ALBANY SPORTS HALL OF FAME: Antwone Savage didn’t want to let anyone down

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second in a series of stories profiling the four members of the 2016 class being inducted into the Albany Sports Hall of Fame.

ALBANY — Growing up in a family of girls, Adrienne Savage wasn’t heavily involved in the sports world.

But the mother of two athletic boys quickly learned enough about the games her sons were involved with, enough to give her son Antwone constructive criticism on the ride home.

“His father got onto him more than I did,” Mrs. Savage said. “I didn’t get onto him too hard, but I did tell him when he made mistakes and gave him positive feedback.”

After celebrated high school, college and professional football careers, Antwone Savage will be one of four inducted into the Albany Sports Hall of Fame Monday night at the Hilton Garden Inn.

Savage credits a support group that ranges from his parents — Alphonso and Adrienne — to former coaches, as well as his wife and two daughters for helping mold him into the person he is today. The former Westover High School and University of Oklahoma football standout currently teaches and coaches at Americus-Sumter High School, and he also serves as head coach of the Georgia Firebirds, Albany’s newest arena football team.

“It’s an honor to be inducted into the Albany Sports Hall of Fame,” Savage said. “I’m excited.”

Savage showed his versatility at an early age in Pee Wee football, where he played a variety of positions, notably wide receiver.

“My first coach was coach Sanders and he instilled a lot in me,” Savage said. “But after two years, my dad became my coach and I played just about every sport — football, basketball and baseball. With my dad being the coach, I tried hard not to let him down.”

Savage developed into a standout prospect where he played for several coaches during his prep career at Westover. He verbally committed to Auburn where he had been recruited as an athlete, but when the Tigers ousted former coach Terry Bowden, Savage was never recruited by the Tigers again.

He held offers from many schools. However, Westover’s coach his senior year — Richard Hodges — was from Ohio and he made a call to a close friend — Oklahoma head football coach Bob Stoops whom Hodges shared a close friendship with.

“He had me flying out (to Oklahoma) the next day,” Savage said.

After a strong senior campaign, when he accounted for 2,099 yards while playing quarterback, wide receiver and cornerback, Savage signed with the Sooners and immediately had an effect, playing in 12 games as a freshman and making six starts. He was named Freshman of the Year in the Big 12 in 1999 by The Sporting News.

He helped the Sooners to the 2000 national championship, catching two passes for 23 yards in the 13-2 victory over Florida State in the Orange Bowl.

Savage at the time set the career record for catches at Oklahoma, finishing with 149. He finished with 1,910 yards and 13 touchdowns in his collegiate career.

“My mom, dad, wife and kids, they’ve always supported me in everything, not just sports,” Savage said. “I just don’t want to let people down. If they’re happy, I’m happy.”

Savage played as a wide receiver for the Albany Panthers before the arena football team folded after the 2013 season. He took over as head coach of the Georgia Firebirds after the team lost its season opener 86-0.

In his time as the head coach, the Firebirds are 2-1 after winning their last two.

His ethics, rooted in integrity and hard-work that he learned early from his parents, is still evident. As an assistant football coach at Americus-Sumter and the Firebirds coach, he instructs his players that hard work will pay off.

“If you want something, you have got to put in,” Savage said. “Nothing from nothing leads to nothing.”