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Alabama Crimson Tide football

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Alabama Crimson Tide Football
First season1892
Head coach
2nd season, 19–8 (12–4 in SEC)
StadiumBryant-Denny Stadium
(capacity: 92,138)
Field surfaceGrass
LocationTuscaloosa, Alabama
DivisionWest
All-time record799–316–43 (.709)
Bowl record31–22–3 (.580)
Claimed national titles12[1][2]
Conference titles25 (21 SEC)
Consensus All-Americans96
ColorsCrimson and White
   
Fight songYea Alabama
MascotElephant (Big Al)
Marching bandMillion Dollar Band
RivalsAuburn Tigers
Tennessee Volunteers
LSU Tigers
WebsiteRollTide.com

The Alabama Crimson Tide football program is a college football team that represents the University of Alabama (variously Alabama, UA, or 'Bama). The team currently competes in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision[3] as a member of the Southeastern Conference. The Crimson Tide is one of the most storied and decorated programs in NCAA history. Since beginning play in 1892, the program has claimed 12 national championships,[1][2][4] and its seven consensus national championships rank second only to Notre Dame's eight.[5] From 1958 to 1982, the team was led by Hall of Fame coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, who won six national championships with the program.[2] Despite multiple national champions, no player for the program has ever received a Heisman Trophy, the closest coming in 1993 when David Palmer finished third in the voting.[6]

Over the program's 112 year history, Alabama has amassed the seventh most victories in Division I with 799, for a sixth best .709 winning percentage. Alabama has won 25 conference championships, (four Southern Conference and 21 SEC championships) and has made an NCAA-record 56 postseason bowl appearances, which includes a record 31 victories.[7] Other NCAA records include eight perfect, undefeated and untied, seasons, 21 10-game win streaks, and is only second to the Oklahoma Sooners with 29 10–win seasons. The program has six SEC West Division titles, which leads the West Division with six appearances in SEC Championship Games. Against current SEC programs, Alabama holds a winning record against every team.[8] The Associated Press (AP) currently ranks Alabama fifth in all-time final AP Poll appearances, with 46.[9]

Alabama currently plays their home games at Bryant-Denny Stadium, located on the campus in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.[10] With the capacity of 92,138 since 2006, Bryant-Denny is currently the eighteenth largest stadium in the world and the seventh largest on-campus stadium in the United States.

History

See also: Alabama Crimson Tide football seasons

Notable games

  • November 11, 1892 – The team played its first game at a baseball park in Birmingham, Alabama, winning 56–0 against a team comprised of players from local Birmingham-area high schools.[11]
  • November 12, 1892 – On the day after playing its first game, the program suffered its first defeat, losing 5–4 to the Birmingham Athletic Club, a team consisting of former players from eastern colleges and immigrants who had played rugby in Europe.[11]
  • October 17, 1908 – For the first time, Alabama hosted a team from outside the Southeast, shutting out Cincinnati 16–0 in Birmingham.
  • November 13, 1915 – The team traveled outside the Southeast for the first time to play Texas in Austin, losing the game 20–0.
  • November 4, 1922 – The Crimson Tide gets a 9–7 win against the John Heisman–coached Penn team during a regular season game in Philadelphia. Teams from the Ivy League conference dominated college football at the time (and since its inception), and the win garnered the Crimson Tide more recognition above the Mason-Dixon Line.[12][13]
  • January 1, 1926 – In Alabama's first bowl game and first trip to the West Coast, the team earns an upset 20–19 Rose Bowl victory over Washington culminating the program's first undefeated and untied season (not counting the 1897 season when the Tide went 1–0). The game is commonly referred to as "the game that changed the South"[14] and earned Alabama its first national championship and nationwide recognition.
  • January 1, 1935 – With their team trailing in the third quarter in the Rose Bowl, Stanford staff and fans plant coins on the field during a timeout hoping to distract the Crimson Tide players. The insulting artifice doesn't work, and Alabama secures its fourth national title with a 29–13 victory.[15]
  • October 20, 1951 – Alabama loses to Tennessee 27–13 in its first game on television.[16]
  • January 1, 1953 – The Tide defeated Syracuse 61–6 in the first televised Orange Bowl, and to this day it remains the widest scoring margin in bowl history.[17]
  • January 1, 1954 – During the Cotton Bowl, as Rice University running back Dickie Moegle went sprinting down the sidelines from his team's own 5 yard line, Alabama fullback Tommy Lewis left the bench and ran onto the field to tackle Moegle as he crossed midfield.[18] After some deliberation as to how to handle the unprecedented event, officials awarded Rice a touchdown. Lewis apologized to the Rice players in their dressing room at halftime, and again after the Tide's 28–6 defeat. Lewis later explained to sympathetic television and radio audiences that he was "not a total, absolute fool" and "I'm just too full of Bama".[19]
  • October 4, 1969 – In the first nationally televised night game, Ole Miss's Archie Manning accounts for 540 yards of total offense in a 33–32 Alabama victory.[20]
  • September 10, 1971 – John Mitchell, a transfer from Eastern Arizona Junior College, plays at defensive end in Alabama's 17–10 victory over USC, becoming the first black player to make an appearance for the newly-integrated program.
  • December 31, 1973 – In the final minutes of the Sugar Bowl, Notre Dame quarterback Tom Clements completes a third down 35-yard pass from his own 2 yard line to backup tight end Robin Weber to secure a 24–23 Fighting Irish victory. Alabama had already been declared national champions for the season prior to the game by the UPI. As a result, for the following season and onward, the coaches poll once again began waiting until after bowl games to declare a national champion.
  • October 8, 1983 – With only two seconds remaining in a game against Penn State in State College, a play that appeared to be an obvious touchdown catch for Alabama from several different angles of instant replay was ruled incomplete by referee Don Guman's offciating crew, and Alabama lost 34–28. In the days leading up to the contest, Alabama head coach Ray Perkins had protested Guman's assignment to the game, as Guman was the father of one of Penn State's players and already had a controversial history of making bad calls detrimental to Penn State opponents. After the 1983 season, several conferences established a rule which forbids referees from officiating a game in which their relatives play or once played for either of the participating teams.[21]
  • December 5, 1992 – The Crimson Tide defeat Florida 28–21 in the inaugural SEC Championship game.
  • January 1, 1993 – Entering the 1993 Sugar Bowl against the largest spread in a matchup of #1 vs. #2 ranked teams, 13.5-point underdogs Alabama defeat Miami 34–13 en route to their 12th national championship.[22]

