Alabama Crimson Tide football

Alabama Crimson Tide Football
2008 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
First season	1892
Head coach	2nd season, 13–6 (7–4 in SEC)
Stadium	Bryant-Denny Stadium (capacity: 92,138)
Field surface	Grass
Location	Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Division	West
All-time record	793–314–43 (.708)
Bowl record	31–21–3 (.591)
Claimed national titles	12
Conference titles	25 (21 SEC)
Consensus All-Americans	92
Colors	Crimson and White
Fight song	Yea Alabama
Mascot	Elephant (Big Al)
Marching band	Million Dollar Band
Rivals	Auburn Tigers Tennessee Volunteers LSU Tigers
Website	RollTide.com

The Alabama Crimson Tide football program is a college football team that represents the University of Alabama (variously "Alabama" or "UA"). The team currently competes in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Crimson Tide is one of the most storied and decorated programs in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) history, claiming twelve national championships. The program began in 1892 and is one of the most successful in the modern era (post World War II) with 504 total victories, a .704 percent winning average. From 1958 to 1982, the team was led by Hall of Fame coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, who won six national championships with the program. 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. Alabama has won twenty-five conference championships, twenty-one SEC championships, and an NCAA-record fifty-five postseason bowl appearances, which includes thirty-one victories. Other NCAA records include eight perfect, undefeated and untied, seasons and is only second to the Oklahoma Sooners with twenty-eight 10–win seasons. The program also leads the SEC West Division by appearing in the SEC Championship five times, as well as a winning record against every SEC opponent. The Associated Press (AP) currently ranks Alabam fifth in all-time Final AP Poll appearances, with forty-five. Over the program's 112 year history, Alabama has amassed 792 victories, which ranks them sixth all-time in win-loss records by the NCAA.

Alabama currently plays their home games at Bryant-Denny Stadium, a 92,128 capacity stadium located on the campus in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. With the capacity, Bryant-Denny is currently the eighteenth largest stadium in the world and the seventh largest on-campus stadium in the United States.

History

Paul "Bear" Bryant

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. 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." 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. In his fourth season, Bryant led the Crimson Tide to their sixth national championship which included Bryant's first bowl victory with Alabama. Between 1958 to 1961, Alabama went 34–6–3 which also included a Southeastern Conference Championship, two undefeated seasons, and three bowl berths.

Between 1970–1979, the Crimson Tide was one of the most dominant teams in college football. Winning eight conference titles and three national championships, 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.

Bryant's final game as head coach of Alabama came in the 1982 Liberty Bowl. Bryant's retirement made the Libery Bowl one of the most covered games that season as many news stations and newspapers sent reporters to cover the game. 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, thirteen conference titles, and eleven bowl victories. In his twenty-five seasons, he led the Crimson Tide to twenty-four consecutive bowl appearances. At the time of his retirement, Bryant was the winningest college football coach.

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." Only several weeks after coaching his final game, Bear Bryant died of a heart attack on January 26, 1983.

Recent history

Following the death of Bear Bryant, Alabama has had its high points and its low points. Since the retirement of Bryant, the team has had eight different head coaches: Ray Perkins, Bill Curry, Gene Stallings, Mike Dubose, Dennis Franchione, Mike Price, Mike Shula, and most recently Nick Saban. The Tide won its last national championship in 1992, during the Stallings tenure.

Following Gene Stallings's retirement in 1996, defensive coordinator Mike Dubose was promoted to the head coaching position. Despite praise as a recruiter, DuBose did not prove to be an effective head coach. In his third season, DuBose won the SEC Championship, with seniors Shaun Alexander and Chris Samuels. With the success, Alabama began their 2000 season as high as number three in some polls. The expectations went unfulfilled as the Tide slumped to a 3–8 record, which included losses to UCF, Tennessee, and Auburn. Following the season, DuBose was replaced by an up-and-coming coach from TCU, Dennis Franchione.

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. On December 5, 2002, Franchione was formally introduced as the head coach at Texas A&M.

