Paul Tyson got in the game for Alabama against Miami.
In case anyone was worried, Alabama football is still dominant as ever — at least after the first game of the season. The No. 1 Crimson Tide absolutely crushed No. 14 Miami on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, winning 44-13.
Alabama starting quarterback Bryce Young — one of the early 2021 Heisman Trophy favorites — had a standout game and even set a program record for passing touchdowns (four) and yards (344) in a first game as a starter. So long after it was clear the Crimson Tide would comfortably win this game, Young took a seat in the fourth quarter.
And legendary Alabama coach Paul “Bear” Bryant’s great-grandson, backup quarterback Paul Tyson, came in and ended up with a perfect completion percentage.
Of course, that comes with a giant asterisk because the redshirt sophomore quarterback only attempted a single pass. But freshman wide receiver Agiye Hall caught it on third-and-9 and picked up 10 yards in the process, giving Tyson a perfect 1-for-1 stat line for his brief appearance in the game.
For Alabama fans, college football fans in general or people who enjoy sports history, Tyson getting on the field was pretty cool.
Paul Tyson, Bear Bryant's great-grandson at QB for Bama. Even if you don't like the Tide, that's pretty damn cool.
Both coaches have incredible legacies…. but, who is better? Jake Crain, host of “The JBoy Show” podcast weighed in on his Monday show.
When you look at the history of Alabama Football, there is no doubt that tradition and success are at the forefront of its’ identity.
The two coaches that helped mold the championship personality are Paul “Bear” Bryant, and Nick Saban.
Both coaches have incredible legacies…. but, who is better? Jake Crain, host of “The JBoy Show” podcast weighed in on his Monday show.
Crain gives solid reasoning as to why each coach is worthy of being the best that Alabama has ever had, but leans towards Nick Saban as the better coach, for the sole reason that the era that Saban is coaching in now is more challenging than Bryant’s era in all aspects.
“From a dominant standpoint, Nick Saban has dominated in an era, that in my opinion, is the hardest to dominate,” Crain says.
“We know that Bama has dominated, but we know Georgia is right there, Florida is right there, Auburn has won a natty, LSU has won a natty,” says Crain. “Back then, that wasn’t happening like that. You were playing five or six SEC games. Last year, even though there was a pandemic, we played basically a whole SEC schedule.”
Crain did give props to Bryant, though. Saying that he agrees that he is worth all the accolades he has earned, as well as how he innovated the game. He mentioned some of the things Bryant did recruiting wise that would be insane to try in today’s game.
“(Bryant) would go put guys on swimming scholarships, and play them, just so that other teams couldn’t sign them,” says Crain. “Can you imagine if Nick Saban could do that? What he would be able to do if he could bend the rules like that?”
Alabama is a source of history in college football, so it’s only fitting that the Crimson Tide is very well represented at the College …
Alabama is consistently the golden standard in college football. Not only is the program seemingly competing for a national title every year, but they are always sending new talent to the NFL. The Crimson Tide’s impact on the game throughout history has been great.
The College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta is where players and coaches become permanently enshrined, where their legacies will forever be a part of the game, even when they are gone.
There are 21 inductees that were at one point members of the Crimson Tide, either as a player or a coach.
The No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (9-0) look to finish off a perfect regular season on Saturday with a trip to Fayetteville, Arkansas,
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The No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (9-0) look to finish off a perfect regular season on Saturday with a trip to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to face the Arkansas Razorbacks (3-6).
Despite being two prominent programs in the south, the Crimson Tide and Razorbacks don’t necessarily have a rich history.
A big reason for that was Arkansas played in the old Southwest Conference (SWC) until 1991 when it finally joined the SEC. Arkansas officially joined the SEC in 1992, and the two teams have played every year since.
Alabama leads the all-time series, 23-7, and has won the previous 13 meetings.
The most famous meeting between the two current SEC West rivals occurred in 1962, which happened to be the first-ever meeting between Alabama and Arkansas.
