Doug Lockridge

Doug Lockridge graduated from Walker High School. He earned an athletic scholarship to play football at the University of Alabama when he was 16 and played center and linebacker for the Crimson Tide. He was a freshman center on the last Alabama team to play in the Rose Bowl in 1945 and played in the 1948 Sugar Bowl. Lockridge took the head coaching position at Valley High School in 1950. During his 31 years as athletic director and football coach at Valley High School, Doug Lockridge coached the team to 4 State Championships. He compiled a 169-111-10 record with Valley where he coached three undefeated teams. The 1950 team went 9-0 as did the 1959 team. The 1959 Valley Rams were named Class 2A State Champions by the Birmingham Post Herald, the Birmingham News and the UPI statewide voters. The 1962 team went 9-0 and was voted Class 2A State Champions by the ASWA voters in a season ending poll. His 1970 Valley Rams ran the table in the playoffs winning all three games and the Class 3A state title by defeating Sylacauga 23-16 in the championship game. The team finished the season with a 11-1-1 record. It was the only time during his coaching career that the Rams would qualify for the football playoffs. Lockridge was named Coach of the Year five times and was president of the Alabama Coaches Association in 1967. He was named Coach of the Year by the Birmingham Post Herald in 1962. Coach Lockridge was inducted into the Alabama High School Athletic Associations Hall of Fame in 1992. He passed away on March 3, 2008 in Valley at the age of 79.