The tradition is steeped in winning football at the University of Alabama, and has churned out out some of the most elite athletes that college football has ever seen, but not one compared to the most legendary coach of all time, Paul Bear Bryant .

The Legendary Figure in Alabama Football, Paul “Bear” Bryant

The first person that you most likely think of when you hear something about Alabama football, it is likely you think of Bear Bryant. At one point, Bear Bryant was the winningest coach in college football ever. This legendary coach served the Crimson for 25 years. In this period of time, Brian was phenomenal with six national championships and 13 SEC conference championships.

As as head coach, Bryant had several university head coaching jobs such as Maryland, Kentucky, and Texas A& M before he at last had the opportunity to come back to his alma mater, the University of Alabama. So encouraged was Bear, that he notably was quoted as saying, “Mama called. And when Mama calls, you just have to come runnin’.”

It was a change of atmosphere when Bryant came back to Tuscaloosa. In 1958, Bryant became head coach of Bama, and began leading it to its previous Rose Bowl-style success but achieved even to greater heights. Establishing celebrated players like Pat Trammell, Big John Hannah, Snake Stabler, Joe Namath, Lee Roy Jordan, Billy Neighbors, Bob Baumhower, Johnny Musso,, and many others.

No doubt, Bear Bryant was a remarkable motivator and understood how to make his football players to do what he wanted them to accomplish. Florida A&M coach, Jake Gaither said of Bear Bryant, “He can take his’n and beat you’n, and he can take your’n and beat his’n.” The inspiration wasn’t just on the turf, the motivation passed into the world as well by the character he instilled in his players like big John Croyle, who founded the faith-based Christian Big Oak Ranch for unfortunate boys and girls in Springville, Alabama.

The final year that he coached Alabama, 1982, was a down year for Alabama and Bear couldn’t see himself coaching Alabama into mediocrity. He constantly said that if he give up coaching that he “wouldn’t last a week.” In truth, he didn’t last much longer than that, only 37 days. On January 26, 1983, Bryant collapsed and died of a heart attack at age 69 and many attended his funeral. Public officials estimated that between a half-million to a million people were lined along the 53 mile stretch from Tuscaloosa to the memorial park in Birmingham that was blocks from Legion Field.

Bear’s Legacy

Bear’s heritage lives in the players that are now growing older and the fans that recollect his championship spirit. Not only that… He helped break segregation in the South’s football world, and in doing so, turned the state around from intolerance to glory. Not only that, he changed the world to a better place than he left left.. He ain’t never been nothing but a winner. Roll Tide!