l,

dark:' Itwas the best thing he had. Despite anOle Miss blitz, Hunter faded and fired a per­fect line drive into Ranager's waiting hands,and he spun awayfrom the cornerback into theend zone, making the score Bama 33-Rebels 32.

The comeback win bolstered the team's re­cords and the fans' spirits, but it also held deeppersonal significance for the players involved,as it offered lessons that transcended thegridiron. "Whenever I've had tough timesor have to make tough decisions,I run the best thing I've got;'says Hunter, now a promi­nent Mobile stockbroker. "Italways seems to work out"

8 ALABAMA HERITAGE: SUMMER 2013

greatest aerial displays in the history of college footbaIl-acombined 81 passes for a total of 736 yards. The score hadseesawed all night, but with four minutes left in the gameHunter caIled a time-out and headed to the sidelines foradvice. When the referee came over and said, "Time's upAlabama captain. The TV commercial is over;' Hunter stillhad no play.As he trotted back toward the line, however, heheard the growl of Coach Paul W. "Bear" Bryant calling him:"Scott, Scott:' Without stopping, Hunter looked over hisshoulder and received what he remembers forty-four yearslater as the smartest piece of advice he ever received: "Runthe best thing you got!"Bryant hollered.In the huddle Hunter looked straight at wide receiver

George Ranager and said, "Red right 56 comeback:' He andRanager had practiced that play until they "could do it in the

TWAS FOURTH-AND-LONG on the OleMiss twenty yard line,and time \was running out. The Crimson Tidewas behind 27-32 on amuggySaturday night at Legion Field in 1969. Bama quarterback Scott

Hunter and the Rebels'Archie Manning had just put on one of the

ALABAMA HERITAGE: SUMMER 2013 9

One time Croyle, a star defensive end onBryant's 1973 National Championship team,was in Bryant's office discussing how to helpa young boy he had counseled at a summer

camp for underprivilegedchildren. The boy's moth­er was a prostitute, and the

boy was both "her bankerand her timer:' Croyle said.

Bryant's phone had been ringingoff the hook, but the coach-let his secretary answer it. At onepoint, Croyle said, she appeared at the door and said, "Coach,I've got Roone Arledge (the head ofABC Sports) on one line,and Bob Hope on the other. What do you want me to do?"

"Say1will be with them directly;' Bryant replied, resumingthe conversation with Croyle.

"Iwas flabbergasted;' Croyle said. "I was a nineteen-year­old kid, and Bryant had two of the most famous people inAmerica waiting on hold while he talked to me:'

For thirty-nine years Croyle has run Big Oak Ranch,which maintains homes and schools for disadvantaged chil­dren, and he bases his own work on the lesson he learnedthat day from Coach Bryant: "No matter who 1am talking to,or how important it might seem, 1will always take a call fromone of the lads and make myself available to them. They arewhat is important"

Bryant kept the welfare of his players foremost in hismind,and not only when they were players. In 1973 he establishedthe Paul W. Bryant Scholarship Fund to financially assist anychildren of his players who wanted to attend the Univer­sity of Alabama. Approximately one thousand of them havetaken advantage of the program, including the children ofIoeNamath, Kenny Stabler, Jeff Rutledge, Scott Hunter, MajorOgilvie,and others. Based on the amount of the scholarshipsawarded through the fund, Bryant has donated more to theuniversity than the university paid him during his career.

It wasn't only Bryant's own players that concerned him.During a 1974 Alabama game at Legion Field against TexasChristian University, TCU running back Kent Waldrep wasparalyzed with a broken neck. When the game concluded,

/

OPPOSITE PAGE:Scott Hunter (#12)huddles up the Crimson Tideduring

the 1969Alabama-Ole Missgame. LEFT: Academic

All-American centerGayton McCollough

is now a highly re­garded plasticsurgeon.

