[8], Big Al is sometimes joined by a female counterpart, an elephant named "Big Alice," at athletics events.[9]. 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. "Some of the mascots they're afraid of, but they're just drawn to Big Al.". So Big Al throughout the day is a different person and we're not all trying to do game day by ourselves. "Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity. After box visits, Big Al will come back in a white jersey. 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. How big is a mammoth compared to an elephant? This could happen for a several reasons, including no shared cipher suites. It just takes some practice, for sure. Bryant was Alabama's football coach and athletic director, not to mention a legendary figure that Crimson Tide fans would never cross. Why Is An Elephant Alabamas Mascot? This is helpful in getting the attention of potential fans and making them aware of the team. It's just a small little tradition that not a lot of people know about probably. Most of our traditions happen in the fourth quarter. Later that afternoon, the candidates come either prepared with a minute-and-a-half skit or they can make an impromptu one at tryouts. The tradition continues to this day, with fans often bringing their own elephants to games or buying them from vendors outside the stadium. 1 Big Al's name used to be Alamite. Photo courtesy of William Webster. During the 1940s, the school kept a live elephant mascot named "Alamite." It's pretty much a part-time job. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It's the controversy over whether Alabama freshman phenom Brandon Miller should be playing basketball after his role in a tragedy the . We have five different assignments for every game day split between all five of us. All rights reserved. The 1930 team posted an overall 10-0 record. In the 1960s, student Melford Espey would wear an elephant costume to games, much to the delight of legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. It takes all five of us. Webster: "It's fun. From that point, Strupper started calling Alabama the Red Elephants, and the association stuck. Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa, told Yahoo Sports in 2012. We work out every Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30 in the morning. 1 Alabama's nickname of "Crimson Tide" brings to mind the school's costumed elephant mascot, Big Al, no matter how hard you try. Big Al has not always been our mascot's name. The elephant has been UA's unofficial mascot since the 1930s. [Related: Top 10 college football live mascots ft. Auburn's "War Eagle"]. The history of the Alabama Crimson Tide's elephant mascot is a long and storied one. The president came to the football game. 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. Velyrhorde. It's kind of about the kids. 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. The third quarter we do box visits. ", Webster: "It's definitely crazy hot. ", Webster: "I think it's on the website too but if a corporate company wants Big Al its $400 to the university. With thousands of articles covering everything from do-it-yourself repairs to tips on parenting, Arew has something for everyone. It kind of symbols a sign of 'we made it, let's finish this.' 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. Strupper and other writers continued to refer to the Alabama linemen as "Red Elephants," the color referring to the crimson jerseys. So that's a cool thing that we get the respect from the university. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. The next person's assignment is pregame and halftime. It's not an obvious type of thing.". Well, the story goes all the way back to the 1930 National Championship team. The origin of the mascot dates back to 1930. ", 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. Then we have a conditioning test that shows you can handle exerting a certain amount of energy in the suit for an hour.". 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. 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? But if you wanted Big Al for a private event that would be like $100. Big Al is just the best. 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. Because those kids will be like, 'What? Thankfully I never had any problems with it. 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? Over time, showerheads can become clogged with deposits of calcium, magnesium, lime, silica, and other minerals. Both sexes have tusks, which are modified upper incisors. William Webster spent four years as Big Al from 2018 to 2021. 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. 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. 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. He'll also drop in on your nuptials, if youre willing to pony up his $400 wedding appearance fee. The varsity team was composed of big men, & when they ran out onto the field, the bleachers shook. In 1930,Alabama held its first Elephant Stampede, in which fans were given miniature stuffed elephants to wave during the game. Can he throw a football? With Bryant's support, the university made an elephant. It shut out eight opponents and allowed only 13 points all season while. 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 Big Al wearing his white jersey is a part of that tradition. 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. When those big brutes hit you I mean you go down and stay down, often for an additional two minutes. After you march them on to the field they will play 'Tusk,' which is sort of Big Al's statement song. It's almost like thatBig Al is just the best. 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. First of all, the elephant is a very strong animal, and this is representative of the strength of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team. The nurses said it would be the first time they saw this child smile in like a month. 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. We do have a roster on rolltide.com. The Alabama elephant is the state animal of Alabama. How did Big Al became Alabama's mascot? We put people in suit for different rounds. Additional troubleshooting information here. uniforms even crazier than Oregon's. Tusks grow throughout an elephants lifetime; an individuals tusk length is a useful criterion for age determination as elephants reach physical maturity at around 15 years old. When those big brutes hit you I mean you go down and stay down, often for an additional two minutes. 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. 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. ", 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. The name was inspired by the teams raw power and strength on the field. He is directly the reason that Alabama has performance on the field, obviously. The biggest part that we do as a team is we work out. From that point, Strupper started calling Alabama the Red Elephants, and the association stuck. Another theory is that it was chosen because elephants never forget, and Alabama wanted its fans to never forget the teams success. Dickey: "We try to keep it a secret for the most part, because we don't want to be on the Quad as Big Al and there be a bunch of kids around us and some drunk college student come and be like, 'Is that trey in there?' The birthday parties we can keep. Bryant said he thought elephants were very smart and a little slow, but approved the funds for the elephant costume. 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. From there, we drive back to the stadium and the next person gets in the suit. link to Can you cook mince 1 day out of date? Finally, elephants have long memories, which is a fitting metaphor for university alumni who remember their time at UA fondly. and out stamped this Alabama varsity. 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]. How much does a 8 week old cocker spaniel weight? He's fun.
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