Alabama Crimson Tide football

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For current information on this topic, see 2008 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

Alabama Crimson Tide Football
2008 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
First season	1892
Staff
Athletic director	Mal Moore
Head coach	Nick Saban
	2nd year, 7–6 (4-4 in SEC)
Stadium
Home stadium	Bryant-Denny Stadium
Stadium capacity	92,138
Stadium surface	Grass
Location	Tuscaloosa, Alabama
League/Conference
Conference	SEC
Division	West
Team records
All-time record	787–314–43 (.706)
Postseason bowl record	31–21–3
Awards
National titles	12
Conference titles	25 (21 SEC)
Heisman winners	0
All-Americans	92
Pageantry
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 team represents the University of Alabama in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A),^[1] competing as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Alabama is one of the most storied programs in college football history, claiming 12 national championships^[2][3] and having been coached by the legendary Paul "Bear" Bryant for 25 years. Alabama has also recorded 25 conference championships, 21 SEC championships, and holds NCAA records with 55 post-season bowl game appearances,^[4] 31 bowl game victories,^[5] and 28 ten-win seasons. Alabama leads the SEC West Division with its 5 appearances in the SEC Championship game. The Associated Press (AP) ranks Alabama 5th in All Time Final AP Poll appearances.^[6] With 787 wins over 112 years of football, Alabama ranks 6th all-time in win-loss records in the NCAA.^[7]

Alabama plays its home games at Bryant-Denny Stadium, which is located on-campus in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. With a capacity of 92,138. Bryant-Denny Stadium is currently the 7th largest on campus college football stadium in the nation.

[edit] History

[edit] Paul "Bear" Bryant

Main article: Bear Bryant

Coach Paul W. "Bear" Bryant is the name most associated with the Crimson Tide football program. His famous houndstooth hat, and images of him leaning against a goalpost while his players warmed up for a game, are recognizable by football fans everywhere.

It was on December 3, 1957, that Bryant informed his players at Texas A&M University, where he was then coaching, that he would be accepting the position of head football coach at his alma mater, the University of Alabama. "Gentlemen, I've heard Mama calling, and now I'm going home" he was reported to have said. From 1978 to 1980, Bryant led the tide to 28 straight victories. He had other winning streaks of 19, 17, 12 and 11 victories.

The key to Bryant's success was that he understood that there was more to a player than a strong arm or fast legs. The building of character was essential to the building of a winning team. "Intentions over the years were to help the players to be better persons every day, to help themselves, to teach a lesson on and off the field," he said.

They were lessons not soon forgotten. Kenny "Snake" Stabler, who quarterbacked Bama to a perfect 11-0 season in 1966, recalled when Coach Bryant suspended him during his junior year. "He made me realize what I was throwing away, and he gave me the opportunity to recapture it," Stabler said.

On December 29, 1982, sports history was made and an era ended with Bryant's final game, the Liberty Bowl. It was the same bowl he had taken the Tide to in his first year as head coach, and his final team defeated Illinois 21-15. With 323 career wins, Bryant was the winningest coach in college football history to that point. At Alabama, he tallied to 232 wins, six national championships, and 24 straight bowl appearances.

"I'd probably croak in a week if I ever quit coaching," Bryant once said. He was close — Bryant died 27 days after he coached his last game.

[edit] 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 named head coach. He proved to be an excellent recruiter of defensive linemen, though as a head coach he wasn't as effective. He benefited tremendously from the leadership of Shaun Alexander and Chris Samuels, winning the SEC championship in 1999. Expectations quickly rose for the Tide, which started the 2000 season as high as No. 3 in some polls. The Tide quickly lowered, ending up 3-8, including a last-second loss to Central Florida. Dubose was fired and replaced by an up-and-coming coach from TCU, Dennis Franchione.

