Welcome to my blog, where Ill be discussing the important question of why the Alabama Crimson Tides mascot is an elephant. The first day consists of an interview and clinic, where the candidates learn to emulate the character and walk of Big Al. [Related: VIDEO: Ole Miss streaker gets leveled by security]. 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. That would go to us. 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. 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. 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. 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. Well, the story goes all the way back to the 1930 National Championship team. In the early days of the University of Alabama (UA), a spirit committee was formed to help boost school morale. Bryant was Alabama's football coach and athletic director, not to mention a legendary figure that Crimson Tide fans would never cross. The next person's assignment is pregame and halftime. We'll take Big Al around the Quad, we'll drive him around and he'll wave to kids and everybody tailgating. So if it's a pretty day and it's only about 70 degrees, it's probably around 100-110 degrees inside the suit. The first elephant to represent the Crimson Tide was actually a live animal, brought to games to lead the team onto the field. It's kind of like is a parent every gonna say someone else in his kid's class is the best kid? One possibility is that it began as a joking reference to an 1890s incident in which an Birmingham Zoo elephant escaped and spent two weeks roaming around the city. "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. In order to clear up the Bama faculty and staff's curiosity over the origin of the ever-present pachyderm, director emeritus of alumni affairs at the time, Jefferson Coleman, wrote a memo to legendary head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant in 1977. 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. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Why do Alabama fans say Roll Tide? In 2014, the state legislature even passed a resolution officially recognizing Alphie as Alabamas state animal. Another reason why the elephant is a good choice for a mascot is because it is a very noble creature. Webster: "We probably have people that range from 5-foot-9 to 6-foot-2 is the tallest we've had. You can never see straight in front of you, so when we're taking pictures you always have to put the camera in that blind spot. 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. 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. Auburn has two mascots. Today it explains the meaning behind Alabama's elephant mascot. Why does Alabama use an elephant as a mascot? 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. 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. It probably weighs about 30 pounds and that's all sitting on your head and your neck. 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. Why is Alabama's mascot an elephant? Whoever makes the final cut is invited to A-Day for the final tryout, which consists of a field walk before the game. ", Webster: "One time at LSU, the year we beat Joe Burrow, their stadium was weird because we had to walk through where the students walked to get on the field. And then second quarter is kind of their own thing and that will bleed into halftime depending on how long it takes to set up props for the person doing the halftime skit. 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. Finally, elephants have long memories, which is a fitting metaphor for university alumni who remember their time at UA fondly. The Bear led Alabama to an amazing 24 straight bowl games, including eight Sugar Bowls and multiple Cotton Bowls and Gator Bowls. As a result, the live elephant mascot was eventually retired. We have different people we have to go through to post things on social media. And the rest is history. Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa, told Yahoo Sports in 2012. 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. The Million Dollar Band. "At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, he wrote, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow. "Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity. The bigger ones go to the school.". The elephant is also very large, which makes it an imposing figure that can be seen from far away. 1 Alabama's nickname of "Crimson Tide" brings to mind the school's costumed elephant mascot, Big Al, no matter how hard you try. The nickname stuck. We met at 5:30 a.m. and we didn't get home until like 10:30. "Coach (Bear) Bryant thought it was not representative of football players," Gaddy said. Nothing about No. We have to divvy that up between us.". 3y ago. Big Al walks in to the room and he has to interact with the props in multiple different ways, but he can't use any of the props for their intended purpose. I don't know how else to put it.". While there is no official explanation for why an elephant was chosen as Alabamas mascot, there are a few theories. 2 Alabama the national title. 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. He'll also drop in on your nuptials, if youre willing to pony up his $400 wedding appearance fee. (He was portrayed by a different student, of course, as Espey had long since graduated.). The mascot is largely attributed to one man: sportswriter Everett Strupper of the Atlanta Journal. Elephantidae is the only surviving family of the order Proboscidea; other, now extinct, members of the order include deinotheres, gomphotheres, mammoths, and mastodons. So Big Al wearing his white jersey is a part of that tradition. