Patrick Lemons

Patrick Lemons was born on June 27, 1973, to Chris Bishop and Larry Lemons in Arab, Alabama. The family lived in the Frye Gap area near Arab. Pat also had an older brother, Wesley, who is deceased. Wesley played baseball and was on the All-County Golf Team at AHS. After his death, Patrick and his wife, Krisa, raised his daughter, Cesley, from age 12.

Pat played junior high football at Arab under Coaches Ken Plunkett and Ronnie Graham and basketball under Coaches Chris Leak and Don Laney. He made both the All-County football and basketball teams as an 8th grader. Following the 8th grade, the family moved to Rainbow Crossing in Blount County and Patrick played football, basketball, and baseball at J. B. Pennington HS in the 9th and 10th grades. As a sophomore, Pat played running back and also returned punts and kick-offs as the Tigers went to the second round of the AHSAA play-offs that year. 

In 1991, the Lemons family returned to Arab for Patrick’s final two years of high school. MCSHOF Coach Larry “Pod” Patterson was the Head Football Coach and the Knights would go on to have outstanding teams during his tenure there. In 1991, the Knights went 7-3 and Lemons, now 5’10” and 170 pounds, rushed for 1703 yards on 216 carries, scored 26 touchdowns, averaged over 7 yards per carry, and also threw a TD pass. In the 1992 season, the Knights had another winning season and Pat ran for 1411 yards on 201 carries, averaged over 6 yards per carry, and scored 16 TDs. In those 2 years, he also totaled over 800 yards on punt and kick-off returns. The only other Arab player to eclipse the 1000-yard mark in back-to-back years was 2012 MCSHOF inductee Danny Maze. In Patrick’s 2 years at AHS, he was a 2-time All-Marshall County and All-Area running back. He was also selected to the All-State team by the Birmingham News and the ASWA as a Junior.

Patrick was also an exceptional player for the Knights in basketball and baseball. For MCSHOF Coach Bill Wharton, he led the basketball team in 3-point percentage, was second on 2-point goals, and received the “Hustle Award” as a senior. Lemons was also an exceptional catcher in baseball under Coach Steve Street. He received All-County and All-Area recognitions for 2 years. As a senior, he was the Offensive MVP, played in the East-West All-Star game in Huntsville, and was invited to the Florida State Seminole Select Baseball School. 

Unfortunately, prior to playing college football, Patrick received a severe neck and back injury in an automobile accident that ended his athletic career. However, he never lost his love of athletics. Patrick became a coach and coached for 21 years at several schools, including Guntersville, Brindlee Mountain, Holly Pond, Pickens County, and Brewer. He also had the opportunity and joy to coach both of his sons, Gunner and Logan.

Patrick is currently employed in the Transportation Department for Morgan County Schools and has a Food Truck business that services athletic events, festivals, and other community activities. He and Krisa have two sons. Gunner played football at Guntersville HS, served in the U.S. Air Force, and has two children, Brodie and Nora. Logan played sports at both Brewer and Brindlee Mountain and is also in the USAF. He and his wife Jessalyn live in Hulaco and are expecting their first child.  For many years, Patrick and Krisa have also served as foster parents, taking in homeless children for short-term or long–term stays and providing them with a stable home environment.