We had Good Morning America. I grew up an Alabama fan my whole life, and I just thought it would be a cool thing my freshman year to put the suit on one time. It's just kind of a little thing we do. The man who Bryant tasked with spearheading Big Al's creation was none other than Espey, who by that time was working as an Alabama administrator. How big is a mammoth compared to an elephant? That does get problematic for our September games that are upwards of 98 degrees. Since you see out of the corner of your eyes the way they push you up you can see yourself on the screen whenever they put you on the screen. Roll tide. [Related: PHOTOS: 2012 college football uniform tracker & grader]. On October 8, 1930, sports writer Everett Strupper of the Atlanta Journal wrote a story of the Alabama-Mississippi game he had witnessed in Tuscaloosa four days earlier. Q: So you have to have a certain height and weight to be Big Al? ", Webster: "I think it's on the website too but if a corporate company wants Big Al its $400 to the university. The final announcement of the next year's mascot team happens immediately following the spring game. "Coach (Bear) Bryant thought it was not representative of football players," Gaddy said. During the 1979 season, after a little pleading with Coach Bear Bryant tojump on board with anon-field mascot, Big Al made his first appearance alongside the Crimson Tide. But the history of the Crimson Tide's mascot began decades earlier at an Alabama-Ole Miss football game. After this, they perform for 1015 minutes each during the game, mimicking a normal gameday atmosphere. Performance & security by Cloudflare. This mirrors the close bond that exists between members of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team and its fans. ", Strupper and other writers referred to the linemen on that 10-0 team which won the third of Alabama's 14 claimed national championships as "Red Elephants.". In 1907, a live elephant was brought to campus as a mascot for the universitys football team. He's fun. So within that sort of height. He's a very unconventional mascot in general. Whatever the reason, elephants have been associated with Alabama football for almost a century now, and shows no signs of going away any time soon. Most popular on LostLettermen.com: PHOTO: Passed out Georgia football fan becomes infamous Alabama fans' family portrait includes baby as football PHOTOS: Top 10 ugliest college football helmets ever WAGS of college football players ft. USC's Matt Barkley PHOTOS: Insane H.S. Elephantidae is the only surviving family of the order Proboscidea; other, now extinct, members of the order include deinotheres, gomphotheres, mammoths, and mastodons. We had College Gameday in the morning. "He thought that elephants were big, slow and clumsy. The president came to the football game. We have different people we have to go through to post things on social media. It shut out eight opponents and allowed only 13 points all season while scoring 217. The first elephant to represent the Crimson Tide was actually a live animal, brought to games to lead the team onto the field. We'll get all of our equipment over, all of our props for the day over to the stadium. The band will form an elephant on the field and Big Al will march them down the field. Well, the story goes all the way back to the 1930 National Championship team. But it would be nearly five decades until Alabama recognized the animal as its official mascot. Finally, elephants are social animals that live in close-knit herds. Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity. Unmatched in size that Alabama team knocked me [out] cold, men that I had seen play last year looking like they had nearly doubled in size." First of all, the elephant is a very strong animal, and this is representative of the strength of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team. "Once that's over, he runs the team out. We're in the program for the football team. In the early 1930s, when the University started associating an elephant with its brand, the elephant was called Alamite. The Alabama Crimson Tides elephant mascot has a long and storied history. 1 Big Al's name used to be Alamite. Big Al has a significant walk that is a trademark of who he is. He actually does 500 activities outside of the sporting events that he attends, so he's a very busy guy. ", Webster: "It's definitely crazy hot. Even the Alabama Crimson Tide's elephant mascot, Big Al, is considered the GOAT when it comes to the big, furry friends that roam college football's sidelines. Aubie (a tiger) and an eagle. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. I was crying in suit but I had to act like as if Big Al were happy. In addition to leading the football team onto the field before each game, Big Al also participates in community outreach programs and makes appearances at university functions. [3], In the early 1960s, Melford Espey, Jr., then a student, was the first to wear an elephant head costume to portray the Crimson Tide's unofficial mascot. When those big brutes hit you I mean you go down and stay down, often for an additional two minutes. By the 1950s, keeping a live elephant year round proved to be too expensive for the university. