Barney Wilson

Wilson was a three-sport athlete at Oxford High School before graduating in 1969. “Big Barney” started at both linebacker and center as a senior for coach Jack Grizzard’s 1968 Yellow Jackets. Oxford finished the regular-season 7-2 then defeated Cobb Avenue of Anniston 12-6 in the Anniston Quarterback Club’s Crippled Children’s charity game. 

The Yellow Jackets lost to Gadsden and Saks but opened the season with a 19-0 shutout of rival Anniston on Oxford’s home turf then shut out Jacksonville 27-0 on the road. 

Oxford defeated Emma Sansom, Wellborn, Talladega, Alexandria and Albertville before edging Cobb Avenue and earning the mythical Calhoun County championship. In the win over Talladega, Wilson intercepted a pass at midfield and returned the pick for a touchdown. 

When the county coaches met to name the 1968 all-county team, Wilson was one vote short of being a unanimous selection at center. Wilson had earned a starting role at center in preseason practice as a junior.

He was also a two-year starter in basketball for Gene Bussey. Wilson regularly scored in double figures. As a senior, He had a team-high 25 points as the Yellow Jackets defeated Calhoun County Training School 93-83 in the opening round of the county tournament. Two nights later, Wilson scored 10 of Oxford’s 37 points in an 84-37 loss to Cobb Avenue. He was the only Oxford player named to the all-tournament team. 

Wilson excelled in baseball from the start of his high school days. He was Oxford’s most successful pitcher as a sophomore, going 4-0 with 1-0 shutout and 11 strikeouts in his final game. The Yellow Jackets ended the season 9-3.         

Wilson often played third base for the Yellow Jackets when he wasn’t pitching. He belted 16 career home runs and had a career won-lost record of 15-3. Jacksonville State baseball coach Rudy Abbott made Wilson a member of his first recruiting class. 

Wilson earned All-Gulf South Conference recognition in 1970 as a freshman and again in 1973 as a senior. The 1973 team became the first Jacksonville State team to reach the college world series. Wilson entered the final qualifying game in relief and fanned eight of the final nine batters he faced to preserve Jacksonville State’s win.    

Wilson played professional baseball for four seasons. He retired after the 1976 season even though he had pitched to a 1.16 ERA over 31 innings.