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." It just runs deep. Why is Alabama's mascot an elephant? Compared to its more fearsome mascot counterparts around the country like LSU's live tiger, Mike, Big Al looks like a big stuffed animal. He became Big Al in the spring of 2019 and is currently one of five students on the Big Al team. In the 1960s, student Melford Espey would wear an elephant costume to games, much to the delight of legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. 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. We do get a little bit of scholarship money just because we do so much for the university. We always say if you can see the camera, Big Al is looking somewhere else. It's not just a random date that the food company picked out of thin air. A young woman attending the ball decided to wear crimson to match those colors. So that's kind of looking for the creativity part. Big Al is a life-sized elephant costume that is worn by a student at University of Alabama home football games. Finally, elephants are social animals that live in close-knit herds. [Related: PHOTO: Alabama fan gets massive $1,700 elephant back tattoo]. 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. Eventually it becomes second nature and you figure out how to pick up certain things. "Some of the mascots they're afraid of, but they're just drawn to Big Al.". All these things and the game was at 2:30. 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. 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. 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. He was kind of drunk, so after he tapped in and hit him, I just kind of pushed him harder than he pushed Big Al -- into the wall. A "fight" was scripted before the game, in which the rules were that Big Al loses the fight in front of the visitors section, and Big Al dominates in front of his student section. That's when I realized this isn't just for fun. Alabama's mascot is an elephant but they are called the "Crimson Tide" and the war cry is"Roll tide!". We have different people we have to go through to post things on social media. Thankfully I never had any problems with it. 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. 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. It appears that the SSL configuration used is not compatible with Cloudflare. [3] By the 1950s, keeping a live elephant year-round proved to be too expensive for the University. We talked to two Big Als -- one who currently plays him and one who used to -- to understand exactly what life as 'Bama's mascot is like. "He thought that elephants were big, slow and clumsy. So within that sort of height. Big Al's game debut was one to remember: The 1979 Sugar Bowl against top-ranked and undefeated Penn State, when a fourth-quarter goal line stand delivered No. He's played by five different students -- two guys and three girls. Everyone puts their fours in the air. We do have a roster on rolltide.com. So Big Al's suit is different from a lot of other mascots. The other guy who was there was Big Al, and this one dude came up and started pushing on Big Al. That's kind of where the trunk and the nose is. 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 does a blinking blue light on a smoke detector mean? If there's not enough students like if it's super hot one day and there's not a lot of students left and it's a blowout game, he won't body surf because that's just kind of tacky. 1 Alabama's nickname of "Crimson Tide" brings to mind the school's costumed elephant mascot, Big Al, no matter how hard you try. We'll take Big Al around the Quad, we'll drive him around and he'll wave to kids and everybody tailgating. 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. Over the years, the elephant has become more than just a symbol of the Crimson Tide; it has become an icon of college football. He's a very large person, and so usually we have people on the team that are very athletic build. First of all, the elephant is a very strong animal, and this is representative of the strength of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team. Even though the elephant served as a symbol for the team, it took decades for the Big Al mascot to come to fruition. ", Webster: "I think it's on the website too but if a corporate company wants Big Al its $400 to the university. Another theory is that elephants are widely considered to be lucky animals, and thus choosing one as a mascot would supposedly bring good luck to the Crimson Tide. So that's a cool thing that we get the respect from the university. Strupper and other writers continued to refer to the Alabama linemen as "Red Elephants," the color referring to the crimson jerseys. While the specific origin of why an elephant was chosen as Alabamas mascot is unknown, there are several theories. How Do You Get Rid Of Hard Calcium Deposits In The Shower? So at halftime we usually prepare a little short skit where like a costume that Big Al will wear. It takes all five of us. You get to make everyone's day. Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity. In the 1960s, student Melford Espey would wear an elephant costume to games, much to the delight of legendary coach Paul Bear Bryant. I've always had good experiences with it. We put people in suit for different rounds. It's just a great opportunity for Big Al to stand out because all of our players are going to be wearing red every home game. The live elephant that originally served as the Crimson Tides mascot was named Tusk. Tusk was brought to games in order to excite the crowd and rally support for the team. "He thought that elephants were big, slow and clumsy. [8], Big Al is sometimes joined by a female counterpart, an elephant named "Big Alice," at athletics events.[9]. Bulls use their tusks aggressively while fighting; elephants also use them for tasks such as moving trees and stripping bark from trees for food. