Photo from Ancestry.com

 Football Player and Restaurateur

Nickname:

Boots

Born:

March 8, 1934, Owens Cross Roads, AL

Died:

Dec. 30, 2008, Huntsville, AL

Notes:

•  Alvie Ellett is included on Record's list of "Madison Countians of Distinction" with the following notation: Professional football athlete; Restaurant Owner. - Record

•  Alvie, age 3, got a pair of boots for Christmas and liked them so much his family gave him the nickname of "Boots" and he was known as Boots for the remainder of his life. - NeuroTalk

•  Joined the Tide in 1952 when Harold "Red" Drew was football coach. - Huntsville Times

•  "In 1956, Ellett was drafted twice - by the Philadelphia Eagles and the Army. The Army won out, but he later resurrected his football career with the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League." - Huntsville Times

•  Around 1960 Ellett returned to Huntsville and opened a popular restaurant named Boots' on South Memorial Parkway. The menu featured prime rib but the fare included many items. Boots paid attention to details and made his customers feel special by remembering their names, interests, and food & drink preferences. - NeuroTalk

•  When he decided to retire, he invited his best patrons for an open -bar bash. His son said "He went out in style. They opened up the bar and the cooler and said, 'It's all paid for, have at it.' and they had one hell of a party." - NeuroTalk

•  Son of Carl Moody and Lucy Pauline Drake Ellett and they ran the family's county store in Owen Cross Roads. - NeuroTalk

•  Played football for Huntsville High - NeuroTalk

•  "He was just such a big, likable guy." Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle - Huntsville Times

•  Family: Wife Joyce; Son Boots Ellett, Jr.; daughter Lynne Ellett - Huntsville Times

•  Died two months after being diagnosed with ALS also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease (age 74). - Huntsville Times


Related Links:

•  Ancestry.com - Genealogical information (with photo) posted by tjsands1 (behind Ancestry.com membership fee wall) (Originally found at http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/8195988/person/-984943015.)

•  Huntsville Times - The Archived Obituary for Alvie Ewen Ellett by Steve Doyle (fee to read) (Originally found at http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/featobit.ssf?/base/news/1231323365135050.xml&coll=1.)

•  NeuroTalk - First part of the article from Huntsville Times by Steve Doyle when Boots died is shown here. The full article is in the archives at Huntsville Times and can be read for a fee. (Originally found at http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread7437-62.html.)

•  Record - A Dream Come True: The Story of Madison County and Incidentally of Alabama and the United States, Volume 2, by James Record, © 1978, p. 669.

The Following Pages Link to this Page:
•  Record