Timothy Brigham has looked up to many people during the course of his accomplished life.

Now, the 1976 Hanceville graduate will get to stand alongside most of them.

Brigham, along with nine other deserving honorees, will head into the Cullman County Sports Hall of Fame when the 18th class is officially installed during the annual banquet at the Civic Center on April 22.

“I’m definitely honored,” Brigham said. “There’s so many people in the Hall of Fame that I respect. I’m thankful to be a part of it for the rest of my life.”

The multi-sport athlete put together a fine highlight reel with the Bulldogs in four different sports.

He helped the Purple and Gold collect a county hoops title under coach Lane Horton in 1976 and was also named All-County and All-Area during his senior season.

On the football field, he was selected as the team’s most valuable lineman after leading the team in tackles in the 1975 campaign, when Hanceville finished with a 7-3 record.

His favorite memory came during a game against Mortimer Jordan, where the Bulldogs only dressed out 17 players but secured a 28-0 road victory over their opponent on homecoming night.

“The story in the Birmingham paper was pretty good,” he recalled.

Brigham was also a member of the 1974 and 1975 track teams that won county titles. He placed first in discus in the area during his junior season and joined the baseball during his senior campaign.

“I just played that my last year so I could letter in four sports,” he said. “It was tough doing that and track. I would go throw discus and shot put in my baseball uniform some days. Football was my favorite sport, though, especially defense. I loved hitting people. Nothing dirty, because sometimes it hurt you just as bad as it hurt them. There was something about laying the wood. It was fun.”

After high school, Brigham accepted a football scholarship with Troy. However, after just one redshirt season, he left the program because “I was tired of being broke.”

He then worked in a blast furnace for a few years before nabbing a job in the coal mines for 13 years.

Brigham decided to return to school to become a registered nurse and spent 20 years working at UAB until his retirement in 2012.

Next Saturday, he’ll walk the path many other Cullman County greats have walked over the years.

Let’s just say … he’s looking forward to it.

“I had friends at every school in the county from second grade all the way through,” Brigham said. “It’ll be good to see all of those people again. I can’t wait.”