Former Alabama football player finds meaning in Enterprise

“It was inspiring and really neat to see a community that overcame such adversity and came together,” Tinker said. “Now instead of complaining about the boll weevil, people thank the boll weevil. It’s neat to see that because it’s something you don’t see a lot.”

After hearing about the monument from Dr. Kevin Elko, a motivational speaker for the Tide, Tinker said he was inspired by how Enterprise rebounded after an infestation of boll weevils destroyed most of the cotton crops, which supported the town.

Elko always spoke of prevailing after a circumstance by having vision, and Tinker said Enterprise was a role model for him on how to do that.

“I live in vision, and you see that in Enterprise,” he said. “People live in vision and not their circumstance. That was the coolest part for me.”

After having the monument as the background on his phone for months, on March 28, Tinker was able to see it in person.

“The first time I saw it, I got chill bumps,” he said.

The monument has a special meaning to Tinker, who lost his girlfriend, Ashley Harrison, in the April 27, 2011, tornado that hit Tuscaloosa.

“I feel the tornado was like my boll weevil,” Tinker said. “I saw it as an opportunity, instead of a circumstance.”

While Tinker was amazed at how much the boll weevil still plays a part in the everyday life in Enterprise, he knows the tornado, too, will make Tuscaloosa stronger as a community.

“Enterprise is a good role model for Tuscaloosa,” Tinker said. “I think they have similar stories. Tuscaloosa and Mayor (Walter) Maddox have done an outstanding job so far. When you drive down the street there are signs that say, ‘We’re coming back.’ It means a lot to me to see that.”

Tuscaloosa and Enterprise are just two examples of why Tinker said he is proud to call Alabama his home.

“I’ve been (to) a lot of different places and states and spoken to a lot of people, but people in Alabama have something really special about them,” he said. “I think it’s because of the adversity the state’s been through. It’s made us stronger. I love this state and all the people.”

The visit will be one Tinker never forgets, and he hopes the stories of Enterprise and Tuscaloosa will help other people overcome their troubles.

“Everyone has a circumstance, whether it is finances, family or something else,” Tinker said. “We all have stuff to go through, but you have to have a vision. That’s what the Boll Weevil Monument symbolizes. I encourage people to read about the story and see what happened.”