Winfrey Sanderson - Early Life

Early Life

Winfrey Sanderson was named for his uncle, Hayes Winfrey, who died from kidney problems in his twenties after he blocked a punt in his stomach during a high school football game.

His father, who worked for an auto parts company, died when he was 6, and Sanderson, an only child, shared an apartment with his mother, Christine, a secretary for the Veterans Administration. Wimp was more of an athlete than a student, more Mr. Popular than either. His senior year in high school, he beat the would-be valedictorian to become class president.

In 1955, Sanderson went to Abilene Christian College to play basketball. He planned to go into radio and television, but flunking Spanish soured his plans. He transferred home to Florence State (now the University of North Alabama) and continued his hoops career while graduating in physical education. He took a high school head coaching job in Carbon Hill, Alabama and one year later, in 1959-60, he went to Alabama as a graduate assistant under Hayden Riley for $75 a month. Sanderson figured it was a stepping stone for a better high school job.

"When he was hired, Wimp felt a tremendous amount of pressure", said his wife, Annette. "He had his doubters. People wondered,`Why did they ever hire Wimp?'"