Scott Malcomb McRae
Class of 2005
Born in Albuquerque but raised in Huntsville from age four, Scott McRae came up through Randolph Elementary and Whitesburg Middle, playing for coach Troy Hinton before starring at Huntsville High under Paul Glover (1975–79). As a senior, he rushed for 870 yards on 130 carries and powered the Panthers into the Class 4A playoffs. That fall he swept team honors as Most Valuable Back and Overall MVP, made first-team All-City at running back, and earned All-State recognition at linebacker and fullback—a rare two-way profile.
McRae signed with Alabama and lettered three seasons, starting 19 games at inside linebacker. He scored a touchdown in his very first collegiate game, a fitting introduction to Paul “Bear” Bryant’s program. One of his finest nights came in the 1982 Liberty Bowl: seven tackles, a fumble recovery, and an interception. He credits a deep bench of mentors in Tuscaloosa—Shorty White, Jeff Rouzie, Sylvester Croom, Jim Goosetree, Ken Donahue, Dee Powell, Al Miller, Kent Johnson, and Ray Perkins—but places Bryant above them all: “the greatest coach of all time.”
McRae graduated in 1985 with a B.S. in Business Management and returned to the Huntsville area, where he built a career as a self-employed professional and a life grounded in the same traits that defined his playing days—work ethic, discipline, and team-first leadership. He points to his grandfather Roy Johnson as his earliest influence. Johnson rose from humble beginnings to play football and run track at Michigan for Fielding Yost, then served as head football coach and athletic director at New Mexico.
Scott and his wife, Claudette (Little), have two daughters, Anna Elizabeth and Savannah Catherine. From city MVP to SEC starter, McRae’s journey reads like a Huntsville blueprint: multi-sport roots, championship coaching, and a relentless commitment to getting better every year.
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