Early history (1892–1921)

The Alabama football team in 1892. Among those labeled are head coach Beaumont (5), Bankhead (9), Little (10), and Graves (15).
Alabama in the early 1900s

University of Alabama law student William G. Little learned how to play American football while attending prep school in Template:City-state and began teaching the sport to fellow Alabama students in early 1892.[12][13] Later in the year, the school formed an official team of 19 players, with Little as captain and E. B. Beaumont as head coach.[11] Among those also on the team were William B. Bankhead, future U.S. Speaker of the House, and Bibb Graves, future governor of Alabama.[23] The team was referred to as the "Cadets", the "Crimson and White" (sometimes just "Crimson White"), or simply as "the varsity".[11][24]

The team played only one game during the 1897 and 1898 seasons because of a ban restricting student athletes from traveling away from campus.[12][13] The team resumed play in 1899 after the ban was lifted due to fan and student outcry.[12][13] Following the 1907 season, the team adopted the "Crimson Tide" nickname.[24] The school did not field a team in 1918 because of World War I, but resumed play once again in 1919.[12][13]

Rise to prominence (1922–1957)

Shortly after the end of the 1922 season in which he led Alabama in the victory over Penn, head coach Xen C. Scott died of cancer, and Brown University alum Wallace Wade was hired as the new head coach. Intent on building a dynasty after Wade led the team to the Rose Bowl win over Washington, athletics director George Denny took advantage of the team's newfound popularity and began advertising the University of Alabama in metropolitan New York City newspapers. Students, football players and fans alike from the Northeast began enrolling at Alabama at such a rate that by 1930, over one-third of the student body was out-of-state.[25] Wade led the Crimson Tide to two more national titles before taking the head coaching position at Duke in 1931.

Frank Thomas, a former quarterback for a Notre Dame squad led by Knute Rockne, was hired to replace Wade. Thomas led the team to continued success and two more national championships before health issues forced him to retire after a 14–year tenure with the team. Among the players that Thomas coached were Harry Gilmer, Don Hutson, and Paul "Bear" Bryant.

Harold "Red" Drew followed Thomas as head coach and led the team to a respectable 54–28–7 record over the next eight seasons, though never winning a national championship. Drew's successor, J.B. "Ears" Whitworth, led the Crimson Tide to its worst three-year stretch in school history, posting a 4–24–2 record before being fired following the 1957 season.

Paul "Bear" Bryant (1958–1982)

Main article: Bear Bryant

Paul William "Bear" Bryant came to the Crimson Tide program in December 1957, after leaving his head coaching position at Texas A&M.[26] On December 8, five days after leaving A&M, Bryant was asked why he left for Alabama. Bryant replied, "Mama called, and when Mama calls, then you just have to come running."[27] Bryant entered an Alabama program which had not had a winning record in four seasons. However, in his first season, Bryant led Alabama to a 5–4–1 record—one more win than Alabama had in the previous three seasons.[28][29] In his fourth season, Bryant led the Crimson Tide to their sixth national championship which included Bryant's first bowl victory with Alabama.[2] Between 1958 to 1961, Alabama went 34–6–3 which also included a Southeastern Conference Championship, two undefeated seasons, and three bowl berths.[30]

Between 1970–1979, the Crimson Tide was one of the most dominant teams in college football. Winning eight conference titles and three national championships,[2] very few teams were able to defeat Bryant and the Crimson Tide. Alabama was a combined 103–16–1 in the decade, a .863 winning percentage.[8]

Bryant's final game as head coach of Alabama came in the 1982 Liberty Bowl.[31][32] Bryant's retirement made the Liberty Bowl one of the most covered games that season as many news stations and newspapers sent reporters to cover the game.[33][34] Alabama was victorious in the bowl game, a 21–15 victory over Illinois.

