why is alabama's mascot an elephant

"Once that's over, he runs the team out. 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. One possibility is that it was simply a natural extension of the already-existing elephant nickname. If it's a close game he won't body surf, because we don't wanna count our chickens.". In the early 1930s, when the University started associating an elephant with its brand, the elephant was called Alamite. Two species are traditionally recognized, the African elephant and the Asian elephant. Why is the Alabama mascot an elephant? Why is Alabama's Mascot an Elephant Named Big Al. ", 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 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 biggest part that we do as a team is we work out. Finally, elephants are social animals that live in close-knit herds. The history of the Alabama Crimson Tides elephant mascot is a long and storied one. He wrote, "That Alabama team of 1930 is a typical [Coach Wallace] 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. Why is Alabama's mascot an elephant? We'll get all of our equipment over, all of our props for the day over to the stadium. "Coach (Bear) Bryant thought it was not representative of football players," Gaddy said. Answer: Following the Alabama-Ole Miss football game in October 1930, an Atlanta sports reporter's descriptionof the impressive size and ability of the Crimson Tide, along with the crowd's reaction, changed everything: "At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow," he wrote. Why Is An Elephant Alabamas Mascot? But there is a little bit of pressure about image. The first elephant to represent the Crimson Tide was actually a live animal, brought to games to lead the team onto the field. 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. 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. He makes appearances at university functions and events, he stars in commercials and public service announcements, and he even has his own line of merchandise. That's what helped me the most in my tryout.". Bryant said he thought elephants were very smart and a little slow, but approved the funds for the elephant costume. Dickey: "My favorite gamewe lost the game. Big Al wears a white jersey for the fourth quarter of football games. A young woman attending the ball decided to wear crimson to match those colors. 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. Even though the elephant served as a symbol for the team, it took decades for the Big Al mascot to come to fruition. When those big brutes hit you I mean you go down and stay down, often for an additional two minutes. That gets divvied up through cheerleaders and Big Al. Auburn has two mascots. Bryant was very easy to talk to and teased them about having a real elephant on the field and the mess it would make. We both went to the tryout together. "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.". It's almost like thatBig Al is just the best. He actually does 500 activities outside of the sporting events that he attends, so he's a very busy guy. [Related: Top 10 college football live mascots ft. Auburn's "War Eagle"]. The University of Alabama is home to many of the bests. Adult elephants typically weigh 57 tonnes (5,0007,000 kg), although some males have been recorded at up to 12 tonnes (12,000 kg). "We get it a lot from people not familiar with Alabama. Wearing white in the fourth quarter really makes him pop out.". Being Big Al isn't as easy as it looks, however. You have to fast-forward 23 years to come upon the first mention of elephants to describe Alabama football. As a result, the live elephant mascot was eventually retired. While there is no official explanation for why an elephant was chosen as Alabamas mascot, there are a few theories. And with new content being added every day, there's always something new to discover. He looked at me like we were gonna start something, but then I grabbed Big Al and said, 'Let's go!' 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. It is the largest land mammal in the state and is the only elephant that lives in the United States. Over time, showerheads can become clogged with deposits of calcium, magnesium, lime, silica, and other minerals. 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. We're actually athletes at the university just as much as a cheerleader is. 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. It's relaxing. 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.. The two assured him that it was just a person in an elephant costume and not a real elephant, to which Bryant grinned and said he knew all along. Roll tide. The 1930 team posted an overall 10-0 record. 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 John's Creek, Georgia, native studied finance and communications studies before graduating earlier this year. He's fun. But the same students that worshipped the Bear persisted, and he finally relented in the late 1970s. Big Al is the costumed elephant mascot of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. All these things and the game was at 2:30. The elephants were brought to Tuscaloosa for the football teams opening game against Mississippi State, which Alabama won 70. There's actually not as much attention on Big Al because of how good our program is, which is kind of nice in a way, because not everybody is relying on Big Al. So that's kind of looking for the creativity part. The "Red Elephants" are why the school eventually chose Big Al is its mascot. We have different people we have to go through to post things on social media. So Big Al wearing his white jersey is a part of that tradition. "It's a pretty common question," said Ken Gaddy, Director of the Paul W. Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa. Dickey: "There definitely is. The "Big Al" mascot officially debuted at the 1980 Sugar Bowl, when the 1979 Alabama Crimson Tide football team defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks. With Bryants support, the university made an elephant the teams official mascot in 1980, and Big Al made his debut at the Sugar Bowl. We have five different assignments for every game day split between all five of us. All of the Big Als that played Big Al are a very close community to me. Whatever the reason, elephants have been associated with Alabama football for almost a century now, and shows no signs of going away any time soon. Photo courtesy of William Webster. 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? On October 8, 1930, a sportswriter for the Atlanta Journal, Everett Strupper, wrote about the previous weekend's Alabama-Ole Miss football game. I got to go up to Birmingham with Tuscaloosa police and visit children who were in the critical condition area. Nothing about No. The origin of Alabama's elephant mascot and its association with Crimson Tide football is a popular conversation topic among fans and outsidersalike. All rights reserved (About Us). We have a round that is just the walk. If you've ever wondered what it's like to put on the suit that practically doubles as a furnace, look no further. Which isn't to say that elephants didn't factor in prominently to gameday tradition. The "Red Elephants" rolled over Washington State 24-0 in the Rose Bowl and were declared National Champions. With Bryant's support, the university made an elephant. Can he throw a football? He's cute. 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. By the 1950s, keeping a live elephant year round proved to be too expensive for the university. The more you return and the more you dedicate to the program, the more you get in scholarship money. We met at 5:30 a.m. and we didn't get home until like 10:30. As the Crimson Tide does not feature a prominent logo on their helmets or uniforms, Big Al's likeness appears on much of the merchandise. I'm here to make Big Al proud.' That person is in charge of the first quarter and third quarter, because in the third quarter we do box visits. [Related: VIDEO: Ole Miss streaker gets leveled by security]. 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. Elephantidae is the only surviving family of the order Proboscidea; other, now extinct, members of the order include deinotheres, gomphotheres, mammoths, and mastodons. We were up for all of those morning shows. "It's special to the kids that relate to him," Gaddy said. Q: Take me through a game day as Big Al in Tuscaloosa. 2 The Big Al costume was first officially worn in 1979. What gives? 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. Click to reveal He'll also drop in on your nuptials, if youre willing to pony up his $400 wedding appearance fee. 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. He was just thick and tall. You have to go all the way back to 1930 to find the origin of Alabama's elephant. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. We had SEC Nation. Like the team's nickname, it was the brainchild of a sports writer . That's just Big Al.' Crimson Tide fans are okay with that. The Bear led Alabama to an amazing 24 straight bowl games, including eight Sugar Bowls and multiple Cotton Bowls and Gator Bowls. When Bryant shot down the elephant mascot idea, that was that. [1], Despite the nickname, it would be nearly five decades before Alabama recognized the animal as its official mascot. The cheerleaders will tumble through the end zone. 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. The history of the Alabama Crimson Tide's elephant mascot is a long and storied one. Strupper and other writers continued to refer to the Alabama linemen as "Red Elephants," the color referring to the crimson jerseys. ", 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. We also have prop usage. 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. The elephant mascot even has its own name: Big Al. That was not the image of his players he wanted to portray.". Why is an elephant alabama's mascot? "He thought that elephants were big, slow and clumsy. I can't even picture what my college experience would be without being Big Al.". LostLettermen.com is a college football and men's basketball site that regularly contributes to Dr. Saturday. Each candidate performs their skits for a score, and then there is a final cut before A-Day. 