The media-savvy Franchione gained popularity quickly with his coaching style and media-friendly press conferences. He led Alabama to two winning seasons in 2001 and 2002, going 7-5 and 10-3, respectively. However, the rumor was that Franchione was wanting to leave Alabama, and had expressed interest in other jobs, including the Kansas opening. One year later, under much media scrutiny, Franchione left for Texas A&M. After the well-documented Mike Price fiasco [2], Miami Dolphins quarterbacks coach Mike Shula was hired after a rushed search. It was his first head coaching job at any level. Shula went through many first-year pains, ending up 4-9 after suffering heartbreaking narrow defeats to Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Tennessee. Slight improvement during his second season sent the Alabama Crimson Tide to a 6-6 record and the Music City Bowl, its first bowl in three years. The season started off with great promise as the Tide rolled to a 3-0 start, but ultimately season ending injuries to the entire starting backfield doomed the Tide's chances of any great successes. The 2005 recruiting class was Alabama's first "full" recruiting class since 2001 due to the harsh penalties imposed on the program for NCAA violations under Coach Dubose.

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 had trouble scoring at times because of a season-ending injury to Tyrone Prothro, Brodie Croyle's best target and because of poor play on the offensive line. 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.

2006 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 Saban accepted an offer worth US$32 million guaranteed for 8 years to be the next Crimson Tide head coach.^[8][9] Saban was previously the head coach of the Miami Dolphins of the NFL and he has also coached at Louisiana State University, Michigan State University, and University of Toledo.

[edit] Alabama head football coaches

[edit] Championships

[edit] National Championships

The national championship in NCAA Division I FBS is the subject of much debate, as discussed on the NCAA Division I-A national football championship page. Alabama claims 12 national championships,^[2] of the 17 documented by the NCAA in its list of Past Division I National Champions.^[3] Championships prior to 1945 were determined by numerous organizations and associations (some retroactively); these organizations include the National Championship Foundation (NCF), Helms Athletic Foundation, Dunkel Index, Houlgate, Litkenhaus, and the College Football Research Association (CFRA).^[10] Since 1936, the AP Poll has been the most widely-circulated national championship selector.^[11] The AFCA Coaches Poll has also been widely recognized since 1950. Since 1998, the national championship has been bestowed by the Bowl Championship Series.^[12]

The NCAA does not officially recognize national champions, but does provide a partial listing of various organizations' selections of a champion, often noting several teams in the same year. In addition to the 12 championships claimed by the Alabama program, the Official NCAA Football Records Book cites 5 additional Alabama championships: 1945, 1962, 1966, 1975 and 1977.^[3] These championships, however, are not claimed by the university.

The following table lists the 12 national championships claimed by Alabama:

Abbreviations:^[2]

• 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

[edit] 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.^[13] 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.^[14]

• 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.^[13] The 1926 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the Helms Athletic Foundation.^[14]

• 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.^[13] The 1930 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the Davis poll.^[14]

• 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.^[13] The 1934 Alabama football team was selected national champions by Dunkel, Williamson and Football Thesaurus.^[14]

• 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^[15][16] 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.^[13] While the final AP Poll ranked the 1941 Alabama football team #20^[17], the squad was selected national champions by Football Thesaurus.^[14]

• 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.^[13] The 1961 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP and Coaches Polls.^[14]

• 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.^[13] 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.^[14] 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.^[13] The 1965 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP Poll.^[14]

• 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.^[14] 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 Nitanny Lions 14-7 to finish the season 11-1-0. The outstanding player of the game was linebacker Barry Krauss.^[13] The 1978 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP Poll.^[14]

• 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.^[13] The 1979 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP and Coaches Polls.^[14]

• 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.^[13] The 1992 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP and Coaches Polls.^[14]

[edit] 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.

[edit] Conference affiliations

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

[edit] List of Conference Championships

[edit] Divisional Championships

As winners of the Southeastern Conference's Western Division, Alabama has made 5 appearances in the SEC Championship Game, with the most recent coming in 1999. The Tide is 2-3 in those games. Incidentally, all five of Bama's SEC Championship Game appearances have come against Florida.