During his tenure at Alabama, Bryant led Alabama to a 232–46–9 record. His achievements included six national championships,[2] 13 Southeastern Conference titles, and 11 bowl victories. In his 25 seasons, he led the Crimson Tide to 24 consecutive bowl appearances. At the time of his retirement, Bryant was the winningest college football coach.[35]

Bryant once said if he retired that he would "probably croak in a week" and said, "I imagine I'd go straight to the graveyard."[36][37] Four weeks after coaching his final game, Bear Bryant died of a heart attack on January 26, 1983.[38]

Post-Bryant (1983–1996)

Former Bryant wide receiver and New York Giants head coach Ray Perkins replaced Bryant. Perkins's four-year tenure with the team included the Crimson Tide's first losing season in 28 years, but also saw the program's first victory over Notre Dame, a ranking as high as #3 in the regular season AP polls, and three bowl wins. Perkins returned to the NFL to become head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Perkins was succeeded by his former Baltimore Colts teammate and Georgia Tech head coach Bill Curry. Curry led the Tide to three winning seasons, including three straight victories over Joe Paterno and Penn State and a 10–0 start to the 1989 season. However, tensions within the athletic department and three straight losses against arch-rival Auburn led Curry to resign so that he could go on to become head coach for Kentucky.[39]

Alabama once again sought someone with ties to Bryant by hiring Gene Stallings, the recently-fired head coach of the NFL's Phoenix Cardinals. Stallings, one of Bryant's "Junction Boys" and former assistant started off his career as head coach at Alabama with an 0–3 record. But his team rebounded and finished the 1990 season 7–5. The team showed much promise the next season, going 11–1 with the only loss coming in a shutout defeat against Steve Spurrier and Florida. The next season, Stallings led the Crimson Tide over top-ranked Miami in the 1993 Sugar Bowl, resulting in a 13–0 record and Alabama's first and only national championship since the Bryant era.[40]

The Crimson Tide were forced to forfeit eight victories and one tie in games which were participated in by senior cornerback Antonio Langham during the 1993 season. It was discovered before Alabama's bowl game that year that Langham had violated NCAA rules by signing with an agent after the previous season.[41] Alabama was in contention for another national title in 1994 before losing the SEC Championship Game to Florida. Though going 8–3 in 1995, Alabama was not allowed to play in a bowl game, due to a probationary stipulation resulting from the Langham incident.[41] Stallings led the team to a 10–3 record and a victory over Michigan in the Outback Bowl during the 1996 season before retiring.

Recent history (1997–present)

The Crimson Tide offense attempts a two-point conversion in 2007

Following Gene Stallings's retirement in 1996, defensive coordinator Mike Dubose was promoted to the head coaching position.[42][43] In his third season, DuBose won the SEC Championship.[44] With the success, Alabama began their 2000 season as high as #3 in some polls. The expectations went unfulfilled as the Tide slumped to a 3–8 record. Following the season, DuBose was replaced by an up-and-coming coach from TCU, Dennis Franchione.[45]

Franchione led Alabama to two winning seasons in 2001 and 2002, with a combined 17–8 record. Late in the 2002 season, rumors began to surface about Franchione expressing desire to leave Alabama for other coaching jobs, including Big 12 schools Kansas and Texas A&M.[46][47] On December 5, 2002, Franchione was formally introduced as the head coach at Texas A&M.[48]

On December 18, 2002, Alabama announced that Washington State head coach Mike Price would be the next coach for the Crimson Tide program.[49][50] However, in May 2003, Price was removed from his position as the head coach, following a long scandal.[51][52][53] Less than a week later, Alabama quickly hired Mike Shula, a former Alabama quarterback and then-quarterbacks coach for the Miami Dolphins.[54] Alabama had reportedly been searching mainly for former Alabama players.[55]

With the difficult offseason, the Shula-led Crimson Tide finished 4–9 in 2003. Bama's 2004 team finished the regular season with a 6–6 record and made their first bowl appearance in three seasons.[56] It was also the first season the team began playing all their home games exclusively at Bryant-Denny Stadium. In previous years, the Tide had played many of their biggest home games at Legion Field in Birmingham. During the offseason, Alabama once again was able to gain a "full" recruiting class, following a probation by the NCAA which occurred in 2001 stipulating from recruiting violations that occurred during Dubose's tenure. In Shula's third season, Alabama rolled to a 10–2 record, ending with a 13–10 victory in the 2006 Cotton Bowl. However, in the following season, Alabama struggled to find consistency. The team ended with a 6–7 overall record, losing every road game of the season. Shula was terminated as head coach of the program,[57][58] having been the only head coach at Alabama to lose four consecutive games to Auburn.[59]

