Pat Lewallen
Class of 2013
Pat Lewallen’s high school career at Butler in the mid-1970s proved that “student-athlete” was more than a label. He was a National Honor Society member with a 96.4 GPA while starring in basketball and golf, serving as captain in both.
A lanky forward known for rebounding and defense, Lewallen averaged 18.8 points and grabbed 255 rebounds as a senior, earning All-City and All-Region honors. Awarded a scholarship to North Alabama, he joined Bill Jones’s powerhouse teams, becoming a three-year letterman during an era that included a 1979 NCAA Division II national championship and a third-place national finish the following year.
Majoring in mathematics, Lewallen was valedictorian of his graduating class with a 3.97 GPA, earning UNA’s prestigious Keller Key. The lone blemish on his transcript was a single B in freshman English—a fact his wife jokes he has never forgiven.
Lewallen credits Butler coach Jerry Rice with shaping his life at a time when he needed a father figure. “His discipline kept me focused, and his lessons on ball handling, defense, and shooting prepared me for college,” Lewallen says.
After college, Lewallen worked at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center before joining Dell in 2011. Away from work, he has remained active in youth sports, coaching at Stone Middle and serving as boys varsity coach at Covenant Christian Academy. A deacon and Sunday School teacher at First Baptist Church, he is known for his ongoing service to his community.
David Hull, the church’s senior pastor, nominated him for the Hall of Fame, noting, “Pat continues to make contributions that exceed his greatness as a player.” It’s a legacy built on character as much as competition.
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