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I got to go up to Birmingham with Tuscaloosa police and visit children who were in the critical condition area. It's the interactions you get to have with people in other circumstances you would never get to meet. There are several reasons why this is so. He looked at me like we were gonna start something, but then I grabbed Big Al and said, 'Let's go!' Ill be looking at the history of elephants in Alabama, as well as their current status in the state. Roll tide. That's really the payment. Q: What's crowd surfing up the student section like? The no thumbs -- that takes some getting used to. Whoever makes the final cut is invited to A-Day for the final tryout, which consists of a field walk before the game. Big Al was named by a student vote. The tradition continues to this day, with fans often bringing their own elephants to games or buying them from vendors outside the stadium. The first elephant to represent the Crimson Tide was actually a live animal, brought to games to lead the team onto the field. He received a price quote from Disney for the design and construction of the elephant costume. If there are enough students in the student section and we're ahead by enough points, Big Al will body surf up the student section, and that's always a fun experience. He was just thick and tall. But the same students that worshipped the Bear persisted, and he finally relented in the late 1970s. "At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow. The Million Dollar Band, the University of Alabama's marching band, was founded in 1912 with 14 members under the direction of Dr. Gustav Wittig. If it's a close game he won't body surf, because we don't wanna count our chickens.". The tradition of an elephant mascot continued for many years, with . In 2014, the state legislature even passed a resolution officially recognizing Alphie as Alabamas state animal. Elephantidae is the only surviving family of the order Proboscidea; other, now extinct, members of the order include deinotheres, gomphotheres, mammoths, and mastodons. Our head is actually larger than most university mascots. The second day consists of more clinic, as well as being judged on the walk and participating in a band cheer. how big is a woolly mammoth compared to an elephant. So join me on this journey as we explore the answer to this important question: Why is Alabamas mascot an elephant? Like the team's nickname, it was the brainchild of a sports writer. "Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity. Performance & security by Cloudflare. The mascot represents the strength and power of the Crimson Tide, and its presence on the sidelines is a source of inspiration for the teams players. Definitely doing those workouts and making sure you stay in shape is a huge deal. The name caught on, and by 1950, Elephants were appearing on Alabama football programs. uniforms even crazier than Oregon's. Additional troubleshooting information here. In the 1960s, student Melford Espey would wear an elephant costume to games, much to the delight of legendary coach Paul Bear Bryant. There are many reasons why the Crimson Tides mascot is an elephant. During the 1940s, the school kept a live elephant mascot named "Alamite." He'll also drop in on your nuptials, if youre willing to pony up his $400 wedding appearance fee. What Is The Difference Between Bonding And HardWall. I don't think our team performs as well if Big Al doesn't get the fans into it. 4 Oklahoma square off in Orange Bowl for national title bid. We met at 5:30 a.m. and we didn't get home until like 10:30. Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped the Alabama varsity. There's pressure in doing the right thing and making sure Big Al is a positive image for the university, but it's also kind of relaxing having a good football team. 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. ", 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.". The best experience I ever had as Big Al was when I was at a children's hospital. Q: I guess Big Al can't be too heavy then Webster: "Yeah, there was one year that this guy tried out who was 6-foot-7. Dickey: "There definitely is. After a few rounds, he got dropped. Webster: "You can. So Quad is everything that happens before Big Al even arrives in the stadium. Dickey: "The tryout for Big Al -- he's a very creative guy. Your IP: We work out every Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30 in the morning. 167.114.26.66 As a result of DJ Al's popularity, a campaign was started on campus to name the mascot after him, and that campaign succeeded at the polls. In the late 1940s, student humor magazine The Rammer Jammer began referring to the Crimson Tide as Thrift Shop Elephants, a reference to the thriftiness of Alabamians. However, elephants featured prominently to gameday tradition long before this point. That was not the image of his players he wanted to portray." The mascot made its debut in the 1980 Sugar Bowl, but the first student to don the elephant costume was Melford Espey Jr. . Because those kids will be like, 'What? It was clear that Crimson Tide Nation's obsession with the pachyderm would not cease. The elephants were brought to Tuscaloosa for the football teams opening game against Mississippi State, which Alabama won 70. 4 Oklahoma square off in Orange Bowl for national title bid, Jonah Williams: 3 things to know about Alabama football's offensive tackle, Mack Wilson: 5 things to know about the Alabama football linebacker, Quinnen Williams: 4 things to know about the Alabama football defensive tackle, Raekwon Davis: 4 things to know about the Alabama football defensive lineman, Paul Tyson: 5 things about Alabama football signee, Bear Bryant's great-grandson, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. So we have to pass a conditioning test to prove we have the athletic stamina to be Big Al. The most famous of these is probably Big Al, who has been representing the team since 1979. The maximum amount of time Big Al can spend at your special day: one hour. That does get problematic for our September games that are upwards of 98 degrees. 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. But the history of the Crimson Tide's mascot began decades earlier at an Alabama-Ole Miss football game. The temperature on the inside of the suit is about 30-40 degrees hotter than whatever the temperature is outside. [Related: PHOTOS: 2012 college football uniform tracker & grader]. The Million Dollar Band performing at a football game. Webster: "Oh, Big Al. A majority of the fan base is actually caring about the game, so you can focus on the little kids and the people who really want to see Big Al. Then we as the judges have to guess what he's trying to do with the props. The Elephant Story. How big is a mammoth compared to an elephant? [7] The scripted fight suddenly became unscripted after Seymour deviated from the set rules, and a raucous fight on the sidelines between the two ensued. What is cardinal color? That gets divvied up through cheerleaders and Big Al. While there is no official explanation for why an elephant was chosen as Alabamas mascot, there are a few theories. 