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

With the difficult offseason, the Shula-led Crimson Tide finished with a dismal 4–9 record in his first season. The season included many narrow defeats to Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Tennessee. The team improved slightly in the 2004 season, finishing with a 6–6 record. However, the Crimson Tide made their first bowl appearance in three seasons, receiving an invite to the 2004 Music City Bowl. During the offseason, Alabama once again was able to gain a "full" recruiting class, following a probation by the NCAA which occurred in 2001.

In 2005, Alabama rolled to a 10–2 record including a 13–10 win over pass-happy Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl, however, they failed to beat Auburn University for the fourth straight time. The Tide offense sputtered at times due to several injuries, including wide receiver Tyrone Prothro and center J. B. Closner. They opened the season with a dominating 9–0 record, including beating the rival Tennessee Volunteers, and the Florida Gators by a score of 31–3. A third-ranked LSU team ended their streak with a home defeat in overtime, and the Tide lost to Auburn in the Iron Bowl the next week after the defense surrendered 21 first quarter points.

The 2006 season was a "rebuilding year" that saw the likes of Croyle and DeMeco Ryans replaced with such players as the young John Parker Wilson. It ended in a disappointing 6-7 record overall and 2-6 in the SEC, including losses of eight points or less to conference opponents Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi State, and Auburn. On November 27, 2006, Shula was fired and defensive coordinator Joe Kines was announced as Alabama's interim head coach. Mike Shula finished his career at Alabama as the only Alabama coach ever to lose to Auburn four times in a row.

On January 3, 2007, Nick $aban accepted an offer worth US$32 million guaranteed for 8 years to be the next Crimson Tide head coach. In his first season, Saban lead the Crimson Tide to a 7–6 record, which included a victory in the 2007 Independence Bowl. Despite the final record, Alabama began the season with a 6–2 record, though struggled to find consistent offense through their four losses to LSU, Mississippi State, Auburn, and a shocking loss to Louisiana-Monroe.

Head coaching history

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 G. 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 45–28–7 .606 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 24–23–0 .510 0 1 Dennis Franchione 2001–02 17–8–0 .680 0 0 Mike Price* 2002 0–0–0 .000 0 0 Mike Shula 2003–06 26–23–0 .531 0 0 Joe Kines^ 2006 0–1–0 .000 0 0 Nick Saban 2007– 13–6–0 .625 0 0 Total 793–314–43 .708 12 25 † NCAA forfeited Alabama's nine regular season victories in 1993. (Stallings was 70–14–1 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

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 twelve national titles of the seventeen documented by the NCAA. National championships prior to the modern era (beginning 1945) were determined by several committees and organizations, some retroactively. Several of these organizations included the Helms Athletic Foundation, Dunkel Index, Houlgate, Litkenhaus, and the College Football Research Association. However, from 1936 to 2004, the AP Poll had been the most widely circulated and accepted national championship selector before it was replaced with the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) following the end of the 2004 college season. Since 1950, the AFCA and USA Today's Coaches' Poll has also been widely accepted. Between 1998 and 2004, both the AP Poll and the BCS selected National Champions.

Despite not naming an official National Champion, the NCAA does provide lists of those championships which it recognizes. In addition to the twelve championships claimed by the university, the NCAA recognizes Alabama as National Champions for the 1945, 1966, 1967, and 1977 college football seasons. However, those championships are not claimed by Alabama.

Year Coach Selector Record Bowl 1925 Wallace Wade H, FA, CFRA, NCF 10–0–0 Won Rose Bowl 1926 H, CFRA, NCF 9–0–1 Tied Rose Bowl 1930 Davis, CFRA 10–0–0 Won Rose Bowl 1934 Frank W. Thomas D, W, HG 10–0–0 Won Rose Bowl 1941 HG 9–2–0 Won Cotton Bowl 1961 Bear Bryant AP, Coaches 11–0–0 Won Sugar Bowl 1964 AP, Coaches 10–1–0 Lost Orange Bowl 1965 AP 9–1–1 Won Orange Bowl 1973 Coaches 11–1–0 Lost Sugar Bowl 1978 AP 11–1–0 Won Sugar Bowl 1979 AP, Coaches 12–0–0 Won Sugar Bowl 1992 Gene Stallings AP, Coaches 13–0–0 Won Sugar Bowl Total National Championships 12

Abbreviations:

• CFRA - College Football Research Association (retroactive)
• H - Helms Athletic Foundation (retroactive 1883-1941)
• NCF - National Championship Foundation (retroactive)
• D - Dunkel Index (since 1929)
• HG - Houlgate's Football Thesaurus
• FA - Football Annual
• W - Williamson

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. 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.