\

cannot feel sorry for yourselves; you cannot quit:" That, orsome version of it, is the central theme that most of Bryant'sformer players took away from the experience of playingfootball for him. "Iwanted to get the psychology department

to give him an honorary PhD;' says McCollough, now asuccessful plastic surgeon in Gulf Shores. "He

was a fabulous motivator:'What stood out about Bryant for

John Croyle was his accessibility tothe people who mattered to himthe most-his players. His doorwas always open, for any subject.

startled players. 'You

on the neces­up after some bad

'You have to do what

ing at five a.m. and said, 'I've justbeen thinking .. : and thendelivered a lengthy lecturesity of picking yourselfevent befell you in later life.you have to do: he told the

EAR BRYANT COACHED AT ALABAMA

from 1958-1982, during whichthousands of young men passedthrough his athletic depart­

ment. He had a marked effect on allof them; for many-probably most­the experience profoundly changedtheir lives. "He was more than just afootball coach;' remembered All-American centerGaylon McCollough, "and sometimes he'd callteam meetings where football was nevermentioned. One time he called a meet-

10 ALABAMA HERITAGE: SUMMER 2013

LEFT: Halfback "Scooter"Dyess remembers Bryant's

speech before the 1959Iron Bowl. The Tidewonthe game 10-0to break afive-year

losingstreak.

~. was so poor he didn't even know1 he was poor until his first trip to

Fordycewhen other kids made funof him. He was so self-conscious

ABOVE: CoachBryant greetsformer TCU running backKent Waldrep, paralyzed in agame against Alabama in 1974.

RYANT'S FOCUS on Waldrep's fa~ilyreflected the significance of his deepfamily roots. Bryant grew up in MoroBottom, Arkansas, which wasn't even

a switch up the railroad tracks, just a collectionof families who scratched out a living in themean Arkansas dirt. The Bryants rode a mule

wagon to the town of Fordyce once aweek to sell truck vegetables. Bryant

Bryant went immediately tothe hospital to check on Wal­drep-the only time in his ca­reer he did not return home withthe team. The next day Bryant visited himin the hospital, and he came back the nextday, and the next. These were not shortpop-in visits;Bryant would stayhalf an houror longer. "He would put his big hands onmy chest and say,'Okay boy you've been layingaround this hospital long enough. I know that thenurses are pretty, and the therapists are pretty, butyou need to get back out on the football field:"Waldrepremembered Although Waldrep's injury meant he wouldnever play football again, he recalls Bryant's words being theprecise motivation he needed to taclde physical therapy.

Over several months he "would bring all kinds of guests:'said Waldrep, a former vice-chairman of the National Coun­cil on Disability during the Reagan administration. "One dayhe showed up with Charlie Finley, the owner of the WorldSeries-winning Oaldand Xs, and George Steinbrenner of theNew York Yankees:' When he couldn't come himself, he'dsend encouraging notes, and he was always positive in frontof Waldrep, though the boy's parents told him Bryant hadtears in his eyes after leaving his room.

Bryant kept the connection even after Waldrep wasmoved back to Texas, making the player an honorary mem­ber of the A Club. At Bryant's funeral Waldrep sat withthe Bryant family. When it came time for Waldrep's sonsto attend college, both were accepted at the University ofAlabama on Bryant scholarships-courtesy of Athletic Di­rector Mal Moore, who remembered that Bryant had told

everyone around him to help Waldrep and his familywhenever possibl~.

AULBRYANTWASABIG, imposing pres­ence, and when he entered a room-

"who have worked so hard they probably had wrinldedhands;' would be at the game, and that their mamas, who hadraised and nurtured them, would be there also-watching.Their grandparents "who are getting up in agemight be thereas well;' he told them. Then he cast his eyes upon the groundand wrung his hands, saying, "Now, I just want us to stopand think about our families, and all they mean to us, andwhat you mean to them:' By the time he was finished, manyof the players were choked up; some had tears in their eyes.No one present was unmoved by the lecture. Then Bryantlet flywith the eloquence of a real life Elmer Gantry: "Now,can you honestly tell me that you are going to go out there

on Saturday, and let those country sons-of-bitches beat you in front of all those finepeople that have meant so much to youall their lives?"

Dyess remembers, "I hadnever had a talk like that.You couldn't help but bemotivated:' And it worked:Dyess, who went on toscore the winning touch­down (using a trick play

Bryant sent in), and theCrimson Tide broke a stringof humiliating losses to Au­burn that went back beyond

recent memory.

by the MiamiDolphins.

RIGHT: All-American cornerback DonMcNeal was named to the Univer­sity ofAlabama All-CentennialTeam. He was drafted inthe first round

ing and preaching were a lot alike" And she would likelyhavebeen proud of his counsel to players. "Make your beds, writeyour mamas, and go to church on Sundays;' he advised.