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. The first elephant to represent the Crimson Tide was actually a live animal, brought to games to lead the team onto the field. Nonetheless, a student in a doe-eyed elephant costume struts his stuff at every Bama home game, having become a fixture at one of the states proudest institutions. Today, Big Al can be seen at all types of University of Alabama athletic events, not just football. LostLettermen.com is a college football and men's basketball site that regularly contributes to Dr. Saturday. "He thought that elephants were big, slow and clumsy. 2 The Big Al costume was first officially worn in 1979. 1 Alabama, No. I don't know how else to put it.". Pregame, you're in charge of marching the band out on to the field. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a15f357a85d190a Coach Bryant won countless national titles and since his first season at Alabama didn't endure a losing season over that time. At the time of the vote, there was a popular DJ on campus by the name of Al Brown, who DJ'd many of the largest campus parties, including those hosted by members of the football team. Over time, showerheads can become clogged with deposits of calcium, magnesium, lime, silica, and other minerals. We had Good Morning America. 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. Most of our traditions happen in the fourth quarter. Dickey: "That's actually a really funny story. 1 Alabama, No. He told Paige that several schools in the Southeastern Conference had obtained mascot costumes and proposed that the University of Alabama should get one as well. Since the early 1900s, the University of Alabama has been associated with the elephant. [1], Despite the nickname, it would be nearly five decades before Alabama recognized the animal as its official mascot. We're actually athletes at the university just as much as a cheerleader is. It's relaxing. The team went on to be named National Champions, according to rolltide.com. Well, the story goes all the way back to the 1930 National Championship team. It's almost like thatBig Al is just the best. Elephants are scattered throughout sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. 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]. The mascot known as "Big Al" today was the brainchild of University of Alabama student Walt Tart, member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. William Webster spent four years as Big Al from 2018 to 2021. Since funding for the costume would have to come from the athletic department, Tart and Paige set up a meeting with Coach Bryant, who was the football coach and athletic director of the University. The origin of Alabama's elephant mascot and its association with Crimson Tide football is a popular conversation topic among fans and outsidersalike. The elephant mascot even has its own name: Big Al. So very rarely will you see Big Al on the sideline in Bryant-Denny during the third quarter because he's actually up in the boxes visiting people up there. Nothing about No. 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 nickname stuck. Q: Who's the best mascot in college football? This isn't just something that people come to the tryout to be Big Al for two days. We're not just some kid that's dressing up. From there, we drive back to the stadium and the next person gets in the suit. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Strupper wrote a story on October 8, 1930, describing Alabama's college football team after watching them pound Mississippi, 64-0, on October 4. Instead, the school's "Spirit Planning Committee" started hiring elephants often from traveling circuses passing through or by Tuscaloosa for every homecoming. and out stamped this Alabama varsity. 2023 www.montgomeryadvertiser.com. You have to go all the way back to 1930 to find the origin of Alabama's elephant. Why does Alabama use an elephant as a mascot? The maximum amount of time Big Al can spend at your special day: one hour. Big Al is just the best. It was a regular on gamedays, and for several years it would carry that year's homecoming queen onto the field prior to the game. The fact that he's an elephant, it's just not something you see very often. The tradition of an elephant mascot continued for many years, with various live animals appearing at games and even marching in parades. All rights reserved. The first day consists of an interview and clinic, where the candidates learn to emulate the character and walk of Big Al. Ill also be discussing why an elephant was chosen as the Tides mascot, and what it represents for the team and its fans. Both sexes have tusks, which are modified upper incisors. "We get it a lot from people not familiar with Alabama. The 1930 team posted an overall 10-0 record. and kind of ran onto the field and all was goodthankfully nothing too bad.". This could happen for a several reasons, including no shared cipher suites. 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. First and foremost, elephants are strong and powerful animals that convey a sense of strength and power. This mineral buildup can block the showerhead's water flow, preventing it from Can you cook mince 1 day out of date? 30 Second Answer. The mascot is largely attributed to one man: sportswriter Everett Strupper of the Atlanta Journal. The Alabama elephant is the state animal of Alabama. Like the team's nickname, it was the brainchild of a sports writer . 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. Additional troubleshooting information here. The Alabama Crimson Tides elephant mascot is one of the most recognizable symbols in college football. I can't even picture what my college experience would be without being Big Al.". It's not an obvious type of thing.". And the rest is history. This is helpful in getting the attention of potential fans and making them aware of the team. In any case, elephants have long been associated with both Alabama athletics and the state of Alabama as a whole. The "Big Al" mascot officially debuted at the 1980 Sugar Bowl, when the 1979 Alabama Crimson Tide football team defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks. That person will go back into the locker room and the next Big Al will come out for the first quarter. Given that they are not indigenous to the North American continent, let alone the general Tuscaloosa area, it may seem odd that an elephant serves as the mascot for the University of Alabamas football team. 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