On January 3, 2007, Nick Saban accepted an offer worth US$32 million guaranteed for eight years to be the next Crimson Tide head coach.[60][61] In his first season, Saban led the Crimson Tide to a 7–6 record, ending the regular season with four straight losses including an upset loss to Louisiana-Monroe.[62] Alabama greatly improved in the following season, starting off the season with a 12–0 record before finishing with back-to-back losses in the SEC Championship Game[63] and the Sugar Bowl.[64]

Head coaching history

File:NickSaban LSU-AL-07t.jpg
Nick Saban became the Alabama head coach in 2007.
Name Seasons Record Pct. Natl. Champ. Conf. Champ.
E. B. Beaumont 1892 2–2–0 .500 0 0
Eli Abbott 1893–95 3–9–0 .250 0 0
Otto Wagonhurst 1896 2–1–0 .666 0 0
Allen McCants 1897 1–0–0 1.000 0 0
W. A. Martin 1899 3–1–0 .750 0 0
M. Griffin 1900 2–3–0 .400 0 0
M. H. Harvey 1902 2–1–2 .600 0 0
Eli Abbott 1902 4–4–0 .500 0 0
W. B. Blount 1903–04 10–7–0 .588 0 0
Jack Leavenworth 1905 6–4–0 .600 0 0
J. W. H. Pollard 1906–09 21–4–5 .867 0 0
Guy Lowman 1910 4–4–0 .500 0 0
D. V. Graves 1911–14 21–12–3 .625 0 0
Thomas Kelly 1915–17 17–7–1# .700 0 0
Xen C. Scott 1919–22 29–9–3 .744 0 0
Wallace Wade 1923–30 61–13–3 .812 3 4
Frank Thomas 1931–46 115–24–7 .812 2 4
Harold "Red" Drew 1947–54 54–28–7 .646 0 1
J. B. "Ears" Whitworth 1955–57 4–24–4 .200 0 0
Paul "Bear" Bryant 1958–82 232–46–9 .824 6 13
Ray Perkins 1983–86 32–15–1 .677 0 0
Bill Curry 1987–89 26–10–0 .722 0 1
Gene Stallings 1990–96 62–25–0† .712 1 1
Mike DuBose 1997–2000 24–23 .510 0 1
Dennis Franchione 2001–02 17–8 .680 0 0
Mike Price* 2003 0–0 - 0 0
Mike Shula 2003–06 26–23 .531 0 0
Joe Kines^ 2006 0–1 .000 0 0
Nick Saban 2007– 19–8 .704 0 0
Total 799–316–43 .709 12 25
# Lonnie Noonjin and Farley Moody coached Alabama to a 2–2 record while an ill Kelly missed four games in 1915.[65]
† NCAA forfeited Alabama's eight regular season victories and one tie in 1993.[66] (Stallings was 70–16–1 on the field)
* Price was fired in the offseason, having never coached a game.
^ Kines was named interim coach for the 2006 Independence Bowl after Mike Shula was fired.

Championships

Conference Year Overall Record Coach
Southern 1924 8–1–0 Wallace Wade
1925† 10–0–0
1926 9–0–1
1930† 10–0–0
Southeastern 1933 7–1–1 Frank Thomas
1934† 10–0–0
1941^ 9–2–0
1937 9–1–0
1945 10–0–0
1953 6–3–3 Harold Drew
1961† 11–0–0 Bear Bryant
1964 10–1–0
1965 9–1–1
1966† 11–0–0
1971 11–1–0
1972 10–2–0
1973 11–1–0
1974 11–1–0
1975 11–1–0
1977 11–1–0
1978 11–1–0
1979 12–0–0
1981 9–2–1
1989† 10–2–0 Bill Curry
1992‡ 13–0–0 Gene Stallings
1999 10–3 Mike DuBose

Bold indicates national championship.
† Denotes co-championship.
^ Did not win conference championship.
‡First year of SEC Championship Game.

National championships

The NCAA Division I FBS National Championship is the subject of much debate, as the NCAA does not officially pick a football National Champion in any season. However, the University of Alabama claims 12 national titles[2] of the 17 referenced by the NCAA.[67][4] National championships prior to 1936 were determined by several committees and organizations, some retroactively.[68] Several of these organizations included the Helms Athletic Foundation, Dunkel Index, Houlgate, Litkenhaus, and the College Football Research Association.[67] However, beginning in 1936 the AP Poll became the most widely circulated and accepted national championship selector. It was joined in 1950 by the Coaches' Poll. Since 1998, the Coaches' Poll has been obligated to award its national champion to the winner of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Game.[69][70] Following the 2004 season, the AP Poll removed its poll from the BCS formula,[71] and remains free to select its own national champion. The AP Poll was replaced by the Harris Interactive College Football Poll in the BCS formula.[69]

Despite not naming an official National Champion, the NCAA does provide lists of championships awarded by organizations it recognizes.[67][4] In addition to the 12 championships claimed by the university, the NCAA lists Alabama as receiving a championship for the 1945, 1966, 1967, and 1977 college football seasons.[67][4] However, those championships are not claimed by Alabama.

