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, 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 as college head coach, Paul Bryant went through several college jobs such as Maryland, Kentucky, and Texas A& M before he ultimately had the break to return to his alma mater, the University of Alabama. So encouraged was Bear 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 Bryant took over as head coach of Bama, and started leading it to its former Rose Bowl-style success but attained even higher heights. Producing renowned players like Joe Namath, Pat Trammell, Billy Neighbors, Big John Hannah, snake Stabler,Lee Roy Jordan, Johnny Musso, Bob Baumhower, and many others.
Overall, Bear Bryant was a incredible motivator and understood how to get his football players to do what he wanted 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 motivation wasn't just on the turf, the motivation carried into the world also by the character he instilled in his players like big John Croyle, who founded the faith-based Christian Big Oak Ranch for unfortunate kids in Springville, Alabama.
The 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 give up coaching that he "wouldn't last a week." In reality, 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 individuals were lined along the 53 mile stretch from Tuscaloosa to the memorial park 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 recall his championship spirit. Not only that... He helped shatter segregation in the South's football world, and in doing so, helped turn the Alabama around from bigotry to admiration. 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 as college head coach, Paul Bryant went through several college jobs such as Maryland, Kentucky, and Texas A& M before he ultimately had the break to return to his alma mater, the University of Alabama. So encouraged was Bear 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 Bryant took over as head coach of Bama, and started leading it to its former Rose Bowl-style success but attained even higher heights. Producing renowned players like Joe Namath, Pat Trammell, Billy Neighbors, Big John Hannah, snake Stabler,Lee Roy Jordan, Johnny Musso, Bob Baumhower, and many others.
Overall, Bear Bryant was a incredible motivator and understood how to get his football players to do what he wanted 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 motivation wasn't just on the turf, the motivation carried into the world also by the character he instilled in his players like big John Croyle, who founded the faith-based Christian Big Oak Ranch for unfortunate kids in Springville, Alabama.
The 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 give up coaching that he "wouldn't last a week." In reality, 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 individuals were lined along the 53 mile stretch from Tuscaloosa to the memorial park 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 recall his championship spirit. Not only that... He helped shatter segregation in the South's football world, and in doing so, helped turn the Alabama around from bigotry to admiration. Not only that, he changed the world to a better place. Roll Tide!
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