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. That's what helped me the most in my tryout.". In 1896, a sportswriter for the Birmingham Age-Herald came up with the nickname Crimson Tide to describe the University of Alabamas football team. ", Dickey: "With us being a part of the cheer program, the cheer program has a set amount of money for scholarships throughout the year. So Big Al's suit is different from a lot of other mascots. It just runs deep. That gets divvied up through cheerleaders and Big Al. With thousands of articles covering everything from do-it-yourself repairs to tips on parenting, Arew has something for everyone. 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. It's definitely not the reason to be Big Al. link to How Do You Get Rid Of Hard Calcium Deposits In The Shower? They play the Green Day song ["Basket Case"]. An excited fan yelled "The elephants are coming!" & the title stuck. So we have to pass a conditioning test to prove we have the athletic stamina to be Big Al. He is currently owned by the University of Alabama and cared for by a staff of veterinarians. Strupper and other writers continued to refer to the Alabama linemen as "Red Elephants," the color referring to the crimson jerseys. You won't know what the props are beforehand. 1 . The first shift is Quad. 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. It appears that the SSL configuration used is not compatible with Cloudflare. During the 1940s, the school kept a live elephant mascot named "Alamite." The expiration date also labeled Arew is the go-to source for all your home improvement, gardening, cooking, and family needs. With Bryants support, the university made an elephant the teams official mascot in 1980, and Big Al made his debut at the Sugar Bowl. That's when it really hit me. We put people in suit for different rounds. Instead, the school's "Spirit Planning Committee" started hiring elephants often from traveling circuses passing through or by Tuscaloosa for every homecoming. The more you return and the more you dedicate to the program, the more you get in scholarship money. 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. Bulls use their tusks aggressively while fighting; elephants also use them for tasks such as moving trees and stripping bark from trees for food. After box visits, Big Al will come back in a white jersey. "We get it a lot from people not familiar with Alabama. After you march them on to the field they will play 'Tusk,' which is sort of Big Al's statement song. Pregame, you're in charge of marching the band out on to the field. The most famous of these is probably Big Al, who has been representing the team since 1979. ", VIDEO: Ole Miss streaker gets leveled by security, PHOTOS: 2012 college football uniform tracker & grader, 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. They were telling me about how much I made their day. "Once that's over, he runs the team out. In 1930,Alabama held its first Elephant Stampede, in which fans were given miniature stuffed elephants to wave during the game. Q: I'm guessing you fell in love with it. I'm not bulky by any means so it was never hard for people to lift me up. Our head is actually larger than most university mascots. The maximum amount of time Big Al can spend at your special day: one hour. That's kind of where the trunk and the nose is. Q: How does being Big Al work with multiple people? 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. 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. Velyrhorde. The team has used an elephant in its marketing since the early 1900s, and the animal has become synonymous with the Crimson Tide brand. Then we as the judges have to guess what he's trying to do with the props. With Bryant's support, the university made an elephant. 2 The Big Al costume was first officially worn in 1979. We had SEC Nation. Since then, the Crimson Tide has had several live elephants as mascots, the most recent of which is named Big Al. 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. What that is is we'll have a room with three random props in it. 1 Alabama, No. The elephants regal nature underscores this fact. [Related: PHOTO: Alabama fan gets massive $1,700 elephant back tattoo]. That does get problematic for our September games that are upwards of 98 degrees. He wasn't fat. And with new content being added every day, there's always something new to discover. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. A self-taught DIYer, Tammy loves nothing more than tackling a new project in her own home. Compared to its more fearsome mascot counterparts around the country like LSU's live tiger, Mike, Big Al looks like a big stuffed animal. Why Is An Elephant Alabamas Mascot? That person will go back into the locker room and the next Big Al will come out for the first quarter. A young woman attending the ball decided to wear crimson to match those colors. 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. 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. "At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, he wrote, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow. Each candidate performs their skits for a score, and then there is a final cut before A-Day. The elephant in the room going into the Arkansas Razorbacks' 1 p.m. Saturday showdown with No. It's kind of about the kids. Why does Alabama use an elephant as a mascot? Do you trip a lot? 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. Dickey: "My favorite gamewe lost the game. You see a lot of tigers, a lot of dogs. 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. How Do You Get Rid Of Hard Calcium Deposits In The Shower? 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. So what took so long for the Alabama administration to adopt the animal as the school's official mascot? 