For an athlete that pays attention to heights and has to evaluate situations with his eyes and brain as much as anything, Oxford high jumper Justin Fondren has a great idea of how to measure an important decision and special moment in his life.
Fondren’s latest birthday present today included a scholarship offer from the University of Alabama. His signature on the National Letter of Intent not only secured money for his future education, but a chance to learn a lot from arguably the best high jump coach in the nation in Dick Booth.
With a number of schools looking to sign Fondren, it was Alabama’s proximity to home coupled with the recent hiring of Booth, who has coached 150 All-Americans and 49 individual national champions over his 30 plus years that allowed Fondren to choose the Crimson Tide over offers from Kansas State, Texas A&M, Florida and Ole Miss, among others. (February 2, 2012, Page 7)
