Alabama Crimson Tide football

Records

All-time bowl results

Alabama has participated in an NCAA-record 54 bowl games, compiling a bowl record of 30-21-3 through the 2006 season.

Individual award winners

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, 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

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.

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

Coaches

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

List

Other awards

Heisman Trophy Finalists

Although no Crimson Tide player has ever won a Heisman Trophy, some notable players have finished in the top five of Heisman voting.

Rivalries

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, if not the greatest, rivalries in all of sports. 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 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 has lost the last five, but leads the series 38-32-1. Alabama owns the longest winning streak in the series: nine games between 1973 and 1981.

Tennessee

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 SEC standings. The state schools of the border states faced off many times with the winner going on to win the SEC. 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 a 12 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 streak, this time 9 games, from 1986 to 1994. That streak included a tie in 1993 on a last second touchdown and two point conversion by David Palmer. 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. Alabama won the most recent game 41-17 on October 20, 2007.

LSU

Alabama versus LSU is a rivalry within the SEC. It started when Alabama started a winning streak in Baton Rouge in 1971 that was not broken until LSU won in Baton Rouge, 30-28, in 2000. Since 1992's conference alignment, Alabama and LSU compete annually for the SEC West title. This has increased an existing rivalry between these two traditional football powerhouses. The significance of this rivalry increases greatly with Alabama's hiring of former LSU coach Nick Saban. In 2006, LSU defeated Alabama 28-14, their 4th consecutive victory over Alabama.

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.

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

• Shaun Alexander, RB, Seattle Seahawks
• Mark Anderson, DE, Chicago Bears
• Wesley Britt, OT, New England Patriots
• Anthony Bryant, DT, Miami Dolphins
• Fernando Bryant, CB, Detroit Lions
• Brodie Croyle, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
• Alonzo Ephraim, C, Cleveland Browns
• Cornelius Griffin, DT, Washington Redskins
• Roman Harper, SS, New Orleans Saints
• Jarrett Johnson, DE, Baltimore Ravens
• Anthony Madison, CB, Pittsburgh Steelers
• Evan Mathis, OG, Carolina Panthers
• Kindal Moorehead, DT, Carolina Panthers
• Michael Myers, DT, Denver Broncos
• Derrick Pope, LB, Miami Dolphins
• Antwan Odom, DE, Tennessee Titans
• DeMeco Ryans, LB, Houston Texans
• Chris Samuels, OT, Washington Redskins
• Justin Smiley, OG, San Francisco 49ers
• Deshea Townsend, CB, Pittsburgh Steelers
• Shaud Williams, RB, Buffalo Bills

Traditions

Main article: University of Alabama traditions

Controversies

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, US$200,000 to encourage defensive line Albert Means to sign with Alabama.^[36] The investigation that followed led to five years' probabtion, a two-year bowl ban, and reduced the number of football scholarships Alabama could award by 21.^[37] The investigation involved a secret witness, who was later identified as Phillip Fulmer, the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers.^[38]

Many Alabama fans believe that the NCAA was unfair in their handling of the most recent sanctions.^[39] The Alabama athletic department received praise for the way in which the case was handled.^[40]

Mike Price scandal

In April 2003, news reports alleged that would-be head coach Mike Price spent hundreds of dollars at a Pensacola night club, and that a woman ordered US$1,000 of room service and charged it to Price's hotel bill.^[41] A Sports Illustrated story elaborated upon the incident, which led to a US$20 million libel and defamation suit against the magazine.^[42] In 2005 the magazine settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed sum.^{[citation needed]} The incident precipitated Price's dismissal and the subsequent hiring of Mike Shula in May 2003.

Media

Radio Flagship: WACT-AM 1420 and WRTR-FM 105.9 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)

References

External links

• Official UA Football page