Star halfback Marlin "Scooter" Dyess played for the Uni­versity of Alabama during Bryant's first season. "He stressedcharacter;' said Dyess. "He said, 'I wasn't hired to come inand build character, but we are going to work on it: He talkedabout commitment and above all to be honest, andto do all things with truth and integrity;' Dyesssaid. "We never had been taught thesethings by the other regime" (namely, theera of Coach J. B."Ears"Whitworth, whopreceded Bryant as head coach).

Dyess was there when Bryant de­livered one of his most renownedmotivational speeches during hissecond season, right before theAuburn game, which the Tidewas expected, as usual, to lose. Afterprophesying that Alabama "had a chance;'(Auburn had been runner-up in the SEC theprevious year and had lost only two gamesin the present season) Bryant began talkingalmost in religious tones about the players'families. He reminded them that their fathers,

and abashed that he wouldn't eat out because he didn't knowwhat all the utensils were for. His father had died young, butthe lessons Bryant learned from his mother loomed large inhis immense personality. In his autobiography, Bear, Bryantremembered that his mother, Ida Kilgore Bryant, whom heidolized, would have preferred him to become a preacherinstead of a football coach, but he used to tell her that "coach-

whether it was a team meeting, the GreenRoom of the White House, or the Hogs­

breath saloon-there would be a noticeable change inthe tone of conversation. The attention would focus onhim, and people who met him always remembered it.Before each season began, Bryant sent every player a

letter or telegram with inspirational advice. Don McNeal,

~,.;:::~:~~1~:~:.:~:'=::

Bryant's mother would likely have been proud of hiscounsel to players. "Make your beds, write your mamas,

and go to church on Sundays," he advised._,

12 ALABAMA HERITAGE: SUMMER 2013

ABOVE: Right guard Vince Cowell played on Bryant's finaltwo championship teams. He still keeps his favorite Bryantsaying taped to the top of his computer screen. OPPOSITEPAGE, ABOVE AND BELOW: Center Danny Thomas and otherplayers received this "summer letter" in August 1969 outlin­ing the goalsfor the upcoming season and training camp andsetting some stern limits onpersonal appearance.

pose, and then let me tellyou what he started-wecouldn't believe it:'

Bryant, it seems, hadcontacted a number of

sororities on campus andpersuaded them to invite

groups of team members over to their soror­ity houses for tea, warning players that "[ijf Ihear of one instance where y'all are out of orderat the sorority house, you are going to be in myoffice and get the consequences:'"All the girls would be there in the sorority

downstairs and they would have little horsd'oeuvres" Dyess said, "and we kind of enjoyed it

once we did it. That was the first tea party any of us hadever been to, and everybody was on their Ps and Qs"Good manners lVere a trait that Bryant decided

needed to be drummed into his players. Like himselfmany of them came from rude beginnings, but Bryaht'smother had imparted at least the rudiments to him, andhe was determined to pass those along. So it was with the

famous story from the Tide's first appearance in the NewOrleans Superdome for the 1979 National Championshipagainst Penn State, when a reporter asked Coach Bryant onthe sidelines why he did not have on his trademark hound­stooth hat. "Because;' Bryant told the hapless newsman, "mymama always said that it is bad manners to wear your hatwhen you are inside:'

Bryant's concern for propriety affected his players, too.When he first came aboard, Bryant arranged for his travelingsquad to have crimson blazers and ties and white shirts when

for the Miami Dolphins before becom­ing a pastor, remembered Bryant alwayspreached class: "Wherever you go, whateveryou do, alwaysshow your class. Ifyou don't have class,nothing elsemuch matters:' One ofMcNeal's team­mates, right guard VinceCowell,who also playedon the 1978 and 1979 championship teams, hashis favorite Bryant saying taped to the top of hiscomputer screen: "If you make a mistake, admitit, learn from it, and don't repeat it!"