National championship seasons

  • 1925 — The 1925 Alabama football team, coached by Wallace Wade, completed the regular season 9–0–0, winning the Southern Conference championship. Alabama was then invited to play Washington in the January 1, 1926 Rose Bowl. Coach Wade's team initially fell behind the undefeated Huskies, but rallied in the second half to defeat Washington 20–19. The outstanding player of the game was Johnny Mack Brown.[72] The 1925 Alabama football team finished the season with a 10–0–0 record and was selected national champions by Football Annual and the Helms Athletic Foundation.[73]
  • 1926 — The 1926 Alabama football team, coached by Wallace Wade, completed the regular season 9–0–0, winning the Southern Conference championship. Alabama was then invited to play Stanford in the January 1, 1927 Rose Bowl. Coach Wade's team tied the Indians 7–7 to finish the season 9–0–1. The outstanding player of the game was Fred Pickhard.[72] The 1926 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the Helms Athletic Foundation.[73]
  • 1930 — The 1930 Alabama football team, coached by Wallace Wade, completed the regular season 9–0–0, winning the Southern Conference championship. Alabama was then invited to play Washington State in the January 1, 1931 Rose Bowl. Coach Wade's team defeated the Cougars 24–0 to finish the season 10–0–0. The outstanding player of the game was John Campbell.[72] The 1930 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the Davis poll.[73]
  • 1934 — The 1934 Alabama Crimson Tide, coached by Frank Thomas, completed the regular season 9–0–0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. Alabama was then invited to play Stanford in the January 1, 1935 Rose Bowl. Coach Thomas' team defeated the Indians 29–13 to finish the season 10–0–0. The outstanding player of the game was Millard "Dixie" Howell.[72] The 1934 Alabama football team was selected national champions by Dunkel, Williamson and Football Thesaurus.[73] The University of Alabama honored Ben McLeod, Jr., the 95–year–old former backup End of the 1934 team at the September 6, 2008 Alabama–Tulane game.Other surviving members include Joe Riley, whom resides in Lynn Haven, FL.[74]
  • 1941 — The 1941 Alabama Crimson Tide, coached by Frank Thomas, completed the regular season 8–2–0. Alabama's squad finished 3rd in the Southeastern Conference[75][76] after suffering losses to Mississippi State and Vanderbilt. Alabama was then invited to play Texas A&M in the January 1, 1942 Cotton Bowl. Coach Thomas' team defeated the Aggies 29–21 to finish the season 9–2–0. The outstanding players of the game were Holt Rast, Don Whitmire, and Jimmy Nelson.[72] The squad was selected national champions by Football Thesaurus.[73]
  • 1964 — The 1964 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Bear Bryant, completed the regular season 10–0–0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. Alabama was led by quarterback Joe Namath. Alabama was then invited to play the Texas Longhorns in the January 1, 1965 Orange Bowl. Coach Bryant's team lost to the Longhorns 21–17 to finish the season 10–1–0. The outstanding player of the game was Joe Namath.[72] The 1964 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP and Coaches Polls prior to bowl games.[73] Because of the controversy with Alabama being selected over undefeated Arkansas, the AP Poll decided to wait until after the bowl games to select their champion in the 1965 season.
  • 1965 — The 1965 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Bear Bryant, completed the regular season 8–1–1, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. The Tide lost to Georgia and tied Tennessee during the regular season. Alabama was then invited to play Nebraska in the January 1, 1966 Orange Bowl. Coach Bryant's team defeated the Cornhuskers 39–28 to finish the season 9–1–1. The outstanding player of the game was Steve Sloan.[72] The 1965 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP Poll.[73]
  • 1973 — The 1973 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Bear Bryant, completed the regular season 11–0–0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. Alabama was then invited to play Notre Dame in the December 31, 1973 Sugar Bowl. Coach Bryant's team lost to the Fighting Irish 24–23 to finish the season 11–1–0. The 1973 Alabama football team was selected national champions in the final Coaches Poll prior to the bowl games.[73] Because of the controversy after the bowl loss, the Coaches Poll began selecting their champion after the bowl games starting in 1974.
  • 1978 — The 1978 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Bear Bryant, completed the regular season 10–1–0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. The Tide defeated #10–ranked Nebraska 20–3, and defeated #11–ranked Missouri 38–20, and lost to Southern Cal during the regular season. Alabama was then invited to play #1–ranked Penn State in the January 1, 1979 Sugar Bowl. Coach Bryant's team defeated the Nittany Lions 14–7 to finish the season 11–1–0. The outstanding player of the game was linebacker Barry Krauss.[72] The 1978 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP Poll.[73]
  • 1979 — The 1979 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Bear Bryant, completed the regular season 11–0–0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. The Tide defeated #18–ranked Tennessee 27–17, and defeated #14–ranked Auburn University 25–18 during the regular season. Alabama was then invited to play #6–ranked Arkansas in the January 1, 1980 Sugar Bowl. Coach Bryant's team defeated the Razorbacks 24–9 to finish the season 12–0–0. The outstanding player of the game was running back Major Ogilvie.[72] The 1979 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP and Coaches Polls.[73]

Conference championships

Alabama has won a total of 25 conference championships, including 21 SEC Championships. Despite currently being in the longest conference title drought in program history, the school has won more SEC football titles than any other school, with two coming since the conference split into separate divisions and added a Championship Game.

