WES NEIGHBORS: From College Football Hall of Fame lineman to popular radio show host, he has lived his life in the way his father and Bear Bryant taught him

Story By Bob Labbe | Photos By Joshua Berry | Living 50 Plus

Success has always been along for the ride alongside Wes Neighbors. Born Feb. 1964 at Huntsville Hospital, and delivered by an uncle who was a doctor, to College Football Hall of Fame offensive lineman Billy Neighbors, the young Neighbors seemed destined to be an achiever in everything he would be associated with from athletics to business and a dynamite family man.

Now, at age 60, Neighbors is enjoying the riches of his hard work and passion to achieve as he’s President/Owner of Neighbors Wealth Management Group, which has for the last 12 years been part of the Private Advisors Group of New York City. He also owns a radio station where he is co-host of a daily afternoon sports program called “The Drive,” and lives on an 85-acre farm with his wife, Phyllis, of 16 years. Most know him as a former member of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team where he earned All-American honors and was one of the last players recruited by then head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, but there is so much more to the man who has been inducted to the Huntsville-Madison County Athletic Hall of Fame and had a role in a major motion picture.

“I love what I do as a financial consultant. Radio is sort of a fun outlet for me,” said Neighbors. “Phyllis and I love being on our farm where we have cows, horses, chickens and even ducks, which swim around in a baby pool.”

Growing up in Huntsville and attending Huntsville High, Neighbors was a multi-sport athlete who many thought would be a great basketball player. “Unfortunately, I grew wider instead of taller,” said Neighbors with what people know as his rambunctious, loveable laugh. Upon his talents in football, he was named a High School All-American, but never wavered about where he would attend college as his father was an All-American player for the Crimson Tide and player for both the Boston Patriots and Miami Dolphins professionally and would be elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003. The elder Neighbors died in April 2012.

Upon graduating from Huntsville High in 1982, Neighbors made his way to Tuscaloosa eager to play for Bryant, but just 10 days prior to the season-opening game he suffered an injury and was redshirted and never got to play in a game under Bryant as the legendary coach retired at the end of the 1982 season and died a month later. When Neighbors returned the following season, he was among the team that would suit up under new head coach Ray Perkins. Playing through 1986, Neighbors earned All SEC and All-American honors on the offensive line and won the Jacob’s Trophy as the best blocker in the SEC for the 1986 season.

He was drafted by the Houston Oilers but suffered a fractured vertebrae in his back. “I could not play after that. I flunked the team physical. I had to stop my dream of playing in the NFL,” said Neighbors. “I came home disappointed. My dad told me if the NFL did not last, I could work with him, so I signed on as a broker at Thompson-McKinney where my dad was working. Now 37 years later, I’m still at it with my own company.”

In 2012, Neighbors’ life would change again, this time in sadness as well as excitement about his future connected in radio.

“I was working for Merrell Lynch and was about to go out on my own, but two days later my dad passed away of a heart attack,” said Neighbors, with a touch of sadness in his voice. “In July of that year I began a radio appearance on 97.7 FM in exchange for advertising. I did that for a year. Then I hooked up with Steve Moulton at the station on a sports show and everybody could tell we bounced off one another pretty well and I started having a great time at radio. It was then people began to call me to advertise.”

In 2018 Neighbors bought the radio station that is known as WZZN Sports Radio 97.7 The Zone, home of ESPN Radio. Today, he has 15 employees and each has two jobs: work their assigned position and sell advertising. “They all do their best to make it the best radio station possible,” said Neighbors, who works alongside Moulton as co-hosts of the daily, two-hour program called The Drive. Neighbors added, “I hate my voice. Hey, I didn’t know I had a speech impediment until I got into radio, but my knowledge of sports, especially football, is what I bring to the show, along with a decent sense of humor. I love all people as my father was the same way.”

