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.
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, Bear Bryant had several college jobs such as Maryland, Kentucky, and Texas A& M before he ultimately had the opportunity to come back to his alma mater, the University of Alabama. So stirred was Bear Bryant, that he notably 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 , and began leading it to its previous Rose Bowl-style brilliance but achieved even to greater heights. Producing well-known players like Pat Trammell, Joe Namath,Big John Hannah, Snake Stabler, Lee Roy Jordan, Billy Neighbors, Johnny Musso, Bob Baumhower, and many others.
Overall, Bear Bryant was a incredible motivator and knew how to make his players 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 field, the inspiration carried into real life also by the character he instilled in his players like big John Croyle, who founded the faith-based Christian Big Oak Ranch for troubled kids 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 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 in the range of a half-million to a million people were lined along the 53 mile stretch from Tuscaloosa to the cemetery in Birmingham that was mere blocks 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 hark back to his championship heart. Not only that... He helped smash segregation in the South's football universe, and in doing so, helped turn the Alabama around from intolerance to splendor. Not only that, he changed the world to a better place. Roll Tide! - 16887
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, Bear Bryant had several college jobs such as Maryland, Kentucky, and Texas A& M before he ultimately had the opportunity to come back to his alma mater, the University of Alabama. So stirred was Bear Bryant, that he notably 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 , and began leading it to its previous Rose Bowl-style brilliance but achieved even to greater heights. Producing well-known players like Pat Trammell, Joe Namath,Big John Hannah, Snake Stabler, Lee Roy Jordan, Billy Neighbors, Johnny Musso, Bob Baumhower, and many others.
Overall, Bear Bryant was a incredible motivator and knew how to make his players 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 field, the inspiration carried into real life also by the character he instilled in his players like big John Croyle, who founded the faith-based Christian Big Oak Ranch for troubled kids 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 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 in the range of a half-million to a million people were lined along the 53 mile stretch from Tuscaloosa to the cemetery in Birmingham that was mere blocks 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 hark back to his championship heart. Not only that... He helped smash segregation in the South's football universe, and in doing so, helped turn the Alabama around from intolerance to splendor. Not only that, he changed the world to a better place. Roll Tide! - 16887
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