First recipient of scholarship honoring late Alabama sports writer Cecil Hurt announced

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ( WIAT ) — Following the death of longtime Tuscaloosa News sports writer and columnist Cecil Hurt, his family worked with the University of Alabama to create a scholarship to help students aspiring to work in sports media in his memory.

Now, the first recipient of that scholarship has been named.

Cameron Alexander, a rising junior at UA, was recently named the first student to receive the Cecil Hurt Endowed Support Fund for Excellence in Sports Media, created following Hurt’s death in 2021. Alexander has worked for The Crimson White student newspaper and Crimson Tide Productions.

Hurt, who worked at The Tuscaloosa News for nearly 40 years, was renowned for being a staple of Alabama sports, having covered coaches from Paul W. “Bear” Bryant up to Nick Saban. A recipient of many awards throughout his career, Hurt was posthumously inducted into the Alabama Sports Writers Hall of Fame in 2022.

“Just seeing someone who he was and to be that successful and have such a good and long career is such a motivation for me,” Alexander said.

Growing up in Rhode Island, Alexander was always drawn to sports, especially basketball.

“I just love the energy of basketball,” Alexander said. “I would rather go to a basketball game than a football game.”

As a high school student during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Alexander came across a hobby that would eventually blossom into a passion: video editing.

“I was bored, trying to think of stuff to do, so I started taking YouTube videos and editing them together and I really enjoyed it,” he said. “It was a good way to pass the time in COVID.”

Alexander would take this passion to his high school, where he volunteered to take photos and videos of the different sports teams to post on social media and share online.

Now Alexander hopes to take this passion, as well as what he is learning at UA, into a career in sports media.

“I just want to work for a sports team and make content for their social media,” he said.

Alexander said he is honored to be the first recipient of the Hurt scholarship, which covers $2,000.

“I just hope that everyone following me who applies, even if they think they have no chance, apply for it and see what happens,” he said. “I hope everyone who applies for it is passionate about sports and wanting to work in sports.”

Those wishing to contribute to the scholarship fund can do so here .

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