The two teams would meet in the 1962 Sugar Bowl, which would determine the consensus national champion.
Alabama would cap off a perfect 11-0 season with a 10-3 win over the Razorbacks. It was the first of six national championships for Paul “Bear” Bryant.
The Crimson Tide defeated Arkansas 48-7 in 2019 when quarterback Mac Jones completed 18 of 22 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns in the win.
Revisiting UT’s 35-28 win over Alabama in 1982. The game snapped the Vols’ 12-game losing streak to the Crimson Tide.
In its tradition-rich history, the University of Tennessee football program has captured some monumental victories.
This year, each Thursday, Vols Wire will look back at one of Tennessee’s most memorable victories against its upcoming opponent.
This installment will revisit Tennessee’s 1982 victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide at Neyland Stadium.
The Vols stunned Alabama, ranked No. 2 in the country, when it edged the Crimson Tide, 35-28, in front of a crowd of 95,000 on Rocky Top.
After losing to the Volunteers, the Crimson Tide would go on to finish 8-4, culminating its campaign with a 21-15 victory over Illinois at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee.
That would be Bear Bryant’s last game as a coach as he would retire, and unfortunately passed away in Jan. 1983.
The 1982 Volunteers carry Tennessee Head Coach Johnny Majors on their shoulders to meet Alabama Head Coach Bear Bryant mid-field after their victory in Neyland Stadium.
Coach Majors And Bear Bryant 1982. Michael Patrick/News Sentinel-Knoxville
Alabama held a perfect 5-0 record when it rolled in to Knoxville as it had victories over Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Arkansas State and Penn State.
The Vols were 3-1-1 entering the game. They would finish the season with a 6-5-1 record after losing to Iowa, 28-22, in the Peach Bowl, however, on this Saturday in October, the Vols had their biggest highlight in an otherwise mediocre season.
Quarterback Alan Cockrell had a pair of touchdown passes for the Big Orange and kicker Fuad Reveiez made four field goals for Tennessee, which opened a 35-21 lead before Alabama’s Linnie Patrick scored on a 14-yard sweep with just over five minutes remaining in the contest to make it 35-28.
The Vols finally clinched their first victory over the Crimson Tide in 12 years when Mike Terry intercepted a pass from Alabama’s Walter Lewis in the waning seconds.
Chuck Coleman had a touchdown run for the Vols, while Willie Gault and Mike Miller had touchdown receptions for the Big Orange.
Gault would go on to have a solid career in the National Football League and win a Super Bowl championship with the Chicago Bears.
Reviez went on to kick in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings.
Cockrell, a two-sport star at UT, played baseball for the Colorado Rockies after a long minor league career.
He would later become a coach for the Rockies, Seattle Mariners and most recently with the New York Yankees.
Bryant will forever be known as one of the best coaches to not only coach at the University of Alabama, but college football in general.
Today, September 11th, would be Paul Bear Bryant’s 107th birthday.
Bryant will forever be known as one of the best coaches to not only coach at the University of Alabama, but college football in general.
During his 25 year career at Alabama, the “Bear” led Alabama to 6 national titles (1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, and 1979) as well as 13 SEC Championships.
But while he’s known for his many accolades on the field, he’s also known for his character and heart off of the field as well.
Bryant positively impacted more than the game of football.
He was a man who loved his country, and this is one of the many stories of who Bear Bryant truly was.
SEC analyst Peter Burns shared this story of Bryant on Twitter, and it’s incredible.
Today's Bear Bryant's birthday
My favorite Bear story:
When he was an assistant at Vanderbilt, he took the HC job at Arkansas
As he's driving to Fayetteville, he heard on the radio that Pearl Harbor had been attacked. It was December 7, 1941
Paul Bear Bryant, who was voted the No. 1 coach of all time, coached at Maryland, Kentucky, and Texas A&M before ending his coaching career at Alabama from 1958-1982. In his coaching career at Alabama, he went 232-46-9.
