Decatur in Morgan County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)

Rough Riders Park

Photographed by Deborah Spencer, October 5, 2025

1. Rough Riders Park Marker

Inscription.

Rough Riders Park. . This park is dedicated to the players, coaches and families who made the Rough Riders football team unique and special part of Decatur's history. , The Rough Riders were a semi-professional football team from Decatur, Alabama. The team was formed in 1959 and was active until 1966. Overall, the Rough Riders had a 66-2 record over 7 seasons. , The Rough Riders team was formed when another semi-professional football team located in Huntsville, Alabama, needed an opponent for a special event. Several of the players heard about this and formed the team we now know as the Rough Riders. With football uniforms borrowed from Decatur's Lakeside High School, the Rough Riders traveled to Huntsville and defeated their first opponent. , The Rough Rider name was borrowed from a team in the Canadian Football League, , Playing their season starters on Labor Day, the Rough Riders usually played a team from Chattanooga. Their opponents included teams from Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee. Home games were played at Lakeside High School, often in front of capacity crowds. On 1966 the Rough Riders played their last season, starting with a victory over the Chattanoogs All-Stars., The team had very talented players, many of whom could have played for college teams. The Rough Rider team was special in that it was integrated in an otherwise segregated South. , Team Roster - Cashin Wheeler, Sr. - Head Coach . John Webb - Assistant Coach , Morris Abernathy . Fredrick Alexander . Alfred Balentine . Lee Barker . Connie Barnett . Johnnie Bolden . Samuel Cain . Charles Campbell . Percy Campbell . David Chairs . Ronnie Chatman . Lewis Coger . Ervin Cosby . Harold Crayton . Leon Crayton . Robert Daniel . Jimmy Faulk . Charlie French - Captain . Lafayette Gill . Jessie Goodloe . Robert Goodloe . Leo Gray Captain . Fernando Outlaw . Joseph Porter . Theodore Porter . Bobby Qualls . Wilkins Raybon . Kenneth Reedus . Joseph Robinson . Sammy Robinson . Clarence Saxton . Curtis Smith . Josh Hardy . Maurice Harris . Cleveland Jarmon . Leon Johnson . Floyd Jones . Walter Jones . Thomas Key . John Lewis . Mack Lewis . Sylvester Love . Willie P. Maclin . Bennie L. Malone . Newlyn Matthews . Carl McCloud . Curtis Miller . Robert Moseley . Levi Nance . James Nolan . Fernando Outlaw . Joseph Porter . Theodore Porter . Bobby Qualls . Wilkins Raybon . Kenneth Reedus . Joseph Robinson . Sammy Robinson . Clarence Saxton . Curtis Smith . John Sykes . Johnny Thompson . William Vaughn, Jr. . John Webb . Kenneth Westmoreland . Cashin Wheeler, Jr. . Willie White . Travis Williams , Honorary Member ,

This park is dedicated to the players, coaches and families who made the Rough Riders football team unique and special part of Decatur's history.

The Rough Riders were a semi-professional football team from Decatur, Alabama. The team was formed in 1959 and was active until 1966. Overall, the Rough Riders had a 66-2 record over 7 seasons.

The Rough Riders team was formed when another semi-professional football team located in Huntsville, Alabama, needed an opponent for a special event. Several of the players heard about this and formed the team we now know as the Rough Riders. With football uniforms borrowed from Decatur's Lakeside High School, the Rough Riders traveled to Huntsville and defeated their first opponent.

The Rough Rider name was borrowed from a team in the Canadian Football League,

Playing their season starters on Labor Day, the Rough Riders usually played a team from Chattanooga. Their opponents included teams from Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee. Home games were played at Lakeside High School, often in front of capacity crowds. On 1966 the Rough Riders played their last season, starting with a victory over the Chattanoogs All-Stars.

The team had very talented players, many of whom could have played for college teams. The Rough Rider team was special in that

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it was integrated in an otherwise segregated South.

Team Roster - Cashin Wheeler, Sr. - Head Coach • John Webb - Assistant Coach

Morris Abernathy • Fredrick Alexander • Alfred Balentine • Lee Barker • Connie Barnett • Johnnie Bolden • Samuel Cain • Charles Campbell • Percy Campbell • David Chairs * • Ronnie Chatman • Lewis Coger • Ervin Cosby • Harold Crayton • Leon Crayton * • Robert Daniel • Jimmy Faulk • Charlie French - Captain • Lafayette Gill • Jessie Goodloe • Robert Goodloe • Leo Gray Captain • Fernando Outlaw • Joseph Porter • Theodore Porter • Bobby Qualls • Wilkins Raybon • Kenneth Reedus • Joseph Robinson • Sammy Robinson • Clarence Saxton • Curtis Smith • Josh Hardy • Maurice Harris • Cleveland Jarmon • Leon Johnson • Floyd Jones • Walter Jones • Thomas Key • John Lewis • Mack Lewis * • Sylvester Love • Willie P. Maclin • Bennie L. Malone • Newlyn Matthews • Carl McCloud • Curtis Miller • Robert Moseley • Levi Nance • James Nolan • Fernando Outlaw • Joseph Porter • Theodore Porter • Bobby Qualls • Wilkins Raybon • Kenneth Reedus • Joseph Robinson • Sammy Robinson • Clarence Saxton • Curtis Smith • John Sykes • Johnny Thompson • William Vaughn, Jr. • John Webb • Kenneth Westmoreland • Cashin Wheeler, Jr. • Willie White • Travis Williams

* Honorary Member

Topics. This

Photographed by Deborah Spencer, October 5, 2025

2. Rough Riders Park Marker

historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Parks & Recreational Areas • Sports.

Location. 34° 36.858′ N, 87° 0.163′ W. Marker is in Decatur, Alabama, in Morgan County. It is at the intersection of 12th Avenue Northwest and 6th St NW, on the right when traveling south on 12th Avenue Northwest. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 631 12th Ave NW, Decatur AL 35601, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North Alabama.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Lest We Forget (approx. 0.2 miles away); Ingalls Shipyard (approx. 0.7 miles away); King's Memorial United Methodist Church (approx. ¾ mile away); First Missionary Baptist Church (approx. 0.8 miles away); Wayman Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church (approx. 0.8 miles away); Old Town Historic District (approx. 0.9 miles away); African American Heritage in Old Town Decatur, Alabama (approx. 0.9 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); First Railroad (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Decatur.

Credits. This page was last revised on October 7, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 6, 2025, by Deborah Spencer of Huntsville, Alabama. This page has been viewed 83 times since then and 38 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 6, 2025, by Deborah Spencer of Huntsville, Alabama. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.