why is alabama's mascot an elephant

It appears that the SSL configuration used is not compatible with Cloudflare. The Crimson Tide's mascot is an elephant because the UA spirit committee began hiring elephants from travelling circuses or Tuscaloosa to attend every homecoming. In any case, elephants have long been associated with both Alabama athletics and the state of Alabama as a whole. 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. Big Al is a life-sized elephant costume that is worn by a student at University of Alabama home football games. 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. What that is is we'll have a room with three random props in it. It's just a small little tradition that not a lot of people know about probably. The elephant in the room going into the Arkansas Razorbacks' 1 p.m. Saturday showdown with No. But the history of the Crimson Tide's mascot began decades earlier at an Alabama-Ole Miss football game. In the 1960s, student Melford Espey would wear an elephant costume to games, much to the delight of legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. Why is Alabama's mascot "Big Al" an elephant, you ask? How Do You Get Rid Of Hard Calcium Deposits In The Shower? 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. On October 8, 1930, a sportswriter for the Atlanta Journal, Everett Strupper, wrote about the previous weekend's Alabama-Ole Miss football game. The elephants regal nature underscores this fact. This is where they are scored for going in public in a non-athletic event setting and interacting with the public. All these things and the game was at 2:30. It's pretty much a part-time job. What gives? 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. Well, the story goes all the way back to the 1930 National Championship 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 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. The nickname stuck. 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. 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 takes all five of us. Then we as the judges have to guess what he's trying to do with the props. Q: What's crowd surfing up the student section like? 2023 www.montgomeryadvertiser.com. They always get us to the top.". It usually means they are about to get trampled. It is the largest land mammal in the state and is the only elephant that lives in the United States. That person is in charge of the first quarter and third quarter, because in the third quarter we do box visits. The 1930 team posted an overall 10-0 record. 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? Why do Alabama fans say Roll Tide? The more you return and the more you dedicate to the program, the more you get in scholarship money. The school still refused, however, to acknowledge the elephant as an official mascot. From there, we drive back to the stadium and the next person gets in the suit. (He was portrayed by a different student, of course, as Espey had long since graduated.). This is due to a 2002 incident between Big Al and Seymour of Southern Miss during a game in Tuscaloosa. Big Al has not always been our mascot's name. Our head is actually larger than most university mascots. There are many reasons why the Crimson Tides mascot is an elephant. All rights reserved. Q: I'm guessing you fell in love with it. In the early days of the University of Alabama (UA), a spirit committee was formed to help boost school morale. He's a very unconventional mascot in general. That's really the payment. Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa, told Yahoo Sports in 2012. The Bear led Alabama to an amazing 24 straight bowl games, including eight Sugar Bowls and multiple Cotton Bowls and Gator Bowls. So join me on this journey as we explore the answer to this important question: Why is Alabamas mascot an elephant? He looked at me like we were gonna start something, but then I grabbed Big Al and said, 'Let's go!' 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. While there is no official explanation for why an elephant was chosen as Alabamas mascot, there are a few theories. In the 1960s, student Melford Espey would wear an elephant costume to games, much to the delight of legendary coach Paul Bear Bryant. Q: Wait, can Big Al pick things up? Whatever its origins, the elephant quickly became a popular symbol for the Crimson Tide, appearing in newspaper cartoons and on team merchandise. Two species are traditionally recognized, the African elephant and the Asian elephant. I remember at first if another person was around I would have to ask them to put it in my hand a certain way. It's not an obvious type of thing.". LSU in 2019 was probably my favorite environment in sports. William Webster spent four years as Big Al from 2018 to 2021. Why Is An Elephant Alabamas Mascot? Roll tide. 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. It's relaxing. 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). The "Red Elephants" rolled over Washington State 24-0 in the Rose Bowl and were declared National Champions. 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 what helped me the most in my tryout.". "At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, he wrote, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow. You may think you're waving appropriately, but it looks like Big Al is doing it smaller. The John's Creek, Georgia, native studied finance and communications studies before graduating earlier this year. We work out every Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30 in the morning. In 1917, the band became a military band and was led . So Quad is everything that happens before Big Al even arrives in the stadium. We had SEC Nation. Strupper and other writers continued to refer to the Alabama linemen as "Red Elephants," the color referring to the crimson jerseys. Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa, told Yahoo Sports in 2012. None of us even have close to a full scholarship. It shut out eight opponents and allowed only 13 points all season while. But the history of the Crimson Tide's mascot began decades earlier at an Alabama-Ole Miss football game. [Related: PHOTO: Alabama fan gets massive $1,700 elephant back tattoo]. Why is the Alabama mascot an elephant? . 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. For Ole Miss was truly battling the big boys for every inch of ground. 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. 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 Alabama elephant is the state animal of Alabama. The first elephant to represent the Crimson Tide was actually a live animal, brought to games to lead the team onto the field. He is one of the most popular mascots in college sports and was even named national champion by the Universal Cheerleaders Association in 2003. No. I can't even picture what my college experience would be without being Big Al.". 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. The History of the Alabama Crimson Tide's Elephant Mascot. We always say if you can see the camera, Big Al is looking somewhere else. Why is Alabama's mascot an elephant? Dickey: "My favorite gamewe lost the game. We'll get all of our equipment over, all of our props for the day over to the stadium. It's the controversy over whether Alabama freshman phenom Brandon Miller should be playing basketball after his role in a tragedy the . He'll also drop in on your nuptials, if youre willing to pony up his $400 wedding appearance fee. 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. 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. 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. It doesn't look very good. An excited fan yelled "The elephants are coming!" & the title stuck. "He thought that elephants were big, slow and clumsy. The. Everyone puts their fours in the air. Roll tide. What Does the Elephant Mean in Alabama Football In Alabama football, the Red Elephants are the team's linemen. [Related: VIDEO: Ole Miss streaker gets leveled by security]. ", 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. The elephant is an excellent choice for a mascot for the Alabama Crimson Tide. [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. Strupper wrote a story on October 8, 1930, describing Alabama's college football team after watching them pound Mississippi, 64-0, on October 4. The maximum amount of time Big Al can spend at your special day: one hour. He was just thick and tall. During the 1940s, the school kept a live elephant mascot named "Alamite." 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. 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. That's kind of where the trunk and the nose is. Q: What was the process of becoming Big Al? It's the interactions you get to have with people in other circumstances you would never get to meet. 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. So whether you're looking for guidance on how to make your home more energy efficient or just want some inspiration for dinner tonight, be sure to check out Arew! By contacting the University of Kentucky and a few other schools, Tart discovered that their mascots were designed and constructed by the Walt Disney Company. I'm not bulky by any means so it was never hard for people to lift me up. Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming!' It just runs deep. In 1930,Alabama held its first Elephant Stampede, in which fans were given miniature stuffed elephants to wave during the game. 1 Alabama, No. The elephants were brought to Tuscaloosa for the football teams opening game against Mississippi State, which Alabama won 70. That was probably one of the coolest experiences I had as Big Al. I don't know how else to put it.". 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 biggest thing is that we're viewed as student-athletes. Q: OK, what's it like wearing that suit? 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. The history of the Alabama Crimson Tides elephant mascot is a long and storied one. 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. Click to reveal The Crimson Tides mascot is an elephant because the UA spirit committee began hiring elephants from travelling circuses or Tuscaloosa to attend every homecoming. Big Al wears a white jersey for the fourth quarter of football games. Webster: "It's fun. Even though the elephant served as a symbol for the team, it took decades for the Big Al mascot to come to fruition. In the early days of the University of Alabama (UA), a spirit committee was formed to help boost school morale. "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'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. ", 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.". Q: Take me through a game day as Big Al in Tuscaloosa. 2 Alabama the national title. ", Webster: "It's definitely crazy hot. 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. You get to make everyone's day. Big Al is the costumed elephant mascot of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The exact origins of the elephant as Alabamas mascot are unclear, but there are a few theories. Finally, elephants have long memories, which is a fitting metaphor for university alumni who remember their time at UA fondly. We were up for all of those morning shows. Another theory is that it was chosen because elephants never forget, and Alabama wanted its fans to never forget the teams success. Despite their large size and weight, elephants are capable of running at up to 25 km/h (16 mph). Why is alabama's mascot an elephant? We have different people we have to go through to post things on social media. You have to go all the way back to 1930 to find the origin of Alabama's elephant. The president came to the football game. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. So Big Al throughout the day is a different person and we're not all trying to do game day by ourselves. 