History and the hardwood—those were Brandon “Scott” Atterton’s two biggest passions. The high school basketball star from Bryant, Ala. was one of the lives lost during the April 27 tornado. Atterton was a lifelong resident of Bryant and enjoyed playing basketball, golf and other sports when he was not being a model son, brother and uncle.

“Scott was such a sweet and caring guy. He always welcomed everyone with open arms and a big hug,” said Brittany Defur, a friend who attended the University with him. “He didn’t care to just be himself, no matter what others may have thought of him – although I didn’t always understand his tattoo choices.”

Cory Sanders, another friend of Atterton, had a similar view of him.

“Scott was my friend, my main man,” Sanders said. “He was a man of few words, but when he spoke, he got his point across.”

Atterton attended North Sand Mountain High School, where he was a standout point guard for the basketball team. He was also very active in his community and an always-present figure at his church, Ebenezer Baptist.

“We grew up together,” said Tillman Merritt, a childhood friend and one of his roommates during the tornado. “We played sports together; we went to the same church, although he was there a lot more than I was.”

Scott was also not a fan of handshakes; instead, he opted for hugs whenever possible.

“Scott was the most forgiving and least judgmental person I’ve ever met,” Merritt said. “He had the best heart of anybody.”

After high school, Atterton attended Northeast Alabama Community College for two years before transferring to the Capstone. He became focused on his studies, with a difficult set of classes for his double major in history and business.

However, he also worked hard at the DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa. For fun, Atterton enjoyed going to the Rec Center and working out with his friends.

After college, Atterton planned on pursuing a career in education as a teacher, but his real love was on the hardwood.

“Scott wanted to be a history teacher, but what he also wanted to do was be a basketball coach and get involved in the game by teaching it to others,” Merritt said.

Atterton and his roommates – Merritt, Alabama student Morgan Sigler and her boyfriend Blake Peek – all lived off-campus at a home in the Cedar Crest neighborhood near 15th Street.

On April 27, the roommates huddled in the hallway of the house and waited for the storm to pass. Moments later, Atterton, Sigler and Peek were flung more than 20 yards, along with the rest of the house. All except for Merritt, who dove into a closet just before the tornado took hold of the building, died in the storm.

“Scott was someone who you meet and know right then that you will never forget them,” Defur said. “We all lost a great friend, but he will always be in our hearts.”

Sanders said Atterton’s death was startling.

“He had a lot to accomplish and will be dearly missed,” Sanders said.

Merritt said Atterton was the most forgiving person he’s ever known, and that’s what he hopes people remember about him.