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. This could happen for a several reasons, including no shared cipher suites. That's when I realized this isn't just for fun. Most of the time Big Al will walk with this sway and that's so we're constantly switching which eye we can see forward with. "Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity. He has a signature, so we practice the signature and teach it to other people. And the rest is history. William Webster poses with a fellow Big Al during the College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on January 7, 2019. After originally going by "varsity," "Crimson White" (the school colors) and "The Thin Red Line," Birmingham Age-Herald sports editor Hugh Roberts coined the term "Crimson Tide" to describe 'Bama's heroic effort in holding heavily favored Auburn to a 66 tie in a mud-soaked game in 1907 that had the 'Bama players looking like a red tidal wave. 30 Second Answer. That gets divvied up through cheerleaders and Big Al. The gray, anthropomorphic elephant has been the team's official mascot since 1979, when Bear Bryant finally approved the trunked animal despite a history that dates back to 1930. What Is The Difference Between Bonding And HardWall. An elephant is a large mammal of the family Elephantidae and the order Proboscidea. It's not uncommon to find him high-fiving Tide fans on The Quad before Alabama football games, dancing on the sidelines or even crowd surfing up the UA student section in the fourth quarter against opponents like Auburn, Ole Miss, Florida, LSU, Tennessee and Arkansas. The story of how Alabama became associated with the "elephant" goes back to the 1930 season. The elephants regal nature underscores this fact. link to Can you cook mince 1 day out of date? So what took so long for the Alabama administration to adopt the animal as the school's official mascot? ", Strupper, using the flair for the dramatic common in sportswriting at the time, wrote, "At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow. The 1930 team posted an overall 10-0 record. Instead, the UA spirit committee started hiring elephants, often from traveling circuses passing through or by Tuscaloosa, for every homecoming. On October 8, 1930, a sportswriter for the Atlanta Journal, Everett Strupper, wrote about the previous weekend's Alabama-Ole Miss football game. The story of how Alabama became associated with the "elephant" goes back to the 1930 season when Coach Wallace Wade had assembled a great football team. Big Al is just the best. The two assured him that it was just a person in an elephant costume and not a real elephant, to which Bryant grinned and said he knew all along. Trey Dickey is a senior from Birmingham, Alabama, studying creative media and communications studies. The tradition continues to this day, with fans often bringing their own elephants to games or buying them from vendors outside the stadium. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. But the same students that worshipped the Bear persisted, and he finally relented in the late 1970s. Strupper wrote, "That Alabama team of 1930 is a typical Wade machine, powerful, big, tough, fast, aggressive, well-schooled in fundamentals, and the best blocking team for this early in the season that I have ever seen. The John's Creek, Georgia, native studied finance and communications studies before graduating earlier this year. The gray, anthropomorphic elephant has been the team's official mascot since 1979, when Bear Bryant finally approved the trunked animal despite a history that dates back to 1930. None of us even have close to a full scholarship. It just runs deep. You see a lot of tigers, a lot of dogs. However, elephants featured prominently to gameday tradition long before this point. "At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow," wrote Everett Strupper of the Atlanta Journal when describing the Tide's domination of Ole Miss on Oct. 8, 1930. There is a story that Alabama got its colors from a ball on campus when UA was still a military school, wearing gray, black and white uniforms. That person is in charge of the first quarter and third quarter, because in the third quarter we do box visits. He is known for his enthusiastic pers. You won't know what the props are beforehand. Every April during the weekend of the A-Day spring football game, there is a three-day tryout process for UA students who want to become Big Al. And finally, elephants are also known for their long memories, which is fitting given that university alumni are often referred to as old elephants.. The first day consists of an interview and clinic, where the candidates learn to emulate the character and walk of Big Al. The Crimson Tides mascot is an elephant because the UA spirit committee began hiring elephants from travelling circuses or Tuscaloosa to attend every homecoming. Q: Wait, can Big Al pick things up? Espey later became a university administrator, and football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant asked him to take responsibility when student groups asked to resurrect the costumed mascot in the late 1970s.[4]. Why do Alabama fans say Roll Tide? Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming!' Hugh Roberts, sports editor for the Birmingham Age-Herald, is widely credited as being the first to use "Crimson Tide" to refer to Alabama's football team. The story of how Alabama became associated with the "elephant" goes back to the 1930 season when Coach Wallace Wade had assembled a great football team. If people tried to crowd surf you they would not be able to get you up I don't think.". They feel like they'd like to invest back into us, which really means a lot that the university would give money to the cheer program. Nothing about No. Since the early 1900s, the University of Alabama has been associated with the elephant. The birthday parties we can keep. Dickey: "My favorite gamewe lost the game. . He is one of the most popular mascots in college sports and was even named national champion by the Universal Cheerleaders Association in 2003. The biggest part that we do as a team is we work out. The second day consists of more clinic, as well as being judged on the walk and participating in a band cheer. Tammy Slater is the founder of arew.org, a home and garden blog that provides inspiration and resources for homeowners and renters alike. Click to reveal Whatever the reason, the elephant has become a beloved symbol of the Alabama Crimson Tide, and it shows no signs of going anywhere anytime soon. uniforms even crazier than Oregon's. The biggest thing is that we're viewed as student-athletes. In the 1960s, student Melford Espey would wear an elephant costume to games, much to the delight of legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. He became Big Al in the spring of 2019 and is currently one of five students on the Big Al team. Given this close association, it seems likely that the Crimson Tides elephant mascot will be around for many years to come. The school still refused, however, to acknowledge the elephant as an official mascot. Since its inception in the early twentieth century, the Alabama Crimson Tides elephant mascot has been a source of pride and joy for the teams fans. Even though the elephant served as a symbol for the team, it took decades for the Big Al mascot to come to fruition. 2 The Big Al costume was first officially worn in 1979. Despite their large size and weight, elephants are capable of running at up to 25 km/h (16 mph). Q: Are people allowed to know that you're Big Al? It shut out eight opponents and allowed only 13 points all season while scoring 217. The expiration date also labeled Arew is the go-to source for all your home improvement, gardening, cooking, and family needs. [Related: Top 10 college football live mascots ft. Auburn's "War Eagle"]. It's just kind a fun way to be creative on game day. "It's a pretty common question," said Ken Gaddy, Director of the Paul W. Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa. That's what helped me the most in my tryout.". With Bryant's support, the university made an elephant. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Why is Alabama's Mascot an Elephant Named Big Al. As part of their efforts, they decided to hire elephants from travelling circuses or from Tuscaloosa to attend every homecoming football game. The elephant is an excellent choice for a mascot for the Alabama Crimson Tide. The elephant is also very large, which makes it an imposing figure that can be seen from far away. The origin of Alabama's elephant mascot. He wasn't fat. The cheerleaders will tumble through the end zone. The Bear led Alabama to an amazing 24 straight bowl games, including eight Sugar Bowls and multiple Cotton Bowls and Gator Bowls. In addition to being the live mascot at Crimson Tide football games, Big Al is also used in a number of other ways to represent the university. LSU in 2019 was probably my favorite environment in sports. I think that really helped me in the tryout, being more relaxed and not caring as much about the outcome and caring more about just having a good time, because that's what Big Al would wanna do. What gives? I don't know how else to put it.". Crowd surfing is kind of a five minute lay-down-catch-your-breath situation. There are several reasons why this is so. Here's the story from Alabama's official website,rolltide.com: On October 8, 1930, sports writer Everett Strupper of the Atlanta Journal wrote a story of the Alabama-Mississippi game he had witnessed in Tuscaloosa four days earlier. "At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, he wrote, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow. Everyone puts their fours in the air. Why Is An Elephant Alabamas Mascot? Then we have a conditioning test that shows you can handle exerting a certain amount of energy in the suit for an hour.". According to the school, the relationship between elephants and University of Alabama football dates back to 1930, when Atlanta Journal sportswriter Everett Strupper relayed a story from an Alabama-Ole Miss game. The History of the Alabama Crimson Tide's Elephant Mascot. The "Big Al" mascot officially debuted at the 1979 Sugar Bowl, when the 1979 Alabama Crimson Tide football team defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks. He looked at me like we were gonna start something, but then I grabbed Big Al and said, 'Let's go!' Since then, Alphie has been a fixture at Alabama sporting events, accompanying the football team onto the field before every home game. Every player is instantly thinking, 'Oh, I'm not here to make it to the NFL. Roll tide. In 1979, he was meeting with the homecoming chairman, Ann Paige, as they were trying to come up with something different for the school's homecoming parade. "Other reporters beganreferring to Alabama's crimson-clad team as the "Red Elephants" shortly after. What gives? Dickey: "There definitely is. Of course, Big Al has very rigorous training to make sure that we're not going to do anything questionable.". When those big brutes hit you I mean you go down and stay down, often for an additional two minutes. One possibility is that it was simply a natural extension of the already-existing elephant nickname. The mascot made its debut in the 1980 Sugar Bowl, but the first student to don the elephant costume was Melford Espey Jr.22 Sept 2021. This is due to a 2002 incident between Big Al and Seymour of Southern Miss during a game in Tuscaloosa. Bryant was very easy to talk to and teased them about having a real elephant on the field and the mess it would make. All rights reserved. The nickname "Crimson White," then "Thin Red Line" and "Crimson Tide" stuck. Being Big Al isn't as easy as it looks, however. When she's not blogging or spending time with her family, you can usually find her rooting around in the garden or at the hardware store. Why does Alabama use an elephant as a mascot? Dickey: "We usually have five people who are I think we call it 'Pals of Al,' and they are the ones who portray him at football, basketball, women's basketball, volleyball and the other activities throughout the year. Why is alabama's mascot an elephant? We have five different assignments for every game day split between all five of us. He was just thick and tall. This fits in well with the tradition and history of the Alabama Crimson Tide, which is one of the most prestigious college football teams in the country. Why does Alabama use an elephant as a mascot? Then we as the judges have to guess what he's trying to do with the props. Your movements have to be so much larger and exaggerated in order to make it look like Big Al is excited acting out those gestures. Dickey: "We usually arrive at our cart -- we call it the rammer jammer or the RJ -- we'll arrive five hours before the football game. But if you wanted Big Al for a private event that would be like $100. Why does Alabama use an elephant as a mascot? Dickey: "The tryout for Big Al -- he's a very creative guy. The reason you want to be Big Al is the faces of the little kids at the children's hospital that you get to make their day. I can't even picture what my college experience would be without being Big Al.". Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa, told Yahoo Sports in 2012. He'll also drop in on your nuptials, if youre willing to pony up his $400 wedding appearance fee. It's the controversy over whether Alabama freshman phenom Brandon Miller should be playing basketball after his role in a tragedy the . The Million Dollar Band performing at a football game. Like the team's nickname, it was the brainchild of a sports writer . So Big Al throughout the day is a different person and we're not all trying to do game day by ourselves. Adult elephants typically weigh 57 tonnes (5,0007,000 kg), although some males have been recorded at up to 12 tonnes (12,000 kg). Even the Alabama Crimson Tide's elephant mascot, Big Al, is considered the GOAT when it comes to the big, furry friends that roam college football's sidelines. LostLettermen.com is a college football and men's basketball site that regularly contributes to Dr. Saturday. This isn't just something that people come to the tryout to be Big Al for two days. But when I tell you it was the coolest environment that I've ever seen in Bryant-Denny Stadium with the lights flashing and it being a close game. Sign up for daily stories delivered to your inbox. The Alabama elephant is the state animal of Alabama. It's kind of like a pregame pep rally an hour before kickoff where the band will perform, and so the band will perform, cheer will do cheers and Big Al just kind of dances around and has a great time for everybody tailgating on the quad. That would go to us. So at halftime we usually prepare a little short skit where like a costume that Big Al will wear. Velyrhorde. Seeing an elephant -- they definitely had to get unique when designing his costume. Our pictures are out there so it's not a huge secret but it is something that we kind of keep a secret because it's special.". Dickey: "I'm not actually sure why, but it's just always been the thing that Big Al does. The first shift is Quad. And in the early 1960s, Alabama student Melford Espey went the extra mile and dressed up as the animal to cheer on his beloved team. In 1896, a sportswriter for the Birmingham Age-Herald came up with the nickname Crimson Tide to describe the University of Alabamas football team. Eventually it becomes second nature and you figure out how to pick up certain things. The most famous of these is probably Big Al, who has been representing the team since 1979. We met at 5:30 a.m. and we didn't get home until like 10:30. Thankfully I never had any problems with it. He went 19-6 against arch rivals Auburn. The fourth quarter is kind of important to Alabama fans in general. Instead, the school's "Spirit Planning Committee" started hiring elephants often from traveling circuses passing through or by Tuscaloosa for every homecoming. [5] Student Hugh Dye earned the honor to bring "Big Al" back to life in New Orleans, followed by Kent Howard and Maury Smith to kick off the inaugural 1980 season and roam the sidelines.[6]. 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