U AL initiates alum, owner of 8 wing joints

[hoosier]

Former football player, restranteur initiated into fraternity
1/17/2005, 12:57 p.m. CT


The Associated Press _

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Football and fraternity didn't mix while Bob Baumhower was attending the University of Alabama, so he's making up for lost time three decades later.

_Baumhower, who played for coach Paul "Bear" Bryant at Alabama and later for Don Shula's Miami Dolphins in the NFL, was initiated into his old college fraternity earlier this month after a delay of about 32 years.

Baumhower joined Lambda Chi Alpha in 1973, his freshman year in Tuscaloosa, but quit a few months later. Although playing for Bryant didn't leave enough time for membership, he still went to the fraternity house during college and kept his frat friends.

He was finally initiated into the social fraternity on Jan. 4 along with 19 students.

"I went through the whole process," said Baumhower, who owns several restaurants including eight Wings Sports Grilles. "It was very serious, but it was great. I had a lot of fun."

Lambda Chi vice president David Barnett said the chapter wanted to make him an honorary brother because Baumhower, who lives in Fairhope, has stayed close to Lambda Chi through the years.

"He still cared for us, so we did it out of respect for him," said the sophomore from Mobile. "It's a great thing to have him with us."

Roy Gregg, the chapter's alumni adviser, said friends in the fraternity who had kept up with Baumhower thought it would be a nice gesture, so Gregg brought it up at a chapter meeting.

Some alumni came to Baumhower's initiation, Gregg said.

"He was there and learned the mysteries of our rituals, and he was a good sport considering he was doing it with 19 college students," he said.

Baumhower has catered fraternity events in the past, and predicted even more Buffalo wings for the chapter.

"Those are my boys now," he said. "We'll have to have some nice dinners for them because they seem like great group of kids."