[edit] Records

[edit] All-time bowl results

Alabama has participated in an NCAA-record 55 bowl games, compiling a bowl record of 31-21-3 through the 2007 season.

[edit] Individual award winners

[edit] All-Americans

Alabama has had 92 players honored 103 times as First-Team All-Americans.

• DeMeco Ryans, LB, 2005
• Shaun Alexander, RB, 1999
• Chris Samuels, OT, 1999
• Michael Myers, DE, 1996
• Dwayne Rudd, LB, 1996
• Kevin Jackson, SS, 1996
• Jay Barker, QB, 1994
• Michael Proctor, PK, 1993-1994
• David Palmer, FL, 1993
• Antonio Langham, CB, 1992-1993
• John Copeland, DE, 1992
• Eric Curry, DE, 1992
• Robert Stewart, NT, 1991
• Philip Doyle, K, 1990
• Keith McCants, LB, 1989
• John Mangum, CB, 1989
• Derrick Thomas, LB, 1988
• Kermit Kendrick, DB, 1988
• Larry Rose, OG, 1988
• Bobby Humphrey, TB, 1986-1987
• Van Tiffin, PK, 1986
• Cornelius Bennett, LB, 1984-1986
• Jon Hand, DT, 1985
• Jeremiah Castille, CB, 1982
• Mike Pitts, DE, 1982
• Tommy Wilcox, S, 1981-1982
• Thomas Boyd, LB, 1980-1981
• E. J. Junior, DE, 1980
• Don McNeal, CB, 1979
• Jim Bunch, OT, 1979
• Dwight Stephenson, C, 1979
• Barry Krauss, LB, 1978
• Marty Lyons, DT, 1978
• Ozzie Newsome, SE, 1977
• Leroy Cook, DE, 1974-1975
• Sylvester Croom, C, 1974
• Mike Washington, CB, 1974
• Woodrow Lowe, LB, 1973-1975
• Buddy Brown, OT, 1973
• Wayne Wheeler, SE, 1973
• John Hannah, OG,1971-1972
• Jim Krapf, C, 1972
• John Mitchell, DE, 1972
• Johnny Musso, HB, 1970-1971
• Steve Sloan, QB, 1969
• Alvin Samples, OG, 1969
• Sam Gellerstadt, NG, 1968
• Mike Hall, LB, 1968
• Dennis Homan, SE, 1967
• Kenny Stabler, QB, 1967
• Bobby Johns, DB, 1966-1967
• Ray Perkins, SE, 1966
• Richard Cole, DT, 1966
• Cecil Dowdy, OT, 1966
• Paul Crane, LB/C, 1965
• Joe Namath, QB, 1964
• Wayne Freeman, OG, 1964
• Dan Kearly, DT, 1964
• David Ray, PK, 1964
• Lee Roy Jordan, LB, 1962
• Billy Neighbors, OT, 1961
• George Mason, OT, 1954
• Bobby Marlow, HB, 1952
• Ed Salem, HB, 1950
• Harry Gilmer, HB, 1945
• Vaughn Mancha, C, 1945
• Joe Domnanovich, C, 1942
• Don Whitmire, OT, 1942
• Holt Rast, DE, 1941
• Carey Cox, C, 1939
• Joe Kilgrow, HB, 1937
• Leroy Monsky, OG, 1937
• James Ryba, DT, 1937
• James "Bubber" Nesbit, FB, 1936
• Arthur "Tarzan" White, OG, 1936
• Riley Smith, QB, 1935
• Millard "Dixie" Howell, QB, 1934
• Don Hutson, SE, 1934
• Bill Lee, DT, 1934
• Tom Hupke, OG, 1933
• Johnny Cain, FB/P, 1931-1932
• John Henry Suther, HB, 1930
• Fred Sington, OT, 1929-1930
• Tony Holm, FB, 1929
• Fred Pickhard, OT, 1926
• Hoyt "Wu" Winslett, DE, 1926
• A.T.S. "Pooley" Hubert, QB, 1925
• W.T. "Bully" VandeGraaff, OT, 1915

