COLUMN: Super Fan Zach Petruccelli's Pure, Unrivaled Love For The Crimson Tide

*This is an opinion column*

"If you laugh, you think and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special."

- Jim Valvano (1993)

TUSCALOOSA, AL —As I grimaced, pushed and elbowed in the scrum of bodies to get photos of the Alabama men's basketball team exiting the terminal at the Tuscaloosa National Airport on Easter Sunday, I could hear an excited young man standing beside me yelling "Mark! Mark!" when consensus All-American Mark Sears came through the doors.

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That young man reaching out for a quick high-five from the talented Alabama guard was Zach Petruccelli and his love for the Crimson Tide is pure. Unlike anything you've ever seen, it's an unconditional devotion few of us can understand, especially when the going gets tough in the ol' win-loss column and fair-weather fans start falling away.

Indeed, so often many of us lose sight of the fact that these are games mostly played by children and are not matters of life and death. Zach understands this better than any of us and doesn't spend much, if any, time fretting over the losses.

Zach is 26 years old, was born with Down Syndrome and his mother Rhonda Petruccelli told me he can be found outside of the airport terminal just about every time an Alabama sports team flys out of Tuscaloosa or comes back home — win, lose, rain, sleet, snow, shine or otherwise.

His Dad, Greg, is a commercial airline pilot for Delta, after all, so airports are Zach's turf.

He is also a beloved member of New Hope Baptist Church in Fosters and takes special care to pray for the teams' safe travel to away games and safe return home.

According to his mother, he may or may not have offered up a prayer for the Crimson Tide to win it all at the Final Four, but who among us can say we haven't, either?

Doesn't hurt to ask, right?

"He loves anything Alabama and puts his whole heart into it," she said, explaining that his bedroom is decked out in Tide finery and he has an Alabama football shower curtain in his bathroom. "Whether they win or lose, he doesn't care and never gives up on them. I didn't think we'd get past North Carolina and when we won, he looked at me and said 'I told you so'."

And like a Druid City version of Frank Sinatra at Melvyn’s in Palm Springs, Zach even has his very own table and waitress at Baumhower's Victory Grille during the broadcasts of the "Hey Coach!" radio show.

Can you claim such celebrity status in Tuscaloosa? I sure can't.

"It’s always great to see him at the coach’s show or other events," Crimson Tide Sports Network broadcaster Chris Stewart told me from Phoenix. "He’s got such a sweet spirit and soul, it makes you smile. But it’s also awesome to see his excitement for all things Crimson Tide."

Seeing God At The Tuscaloosa Airport

I've never been to Phoenix or even more cultured places like Paris or Rome.

No, my tired eyes have never rested on a truly priceless work of art from Da Vinci or Van Gogh, so the things I've seen in my life aren't all that awe-inspiring. That is, other than sports.

I was raised a middle-class Baptist and can quote the scripture pretty well, but I'm not overly religious, either, to tell you the truth. I do pray regularly to whoever is listening, though, and wholeheartedly believe in some kind of higher power.

Yet, of everything these peepers have and haven't seen in the course of a cynical journalism career, I'm convinced I saw God at work not once, but twice, at the Tuscaloosa National Airport over the last week.

As such things go, it should come as little surprise to you, dear reader, that it took more than once for my eyes to see it.

For starters, I was selfishly a bit chapped as I looked around and reminded myself I wouldn't be on any kind of flight to Phoenix for Alabama's very first Final Four appearance. Couple that with the fact I left early from a family Easter gathering to cover Alabama's return from Los Angeles on Sunday and maybe you have an idea of where my head was on Easter Sunday.

I'm not complaining about the chance to report on such a historic moment for my hometown and alma mater so much as I'm lamenting the limitations of a one-man community news outlet that aren't anyone's fault. It's the trade-off that comes with the editorial freedom I so dearly value.

The news cycle doesn't seem to stop, though, and I often find myself in bad moods having to chase a story that would only happen on a day like Easter.

Never mind I've stood outside of that terminal at the airport in my hometown more times than I've actually flown in an airplane and it was nearly impossible to not have a sour disposition trying to meet my obligations to my beloved readers while knowing I couldn't leave for the Final Four without leaving behind my myriad responsibilities at home.

Fast-forward to Tuesday afternoon and I was back outside of the airport terminal for the second time in less than a week as the Crimson Tide basketball team and staff showed up one by one or in small groups to depart from Tuscaloosa for Phoenix.

A long line of fans eventually formed along the curb in front of the terminal, with many holding signs or crimson and white shakers. Big Al was in attendance, as well, serving as the opening act to get the crowd warmed up.

And as you probably already expected, Zach was among the throng of revelers.

University of Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne was the first notable face to arrive and engage with the Tide faithful, making it a point to go down the line and speak to just about everybody.

For several minutes Byrne handed out fist-bumps, scratched the heads of a few dogs and took the time for every single selfie request. I kept pace with him as I walked backward shooting video and was focused on getting the right angles — unaware that the universe was about to grab me by the heart and start talking to me.

Then Byrne arrived to Zach and leaned his tall frame over to give the young man a good, old-fashioned hug.