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. Tammy Slater is the founder of arew.org, a home and garden blog that provides inspiration and resources for homeowners and renters alike. The biggest thing to look for in someone who wants to be a Big Al is are they creative enough to think on the spot and are they animated enough? However, elephants featured prominently to gameday tradition long before this point. Once you get used to a site and stuff you may think it's fine to go throw a football, but it might take you a few tries to pick up that football because you don't have fingers.". elephants are also known for their loyalty, which is another trait that makes them well-suited to being a mascot for the Alabama Crimson Tide. 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. Alabama's mascot is an elephant but they are called the "Crimson Tide" and the war cry is"Roll tide!". We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. As part of their efforts, they decided to hire elephants from travelling circuses or from Tuscaloosa to attend every homecoming football game. The origin of Alabama's elephant mascot. Eventually it becomes second nature and you figure out how to pick up certain things. In the 1960s, student Melford Espey would wear an elephant costume to games, much to the delight of legendary coach Paul Bear Bryant. Why does Alabama use an elephant as a mascot? LostLettermen.com is a college football and men's basketball site that regularly contributes to Dr. Saturday. The 1930 team posted an overall 10-0 record. "[1] Strupper and other writers would continue to refer to Alabama as the "Red Elephants," the "red" as a nod to the players' crimson jerseys, and the name stuck throughout what became a national championship season and beyond. Today, Big Al can be seen at all types of University of Alabama athletic events, not just football. The "Red Elephants" rolled over Washington State 24-0 in the Rose Bowl and were declared National Champions. The school still refused, however, to acknowledge the elephant as an official mascot. The Crimson Tides mascot is an elephant because the UA spirit committee began hiring elephants from travelling circuses or Tuscaloosa to attend every homecoming. The final announcement of the next year's mascot team happens immediately following the spring game. Sign up for daily stories delivered to your inbox. 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. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). When those big brutes hit you I mean you go down and stay down, often for an additional two minutes. 1 Big Al's name used to be Alamite. 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. 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. What gives? They measure up to 3.3 metres (10 ft 10 in) in shoulder height and 4.6 metres (15 ft 1 in) in length from head to tail when fully grown. He became Big Al in the spring of 2019 and is currently one of five students on the Big Al team. Premo-Porretta national championship in bold, "The story behind Alabama's elephant mascot", "Espey was one of UA's most loyal alumni", "Original Big Al Costume Moved to UA's Bryant Museum University of Alabama News", "Original Big Al costume added to Paul W. Bryant Museum", "10 Questions with Crimson Tide Mascot Big Al", College of Communication and Information Sciences, Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama v. Garrett, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Big_Al_(mascot)&oldid=1118445329, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 27 October 2022, at 01:50. Usually, if you're a first-year on the team you get a little bit less than everyone else on the team. The third quarter we do box visits. After a few rounds, he got dropped. Performance & security by Cloudflare. how big is a woolly mammoth compared to an elephant. Nothing about No. You have to fast-forward 23 years to come upon the first mention of elephants to describe Alabama football. 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. 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. 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. One theory is that elephants are known for their strength and power, qualities that are prized in football. It's almost like thatBig Al is just the best. 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. . The birthday parties we can keep. He is one of the most popular mascots in college sports and was even named national champion by the Universal Cheerleaders Association in 2003. But the history of the Crimson Tide's mascot began decades earlier at an Alabama-Ole Miss football game. 30 Second Answer. Q: Something tells me Big Al is pretty busy on Saturdays. [Related: Top 10 college football live mascots ft. Auburn's "War Eagle"]. There are many reasons why the Crimson Tides mascot is an elephant. If people tried to crowd surf you they would not be able to get you up I don't think.". 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. Q: OK, what's it like wearing that suit? Of course, Big Al has very rigorous training to make sure that we're not going to do anything questionable.". In 1917, the band became a military band and was led . What gives? Why is an elephant alabama's mascot? After this, they perform for 1015 minutes each during the game, mimicking a normal gameday atmosphere. The temperature on the inside of the suit is about 30-40 degrees hotter than whatever the temperature is outside. A sportswriter named Everett Strupper wrote about how head coach Wallace Wade's Alabama team's big and aggressive linemen resembled elephants after pounding . When Bryant shot down the elephant mascot idea, that was that. We were up for all of those morning shows. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. "Coach Wade started his second team that was plenty big and they went right to their knitting scoring a touchdown in the first quarter against one of the best fighting small lines that I have seen. It's just kind of a little thing we do. 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. 