CULLMAN, Ala. – The Fairview Aggies had another amazing season of football in 2025, going undefeated and making a deep run in the playoffs. Junior running back Weston Tankersley, also part of the 2024 team that had a lot of success as well, has had a blast over the last two years.
“Having the success that we’ve had the past two years has been unbelievable. Everyone in the program knows that the standard now is winning and getting back to where we’ve been the past two years. Coach Redding is an unbelievable leader on and off the field. He is one those guys where if you need anything, you can always ask him for help, and he has been an incredible mentor for me for as long as I’ve known him,” Tankersley said. “It’s been an amazing experience getting to learn from some of the best, especially our senior group last year. Kolt Redding, Jake Harper, Zayden Cruce, and Andrew and Avery Latham are guys that come to mind when you talk about incredible teammates. I play the same position as Jake did, so seeing what he did in certain situations, and at the level he did things, are things that I look at to mold my game.”
For Tankersley and the rest of the players going through the coaching change, they feel they’ve already learned what it takes to be successful, and have bought into new HC Brian Simmons’ mentality of keeping that winning standard, no matter the change.
Playing under coach Redding the past couple of years was such an incredible experience for Weston. He shared some of his favorite memories when he played under him, and he took away so many important things from him.
“Coach Redding is one of those guys that brings it every single day, no matter the circumstances. It could be pouring down rain, or 100 degrees and sunny. He will always be down there yelling and making sure we do everything perfectly. Some of my favorite memories are from the games that we won both region championships. Another one is when we beat Russellville in triple overtime two years ago. Nobody believed we would be good that year, and everybody thought Russellville was going to beat us.” Tankersley said.
In addition to his energy, Redding’s work ethic rubbed off on the group, who still carry it to this day. The philosophy goes beyond the weight room and practice field, too, with the main point being to just keep stacking good days, no matter what you do. With football, the good days come in the details like eating right, recovering after games all the way down to getting enough sleep.
“Coach Simmons is extremely similar in the aspect that he brings it every day. He coached with Coach Redding for 19 years, so nothing has changed within the program, except for a name and a face at head coach. He has been a great coach to me for a while now, and he has taught me everything I know on defense,” Tankersley said. “Summer went great. We had a great program, led by Colton Terry, and I believe everybody got stronger and faster. First week of fall workouts went great. We had great energy and have been pushing some good weight.”
The Aggies will have a lot of experience coming back on both sides of the ball this year, and that will be important going into a new season under coach Simmons. Weston has seen so much improvement in his game from two years to now.
“I think it plays a big factor in a team’s success, especially in those close games. You need to have people that are experienced that can step up and be leaders to the guys that haven’t been in certain situations. It also helps to be experienced. That way, you already know what to expect going into games, because you’ve already seen everything before,” he said. “It’s night and day, honestly. Everything now is so much better. My reads are better, and I can fit faster. My strength and speed have seen major improvement, even recently. My routes improved a lot this summer and the ability to get open. All of my coaches have played a major part in my development as a player. I also now have some experience from last year, which makes everything easier, because I’ve seen things before.”
The team goals haven’t changed one bit, and Weston talked about his goals for the upcoming season. God has played an enormous role in his life.
“The team goals haven’t changed. We hope to win another region title, and make another push into the playoffs. My personal goals are to hopefully get All-County and All-Region accolades, as well as have a great season on both sides of the ball,” he said. “God has always been a part of my life. I was raised in church, and I was even baptized when I was eight. I believe that the Lord will always be my rock and will be someone I can lean on through trials and tribulations. When I have a bad game or practice, I know that the Lord is there, watching over me, and I know He has a plan for my life.”
He shared a couple of his favorite Bible verses and his favorite worship song. He has taken away a couple of important things during his walk with the Lord, and he can’t wait to get on the field this season.
“Isaiah 54:17 and Psalm 28:7 are my favorite Bible verses, and So Will I is my favorite worship song. They are things I can read or listen to when I’m struggling or need something to calm me down,” he said. “I’ve learned to value my time with others and to keep a peace of mind through tough times. What I’m most excited for this season is to just get back on the field and see where all of our hard work takes us. I think a team’s faith is a big deal with a mental sport like football. We have a player that prays over the team every day before we start practice. I hope that each player on the team knows that if they are struggling with something, they can talk to anybody on the team, and get help if they need it.”