According to the ESPN article,
“Bryant won two national championships at Alabama in the 1960s playing one-platoon football. He won three more in the 1970s playing several platoons, waves of players on each side of the ball. He won throwing the ball. He won running the ball. As the Texas philosopher/football coach Bum Phillips, a one-time Bryant assistant at Texas A&M, said, “He could take his’n and beat your’n, and he could take your’n and beat his’n.” He made players out of boys and head coaches out of assistants. As one of his favorite players, Crimson Tide lineman Jerry Duncan, said recently, “God, what a man.”
Simply put, Bryant was a fantastic coach, and an even better person.
Juneteenth- honoring the first two Black Alabama football players in program history: Wilbur Jackson and John Mitchell.
June 19th is known as Juneteenth, a day that represents freedom. On this day 155 years ago, the last group of enslaved people in the United States were freed.
The Alabama football twitter page made a post celebrating Juneteenth. What better way to celebrate this special day in history than honoring the first two Black Alabama football players in program history: Wilbur Jackson and John Mitchell.
On June 19, 155 years ago, the last group of enslaved people in the U.S. were freed. Today, we recognize and celebrate #Juneteenth.
Even in 1970, the University of Alabama football team was still high segregated. It wasn’t until the historic matchup between Alabama and USC at Legion Field in Birmingham. Alabama lost the game, but gained so much more. A documentary released in 2019 called “Against the Tide” shows how the game changed Alabama football history forever.
USC head coach John McKay started an all Black backfield against the Tide, in which they pounded the Crimson Tide, 42-21. For many, this game represents a turning point and defining moment in the SEC, especially with the integration of the Alabama football program.
Sam Cunningham, USC’s star running back who recorded 135 yards on just 12 carries and scored two touchdowns.
Jerry Claiborne, a former Bryant assistant famously said this at the end of the game, “Sam Cunningham did more to integrate Alabama in 60 minutes than Martin Luther King did in 20 years.”
And he did.
The following season in 1971, lead by Alabama legendary head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, the Crimson Tide offered a scholarship to a Black player for the first time in program history, and they also played a Black player in a game for the first time in program history as well.
Wilbur Jackson played for Carroll High School in Ozark, Alabama, and would become the first Black player to ever be offered a scholarship from the Crimson Tide. In his three years playing for Alabama, he accumulated 1529 yards rushing and 17 rushing touchdowns, helping Alabama win the 1973 national championship. He was also inducted into Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.
But that’s not all.
The same year Jackson was offered a scholarship, John Mitchell, a two-time Junior College All-American defensive end who had transferred from Eastern Arizona Junior College joined Alabama as well, and became the first Black player to ever play in a game for the Crimson Tide.
“They could not have picked a better person to be the first African-American to be on the team because John was there to play football and get an education. He didn’t expect any special treatment and he didn’t get any, but he was treated fairly. He was a great person and a heck of a ballplayer.”
After his college career, Mitchell ended up staying in Tuscaloosa was offered a full time coach position with the Crimson Tide from Bear Bryant himself as a defensive ends coach. In doing so, he also became the first Black coach to ever coach at Alabama.
Both Jackson and Mitchell changed the game of football at the University of Alabama forever.
Who is the better coach, Nick Saban or Bear Bryant, and I think it’s a question that will never be able to be answered.
When people think of Alabama football, there are several things that come to people’s minds: Nick Saban, Bear Bryant, national championships and houndstooth. If you’ve ever been in Tuscaloosa on a game day, you’ll see fans dressed in crimson, white, and tons of houndstooth. You’ll also see statues of Wallace Wade, Frank Thomas, Paul “Bear” Bryant, Gene Stallings, and Nick Saban, all which won national championships while at Alabama. But no matter how many times Nick Saban wins, how many championships he has led Alabama teams to, and no matter how many top recruits he brings to Tuscaloosa, the questions keeps being asked: Who is the better coach, Nick Saban or Bear Bryant? I think it’s a question that will never be able to be answered, and a question that needs to stop being asked.
