Randy Beard

Randy Beard follows his uncles, John L. Beard and Buddy Beard, into the Marshall County Sports Hall of Fame. Randy and his younger brother, Will, grew up in Martling, Alabama, learning football and baseball playing in a pasture beside their house and basketball in the old Martling School Auditorium. Randy was born October 23, 1943. His father, Herschel Beard, was a Cotton Ginner at Martling and his mother, Mary Ella Beard, taught school at Martling and Asbury for more than forty years. She was a beloved teacher who believed that all children deserved to be exposed to art, music, literature, and the social graces. She left her students filled with confidence and ambition. Both parents encouraged their sons to participate in all sports. Will would also become an outstanding three-sport athlete at Marshall County High School. In the 1950's, independent basketball teams would hold tournaments in rural communities like Martling and Asbury and that was a source of real entertainment for rural children such as Randy and Will. They would watch players like Moosey Waldrep, Tom and Shag Richey, Bonny Harper, Euell McCauley, and Floyd Brown; then go home and practice their moves on a goal nailed to the barn door. Randy began playing organized basketball in the seventh grade at Asbury Junior High School under Hall of Fame inductee, Cecil Wright. During those years, Asbury had a successful basketball program. Players like Jimmy Drain, Mickey Moore, Johnny Roden, Hoyt Orr and Bruce Wright went on from Asbury to play at Albertville High School for Hall of Fame Charter Class inductee, Coach Shannon Sloan. During Randy's ninth grade year, the Asbury basketball team played almost thirty games throughout Northeast Alabama, finally losing in the District Finals to Scottsboro. In one game, Randy scored 47 points. Needless to say, he did not have an assist. After graduating from the ninth grade at Asbury, Albertville High School football coach, Bobby Golden, and basketball coach, Shannon Sloan, tried to persuade Randy's parents to send him to Albertville to play football and basketball. However, Randy's father insisted that he attend Guntersville where all the "Beard Boys" (Herschel, Buddy, Guy, Happy, and John L.) had played. Beard therefore attended Marshall County High School and had an outstanding career in athletics, lettering in football, basketball and baseball. He was coached in football by the legendary Hall of Fame Charter Class inductees, Coaches Joe Chorba and Percy Lee. He played football and basketball with and against many Marshall County Hall of Fame members, including Eugene Griep, Frankie McClendon, Bill Jones, Charlie Pell, Gilmore Brannon, Jackie Thrower and others. In football, Beard played tight end on offense and linebacker on defense. During his senior year, he caught three touchdown passes for a team that seldom threw the ball and on defense, intercepted five passes from his linebacker spot. He was selected to the All-Marshall County Team and Honorable Mention All-State. In 1960, Hall of Fame inductee Tom Richey came to Guntersville as the Wildcat's head basketball coach. Beard played for Coach Richey his junior and senior seasons. As a senior, Beard averaged just under 14 points a game and led his team in rebounding. He was a deadly outside shooter, unfortunately, years before the three point basket. For his play in 1961, Beard was selected to the All Marshall County team, All Marshall County Tournament Team and All Northeast Alabama Tournament Teams. In his last game, in the finals of the district tournament, Beard scored 18 points but MCHS was defeated by an Albertville team that was led by former Martling/Asbury teammates Mickey Moore and Johnny Roden. In 1962, Randy accepted a scholarship to play football at the University of Kentucky under Head Football Coach, Blanton Collier. After one year at Kentucky and a coaching change, he returned to the University of Alabama and received a law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1968. He returned to Guntersville to practice that same year. In 1973, after Will's graduation from Cumberland Law School, the two established the firm of Beard & Beard in Guntersville. They were later joined by Randy's son-in-law, P. J. Harris, and Will's son, Jim Beard. Randy is an experienced trial lawyer, and a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers, whose membership is peer selected and limited to less than 1% of attorneys in the United States and Canada. He has the highest possible rating by Martindale-Hubble, a lawyer ranking service, and has lectured at Continuing Legal Education Seminars and other events. When Randy Beard was in his early 50's, he started team roping. As a roper, he has owned several good horses and won several roping events. Randy and Mary Kate Stribling Beard have been married 44 years. They have two daughters, Winn Harris of Guntersville and Haisley Smith of Birmingham. They also have three grandchildren, Jack Harris, age 9, Gus Harris, age 5, and Adelaide Smith, age 5. According to Randy, Jack shares his grandfather's love of sports and excels in basketball; Gus is a work in progress; and Adelaide will one day be a cheerleader at Alabama.