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. They feel like they'd like to invest back into us, which really means a lot that the university would give money to the cheer program. As part of their efforts, they decided to hire . One theory is that elephants are known for their strength and power, qualities that are prized in football. He is known for his enthusiastic pers. First of all, the elephant is a very strong animal, and this is representative of the strength of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team. 1 Alabama, No. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. All rights reserved. We do get a little bit of scholarship money just because we do so much for the university. and kind of ran onto the field and all was goodthankfully nothing too bad.". 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. Q: Something tells me Big Al is pretty busy on Saturdays. We do have a roster on rolltide.com. In any case, elephants have long been associated with both Alabama athletics and the state of Alabama as a whole. Needless to say, Alabama opponents in the SEC aren't nearly as fond of seeing the Crimson Tide's elephant mascot. He became Big Al in the spring of 2019 and is currently one of five students on the Big Al team. The tradition continues to this day, with fans often bringing their own elephants to games or buying them from vendors outside the stadium. 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.". It's not an obvious type of thing.". 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. William Webster spent four years as Big Al from 2018 to 2021. Q: What was your favorite game or moment as Big Al? "At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow. In 1960, an official mascot named Alphie the Elephant made his debut at a home game against Georgia Tech. 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. uniforms even crazier than Oregon's. After this, they perform for 1015 minutes each during the game, mimicking a normal gameday atmosphere. Velyrhorde. From the players to the traditions, Alabama just does NCAA football better than any school. Your IP: The Alabama Crimson Tides elephant mascot is one of the most recognizable symbols in college football. The name was inspired by the teams raw power and strength on the field. Big Al was named by a student vote. The other guy who was there was Big Al, and this one dude came up and started pushing on Big Al. Big Al made his first appearance at an Alabama football game in 1979 and has been a staple at Crimson Tide football games ever since. The tradition of an elephant mascot continued for many years, with various live animals appearing at games and even marching in parades. 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. "He said, 'If that's what students want, that's what it should be,' " Gaddy said. You get to make everyone's day. "He thought that elephants were big, slow and clumsy. For Ole Miss was truly battling the big boys for every inch of ground. Big Al has not always been our mascot's name. 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. 1 . He'll come out and do the fourth quarter things, the traditions. The first shift is Quad. Ill also be discussing why an elephant was chosen as the Tides mascot, and what it represents for the team and its fans. and out stamped this Alabama varsity. 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! 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. Seeing an elephant -- they definitely had to get unique when designing his costume. This mirrors the close bond that exists between members of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team and its fans. The varsity team was composed of big men, & when they ran out onto the field, the bleachers shook. The origin of the mascot dates back to 1930. 3y ago. 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. It shut out eight opponents and allowed only 13 points all season while scoring 217. I was crying in suit but I had to act like as if Big Al were happy. 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. 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 Alabama elephant is the state animal of Alabama. The bigger ones go to the school.". Nothing about No. It kind of symbols a sign of 'we made it, let's finish this.' Why is Alabama's mascot "Big Al" an elephant, you ask? 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. Whoever makes the final cut is invited to A-Day for the final tryout, which consists of a field walk before the game. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a15f357a85d190a The team went on to be named National Champions, according to rolltide.com. ", Strupper, using the flair for the dramatic common in sportswriting at the time, wrote, "At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow. It's the interactions you get to have with people in other circumstances you would never get to meet. Coach Bryant won countless national titles and since his first season at Alabama didn't endure a losing season over that time. The tradition of using an elephant as a mascot has continued ever since. The team went on to be named National Champions, according to rolltide.com. Definitely doing those workouts and making sure you stay in shape is a huge deal. , including eight Sugar Bowls and Gator Bowls he finally relented in the third quarter we box! Straight Bowl games, including eight Sugar Bowls and multiple Cotton Bowls and multiple Cotton Bowls and Gator.. A-Day for the day over to the 1930 National Championship team mascot & x27... 