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Kerry Goode (right) speaks with Nick Saban in Atlanta on May 6, 2016.

(Michael Casagrande/mcasagrande@al.com)

A busy scene greeted Nick Saban when arriving Friday at Atlanta's College Football Hall of Fame.

Autographs, pictures, and interviews preceded his time on stage accepting the MacArthur Bowl national championship trophy. Before taking the stage, Saban was directed to practically the only person not frantically seeking his attention.

Kerry Goode waited patiently off to the side before getting a few moments with the guest of honor. The crowd of a few hundred gave the former Alabama running back a loud applause when recognized during the ceremony.

Almost nine months since being diagnosed with ALS, Goode has a positive outlook.

"I'm going great," Goode said after the trophy ceremony. "Still fighting the fight."

At this point, Goode said he wants to carry on the legacy of former Crimson Tide star Kevin Turner. He passed away in March after fighting ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease since 2010.

"I'm doing good," said Goode, a Tide running back from 1983-87. "It's day to day. I'm just out here right now trying to bring awareness to the disease as Kevin did and see if we can get more funding from the government to find a cure."

The Goode Foundation has a few fundraising events in the coming weeks. The Night of Champions celebrity dinner is set for May 23 at the Marriott Shoals Conference Center in Florence. The event, just up the road from Goode's home town of Town Creek, will feature former Alabama coaches Ray Perkins and Bill Curry. The Gulf Coast Celebrity Classic golf event will be May 28 at Perdido Bay Golf Club in Pensacola.

A resident of Atlanta, Goode said he was happy to see so many Crimson Tide fans in town for last week's trophy ceremony.

"It's always great seeing Alabama people," Goode said with a smile. "Wherever we go, we turn out in crowds. It makes you see good to see that we haven't lost that even though, over the years, they've been spoiled. So they come and they still turn out because a lot of times when people win, they take things for granted. So it's nice to know they still have that hunger to turn out."

Watching Derrick Henry's Heisman season last fall was especially enjoyable for Goode.

"Awesome," he said. "I could only imagine having that many carries and being able to carry the ball that many times over a season."

Henry's 395 attempts last season is the fifth most any college running back recorded in a single season. There's no comparing their styles, a grinning Goode said.

"Oh, we're totally different," he said. "He's a big bruiser and I was a slasher. So we're on two opposite ends of the spectrum but I loved watching him play."

Goode ran 253 times for 1,350 yards in his time at Alabama. His biggest season came in 1983 with 693 yards on 103 attempts.