And Eddie BoRogers, a linebacker in 1966-1967,remembers to this day Bryant's caution against whatis now called "celebrating:' Rogers says, "If he'd seea player grandstanding-jumping up and down orstruttin' around after scoring or making a tackle,he'd just say, 'You need to act like you've been therebefore: Think about that. I'll always remember that.Think about it today:'

As indicated by such words, Bryant had strictrules and standards and did not take kindly tothose who violated them. He famously benchedJoe Namath for the 1964 Sugar Bowl for alleg­edly drinking a beer. In his 1969 annual summerletter to players concerning the upcoming season, he toldDanny Thomas, a center, "We expect you to be capable, con­fident, well-conditioned, well-disciplined, mean, ambitiousand proud;' adding in a postscript his opinion of the Age ofAquarius: "Youwill be expected to act like and look like anAlabama football player.No one with long hair or long side­burns will be issued equipment:'

Bryant very much concerned himself with the imageof his players, not because he was a prude, but because hethought that character and class must extend beyond theplaying field if it was to have any lasting effect. When Bryantarrived on campus, he despaired over the athletic housingknown as the "ApeDorm" because it seemed "like a bunch ofapes lived there:' There was a measure of truth in the name,however: "When he [Bryant] first got there, it was bad;'Scooter Dyess recalled. "We had some roughnecks, drink­ers, almost hoodlums. He ran a lot of that riffraff off on pur-

ALABAMA HERITAGE: SUMMER 2013 13

RYANT'S QUEST TO ASSEMBLE a team of classplayers extended well beyond the playing fieldsonthe university campus. "When one of his scoutsbrought him news of a promising high school

prospect;' McCollough said, "his first call was to someone inthat town who was knowledgeable about the boy's family andhis background. He would then contact the school principalto inquire about his grades and deportment. The last personhe would call was the boy's coach:'

Preparation was high on Bryant's list of personality assetshe wanted to instill in his players. No better example can befound than a theatrical demonstration he put on in 1976 inthe locker room in Athens after a humiliating 21-0 loss toGeorgia,

As Bryant was leaving the field, a Georgia fan hadsnatched the houndstooth hat off the coach's head, which puthim in a particularly disgruntled mood, The atmosphere inthe locker room was naturally gloomy, and a big linemanwas crying when Bryant entered. Right behind Bryantwas his security guard, who had retrieved the hat. Bryant"reached for the hat, grabbed it, and locked it all in onemotion;' recalled punter Rod Nelson. "He roared at thetearful lineman: 'Shut up! You should have been cryin'last week out at practice; that's when we lost this one!"

The room had fallen silent. Then, said Nelson, nowa Birmingham attorney, Bryant decided to use the oc­casion for a lesson. "He turned and looked at all of usand roared, 'Youain't never won a game on Saturday!Youwin 'em the springs before, the summers before,and the weeks before!'"No one who was there for­got that scene, or the moral it taught.

I ""~. jfL,.II _.,~'~1:..~·t

",-, .". .. ,...,

/,"," It!..

Like rtHI. tolarato mo, put up with mil'. or hato mo • 'bla 'a tha coun. wewill punuo bacauoe It 'a the only lurill "or CD win: and If you do h. youwHI win and you wHl han .. UIII. aomll'hinl special a. an Individual.

To .ccompll.b th. abov. )'ou will ba". tD b. a apodal kind of peUtln ••on. wbo I. dll!ldlcatadto dDthe work In practlco that will prvpare )'DU foran)' and .".rytblnl that eould happen at llama time. W. mu.1 pro ... inp..acUc. that WII ant bra"e and •• wiU bea' coward. In lhe fth quarter oncondltioninl. w. muet I'''. aDmuch In preparaUDn that wa ar. a .. uredthat WlIwm ne..ar IUrrandor or Ilva up In combat on Saturda, anornoon.

".portlnl In perlect phyalcal condUlon I. lolng to btl more importantthi. y•• r than \t baa beeD hare ainc. tho e.ri, aiml •• 1'60'.) whanw.were .. lnninl Nallonal Champlon.hlp.. The r••• on (or tM. II b, lh.epenlnl pmet w. expect the whol_ atmo.pber. aruUDdhere to beoxactl, al It ..... at thaI. lima. We Oxpad you to be capable. conndant.w.U.II:OI\dUIoned•• eU.dlac:lpHned. milan. ambitloul. and proud.

Football pracUu .111bauln Ih. mornlnll or AUlu" 19. The Hut maal\'Ifillb••• rvad a' tb. dorm the avanlnl of AUlUat 17 and you .Ill b.up.clad 10arrlYe not ta'or than lb. mlddle or Iba afternoon on the Z7th.