Before we dive deep into comparing both coaches, let’s begin with Paul “Bear” Bryant. Many people often forget that when Bear Bryant took over as head coach for the Crimson Tide, no one had any idea what was about to happen in Tuscaloosa, especially given the way Alabama had performed before Bryant’s arrival under Jennings Whitworth.
Bear Bryant won 323 games, but only 132 of them before he turned 50.
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Bryant’s first season in Tuscaloosa was certainly not his best, by a long shot. Alabama went 5-4-1 in 1958. But just a few seasons later, in 1961, Alabama went 11–0 and defeated Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl and were named the national champions. But, that was just the beginning.
Led by Bear Bryant, Alabama proceeded to win back to back national titles in 1964 and 1965. And from that point forward, Alabama became the team that everyone not only wanted to beat, but also wanted to be, something that hasn’t changed today.
In his 25 years at Alabama, the Bear led Alabama to 6 national championships and 13 conference championships.
Fast forward to 2020. Alabama head coach Nick Saban has already won 5 national championships and 6 conference championships in his 13 years in Tuscaloosa.
Sep 14, 2013; College Station, TX, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban meets with Texas A&M Aggies former player and coach Gene Stallings at Kyle Field. Stalings was one of the ‘junction boys’ under coach Bear Bryant. Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
They both won their first national title within three years of being at Alabama, and then a few seasons later, both won back to back national titles.
So, we once again ask the question? Who is the better coach?
And once again, I say, it’s a question without an answer. Why?
Several reasons. First off, the game has evolved so much since Bear Bryant coached. The style of play, the way players are recruited, and even how the game is played. SO much has changed since Bryant’s time in Tuscaloosa.
And honestly comparing Saban to Bryant is a lot like comparing Michael Jordan to Kobe Bryant or Lebron James.
The NBA has changed since Jordan was in his prime. And Jordan and Bryant’s way of playing was completely different too.
Simply put, it’s difficult to compare two goats (greatest of all time) to one another, because they became a “goat” for different reasons.
For Bryant, he was one of the first coaches to create a legacy and dynasty in Tuscaloosa.
For Saban, he was the first coach since Gene Stallings in 1992 to win a National Championship for Alabama. Nick Saban was regenerating the hope, passion, and demand for excellence that Bryant helped create in Tuscaloosa in the late 1950s.
One might argue that Bryant would still win as many games today and he did then, maybe so.
Nov 28, 1981; Birmingham, AL, USA: FILE PHOTO; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Paul Bear Bryant on the sideline before the game against the Auburn Tigers at Legion Field. Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports
And one might argue that Saban is a better coach than Bryant because he has done almost as much for Alabama in less time, maybe so.
But at the end of the day, both Bryant and Saban have helped shape and mold Alabama into becoming one of the best football programs of all time.
What both of these coaches have done while at Alabama will not only go down in history, but it will, and has, changed the game of college football forever.
Will Saban ever pass Bear Bryant as being Alabama’s best (and maybe even most winning) coach in the eyes of Bama fans? Maybe so.
But does it really matter? I don’t think so. There are stats and opinions to favor both coaches.
Both Saban and Bryant have one big thing in common: team success. Both coaches were more concerned with their team winning and their players becoming better men, than they are (and were) about their own personal success. That’s why they are who they are, and that’s why they’ve both made such an impact on the game of football.
Dec 3, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban wears a hat backwards after the SEC Championship college football game against the Florida Gators at Georgia Dome. Alabama defeated Florida 54-16. Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
If and when Saban ever decides to retire from coaching, he isn’t going to care about how much closer he is to being better than Bryant. He isn’t going to cae if he won more games than Bryant, or if he will finally be out of Bryant’s shoes and shadow. He’s going to care if he himself did the very best he could to leave behind a program that’s better than when he got it.
And we can safely say he has. Nick Saban has not only created a dynasty in Tuscaloosa, he has changed the game of college football.
Just like Bear Bryant did.
Both, Alabama and college football in general, are better because of both, the Bear, and Saban.
