BPL Staff Day: Timothy Alexander Delivers Inspiring Message

L-R: Marie Nash (North Avondale Library), Candice Hardy
(Central Library), and Connie Tolbert (Wylam Library) with Staff
Day keynote speaker Timothy Alexander

After a car accident in 2006 left him paralyzed from the neck down, ending his dreams of playing college and professional football, Birmingham’s Timothy Alexander wanted to give up.

At the time, Alexander was a 17-year-old football star at Erwin High School on the path to college football greatness, ranked the #8 player in the state of Alabama and being recruited by top college football programs across the nation. Yet Alexander, inspired by encouraging words from his mother, built a new determination to overcome doubters and has achieved accomplishments even he never imagined.

During a keynote address at the Birmingham Public Library’s 2019 Staff Day on October 24, Alexander told attendees to never underestimate the value of the work they do. He shared his amazing testimony depicted in his new book, Ever Faithful, Ever Loyal: The Timothy Alexander Story. The book is a memoir about how the Birmingham native overcame obstacles after the 2006 car wreck that left him in a wheelchair, and dedicated his life to motivating and inspiring others.

Alexander graduated from Wallace State Community College and The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where he double majored in criminal justice and communication management.

A minister, keynote speaker, and recent graduate of the John Maxwell Certification Program, Alexander lives by the phrase "We don’t need it to be easy, we just need it to be possible."

A trailblazer nationally, Alexander became the first paraplegic to receive a football scholarship at UAB and touched lives with his determination.

He was runner-up for Mr. UAB, a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, and received the Student of Excellence Award for academic/athletic performance. Alexander was among authors featured this summer as part of the BPL Local Author Lectures series.

In recent years Alexander has been one of UAB football's strongest advocates. He was leader of the 2014 #FreeUAB movement after the UAB football, bowling and rifle programs were terminated in December 2014. After receiving approximately 56 city and county proclamations supporting the reinstatement of the three teams, Alexander joined with UAB boosters and Birmingham city leaders/supporters to help raise over $40 million, leading the UAB president to announce the return of UAB football a year later.

Alexander's proudest moment came on July 18, 2016, when he was able to stand up on his own for the first time since being paralyzed. The video of him standing went viral, being featured on ABC National News, TMZ Sports, and other news stations worldwide. Alexander also walked at a UAB football game, gaining national attention.

Alexander was nominated in November 2016 for the Sports Program Feature in the 31st Midsouth Regional Emmy Awards, and was named the winner in January 2017.