Cold Springs' Tommy Wayne Youngblood.

Tommy Wayne Youngblood was a little down.

His career as a running back for Auburn had ended with a knee injury in 1979, and he had transferred to Jacksonville State University. 

A stud athlete for Ashville High School, the only thing Youngblood had ever known was competing at a high level on several fields of play.

His then-girlfriend Letitia knew exactly what to say, though.

“She said, ‘If you can’t play it, you can coach it,’” Youngblood said.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Youngblood — a longtime coach, teacher and administrator at Cold Springs — will be inducted into the Cullman County Sports Hall of Fame along with 10 other honorees during the annual ceremony at the Civic Center on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.

“This is an honor,” Youngblood said. “I’m overwhelmed. I couldn’t have gotten here without great kids and great parents.”

And a little nudge from Letitia — his now-wife whom he’s about to celebrate 38 years of marriage with — certainly helped.

“She’s the one that got me into coaching,” he said.

Before starting his coaching career, Youngblood lettered in football, basketball, baseball and track for Ashville. 

He was an All-State performer in football and baseball and was part of the state championship track team in 1974.

After graduating from Ashville in 1976, Youngblood lettered for the Auburn football team for three seasons, playing along with the likes of Joe Cribbs, James Brooks and William Andrews.

“I played with some of the best in the country,” Youngblood said. “Also played against (Alabama’s) Steadman Shealy, Barry Krauss, people like that. I was kind of blessed to come through during that time.”

But in the 1979 season opener against Kansas State, his career was cut short by what he described as a “massive” knee injury.

“The doctor had to put me back together,” he said. “Everything was torn. When you look down and you’re looking at your heel, you know you’re in bad shape.”

So Youngblood transferred to Jacksonville State to be closer to Letitia.

After getting his B.S. in education in 1982, Youngblood spent time at Pleasant Valley and Ragland.

In 1988, he was named the head football coach at Cold Springs. 

He coached through 1995 before stepping down, only to return from 2000-01 and in 2009. His best season came in 1993 when he led the Eagles to a third-round playoff appearance and a 9-4 record.

He also spent time as the girls head basketball coach and the head baseball coach during his tenure with Cold Springs, while teaching American history and being in charge of conditioning for athletics. He was the school’s principal from 2010-2013 before retiring.

Youngblood has the distinct honor of being a member of two Hall of Fames, having been inducted in the St. Clair County Hall of Fame in 2012.

“St. Clair County was my home. That’s where I had teammates and coached there,” Youngblood said. “That was big going back home and getting that, but this one is bigger because I’ve been at Cold Springs so long and had so many kids I coached and been around so many people. This is really special to me because it deals more with my coaching.

“I’ve been blessed to be with a bunch of dedicated kids and parents who wanted to have good programs, and to be at the right place at the right time.

“It’s why I stayed so long. It’s a great place; a hidden secret. If you want your child to have a great education, Cold Springs is a great place to come to.”