The Alabama Crimson Tide has been blessed with lots of winners in football throughout the years, and has produced the top football players to ever come out of college football, not one of them can compare to one coach who changed the face of college sports forever, and that is Paul "Bear" Bryant.
The Legendary Figure in Alabama Football, 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 a head football coach, Paul Bryant went through several university jobs such as the University of Maryland, University of Kentucky, and Texas A&M University before he finally had the opportunity to go back to his alma mater, the University of 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'."
It was the year 1958 that Bryant took over as head coach of Bama, and began leading it to its previous Rose Bowl-style success but accomplished even more. 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.
Overall, Bear Bryant was a remarkable motivator and knew how to make his teams to do what he wanted 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 turf, the inspiration passed into real life also by the nature he instilled in his players like big John Croyle, who founded the faith-based Christian Big Oak Ranch for troubled children 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 fact, he didn't last a great deal 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. Officials estimated that in the range of a half-million to a million people were lined along the 53 mile stretch from Tuscaloosa to the graveyard in Birmingham that was mere blocks from Legion Field.
Bear's Legacy
Bear's heritage lives in the players that are now growing older and the fans that hark back to his championship heart. Not only that... He helped smash segregation in the South's football world, and in doing so, helped turn the state around from racism to splendor. Not only that, he changed the world to a better place. Roll Tide!
The Legendary Figure in Alabama Football, 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 a head football coach, Paul Bryant went through several university jobs such as the University of Maryland, University of Kentucky, and Texas A&M University before he finally had the opportunity to go back to his alma mater, the University of 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'."
It was the year 1958 that Bryant took over as head coach of Bama, and began leading it to its previous Rose Bowl-style success but accomplished even more. 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.
Overall, Bear Bryant was a remarkable motivator and knew how to make his teams to do what he wanted 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 turf, the inspiration passed into real life also by the nature he instilled in his players like big John Croyle, who founded the faith-based Christian Big Oak Ranch for troubled children 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 fact, he didn't last a great deal 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. Officials estimated that in the range of a half-million to a million people were lined along the 53 mile stretch from Tuscaloosa to the graveyard in Birmingham that was mere blocks from Legion Field.
Bear's Legacy
Bear's heritage lives in the players that are now growing older and the fans that hark back to his championship heart. Not only that... He helped smash segregation in the South's football world, and in doing so, helped turn the state around from racism to splendor. Not only that, he changed the world to a better place. Roll Tide!
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