List

[edit] College Football Hall of Fame Inductees

There have been 16 former players and 3 former coaches of Alabama to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

[edit] Players

• Cornelius Bennett, LB, 2005
• Billy Neighbors, OT, 2003
• Johnny Musso, HB, 2000
• John Hannah, OG, 1999
• Ozzie Newsome, SE, 1994
• Fred Sington, OT, 1993
• Harry Gilmer, HB, 1993
• Vaughn Mancha, C, 1990
• Frank Howard, OG, 1989
• Riley Smith, QB, 1985
• Lee Roy Jordan, LB, 1983
• Johnny Cain, FB, 1973
• Millard "Dixie" Howell, HB, 1970
• A.T.S. "Pooley" Hubert, QB, 1964
• Johnny Mack Brown, HB, 1957
• Don Whitmire, OT, 1956
• Don Hutson, E, 1951

[edit] Coaches

• Paul "Bear" Bryant, 1986
• Wallace Wade, 1955
• Frank Thomas, 1951

List

[edit] 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

[edit] Heisman Trophy Finalists

As legendary Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant once said, "We play for team trophies, not indiviual ones.".^[18] Today, the Crimson Tide is still without a Heisman Trophy winner. However, some notable players have finished in the top five of Heisman voting.

[edit] Rivalries

[edit] Auburn

Main article: Iron Bowl

Alabama's rivalry with the Auburn Tigers is known as the Iron Bowl. The Iron Bowl is considered by many to be one of the greatest college football rivalries. The outcome of the game determines who will have bragging rights in the state of Alabama for the next year. Because the rivalry is so intense, many families, marriages, and other groups are split over their respective teams. The rivalry regularly has implications in the SEC Championship Game, often determining who will represent the West division. The first Iron Bowl was in 1893; however, play between the two schools was suspended after 1907 because of, among other reasons, financial causes. The game has been played annually since play was resumed in 1948. The Iron Bowl is best known for its years of play at Birmingham's Legion Field. Alabama leads the series 38-33-1. Alabama owns the longest winning streak in the series: nine games between 1973 and 1981. Alabama has not won the Iron Bowl since 2001.

[edit] Tennessee

Main article: Third Saturday in October

Named the Third Saturday in October, the name refers to its traditional calendar date, but it is no longer exact. From 1995 to 2006, it has only been scheduled for that date four times. However, recently the game has returned to its traditional date, and was played on that weekend in 2007. The rivalry dates back to the 1920s, when legendary Tennessee coach Robert Neyland began challenging Alabama's perennial role atop the conference (Southern and SEC) standings. In the 1950s, Bear Bryant started the tradition of passing out victory cigars after a victory over Tennessee, but since the 1990s, both teams now typically celebrate a victory in this way. There have been some long streaks in the series. Alabama had an 11 game streak broken in 1982 when Johnny Majors led the Vols to an upset victory over Bear Bryant and the Tide. Alabama had another long winning streak, this time 7 games, from 1986 to 1992. In 1993 there was a tie on a last second touchdown and two point conversion by David Palmer. The Tide won again in 1994, but the streak was broken by Tennessee in 1995, when the Vols led by coach Phillip Fulmer and QB Peyton Manning beat the Tide by a score of 41-14. Tennessee began their own streak, from 1995 to 2001, broken by a 34-14 Alabama victory at Neyland Stadium. Alabama leads the all-time series 45-38-7.