• 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. The 1926 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the Helms Athletic Foundation.

• 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. The 1930 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the Davis poll.

• 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. The 1934 Alabama football team was selected national champions by Dunkel, Williamson and Football Thesaurus. The University of Alabama honored Ben McLeod, Jr., the 95–year–old former backup End and last surviving member of the 1934 team, at the September 6, 2008 Alabama–Tulane game.

• 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 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. While the final AP Poll ranked the 1941 Alabama football team #20, the squad was selected national champions by Football Thesaurus.

• 1961 — The 1961 Alabama Crimson Tide, coached by Bear Bryant, completed the regular season 10–0–0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. Led by quarterback Pat Trammell, linebacker Lee Roy Jordan and two–way lineman Billy Neighbors, Alabama outscored their opponents 297–25. Alabama was then invited to play the #9–ranked Arkansas Razorbacks in the January 1, 1962 Sugar Bowl. Coach Bryant's team defeated the Razorbacks 10–3 to finish the season 11–0–0. The outstanding player of the game was Mike Fracchia. The 1961 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP and Coaches Polls.

• 1964 — The 1964 Alabama Crimson Tide, 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. Because final polls were released before bowl games were played at the time, the 1964 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP and Coaches Polls in favor of undefeated Arkansas. Because of the controversy, 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, 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. The 1965 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP Poll.

• 1973 — The 1973 Alabama Crimson Tide, 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 by the Coaches Poll as at the time the final poll was announced prior to the bowl games. 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, 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. The 1978 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP Poll.

• 1979 — The 1979 Alabama Crimson Tide, 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. The 1979 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP and Coaches Polls.

• 1992 — The 1992 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Gene Stallings, completed the regular season 11–0–0. They then defeated #12–ranked Florida in the inaugural SEC Championship Game, defeating the Gators 28–21; the win gave Alabama its 20th SEC title and a record of 12–0–0. Alabama was then invited to play #1–ranked Miami in the January 1, 1993 Sugar Bowl. Coach Stallings' team defeated the Hurricanes 34–13 to finish the season 13–0–0. The outstanding player of the game was Derrick Lassic. The 1992 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP and Coaches Polls.

Conference championships

Alabama has won a total of 25 conference championships, including 21 SEC Championships. The school has won more SEC football titles than any other school, with two coming since the conference split into separate divisions adding a Championship Game.

Conference affiliations

• 1892-94, Independent
• 1895-1921, Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
• 1922-32, Southern Conference
• 1933-present, Southeastern Conference

List of conference championships

Year Conference Overall Record Conference Record 1924 Southern 8-1 5-0 1925† Southern 10-0 7-0 1926 Southern 9-0-1 8-0 1930† Southern 10-0 8-0 1933 SEC 7-1-1 5-0-1 1934† SEC 10-0 7-0 1937 SEC 9-1-0 6-0 1945 SEC 10-0 6-0 1953 SEC 6-3-3 4-0-3 1961† SEC 11-0 7-0 1964 SEC 10-1 8-0 1965 SEC 9-1-1 6-1-1 1966† SEC 11-0 6-0 1971 SEC 11-1 7-0 1972 SEC 10-2 7-1 1973 SEC 11-1 8-0 1974 SEC 11-1 6-0 1975 SEC 11-1 6-0 1977 SEC 11-1 7-0 1978 SEC 11-1 6-0 1979 SEC 12-0 6-0 1981† SEC 9-2-1 6-0 1989† SEC 10-2 6-1 1992 SEC 13-0 8-0 1999 SEC 10-3 7-1 Total conference championships 25 † Denotes co-champions

Records

Main article: Alabama Crimson Tide football seasons

All-time bowl results

Alabama has participated in 55 bowl games and has 31 bowl victories, both NCAA records. Alabama also holds the distinction of being the team that has made the most Rose Bowl appearances outside of the Pac-10 and Big 10 conferences.

