The tradition is steeped in winning football at the University of Alabama, and has produced the top football players to ever come out of college football, but the most well know person ever to step foot on the gridiron at Alabama is most definitely "Bear" Bryant.
Paul "Bear" Bryant
The first person that you most likely think of when you hear something about Alabama football, it is likely you think of Bear Bryant. At one point, Bear Bryant was the winningest coach in college football ever. This legendary coach served the Crimson for 25 years. In this period of time, Brian was phenomenal with six national championships and 13 SEC conference championships.
As as college head coach, Bryant had several college head coaching jobs such as Maryland, Kentucky, and Texas A& M before he at long last had the break to return to his alma mater, the University of Alabama. So stirred was Paul Bryant, that he distinctively was quoted as saying, "Mama called. And when Mama calls, you just have to come runnin'."
It was the year 1958 that Bear took over the helm of the Crimson Tide, and started leading it to its former Rose Bowl-style brilliance but achieved even to greater heights. Producing legendary players like Pat Trammell, Big John Hannah, Snake Stabler, Joe Namath, Lee Roy Jordan, Billy Neighbors, Bob Baumhower, Johnny Musso,, and many others.
No doubt, Bear Bryant was a prodigious motivator and understood how to get his players to do what he needed them to do. Florida A&M coach, Jake Gaither said of Bear Bryant, "He can take his'n and beat you'n, and he can take your'n and beat his'n." The motivation wasn't just on the playing field, the motivation carried into the world also by the nature he instilled in his players like big John Croyle, who started the faith-based Christian Big Oak Ranch for troubled boys and girls in Springville, Alabama.
The last year that he coached the Crimson Tide, 1982, was a down year for Alabama and Bear couldn't see himself coaching Alabama into mediocrity. He constantly said that if he quit coaching that he "wouldn't last a week." In reality, he didn't last a lot longer than that, only 37 days. On January 26, 1983, Bryant died of a heart attack at age 69 and many mourned his death. Public officials projected that between a half-million to a million people were lined all along the 53 mile stretch from Tuscaloosa to the cemetery in Birmingham that was only blocks away from Legion Field.
Bear's Legacy
Bear's heritage lives in the players that are now growing older and the fans that recollect his championship spirit. Not only that... He helped break segregation in the South's football universe, and in doing so, turned the state around from bigotry to glory. Not only that, he changed the world to a better place. Roll Tide!
Paul "Bear" Bryant
The first person that you most likely think of when you hear something about Alabama football, it is likely you think of Bear Bryant. At one point, Bear Bryant was the winningest coach in college football ever. This legendary coach served the Crimson for 25 years. In this period of time, Brian was phenomenal with six national championships and 13 SEC conference championships.
As as college head coach, Bryant had several college head coaching jobs such as Maryland, Kentucky, and Texas A& M before he at long last had the break to return to his alma mater, the University of Alabama. So stirred was Paul Bryant, that he distinctively was quoted as saying, "Mama called. And when Mama calls, you just have to come runnin'."
It was the year 1958 that Bear took over the helm of the Crimson Tide, and started leading it to its former Rose Bowl-style brilliance but achieved even to greater heights. Producing legendary players like Pat Trammell, Big John Hannah, Snake Stabler, Joe Namath, Lee Roy Jordan, Billy Neighbors, Bob Baumhower, Johnny Musso,, and many others.
No doubt, Bear Bryant was a prodigious motivator and understood how to get his players to do what he needed them to do. Florida A&M coach, Jake Gaither said of Bear Bryant, "He can take his'n and beat you'n, and he can take your'n and beat his'n." The motivation wasn't just on the playing field, the motivation carried into the world also by the nature he instilled in his players like big John Croyle, who started the faith-based Christian Big Oak Ranch for troubled boys and girls in Springville, Alabama.
The last year that he coached the Crimson Tide, 1982, was a down year for Alabama and Bear couldn't see himself coaching Alabama into mediocrity. He constantly said that if he quit coaching that he "wouldn't last a week." In reality, he didn't last a lot longer than that, only 37 days. On January 26, 1983, Bryant died of a heart attack at age 69 and many mourned his death. Public officials projected that between a half-million to a million people were lined all along the 53 mile stretch from Tuscaloosa to the cemetery in Birmingham that was only blocks away from Legion Field.
Bear's Legacy
Bear's heritage lives in the players that are now growing older and the fans that recollect his championship spirit. Not only that... He helped break segregation in the South's football universe, and in doing so, turned the state around from bigotry to glory. Not only that, he changed the world to a better place. Roll Tide!
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