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. It's not just a random date that the food company picked out of thin air. Big Al has a significant walk that is a trademark of who he is. We have a round that is just the walk. The "Big Al" mascot officially debuted at the 1980 Sugar Bowl, when the 1979 Alabama Crimson Tide football team defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks. Another theory is that it was inspired by a 1903 news article about then-Alabama head coach Mike Donahue, who was said to have a huge and strong team that was unstoppable like an elephant.. 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. "Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity. The president came to the football game. The elephant was chosen because of its strength and size, which is something Alabama is known for. Wearing white in the fourth quarter really makes him pop out.". We both went to the tryout together. Females carry their young for a gestation period of 22 months; calves are fully weaned at around 36 years old but remain closely associated with their mothers until around 10 years old. 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. The nickname stuck. [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]. and kind of ran onto the field and all was goodthankfully nothing too bad.". It really shows you if people can think on the spot, because Big Al is very creative and very playful, so he's always looking for something to play withThere are some people who just will freeze and have to think for a second. Nothing about No. "He said, 'If that's what students want, that's what it should be,' " Gaddy said. The mascot known as "Big Al" today was the brainchild of University of Alabama student Walt Tart, member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. Big Al is the costumed elephant mascot of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Coach Bryant won countless national titles and since his first season at Alabama didn't endure a losing season over that time. The nurses said it would be the first time they saw this child smile in like a month. 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. Later that afternoon, the candidates come either prepared with a minute-and-a-half skit or they can make an impromptu one at tryouts. 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 Million Dollar Band, the University of Alabama's marching band, was founded in 1912 with 14 members under the direction of Dr. Gustav Wittig. "It was the first time that I had seen it and the size of the entire eleven nearly knocked me cold, men that I had seen play last year looking like they had nearly doubled in size.". How did the audition go? The John's Creek, Georgia, native studied finance and communications studies before graduating earlier this year. 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. Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming!' Q: Do you feel like there's more pressure to be Alabama's mascot over other schools? He went 19-6 against arch rivals Auburn. Ill also be discussing why an elephant was chosen as the Tides mascot, and what it represents for the team and its fans. The "Red Elephants" rolled over Washington State 24-0 in the Rose Bowl and were declared National Champions. Big Al has not always been our mascot's name. How big is a mammoth compared to an elephant? Big Al walks into the room and everyone lights up. 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 Why do they say Roll Tide in Alabama? The tradition of using an elephant as a mascot has continued ever since. uniforms even crazier than Oregon's, PHOTO: Alabama fan gets massive $1,700 elephant back tattoo, 'Bama's heroic effort in holding heavily favored Auburn to a 66 tie in a mud-soaked game, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,', Top 10 college football live mascots ft. Auburn's "War Eagle", kept a live elephant mascot named "Alamite. 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]. They always get us to the top.". In the 1960s, student Melford Espey would wear an elephant costume to games, much to the delight of legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. Roberts used the term to describe crimson-and-white-clad Alabama's surprising performance during a rain-soaked 6-6 tie with heavily favored Auburn in 1907. [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. The "Big Al" mascot officially debuted at the 1979 Sugar Bowl, when the 1979 Alabama Crimson Tide football team defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks. The History of the Alabama Crimson Tide's Elephant Mascot. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. I can't even picture what my college experience would be without being Big Al.". The second day consists of more clinic, as well as being judged on the walk and participating in a band cheer. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. There are several reasons why this is so. How did Big Al became Alabama's mascot? Which isn't to say that elephants didn't factor in prominently to gameday tradition. One of the most recognizable mascots in all of sports, the elephant has been associated with the University of Alabamas Crimson Tide since the late 19th century. This tradition continued for many years and eventually, Melford Espey Jr., a student at UA, became the Crimson Tides official mascot by wearing an elephant head costume. . In the early days of the University of Alabama (UA), a spirit committee was formed to help boost school morale. Can he throw a football? In the 1960s, student Melford Espey would wear an elephant costume to games, much to the delight of legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. The best experience I ever had as Big Al was when I was at a children's hospital.

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