance. Doss became a father figure, pushing Sullivan academically and athletically. Football recruiters outnumbered basketball offers, and Sullivan accepted a scholarship to the University of North Alabama to ease his mother’s financial burden.
At UNA, Sullivan contributed to the Lions’ run of three straight Division II national titles (1993-95), catching the playoff-clinching touchdown in 1992. After a coaching change and shift to a run-heavy offense, he transferred to Alabama A&M, where he starred in football, ran track, and played on two SIAC basketball championship teams — a rare three-sport collegiate career.
Following a brief stint with the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Sullivan completed his degree at A&M in 1998, married wife Felicia, and enlisted in the U.S. Army. Over eight years, he served two tours in Iraq, earning a Combat Action Badge, four Army Commendation Medals, and eight Army Achievement Medals.
After active duty, Sullivan worked as a civilian for the Army and is now a contract specialist at Redstone Arsenal. Inducted into the Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama Hall of Fame in 2010 and the Huntsville-Madison County Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016, he remains active in the community as a mentor to at-risk youth and is the author of The Wealthy Child.
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