Date	Bowl	W/L	Opponent	PF	PA
January 1, 1926	Rose Bowl	W	Washington	20	19
January 1, 1927	Rose Bowl	T	Stanford	7	7
January 1, 1931	Rose Bowl	W	Washington State	24	0
January 1, 1935	Rose Bowl	W	Stanford	29	13
January 1, 1938	Rose Bowl	L	California	0	13
January 1, 1942	Cotton Bowl	W	Texas A&M	29	21
January 1, 1943	Orange Bowl	W	Boston College	37	21
January 1, 1945	Sugar Bowl	L	Duke	26	29
January 1, 1946	Rose Bowl	W	USC	34	14
January 1, 1948	Sugar Bowl	L	Texas	7	27
January 1, 1953	Orange Bowl	W	Syracuse	61	6
January 1, 1954	Cotton Bowl	L	Rice	6	28
December 19, 1959	Liberty Bowl	L	Penn State	0	7
December 17, 1960	Bluebonnet Bowl	T	Texas	3	3
January 1, 1962	Sugar Bowl	W	Arkansas	10	3
January 1, 1963	Orange Bowl	W	Oklahoma	17	0
January 1, 1964	Sugar Bowl	W	Mississippi	12	7
January 1, 1965	Orange Bowl	L	Texas	17	21
January 1, 1966	Orange Bowl	W	Nebraska	39	28
January 2, 1967	Sugar Bowl	W	Nebraska	34	7
January 1, 1968	Cotton Bowl	L	Texas A&M	16	20
December 28, 1968	Gator Bowl	L	Missouri	10	35
December 13, 1969	Liberty Bowl	L	Colorado	33	47
December 31, 1970	Bluebonnet Bowl	T	Oklahoma	24	24
January 1, 1972	Orange Bowl	L	Nebraska	6	38
January 1, 1973	Cotton Bowl	L	Texas	13	17
December 31, 1973	Sugar Bowl	L	Notre Dame	23	24
January 1, 1975	Orange Bowl	L	Notre Dame	11	13
December 31, 1975	Sugar Bowl	W	Penn State	13	6
December 20, 1976	Liberty Bowl	W	UCLA	36	6
January 2, 1978	Sugar Bowl	W	Ohio State	35	6
January 1, 1979	Sugar Bowl	W	Penn State	14	7
January 1, 1980	Sugar Bowl	W	Arkansas	24	9
January 1, 1981	Cotton Bowl	W	Baylor	30	2
January 1, 1982	Cotton Bowl	L	Texas	12	14
December 29, 1982	Liberty Bowl	W	Illinois	21	15
December 24, 1983	Sun Bowl	W	Southern Methodist	28	7
December 28, 1985	Aloha Bowl	W	USC	24	3
December 25, 1986	Sun Bowl	W	Washington	28	6
January 2, 1988	Hall of Fame Bowl	L	Michigan	24	28
December 24, 1988	Sun Bowl	W	Army	29	28
January 1, 1990	Sugar Bowl	L	Miami	25	33
January 1, 1991	Fiesta Bowl	L	Louisville	7	34
December 28, 1991	Blockbuster Bowl	W	Colorado	30	25
January 1, 1993	Sugar Bowl	W	Miami	34	13
December 31, 1993	Gator Bowl	W	North Carolina	24	10
January 2, 1995	Citrus Bowl	W	Ohio State	24	17
January 1, 1997	Outback Bowl	W	Michigan	17	14
December 29, 1998	Music City Bowl	L	Virginia Tech	7	38
January 1, 2000	Orange Bowl	L (OT)	Michigan	34	35
December 27, 2001	Independence Bowl	W	Iowa State	14	13
December 31, 2004	Music City Bowl	L	Minnesota	16	20
January 2, 2006	Cotton Bowl	W	Texas Tech	13	10
December 28, 2006	Independence Bowl	L	Oklahoma State	31	34
December 30, 2007	Independence Bowl	W	Colorado	30	24
Total	55 bowl games	31-21-3		-	-