Individual award winners

First team All-Americans

File:Don Hutson.jpg
Don Hutson was one of three consensus All-Americans at Alabama in 1934.
Joe Namath was an All-American in 1964.
Andre Smith was the most recent consensus All-American in 2008.

Every year, several publications release lists of the their ideal "team." The athletes on these lists are referred to as All-Americans. The NCAA recognizes five All-American lists. They are the Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Sporting News, and the Walter Camp Football Foundation. Some of these also have levels such as a first team All-American, or second team, or third team. A consensus All-American is determined using a point system; three points if the player was selected for the first team, two points for the second team, and one point for the third team. Alabama has 96 first team All-Americans (38 consensus) in its history, including 13 players honored twice and two players (Cornelius Bennett and Woodrow Lowe) who were honored three times.[77]

Following the end of the 2008 regular season, four Alabama players were honored as first team All-Americans:[78]

1913 W. T. VandeGraaff – T
1925 Pooley Hubert - QB
1926 Fred Pickhard – T
Hoyt "Wu" Winslett – E
1929 Tony Holm – FB
Fred Sington – T
1930 Fred Sington* – T
John Suther – HB
1931 Johnny Cain – FB
1932 Johnny Cain – FB
1933 Tom Hupke – G
1934 Millard "Dixie" Howell* – B
Don Hutson* – E
Bill Lee* – T
1935 Riley Smith* – B
1936 James L. Nesbit – FB
Arthur White – G
1937 Joe Kilgrow – HB
Leroy Monsky* – G
James Ryba – T
1939 Carey Cox – C
1941 Halt Rast* – E
1942 Joe Damnanovich* – C
Dan Whitmire – OT
1945 Harry Gilmer – HB
Vaughn Mancha* – C
1950 Ed Salem – HB
1952 Bobby Marlow – HB
1954 George Mason – OT
1961 Billy Neighbors* – DT
1962 Lee Roy Jordan* – C
1964 Wayne Freeman – OG
Dan Kearley – OT
Joe Namath – QB
David Ray – HB
1965 Paul Crane* – C
Steve Sloan – QB
1966 Richard Dole – OG
Cecil Dowdy* – OT
Bobby Johns – DB
Ray Perkins* – SE
1967 Dennis Homan* – SE
Bobby Johns* – DB
Ken Stabler – QB
1968 Sam Gellerstedt – DG
Mike Hall – LB
1969 Alvin Samples – OG
1970 Johnny Musso – RB
1971 John Hannah – OG
Johnny Musso* – RB
1972 John Hannah* – OG
Jim Krapf – C
John Mitchell – DE
1973 Buddy Brown* – OT
Woodrow Lowe – LB
Wayne Wheeler – SE
1974 Leroy Cook – DE
Sylvester Croom – C
Woodrow Lowe – LB
Mike Washington – CB
1975 Leroy Cook* – DE
Woodrow Lowe – LB
1977 Ozzie Newsome* – DE
1978 Barry Krauss – LB
Marty Lyons – DT
1979 Jim Bunch* – OT
Don McNeal – CB
Dwight Stephenson – C
1980 Thomas Boyd – LB
E. J. Junior* – DE
1981 Thomas Boyd – LB
Tommy Wilcox* – S
1982 Jeremiah Castille – CB
Mike Pitts* – DE
Tommy Wilcox – S
1984 Cornelius Bennett – OLB
1985 Cornelius Bennett – OLB
Jon Hand – DT
1986 Cornelius Bennett* – OLB
Bobby Humphrey – RB
Van Tiffin – PK
1987 Bobby Humphrey – RB
1988 Kermit Hendrick – S
Larry Rose – OG
Derrick Thomas* – LB
1989 Keith McCants* – LB
John Mangum – CB
1990 Philip Doyle* – PK
1991 Robert Stewart – NT
1992 John Copeland – DE
Eric Curry* – DE
Antonio Langham – CB
1993 Antonio Langham* – CB
David Palmer – WR
Michael Proctor – PK
1994 Jay Barker – QB
Michael Proctor – PK
1996 Kevin Jackson* – SS
Michael Myers – DE
Dwayne Rudd – LB
1999 Shaun Alexander* – RB
Chris Samuels* - OT
2005 DeMeco Ryans* – LB
2008 Antoine Caldwell – C
Terrence Cody – DT
Rashad Johnson – S
Andre Smith* – T

* Denotes consensus pick

College Football Hall of Fame inductees

In 1951, the College Football Hall of Fame opened in South Bend, Indiana. Since then, Alabama has had 16 players and three former coaches inducted into the Hall of Fame.[84][85] Alabama had two members inducted into the inaugural 1951 class—Don Hutson and Frank Thomas.[86] With the 19 inductees, Alabama currently ranks 17th overall with total inductees.

