Byron “Boz” Whitaker has never been the kind of man to love a little.

If the 1952 Hanceville graduate is going to love, it’s going to be a lot — and it’s going to last until the day he dies.

Whitaker spent more than 30 years as a catcher in the Independent Baseball League, carried the chains at Hanceville High for another three decades and remains a steadfast supporter of all things Bulldogs.

And he’s loved every minute of it.

That love will be reciprocated at the Cullman Civic Center on April 25, as Whitaker and 10 others are inducted into the Cullman County Sports Hall of Fame. This year’s honorees account for the hall’s 16th class.

“It’s an honor,” said Whitaker, now 81. “I never dreamed about it. I just played ball a lot of years because I liked to play.”

While football was Whitaker’s favorite sport, he also dabbled in basketball during his school days. He played running back for the Dawgs’ 9-0-1 squad in 1950 and was co-captain his senior year.

No other Hanceville football team went undefeated in the regular season until the 2011 Purple and Gold finished 10-0. Those boys certainly made lifelong memories throughout their perfect run, and so did Whitaker. His biggest came in the form of a 13-0 shutout at Cullman, when the rivals annually closed their campaigns against each other.

Whitaker knew exactly what set his spotless squad apart. There were no individuals. Only one team.

“There weren’t any heroes or anything,” he said. “We just played as a ball team.”

Whitaker must not have taken enough of a beating in the Bulldogs’ backfield, because his next move involved putting plenty of wear and tear on his knees as the backstop in the Independent Baseball League. He stuck with the position until he was 55 and, even then, still wasn’t ready to say goodbye.

“I wouldn’t have quit then, but they quit having teams,” he said. “I loved playing baseball.”

In addition to being a defensive force, Whitaker could also hold his own at the plate. He had no excuse not to.

“Of course a catcher ought to be a good hitter,” he said. “He sees more balls better than anybody else.”

Whitaker, who served in the United States Navy, spent five years coaching Little League baseball and three coaching Pee Wee football. The two don’t even add up to half the time he logged on Hanceville’s chain gang.

There weren’t any particular games that stood out to Whitaker during his lengthy stay on the sideline, but there were a few recurring occurrences.

They almost made him feel like he was on the field again.

“I’ve been knocked down a few times,” he said with a laugh.

Whitaker still attends as many Hanceville athletic events as possible and said he plans to be in the building for his big induction.

Don’t think he’d like to go, though.

Actually, he’d love to.

“As far as I know, I’ll be there,” Whitaker said. “Unless someone cripples me between now and then.”