Bowl appearances by bowl, listed in order of first appearance:

Bowl	Number of Appearances	Record
Rose Bowl	6	4-1-1
Cotton Bowl	7	3-4-0
Orange Bowl	8	4-4-0
Sugar Bowl	12	8-4-0
Liberty Bowl	4	2-2-0
Bluebonnet Bowl	2	0-0-2
Gator Bowl	2	1-1-0
Sun Bowl	3	3-0-0
Aloha Bowl	1	1-0-0
Hall of Fame Bowl	1	0-1-0
Fiesta Bowl	1	0-1-0
Blockbuster Bowl	1	1-0-0
Citrus Bowl	1	1-0-0
Outback Bowl	1	1-0-0
Music City Bowl	2	0-2-0
Independence Bowl	3	2-1-0

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.

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, Football Writers Association of America, The 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 ninety-two first team All-Americans (twenty-nine consensus) in its history.

1913 W. T. VandeGraaff – T 1925 Pooley Hubert - QB 1926 Hoyt Winslett – E Fred Pickhard – T 1929 Tony Holm – FB Fred Sington* – T 1931 Johnny Cain – FB 1932 Johnny Cain – FB 1933 Tom Hupke – G 1934 Millard Howell* – B Don Hutson* – E Bill Lee* – T 1935 Riley Smith* – B 1936 Arthur White – G James L. Nesbit – FB 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 Kraus – 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 Wilcos – S 1984 Cornelius Bennett – OLB 1985 Cornelius Bennett – OLB 1986 Bobby Humphrey – RB Van Tiffin – PK 1987 Bobby Humphrey – RB 1988 Derrick Thomas* – LB Kermit Hendrick – S Larry Rose – OG

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 2005 DeMeco Ryans* – LB

College Football Hall of Fame inductees

File:Bryant Statue Close-Up.jpg

As well as being a coach at Alabama, Paul "Bear" Bryant was a right end between 1933–35.

In 1951, the College Football Hall of Fame opened in South Bend, Indiana. Since then, Alabama has had sixteen players and three former coaches inducted into the Hall of Fame. Alabama had two members inducted into the innagural 1951 class—Don Hutson and Frank Thomas. With the nineteen inductees, Alabama currently ranks seventeeth 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

• Dick Butkus Award

Derrick Thomas - 1988

• Jim Thorpe Award

Antonio Langham - 1993

• Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award

Jay Barker - 1994

• Outland Trophy

Chris Samuels - 1999

• Lombardi Award

Cornelius Bennett - 1986

Heisman Trophy finalists

As legendary Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant once said, "We play for team trophies, not indiviual ones.". Today, the Crimson Tide is still without a Heisman Trophy winner. However, some notable players have finished in the top five of Heisman voting.

Player	Year	Finish	Position
Jay Barker	1994	5th	QB
David Palmer	1993	3rd	WR
Terry Davis	1972	5th	QB
Johnny Musso	1971	4th	HB
Lee Roy Jordan	1962	4th	LB
Pat Trammell	1961	5th	QB
Harry Gilmer	1947	5th	HB
Harry Gilmer	1945	5th	HB
Joe Kilgrow	1937	5th	HB

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. 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. 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. In the following contest, Auburn shocked Alabama with a 14–13 victory, which is credited with helping revive the series. 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 38–33–1; however, Auburn currently owns a six-year winning streak against the Tide. Alabama's last win was a 31–7 victory in Auburn on November 17, 2001.

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. 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. 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.

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. Since their 2002 meeting, each team has split the series with three wins each. Alabama won the most recent game 41–17 in 2007, and lead the series 45–38–7.