Name Time at Alabama Position Year Inducted
Cornelius Bennett 1983–86 LB 2005
Johnny Mack Brown 1925–25 HB 1957
Paul Bryant 1933–35
1958–82		 RE
Head coach		 1986
Johnny Cain 1930–32 FB 1973
Harry Gilmer 1944–47 QB, DB 1993
John Hannah 1970–72 OG 1999
Frank Howard 1928–30 OG 1989
Dixie Howell 1932–34 HB 1970
Pooley Hubert 1922–25 QB 1964
Don Hutson 1932–34 E 1951
Name Time at Alabama Position Year Inducted
Lee Roy Jordan 1960–62 LB 1983
Vaughn Mancha 1944–47 C 1990
Johnny Musso 1969–71 HB 2000
Billy Neighbors 1959–61 T 2003
Ozzie Newsome 1974–77 SE 1994
Fred Sington 1928–30 T 1955
Riley Smith 1934–35 QB 1985
Frank Thomas 1931–46 Head coach 1951
Wallace Wade 1923–30 Head coach 1955
Don Whitmire 1941–42 T 1956

Other awards

Derrick Thomas - 1988
Antonio Langham - 1993
Jay Barker - 1994
Chris Samuels - 1999
Andre Smith - 2008
Cornelius Bennett - 1986

Rivalries

Auburn

Main article: Iron Bowl

The main rival of the Crimson Tide is against in-state rivals, Auburn University. The rivalry is considered to be one of the best and most hard-fought rivalries in all of sports.[87][88] The outcome of the game generally determines "bragging rights" in the state of Alabama until the following contest. Due to the intensity of the rivalry, many families, marriages, and other groups are split over their respective teams. The game may also have implications as to which team will represent the SEC Western Division in the SEC Championship Game. On February 22, 1893, at Lakeview Park in Birmingham, Auburn were victorious in the first ever Iron Bowl, 32–22. The series was suspended after the 1907 contest, due to violence and financial complications.[89] In 1944, Auburn suggested to reopen the series, though the Board of Trustees at Alabama rejected. However, the series was finally reopened in 1948—Alabama crushing the Tigers 55–0, which is still the largest margin of victory in the series.[90][91] In the following contest, Auburn shocked Alabama with a 14–13 victory, which is credited with helping revive the series.[92] For many years, the series was held at Legion Field in Birmingham before the teams began switching between Bryant-Denny Stadium, in Tuscaloosa, and Jordan Hare Stadium, in Auburn. Alabama currently leads the series at 39–33–1;[8] In their most recent meeting, Alabama defeated Auburn 36–0.[93] The victory was Alabama's first over the Tigers in Tuscaloosa, and it snapped Auburn's six-game winning streak against the Tide.[94]

Tennessee

Main article: Third Saturday in October

Despite the heated in-state rivalry with Auburn, Bear Bryant was more adamant about defeating his rivals to the north, the Tennessee Volunteers.[95] The series is named the Third Saturday in October, the traditional calendar date on which the game was played. Despite the name, the game has only been played on the third Saturday five times between 1995–2007. The first game between the two sides was played in 1901 in Birmingham, ending in a 6–6 tie. From 1902 to 1913, Alabama dominated the series, only losing once, and never allowing a touchdown by the Volunteers. Beginning in 1928, the rivalry was first played on its traditional date and began to be a challenge for the Tide as Robert Neyland began challenging Alabama for their perennial spot on top of the conference standings.[96] In the 1950s, Jim Goostree, the head trainer for Alabama, began another tradition as he began handing out cigars following a victory over the Volunteers.[97]

Between 1971–1981, Alabama held an eleven-game winning streak over the Volunteers and, between 1986–1994, a nine-game unbeaten streak. However, following Alabama's streak, Tennessee responded with a seven-game winning streak from 1995–2001. Starting with their 2001 meeting, each team has split the series with four wins each. Alabama won the most recent game 29–9 in 2008,[98] and lead the series 46–38–7.[8]

LSU

Main article: Alabama–LSU rivalry

A rivalry within the SEC Western Division occurs yearly between Alabama and the LSU Tigers. Starting in 1902, the Tigers were victorious 11–0 in the first meeting. The teams did not regularly meet until the mid-1960s, during Alabama's dominance of the SEC. Between 1971–1981, the Crimson Tide won eleven consecutive times. In the 1969 meeting, LSU defeated Alabama with a 20–15 scoreline in Baton Rouge—the Tigers would not win in Louisiana again until 2000.

