Crawfish & Cornhole Tournament To Benefit Rowdy Harrell Scholarship Fund

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Rhythm & Brews in downtown Tuscaloosa will host its first-ever Crawfish & Cornhole Tournament to benefit the Rowdy Harrell Memorial Scholarship Fund.

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The event is set for 2 p.m. until 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 5, with longtime Tuscaloosa media personality and Visit Tuscaloosa marketing content manager Chelsea Barton serving as emcee.

The Crawfish & Cornhole Tournament will also feature a silent auction, live music and a cash prize for the tournament winner.

Harrell, a 2008 graduate of Hale County High School and former walk-on linebacker for the University of Alabama, went on to become a crewman for Hendrick Motorsports in NASCAR.

Harrell began his work for Hendrick Motor Sports in 2012 as a pit support member under Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the No. 88 car before being moved in 2015 to a starting position as a rear tire carrier.

Along with his time in the Sprint Cup series, Harrell also worked in the Xfinity Series as part of the championship team with William Byron in 2017 and Tyler Reddick in 2018.

Harrell remained with the No. 88 car with new driver Alex Bowman after Earnhardt’s retirement in 2017.

He was killed at the age of 30 along with his 23-year-old wife Blakley in a head-on collision in November 2020 while on their honeymoon in the Florida Keys.

The tragedy prompted an outpouring of grief and tributes, from a street in Moundville being renamed in Harrell's honor to other tributes in the world of motorsports.

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