As I told both Byrne and Zach's mother on Wednesday, I'm glad I was wearing sunglasses because the moment made me want to hide behind a nearby tree and squall like a child.

"How you doing buddy, good to see you. You ready [for the Final Four]?" Byrne asked, to which Zach responded with a grin wider than Grant Nelson's wingspan and said "Oh yes sir!"

"You got your ankles taped?"

"OH YEAH!"

I can pinpoint this as the exact moment my aforementioned crabby attitude was turned on its head and I began to feel nudged along by some cosmic force to tell the world about Zach — a good-faith agent of unrelenting positivity and unconditional love at a time when both concepts are becoming exceedingly rare in the society around us.

Rhonda Petruccelli told me that Zach met Crimson Tide basketball coach Nate Oats earlier this year, along with a couple of players (Mark Sears is his obvious favorite). But his first interaction with Alabama's athletic director left an indelible impression on the young man.

"One time we were at the airport and Greg Byrne came over to Zach and Zach never forgot who he was [after that]," she said. "It's unbelievable. And if these guys had any idea what just a simple fist-bump or high-five does for him."

In the years since we launched Tuscaloosa Patch, I've documented Byrne's heart for people and, despite being on the other side of the country for one of the most highly anticipated sporting events in Crimson Tide history, he still took the time to share a few thoughts about that simple and brief interaction with Zach on Tuesday.

"I say this regularly but one of the things I most love about college sports is that we check our differences at the door and we all come together for the Alabama Crimson Tide or whatever team you cheer for," Byrne told Patch. "It is powerful when we have opportunities to show kindness to one another through our words and actions. People remember how they are treated by others."

Indeed. It's certainly something Zach won't soon forget, if he ever does.

While Zach can make a pretty strong case for Crimson Tide super fan status, his undying support for his hometown team has earned him several high-profile fans of his own.

"Last year, he was able to go out on the practice field and that tickled him to death," Rhonda said. "He has a special player he loves every year and last year it was [defensive back] Kool-Aid McKinstry and I can't tell you enough what a nice young man he is. ... When we go out to the airport during football season and the players get off the bus, they usually just make a beeline for the door. But last year, Kool-Aid got out of the line and came over to Zach, talked to him and signed his jersey. It's framed above his bed."

Rhonda went on to say that the No. 4 worn by quarterback Jalen Milroe is going to be the hot item for the 2024 football season as the signal-caller has taken the place of Zach's favorite player, who is departing for the NFL and a likely first-round draft selection.

Another big fan of Zach's is none other than Alabama basketball head coach Nate Oats, who sent me a couple of photos of the grinning pair at Baumhower's for "Hey Coach!"

“Zach’s love for Alabama and the Tide is one of many examples that makes our job so special," Coach Oats told Patch from Phoenix on Wednesday. "I love connecting with our fans and seeing Zach every week at 'Hey Coach!' brings a smile to my face.”

Zach loves Crimson Tide sports, sure, but even that level of devotion by no means completely defines who he is.

Disney is another of his passions, especially trips to Walt Disney World or on Disney cruises.

This is thanks in no small part to Certified Travel Associate Theresa Perry of Key to the World Travel — an incredibly wonderful and kind woman my own family has considered family for years before I sat down to write this column. Her husband, Scott Perry, was also the principal at Holy Spirit when Zach was a student.

It's a small world, after all, right?

"We’ve known them for a long time and now that I plan all of their travel, Zach calls me to tell me where he wants to go," Theresa Perry told me. "And he loves talking to Scott."

Like his love for the Crimson Tide, it's worth noting that Zach is very much a Disney purist and his favorite film is "Beauty and The Beast" — the iconic 1991 version, of course, not the cash-grab CGI remake that came out a few years ago.

Indeed, perhaps the only thing that might truly have a shot at competing with Alabama athletics for his undivided attention are Disney princesses, particularly Belle in her flowing yellow gown.

"Oh he loves Belle, period, " Rhonda told me. "We go on the Disney cruise every year and he figures out what door the princesses come through. Then he usually lets them escort him."

Apart from his personal interests, though, Zach is a busy man who works three days a week at the nearby supermarket in Fosters and doesn't have to go very far to attend Eagles Wings — a beloved nonprofit in Coker that offers a range of services to those with developmental disabilities, with the goal of promoting independent living skills and job training.

Zach's devotion to the Crimson Tide has made him a popular commodity, though, and while it's unlikely he and his family will be able to attend the semifinal round of the Final Four this weekend, it won't matter to Zach.

All he needs is his Crimson Tide game-time chair, the burning passion in his heart and the talented team he loves so much running the floor against the No. 1 UConn Huskies in the single-biggest game in the program's history.

"No matter where I go in town, somebody knows him, so I'm just his driver," the celebrity's mother and chauffeur said. "It's pretty fun to watch him watching games because his love just runs so deep. Zach will be at that airport when nobody else is and he'll be there when they get back from the Final Four, whether they lose in the first game or win it all."

Ryan Phillips is an award-winning journalist, editor and opinion columnist. He is also the founder and field editor of Tuscaloosa Patch. The opinions expressed in this column are in no way a reflection of our parent company or sponsors. Email news tips to ryan.phillips@patch.com.