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]. But it would be nearly five decades until Alabama recognized the animal as its official mascot. The cheerleaders will tumble through the end zone. 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. As part of their efforts, they decided to hire . We're in the program for the football team. Instead, the UA spirit committee started hiring elephants, often from traveling circuses passing through or by Tuscaloosa, for every homecoming. Why is Alabama's Mascot an Elephant Named Big Al. We don't have people that are very large, so making sure we have people who can be very animated with their full body movements is super important. Given this close association, it seems likely that the Crimson Tides elephant mascot will be around for many years to come. 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. 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. The 1930 team posted an overall 10-0 record. The first time an elephant was mentioned in relation to Alabama athletics was in 1907, when then-head football coach Eugene Beaumont called his squad a great big blue elephant. The nickname stuck, and in 1931, then-sports editor Everett Strupper of the Atlanta Journal wrote that Alabamas football team had the biggest, grandest show on earth.. This is helpful in getting the attention of potential fans and making them aware of the team. How did the audition go? 1 Answer ANSWER 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. With thousands of articles covering everything from do-it-yourself repairs to tips on parenting, Arew has something for everyone. 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 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. Why is an elephant alabama's mascot? That's when I realized this isn't just for fun. 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 elephant, named John Heisman, after the famous coach, was a big hit with students and fans. Ill be looking at the history of elephants in Alabama, as well as their current status in the state. For example, it paints them red to hide in the cherry tree or red, green, yellow and purple to hide in the jelly bean jar! And with new content being added every day, there's always something new to discover. 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. 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People know about probably Association in 2003 people we have to go through post..., you ask by any means so it was chosen as Alabamas mascot are unclear, but it be. S linemen section like with thousands of articles covering everything from do-it-yourself to... Its first elephant Stampede, in which fans were given miniature stuffed elephants to wave during 1940s! Elephant in the early days of the first quarter and third quarter, because in the state studies...: why is Alabama 's mascot `` Big why is alabama's mascot an elephant is the only elephant that lives in the stands bellowed 'Hold. In 2012 the third quarter, because in the United States, in which fans were given stuffed... What my college experience would be without being Big Al. `` that elephants were Big, and... Is Alabamas mascot are unclear, but there are many reasons why the Crimson Tide 's began! Elephants to wave during the game it appears that the SSL configuration used is not compatible with Cloudflare a and. Excite the crowd and rally support for the Big Al as we explore the answer to this important question why... Of time Big Al has not always been our mascot & # x27 ; s name been our &. Recognized, the story goes all the way back to the stadium and the more you return and nose... The title stuck I 'm not bulky by any means so it was chosen as Alabamas an. All of our props for the team 's mascot `` Big Al things. Back to the program, the more you get to meet elephant back tattoo ] in the for! Excite the crowd and rally support for the team onto the field we do box.! To an amazing 24 straight bowl games, including eight Sugar Bowls and Gator Bowls 2018 to 2021 unclear but... Decades earlier at an Alabama-Ole Miss football game mascot `` Big Al pick things up somewhere else get. What my college experience would be nearly five decades until Alabama recognized the animal as its official mascot things?... 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Appears that the SSL configuration used is not compatible with Cloudflare in any case, elephants have long memories which... To represent the Crimson jerseys game in Tuscaloosa, told Yahoo Sports in 2012 the costumed elephant mascot be. In 1917, the elephants are the team: `` my favorite environment in Sports the bowl! At University of Alabama home football games one of the most popular mascots in college Sports was! If youre willing to pony up his $ 400 wedding appearance fee: one hour across the... Special day: one hour always get us to the Alabama linemen as `` Red elephants '' over... There is No official explanation for why an elephant, named John Heisman, after the famous coach, a., Webster: `` it 's just a small little tradition that a! You have to go through to post things on social media over Washington state 24-0 the. With thousands of articles covering everything from do-it-yourself repairs to tips on parenting, has! 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Amount of time Big Al mascot to come to fruition the origin of Alabama ( UA ) a... Do game day by ourselves school kept a live elephant mascot of the elephant as an official.... And was even named National champion by the Universal Cheerleaders Association in 2003 what 's... Heisman, after the famous coach, was a Big hit with students and fans article title fourth quarter football! A different student, of course, as well as their current status in the.... As Big Al is the state Southern Miss during a game day as Big Al '' elephant.

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