Wherever he travels people always want to talk about Alabama football and the legend Bear Bryant. Those same sports fans ask simple questions such as, who was the best player he played against. Neighbors’ answer, “Reggie White of Tennessee. He made us change our rules after the first quarter due to Reggie being so good. He usually lined up at nose guard in my face as I played center. He was by far the most effective player I played against.”

Who was the best player at Alabama? “We had many great ones, but I’d say Cornelius Bennett. He was a tremendous talent at linebacker.”

Who was the best player he ever saw? “Mike Munchak, the former Penn State player who would play for the Houston Oilers at offensive guard. He was the most dominant player I had played with. Just an incredible talent.”

A day doesn’t go by that someone doesn’t mention to Neighbors the name Bear Bryant. He said of the legendary coach, “I was brought up with him as my dad played for him. He influenced me greatly, especially through my dad. I remember being on the sidelines with him as a kid. My solid work ethic in my life came from him.”

Knowing the history of Neighbors, his father and Coach Bryant, it’s only natural that Neighbors would play his father in the Hollywood movie about Coach Bryant starring Gary Busey as Bear Bryant. The movie, “The Bear,” was made in 1984. Much of the movie was filmed in Atlanta where Neighbors made his way to the action and was paid $2,200 for three days work in the film. The scene where Neighbors made his acting debut and caused him to join the Screen Actors Guild, of which he remains a member, was one that in real life featured his father when the elder Neighbors was a freshman at Alabama playing for Bryant.

In the scene, Bryant was upset with Neighbors during a practice session and told the young player to block him. The two physically met with the end result of Neighbors laying flat on his back from a block from Bryant. Neighbors rose, dusted himself off and called Bryant back and told Bryant to try and block him. The legendary coach obliged the unusual request from the spunky offensive lineman from Alabama. This time Neighbors got the best of Coach Bryant sending him to the ground to which Bryant arose and told everyone that’s how you play.

“On the movie set they taught me how to fall back from the hit from Busey and when it was my time for me to hit Busey, they brought in an extra, a stuntman in place of the lead actor,” said Neighbors of one of the most memorable scenes in the movie. “The director encouraged me to hit the stuntman, but I said I could hurt him. The stuntman even said he was tough and not to worry about hurting him. So, after I and the surrounding players sounded off about possible injury to the stuntman, we went through the scene twice. The director was not happy with the first take, so we did it again. This time, I caught him with a forearm and drove him to the ground. I knocked him unconscious and broke his leg. Yes, they left the hit in the actual movie.”

Between them, Neighbors and Phyllis have five children. Ryan is a day trader and new restaurant detailer, Wesley is the safeties coach at Ole Miss, Connor works as the strength coach at Louisiana-Lafayette, Savannah and Anna are both married with families. Altogether, they have produced 11 grandchildren for Neighbors and his wife who both attended Huntsville high together where Phyllis played tennis and would later win the Gulf South Conference Championship playing for the UNA Lions’ program. They went their own ways, but on Mother’s Day 19 years ago they met again and soon began a loving relationship that Neighbors said he cherishes and knows Phyllis puts up with a lot from him. He also knows she’s a hard worker at everything she attempts to do.

“A perfect day for me is to wake up at 6:00 a.m., go to the office I have in my home, tend to what I need to do on the farm and then drive into Huntsville for my business then to radio for the live program,” said Neighbors, who is also acting President of the Bear Bryant Foundation.

All through his recent professional business ownerships, family time and just everyday life on a farm, Neighbors also fought health issues. He was diagnosed with kidney cancer and had a kidney removed in 2021. Not long afterwards, he was diagnosed with a severe blockage of the bladder and underwent surgery to cut out the blockage. He also suffers from arthritis in both his hands and shoulders.

But through each of the serious events in his life he has come through with success and achieved what he has set out to accomplish. Similar to his movie role, Neighbors has been knocked down but has risen to knock out his competition in business and live his life in an utmost way both his father and Bear Bryant taught him and would be proud of.