Anderson County mourns loss of beloved coach, mentor Elijah Alley
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” — 2 Timothy 4:7
He was a father, a son, a neighbor, a friend.
And he was a fighter and an inspiration to others.
Elijah Glenn Alley died Wednesday, Aug. 28, after battling Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis for several years.
Alley was part of the Maverick family of Anderson County High School and had committed much of his time and leadership to guiding the youth of his community.
He played football at ACHS in the 1990s, and continued to support the program after he graduated (class of 1996) and earned a bachelor’s degree from Tusculum University.
He was a youth league football coach with NAGAF and also coached at Norris Middle School.
You can’t sum up the impact of the Elijah Alleys of this world with just words. You have to know their actions.
Many won’t fully appreciate how Alley’s actions helped shape his community.
It won’t happed now. That impact and full understanding of what Alley has meant will come years down the road.
For the present, there is appreciation, a sense that something special was here and is now gone.
“Elijah meant so much to Anderson County High School and our community,” Principal Ben Downs said.
“Not only was he an unbelievable football player with incredible strength, he also embodied what it truly means to be a Maverick. He always put others before himself and spent so much time investing in the youth of our community. Elijah showed his true strength all the way until the very end, and he will always be remembered as a Maverick legend.”
Alley’s spirit extended beyond the Maverick Family. After his death, numerous posts from Clinton High School fans and officials appeared on social media sites, all showing respect for Alley.
One of those Clinton fans is Anderson County Commissioner Tracy Wandell. A Claxton native and CHS alumni, he understands what the passing of someone who touched so many lives means.
“I certainly have heartfelt emotions about this,” Wandell said.
“Prayers for the young man and his family and friends. From what I understand, he made a major impact on everyone he met,” he said.
“Elijah Alley meant so much to the Maverick family, but really, the entire community,” Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank said.
“He gave so much love and positivity, and in return, the community rallied around him to show him how much he was loved and appreciated — and supported.
“His courage in the face of his challenges has left a lasting, inspiring impact on our community that won’t be forgotten. “
For the Maverick family, the loss is heart-wrenching.
“The Anderson County football family is heartbroken for the loss of Elijah,” ACHS Athletic Director and Assistant Football Coach Gary Terry said.
“He is a pillar in our program for excellence and standard. Elijah was a mountain of a man and a mystical figure in Anderson County lore, said to be the strongest player to ever walk through the door
“Our football family grieves with the Alley family,” Terry said. “He will be with our program in spirit, and our kids will always know his story.”
He will undoubtedly live on through his volunteerism with Anderson County’s youth and through his tenacity of strength and spirit.
That tenacity was seen early in Alley’s career, so it came as no surprise to those who knew him that even though his fight with ALS would be unwinnable – there is no cure for this disease – he chose to fight it head on with determination.
“I was fortunate to have played with Elijah here at Anderson County,” ACHS Assistant Principal Travis Freeman said.
“I have heard several folks refer to him as a gentle giant. That was the case off the field, at least.”
Alley was a year behind Freeman at ACHS, and when a freshman lineman started being touted as an “impact player,” Freeman said he learned first hand of Alley’s willingness to take challenges head on.
The lesson came on the football field at Cleveland High School.
“This was the Cleveland team that started the 54-0 run they had in the early ‘90s,” Freeman said.
“They were really good and had seven or eight seniors that graduated from that team and played Division I football. They beat us pretty good at Cleveland, and Elijah was a starting defensive tackle that night. Needless to say, film review on Monday was not favorable for any of us.
“One of the plays, Elijah takes on a double team and gets driven 10-12 yards down field. I can remember one of the coaches accusing him of being on roller skates the way he was getting pushed back; but he was fighting.
“Same with this terrible disease that has taken him. I’m sure there were many days he felt like he was going backwards, but he was fighting with everything he had.”
Freeman added that four years later, Elijah Alley was a defensive leader on the Maverick team that ended Cleveland’s 54-game winning streak in the state playoff quarterfinals in 1996.
Services for Alley were held Saturday, Aug. 31, at Holley-Gamble Funeral Home in Clinton.
Elijah Alley was 45 years old.