Pr .... radio, '81.vhlon, and athar nawa media will b. bere Auaue. 28.Yuu will ".0 hay. tb. Z8th on _hleh 10dr •• your equipment, .at yourroom ."'anment, and taka your phyaleal exam, 'ndwllng tbo mUe run.

ouar nannVI

Mr. nanny 't'hcm••Route JClinton, Tcmna•• a.

I~" , ,,_'I_Hi;1, t.......),./,

1/",,.,,~(y'I /1.1"",.-'?'t"~'"''''('1 ~/~ ....

'11...... _" 1..l.......J,u~

.:'

(He roared at the tearful lineman: (Shut up! You shouldhave been cryin'last week out at practice; that's when

we lost this one!"

they played on another campus, and, after the first nationalchampionship in 1961, they began work on the new athleticdormitory, Bryant Hall, to replace the Ape Dorm, which hadbegun to resemble some of the downtown buildings in Dres­den at the end of World War II. (Unfortunately the NCAAmade Alabama get rid of the crimson blazers and the foot­ball-only dormitory at Bryant Hall on the grounds that somecolleges could not afford to offer their players such perks.)

14 ALABAMA HERITAGE: SUMMER 2013

SteveBisceglia.

ABOVE: Bryant counsels hisquarterback, Joe Namath.

LEFT: Namath led theCrimson Tide to the 1964

National Champ­ionship. OPPOSITE

PAGE: Fullback

hear Bryant's response: "If he'd walked intothe end zone with the ball then there'dbe no question about it, would there?"

"The lesson taught by Coach Bryantwas this;' McCollough said forty­odd years later: "Leave no room for

Mark Prudhomme, a Crimson Tidesafety from 1973~1975, remembered be­ing drilled over and over by Bryant thatpreparation meant the difference betweenlosing and producing champions andwinners. Bryant "preached having a planA and a plan B and being able to adjuston the fly if something unexpected hap­pens, which it almost always does:' saidPrudhomme, a Memphis insurance agentwho still takes that lesson to heart today.Thoroughness was another of Bryant'sthemes, which left a lasting impres­sion on McCollough following the1965 Orange Bowl againstthe Texas Longhorns. Itwas Texas 21~Bama 17in the final secondswhen Joe Namath droveto the Longhorn's six­yard line. Fullback SteveBowman slammed theball to the four, the two,and finally the six-inchline. Namath called a quarterback sneakon fourth down and smashed into the pile. Me­Collough, the center, remembered, "Joewas lyingright on top of me. I was in the end zone, and Joewas in the end zone. An official had raised hishands to signal a touchdown. We alljumped upand started celebrating:'

But to Alabama's consternation, another of­ficial overruled the call and gave Texas the balland the ball game. SteveBowman said afterward,"I didn't think I'd scored, but I'll always think Joedid:' For his part, Namath declared, "I'll go to mygrave knowing I scored. I have a sick, infuriatingfeeling [about it]:' Bryant was standing on the sidelinesscowling, his arms folded. when a player passed by and saidbitterly, "We scored:' Gaylon McCollough was there to over-

(He never could say my last name;' Steve Biscegliaremembered. 'He'd say, 1want Musso, Davis, LaBue,

and Steve in the backfield:"o.

ALABAMA HERITAGE: SUMMER 2013 15

T WASN'T ONLY THE STARS, thebig name players, who Bryantlooked out for. Kellie Callies ofFairhope had wanted to play for

Alabama since he was ten years old.He had the chance in 1974 as a walk-ondefensive taclde. "Iwasn't very fast and not

quite tall enough;' Callies remembers, buthe played on the freshman team, and the scoutteam, and finallyhis senior year he got to dress

out at home games. He sat on the bench untilthe last minutes of Alabama's 1977 homecoming

game against Louisville, when Bryant finally put himin. "I made the best of my four-play career;' Callies said. "I

made two tacldes for a loss and forced a pass. It was one ofthe proudest moments of my life:'After that, he returned towarm the bench, but Bryant thoughtfully mentioned Callies'sname the next day on his Sunday football TV show.