[edit] LSU

Main article: Alabama-LSU Rivalry

Alabama versus LSU is a rivalry within the SEC. It began with an Alabama victory in Baton Rouge in 1971. Alabama would not lose in Baton Rouge again until LSU won, 30-28, in 2000. This has increased an existing rivalry between these two traditional football powerhouses. The significance of this rivalry increased greatly with Alabama's hiring of former LSU coach Nick Saban. Alabama leads the all-time series 42-22-5.

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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

[edit] Current Players

[edit] 2008 NFL Draft

The 2008 NFL Draft marks the first time since 1970 that no players were selected from the University of Alabama. However, 5 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

[edit] Traditions

Main article: University of Alabama traditions

[edit] Controversies

[edit] NCAA Sanctions

During the 2000 season, Milton Kirk, an assistant football coach at Trezevant High School in Memphis, Tennessee, claimed that an Alabama booster, Logan Young, paid Trezevant head coach, Lynn Lang, $200,000 to encourage defensive lineman Albert Means to sign with Alabama.^[19] The investigation that followed led to five years' probation, a two-year bowl ban, and reduced the number of football scholarships Alabama could award by 21.^[20] The investigation involved a secret witness, who was later found to be Phillip Fulmer, the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers.^[21]

[edit] Mike Price scandal

In April 2003, news reports alleged that head coach Mike Price spent hundreds of dollars at a Pensacola strip club, and that a woman ordered US$1,000 of room service and charged it to Price's hotel bill, which was being paid for by the University.^[22] A Sports Illustrated story elaborated upon the incident, which led to a US$20 million libel and defamation suit against the magazine.^[23] In 2005 the magazine settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed sum ^[24] The incident precipitated Price's dismissal and the subsequent hiring of Mike Shula in May 2003.

[edit] Media

Radio Flagship: WACT-AM 1420(960) and WRTR-FM 105.9(99.5) in Tuscaloosa

Broadcasters: Eli Gold ("Voice of the Crimson Tide"), Ken Stabler (Color Analyst), Tom Roberts (Sideline Reporter), Butch Owens (Spotter) and Brian Roberts (Statistician)

[edit] Miscellaneous Facts

This article or section resembles a fan site. Please help improve this article by removing excessive trivia and irrelevant praise, criticism, lists and collections of links.(February 2008)

• Alabama won the 2008 Recruiting National Championship per Rivals.com
• Alabama has a winning record against all other SEC teams. The team closest to taking over the series lead is Arkansas (8-10 against Bama), and the team with the most work to do is Mississippi State (18-71-3 against the Tide).
• Alabama has 21 SEC championships, more than any other SEC team.
• Alabama has appeared in 55 post-season bowl games and has 31 bowl game victories, both NCAA records.
• Alabama also is second in 10 win seasons(28) behind Oklahoma(29).
• Alabama has more appearances in the SEC Championship Game than any other team in the SEC Western Division (5), and is second in number of appearances in the entire SEC behind Florida, who has 7.
• Alabama has a winning record against every team they have played more than 10 times.
• Alabama's largest win came on September 30, 1922, in a 110-0 thrashing of Marion Military Institute.
• Alabama's largest loss came on October 20, 1906, in a 78-0 loss to Vanderbilt.
• Alabama has scored 50 or more points against their opponent 77 times, the most recent coming against Western Carolina on September 1, 2007 (56-6). Bama has beaten their opponent by 50 or more points 57 times, most recently in the 56-6 win over Western Carolina in 2007.
• Bama has only given up more than 50 points in regulation 3 times, the most recent coming on October 21, 1907, in a 54-4 loss to Sewanee (Bama lost to Tennessee 51-43 in 5 overtimes on October 25, 2003). Bama has only lost by more than 50 points twice, the most recent one being the 54-4 loss to Sewanee in 1907.
• Alabama has shut out their opponent 25 times, the most recent one being a 17-0 defeat of Mississippi State on November 5, 2005.
• Alabama has been shut out 25 times, the most recent one coming in a 9-0 loss to Auburn on November 18, 2000.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official UA Football page

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