In 2007, the meeting was more heated following Alabama's hiring of head coach Nick Saban—who previously coached at LSU. With the hiring, many media outlets dubbed the 2007 meeting as the "Saban Bowl".[99][100][101] With a late turnover, the Tigers beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa, 41–34.[102] For their 2008 matchup, Alabama snapped their five game drought against the Tigers with a 27–21 overtime victory in Baton Rouge.[103] Despite the recent success of LSU, the Crimson Tide still leads the head-to-head series at 44–23–5.[8]

Controversies

NCAA sanctions

During the 2000 season, an assistant football coach at Trezevant High School in Template:City-state claimed that Logan Young, an Alabama booster, had paid Lynn Lang, the Trezevant head football coach, approximately $150,000 to encourage defensive lineman Albert Means to sign with the Crimson Tide.[104] Following the investigation by the NCAA, Alabama received a five-year probation beginning with the 2002 season, a two-year bowl ban (2002 and 2003), and a reduced number of scholarships that the university could give out—taking away twenty-one scholarships over a three year period.[105] A secret witness was later unveiled to be Phillip Fulmer, the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers football team.[106][107]

Mike Price scandal

In April 2003, multiple news reports claimed that Alabama head coach Mike Price spent several hundred dollars at a strip club in Template:City-state, and that a woman ordered about $1,000 of room service, charged to Price's hotel bill, which was paid for by the University of Alabama.[53] Following a Sports Illustrated article, which elaborated on the incident, Price sued the magazine for $20 million for defamation.[108][109] Price additionally sued Alabama for $20 million, claiming wrongful termination following the Sports Illustrated story.[110] However, the lawsuit against Time Inc. and Sports Illustrated was settled for an undisclosed sum.[111]

Media

During the football season, the Crimson Tide Sports Network broadcasts multiple shows on gameday for most sports. The network includes more than sixty radio stations across the country. Radio stations WFFN-FM, WTSK-AM as a backup, broadcast all home games in the Tuscaloosa area.[112]

Football radio broadcasts begin three hours prior to the game's designated kickoff time with Chris Stewart and Tyler Watts in Around the SEC.[113] The radio broadcast then moves to the Crimson Tide Tailgate Party hosted by Tom Roberts.[113] Immediately following the end of the game, the Fifth Quarter Show begins as host Eli Gold talks to coaches and players, as well as giving game statistics.[113] For the current 2008 season, former Alabama players and personalities have been brought on to provide guest commentary for each broadcast.[114]

Current personalities:[115]

  • Eli Gold – play-by-play
  • Tom Roberts – color analyst, director of broadcasting
  • Barry Krauss – color analyst, sideline reporter
  • Tom Stipe, Butch Owens, Brian Roberts, Berk Bank – producers
  • Chris Stewart – pre- and post-game show host
  • Tyler Watts - pre- and post-game show co-host

Stewart and Watts also provide play-by-play and color commentary respectively for CTSN pay-per-view television broadcasts.

Former personalities:

  • Jerry Duncan, sideline reporter
  • Paul Kennedy, play-by-play
  • Doug Layton, color analyst
  • Ken Stabler, color analyst[116][117]

See also

References

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Further reading

  • Barnhart, Tony (2000). Southern Fried Football: The History, Passion, and Glory of the Great Southern Game. Triumph Books. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Davis, Terry (1999). Roll Tide: The Alabama Crimson Tide Story. Creative Education. ISBN 0886829755.
  • Forney, John (1993). Talk of the Tide: an oral history of Alabama football since 1920. Crane Hill Publishers. ISBN 1881548031.
  • Gold, Eli (2005). Crimson Nation. Thomas Nelson Incorporated. ISBN 1401601901.
  • Groom, Winston (2000). The Crimson Tide - An Illustrated History. The University of Alabama Press. ISBN 0817310517.
  • Langford, George (1974). The Crimson Tide: Alabama Football. H. Regnery Co. ISBN 0809283638.
  • Sharpe, Wilton (2007). Crimson Tide Madness: Great Eras in Alabama Football. Cumberland House Publishing. ISBN 1581825803.
  • Townsend, Steve (2003). Tales from 1978-79 Alabama Football: A Time of Champions. Sports Publishing LLC. ISBN 1582614253.
  • Walsh, Christopher J. (2005). Crimson Storm Surge: Alabama Football Then and Now. Taylor Trade Publishing. ISBN 1589792793.
  • Wells, Lawrence (2000). Football Powers of the South. Sports Yearbook Company. ISBN 0916242277.
  • Athlon Sports (2006). Alabama Football: The Greatest Games, Players, Coaches, and Teams in the Glorious Tradition of Crimson Tide Football. Triumph Books. ISBN 1572438800. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • The Tuscaloosa News (2003). Greatest Moments in Alabama Crimson Tide Football History. Distributors. ISBN 1928846653. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
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