In one of his summer letters to his players, Bryantchallenged: "We must prove in practice that we are brave andwe will beat cowards in the fourth quarter. We must give somuch in preparation that we are assured that we will neversurrender or give up on Saturday afternoons. Like me, toler­ate me, put up with me, or hate me-this is the course wewillpursue because it is the only sure way to win, and ifyou do it,youwill have a little something special as an individual:'

The players did like Bryant, and they learned to trust him."He always had a motive for what he did;' Scooter Dyesssaid. "We thought he was crazy sometimes, but turns outhe was right:'

Many players reflect daily on the lessons they learnedfrom Bryant, and linebacker Lee Roy Jordan, one of the

I't'

out for the Tennessee game. Whenit was over, Biscegliawent down tothe locker room, and Bryant askedhow he liked it. "Well,ifI'dknownthe fans were that serious aboutit;' Bisceglia told him, "I'd have

played harder:'

nia in 1971, because he had never seen the South, and heimmediately got on a first-name basis with Coach Bryant.It was because "he never could say my last name;' Biscegliaremembered. "He'd say, 'I want Musso, Davis, LaBue, andSteve in the backfield:"

After Biscegliahad graduated and returned to California,one dayBryant phoned and said, "Iwas just sitting here think­ing about it, and you're probably the only player I've everhad who's never seen an Alabama football game:' Itwas true.Biscegliahad played in forty-two games for Alabama, but henever watched one from the stands. Bryant offered to fly him

graduated with a master's degree in architecture.Fullback Steve Bisceglia came to Alabama from Califor-

from getting into Texas to finding a job, and in 1976 he1

RYANT'S DEVOTION

to his players waslegendary. Hundredsif not thousands of his players will

attest that "he never forgot you" and would go togreat lengths to assist players after their footballdays were past. Donny Johnston, a halfback from1966 to 1969, had wanted to be an architect,but Alabama had no architectural school, so hedecided to major in something else and pursuearchitecture later.After he graduated he found thatarchitecture schools were hard to get into, so hewent to see Coach Bryant.

Johnston remembers how Coach Bryant "pickedup the phone and called [Coach] Darrell Royalat Texas:' He said, "I'm sending a boy out thereto go to school. See ifyou can help him out"

That one phone call opened many doors for Johnston,

doubt. I try with everything I do, espe­cially in my medical work, to go beyondwhat is simply necessary. Ifyou want to ac­complish something in life, don't do justenough to get the job done, becauselife's referees might not make theright call either:'

16 ALABAMA HERITAGE: SU

ABOVELEFT:All-American Lee Roy Jordan chats withCoach Bryant. He was one ofBryant'sfavorite players. LEFT:Jordan made thirty-one tackles in a 17-0 victory over Okla­homa in the 1963 Orange Bowl. OPPOSITEPAGE:Bryantspent twenty-five seasons patrolling the Alabama sidelines.

RYANTWOULDBEA HUNDREDyears old this year,and there are probably some who would say hehad an antique sense of principles and honor thatis out of date in today's world. However, ask any

of his former players about that, and they will disagree. Theyare living proof that Bryant's philosophy of life isas genuine now as it was a hundred years agowhen his mama started teaching it to him downin Moro Bottom, Arkansas.

B~ant's legacy lives on today-notjust in the streets, structures, and

statues that bear his namet, orin the many literal namesakeshe has strewn among Ala­bama fans and their children,

or in the houndstooth pattern thatgraces everything from hats to table­cloths-but in the lives of his players.They think about him frequently, andtheir own personal and professionalidentities embody the lessons he taughtthem. And they pass those lessonsalong to others-a sure marker thatCoach Bryant's influence transcends the

football field to transform countless lives throughoutAlabama and the nation. liliJ

coach's favorites, is no exception. Bryantand Jordan enjoyed a mutual respect, andthe coach liked to tell people, "If theystay between the lines, Lee Roy willget them:' Jordan, an All-Americancenter and All-Pro Dallas Cowboy,recalls many things Bryant taughthim, and he keeps a list of themframed on the wall of his office in Dal­las.He nearly lost them a year agowhenthe office burned, but they were amongthe few things saved, although he admitsthey were "singed up a bit:'

These "Bryantisms" includegems such as: ./

"There's not a day goes by I don't look at that list:' Jordansays.

lfyou can't be loyal,you are in the wrongplace.Anybody can be liked, a heck of a lotfewer respected.Don't tolerate lazy people. Theyare losers.Never quit.

