The Alabama Crimson Tide has been blessed with lots of winners in football throughout the years, 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 .
The Legendary Figure in Alabama Football, 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 as college head coach, Bryant went through several college jobs such as the University of Maryland, University of Kentucky, and Texas A&M University before he finally had the opportunity to return to his alma mater, Alabama. So enthused was Bear Bryant, that he notably was quoted as saying, "Mama called. And when Mama calls, you just have to come runnin'."
It was a change of atmosphere when Bryant came back to Tuscaloosa. In 1958, Bryant became head coach , and began leading it to its previous Rose Bowl-style glory but accomplished even more. 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.
No doubt, Bear Bryant was a impressive motivator and understood how to get 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 inspiration wasn't just on the playing field, the inspiration passed into the world as well by the character he instilled in his players like big John Croyle, who started 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 stop 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 attended his funeral. 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 blocks from Legion Field.
The Legendary Man Changed Alabama and The World
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 smash segregation in the South's football universe, and in doing so, turned the state around from prejudice to magnificence. Not only that, he changed the world to a better place than he left left.. He ain't never been nothing but a winner. Roll Tide!
The Legendary Figure in Alabama Football, 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 as college head coach, Bryant went through several college jobs such as the University of Maryland, University of Kentucky, and Texas A&M University before he finally had the opportunity to return to his alma mater, Alabama. So enthused was Bear Bryant, that he notably was quoted as saying, "Mama called. And when Mama calls, you just have to come runnin'."
It was a change of atmosphere when Bryant came back to Tuscaloosa. In 1958, Bryant became head coach , and began leading it to its previous Rose Bowl-style glory but accomplished even more. 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.
No doubt, Bear Bryant was a impressive motivator and understood how to get 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 inspiration wasn't just on the playing field, the inspiration passed into the world as well by the character he instilled in his players like big John Croyle, who started 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 stop 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 attended his funeral. 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 blocks from Legion Field.
The Legendary Man Changed Alabama and The World
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 smash segregation in the South's football universe, and in doing so, turned the state around from prejudice to magnificence. Not only that, he changed the world to a better place than he left left.. He ain't never been nothing but a winner. Roll Tide!
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