The tradition is steeped in winning football at the University of Alabama, and has produced a number of great players that have impacted the NFL greatly, but not one compared to the most legendary coach of all time, Paul Bear Bryant .
Paul "Bear" Bryant
Bear Bryant started his career at Alabama as a football player in 1931. He was only 1934 national championship play end. Brian always joked that he was the "other end" that played for "mamma". The other end was the legendary NFL Hall of Famer, Don Hudson. Even bear Bryant's college playing days, he showed mental toughness and playing the 1935 game against Tennessee with a broken leg.
As a head football coach, Bryant went through several college jobs such as Maryland, Kentucky, and Texas A& M before he at long last had the opening to go back to his alma mater, Alabama. So encouraged was Bear Bryant, that he famously was quoted as saying, "Mama called. And when Mama calls, you just have to come runnin'."
In the year of Bryant took over as head coach of Bama, and started leading it to its previous Rose Bowl-style glory but attained even higher heights. Establishing celebrated players like Pat Trammell, Big John Hannah, Snake Stabler, Joe Namath, Lee Roy Jordan, Billy Neighbors, Bob Baumhower, Johnny Musso,, and many others.
Overall, Bear Bryant was a impressive motivator and understood how to make his football players to do what he needed them to accomplish. 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 inspiration wasn't just on the field, the inspiration carried into life as well by the nature he instilled in his players like big John Croyle, who started the faith-based Christian Big Oak Ranch for unfortunate kids in Springville, Alabama.
The very last year that he coached Alabama, 1982, was a down year for Alabama and Bear couldn't see himself coaching Alabama into mediocrity. He always said that if he quit coaching that he "wouldn't last a week." In actuality, he didn't last much longer than that, only 37 days. On January 26, 1983, Bryant collapsed and 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 memorial park in Birmingham that was only blocks away from Legion Field.
The Legendary Man Changed Alabama and The World
Bear's legacy lives in the players that are now growing older and the fans that consider his championship spirit. Not only that... He helped smash segregation in the South's football world, and in doing so, helped turn the Alabama around from bigotry to magnificence. Not only that, he changed the world to a better place. Roll Tide!
Paul "Bear" Bryant
Bear Bryant started his career at Alabama as a football player in 1931. He was only 1934 national championship play end. Brian always joked that he was the "other end" that played for "mamma". The other end was the legendary NFL Hall of Famer, Don Hudson. Even bear Bryant's college playing days, he showed mental toughness and playing the 1935 game against Tennessee with a broken leg.
As a head football coach, Bryant went through several college jobs such as Maryland, Kentucky, and Texas A& M before he at long last had the opening to go back to his alma mater, Alabama. So encouraged was Bear Bryant, that he famously was quoted as saying, "Mama called. And when Mama calls, you just have to come runnin'."
In the year of Bryant took over as head coach of Bama, and started leading it to its previous Rose Bowl-style glory but attained even higher heights. Establishing celebrated players like Pat Trammell, Big John Hannah, Snake Stabler, Joe Namath, Lee Roy Jordan, Billy Neighbors, Bob Baumhower, Johnny Musso,, and many others.
Overall, Bear Bryant was a impressive motivator and understood how to make his football players to do what he needed them to accomplish. 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 inspiration wasn't just on the field, the inspiration carried into life as well by the nature he instilled in his players like big John Croyle, who started the faith-based Christian Big Oak Ranch for unfortunate kids in Springville, Alabama.
The very last year that he coached Alabama, 1982, was a down year for Alabama and Bear couldn't see himself coaching Alabama into mediocrity. He always said that if he quit coaching that he "wouldn't last a week." In actuality, he didn't last much longer than that, only 37 days. On January 26, 1983, Bryant collapsed and 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 memorial park in Birmingham that was only blocks away from Legion Field.
The Legendary Man Changed Alabama and The World
Bear's legacy lives in the players that are now growing older and the fans that consider his championship spirit. Not only that... He helped smash segregation in the South's football world, and in doing so, helped turn the Alabama around from bigotry to magnificence. Not only that, he changed the world to a better place. Roll Tide!
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