.'

Bryant and Jordan enjoyed a mutual respect, and thecoach liked to tell people, "I]they stay between the lines,

Lee Roy will get them."

SUMMER 2013 13ALABAMA HERITAGE

RYANT'S QUEST TO ASSEMBLE a team of classplayers extended well beyond the playing fieldsonthe university campus. "When one of his scoutsbrought him news of a promising high school

prospect:' McCollough said, "his first call was to someone inthat town who was knowledgeable about the boy's familyandhis background. He would then contact the school principalto inquire about his grades and deportment. The last personhe would call was the boy's coach:'

Preparation was high on Bryant's list of personality assetshe wanted to instill in his players. No better example can befound than a theatrical demonstration he put on in 1976 inthe locker room in Athens after a humiliating 21-0 loss toGeorgia.

As Bryant was leaving the field, a Georgia fan hadsnatched the houndstooth hat off the coach's head, which puthim in a particularly disgruntled mood. The atmosphere inthe locker room was naturally gloomy, and a big linemanwas crying when Bryant entered. Right behind Bryantwas his security guard, who had retrieved the hat. Bryant"reached for the hat, grabbed it, and kicked it all in onemotion:' recalled punter Rod Nelson. "He roared at thetearful lineman: 'Shut up! You should have been cryin'last week out at practice; that's when we lost this onel"

The room had fallen silent. Then, said Nelson, nowa Birmingham attorney, Bryant decided to use the oc­casion for a lesson. "He turned and looked at all of usand roared, 'Youain't never won a game on Saturday!Youwin 'em the springs before, the summers before,and the weeks before!" No one who was there for­got that scene, or the moral it taught.

'" "-',~It... """,U.'·H"II 1111'01.•.

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To accompUsh lb. aba" you .. ttl bava to ba It speda. kind of pel"lOl'lo - -

ana who Is dsdlcaled to do tb. work io practico tbat wlll pupa,.. yogu ferany and ... rythiol that could happen a' lame tlmo. We mult pro.,. Inpractice that .0 an bravo and we will beat coward. In th. 4th quartor ,Ill]

condltionlnl. Wa muet Ilva 100 much In preparation that w. are ... uredthai •• wUl no.. 1' .unand.J' or give up In cClmbataDSaturda, anol'noon.

aaporllnl In perfect phJ.lcal condUlrm1. loinl to b. metu tmporLant1M. reu than it ha. be.D herR .ine. tho earl, .bU.es ,'&0'.) when WIIwore WiDniG.Natl.oaal Championsblp.. Th. ,. ...Oh IDr this is br theapanlnl IlUru! .e ezpect tho whol. atmo.pber. aroUDdhere to beadcll, a. it waG at tbat time.. We a.pect ,ap to be capable. canfidant..eU.cObdUhmed, .. ell..dlsclpllned. meaD, ambillou., aDdproud.

Pu .. , radio, televlllon, and otber new. mad'a witl be hue AuguI' lB.You will _'80 MVIItb. 28th an which '0 draw Jour equipment •• et yourroam ."'anmanl, and take ,OQI' pbyalca' exam, la.clw!.lnl the mUll run.

Football pracUce .m bJlilin .he mornlDa of AUluat 29. Thll (iut mC!~wm b. urvlld at the dorm tho o"Dlnl or I\uaul, 27 and you _m b.~u,pected10 arrive not I.ter than the mlddl. of lh. afternoon an the 17th.

0".1' Danny:

Mr. Danny Thoma.Rout. 1Clinton, T,mnoau,.

I.•"..,..1 1:'ti.H fJ...,_, .._

,'.1 "/OJ ".,.11111

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.'

"Heroared at the tearful lineman: 'Shut up! You shouldhave been cryin'last week out at practice; that's when

we lost this onel"

they played on another campus, and, after the first national

championship in 1961, they began work on the new athletic

dormitory, Bryant Hall, to replace the Ape Dorm, which had

begun to resemble some of the downtown buildings in Dres­

den at the end of World War II. (Unfortunately the NCAA

made Alabama get rid of the crimson blazers and the foot­

ball-only dormitory at Bryant Hall on the grounds that some

colleges could not afford to offer their players such perks.)