LSU

Main article: Alabama-LSU rivalry

A rivalry within the SEC Western Division occurs yearly between Alabama and the LSU Tigers. Starting in 1901, 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". With a late turnover, the Tigers beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa, 41–34. Despite the recent success of LSU, the Crimson Tide still leads the head-to-head series at 44–22–5.

Crimson Tide in the NFL

Alabama has more Super Bowl winning quarterbacks than any other school, with 3. Bart Starr won Super Bowls I and II with the Green Bay Packers, Joe Namath won Super Bowl III with the New York Jets, and Ken Stabler won Super Bowl XI with the Oakland Raiders. In fact, these 3 former Tiders were the only former SEC quarterbacks to lead their respective NFL teams to a Super Bowl victory until the Colts won Super Bowl XLI with Peyton Manning at quarterback.

Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees

• Ozzie Newsome, SE, 1999
• Dwight Stephenson, C, 1998
• John Hannah, OG, 1991
• Joe Namath, QB, 1985
• Bart Starr, QB, 1977
• Don Hutson, E, 1963

Current players

Name	Position	Team
Shaun Alexander	RB	Free Agent
Mark Anderson	DE	Chicago Bears
Wesley Britt	OT	New England Patriots
Anthony Bryant	DT	Miami Dolphins
Fernando Bryant	CB	Free Agent
Tim Castille	FB	Arizona Cardinals
Jeremy Clark	DT	Philadelphia Eagles
Brodie Croyle	QB	Kansas City Chiefs
Kenneth Darby	RB	Atlanta Falcons
Alonzo Ephraim	C	Cleveland Browns
Cornelius Griffin	DT	Washington Redskins
Roman Harper	SS	New Orleans Saints
Jarret Johnson	DE	Baltimore Ravens
Anthony Madison	CB	Pittsburgh Steelers
Evan Mathis	OG	Carolina Panthers
Le'Ron McClain	FB	Baltimore Ravens
Kindal Moorehead	DT	Carolina Panthers
Michael Myers	DT	Cincinnati Bengals
Charlie Peprah	S	Green Bay Packers
Derrick Pope	LB	Miami Dolphins
Antwan Odom	DE	Cincinnati Bengals
Ramzee Robinson	CB	Detroit Lions
DeMeco Ryans	LB	Houston Texans
Chris Samuels	OT	Washington Redskins
Keith Saunders	LB	Miami Dolphins
Justin Smiley	OG	Miami Dolphins
Kenny Smith	DE	New England Patriots
Deshea Townsend	CB	Pittsburgh Steelers
Shaud Williams	RB	Buffalo Bills

2008 NFL Draft

The 2008 NFL Draft marks the first time since 1970 that no players were selected from the University of Alabama. However, 6 players from the 2007-2008 Alabama football team signed free-agent deals with NFL teams.

• Wallace Gilberry, DE, New York Giants
• D.J. Hall, WR, New York Giants
• Justin Britt, OG, Cincinnati Bengals
• Simeon Castille, CB, Cincinnati Bengals
• Matt Caddell, WR, St. Louis Rams
• Keith Saunders, LB, Miami Dolphins

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. Following the investigation by the NCAA, Alabama received a five-year probation, a two-year bowl ban, and a reduced number of scholarships that the university could give out—limiting them to twenty-one scholarships per year. A secret witness was later unveiled to be Phillip Fulmer, head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers football team.

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, charging to Price's hotel bill, which was paid for by the University of Alabama. Following a Sports Illustrated, which elaborated on the incident, Price sued the magazine for $20 million for defamation. Price additionally sued Alabama for $20 million, claiming wrongful termination following the Sports Illustrated story. However, the lawsuit against Time Inc. and Sports Illustrated was settled for an undisclosed sum.

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.

Football radio broadcasts begin three hours prior to the game's designated kickoff time with Chris Stewart in Around the SEC, before moving to the Crimson Tide Tailgate Party hosted by Tom Roberts. 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.

Current personalities:

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

Former personalities:

• Ken Stabler, play-by-play

See also

• Million Dollar Band
• University of Alabama traditions

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.
• 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)

External links

• University of Alabama website
• RollTide.com – Official website of University of Alabama athletics