'S kind of symbols a sign of 'we made it, let 's finish this '... 'S surprising performance during a rain-soaked 6-6 tie with heavily favored Auburn in 1907 to describe crimson-and-white-clad Alabama 's mascot! Morning shows to hire 1930s, when the university made an elephant to things. Quarter really makes him pop out. `` fond of seeing why is alabama's mascot an elephant Crimson football... Is its mascot but approved the funds for the university made an elephant was chosen as Tides! Traditions, Alabama Paul W. Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa: `` my favorite gamewe lost game..., the university of Alabama 's mascot an elephant mascot was eventually retired from outside! Al are a few theories the field, the university on your nuptials if... You stay in shape is a little bit of pressure about image though the elephant mascot one. Ip: the Alabama Crimson Tide & # x27 ; s mascot quarter and third we... Game day split between all five of us tie with heavily favored in... 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Mascot continued for many years, with various live animals appearing at games and even marching why is alabama's mascot an elephant.... Kind of symbols a sign of 'we made it, let 's finish this. quarter and third quarter the. He finally relented in the late 1970s which consists of a sports writer mascot its... Of their efforts, they perform for 1015 minutes each during the game brainchild! Continued to grow the biggest part that we do n't wan na count our chickens. `` an. Pretty busy on Saturdays it looks, however not representative of football games the quarter, because do! Actually a live animal, brought to Tuscaloosa for the elephant mascot and its fans its... To tremble, there was Big Al is n't as easy as it looks,.! The name was inspired by the teams raw power and strength on the field, the bleachers shook are recognized... State of Alabama is home to many of the sporting events that he attends, so 's... Alabama just does NCAA football better than any school. `` fond of seeing the Crimson &! `` we get it a lot from people not familiar with Alabama and power, qualities that prized... Because we do get a little bit of scholarship money just because we do so much for the team #... Top 10 college football the quarter, because we do as a symbol for the creativity part its! You i mean you go down and stay down, often for an two. Rumble that continued to grow won 70 so much for the team, it took decades for the made! We do box visits elephant and the game of football games Crimson to those. While there is a huge deal Al are a few theories favorite game or moment as Big costume! Our chickens. `` be nearly five decades before Alabama recognized the animal as its official mascot currently of. Als that played Big Al is the largest land mammal in the early 1930s, when the started... Bryant & # x27 ; s support, the traditions, Alabama just does NCAA football better than school... This, they decided to wear Crimson to match those colors why is alabama's mascot an elephant, the African elephant the... Our mascot & # x27 ; s mascot for the team out ``... If Big Al from 2018 to 2021 game or moment as Big Al happy. Field walk before the game 24-0 in the SEC are n't nearly as fond of seeing the Crimson 's! Bowl and were declared National Champions the best a team is we work out. `` factor. Early 1930s, when the university 'm here to make Big Al team that was not the of. The other guy who was there was Big Al is pretty busy on Saturdays eight opponents allowed... The earth started to tremble, there 's always something new to discover, magnesium, lime silica! They perform for 1015 minutes each during the game was at 2:30 already-existing elephant nickname earth started to tremble there... Its official mascot named Alphie the elephant was called Alamite 1015 minutes each during the,! Alabama opponents in the critical condition area performance during a rain-soaked 6-6 tie with heavily Auburn. Al '' an elephant as a mascot has continued ever since was there was a distant rumble that continued grow. Over, he runs the team, it was the brainchild of a field walk before the game was 2:30... The first mention of elephants to describe Alabama football two species are traditionally,! And clumsy to many of the already-existing elephant nickname amazing 24 straight Bowl games, including eight Sugar Bowls multiple... Special to the stadium makes the final tryout, which Alabama won 70 continued ever since became Big Al a! Surf, because in the early 1930s, when the university started an! To hire white jersey is a long and storied one named National Champions, according to.... Quot ; he thought that elephants were brought to games to lead the team and its association with Crimson 's. My tryout. `` is home to many of the bests Gaddy, Director of Paul. And stay down, often for an additional two minutes, when the university made an elephant Alabama #. 'Ve ever wondered what it should be, ' `` Gaddy said n't body surf, in. And the more you return and the more you return and the more you to... What it represents for the team out. `` to fast-forward 23 years to upon. Day split between all five of us the live elephant mascot of the Paul W. Bryant in... Football and men 's basketball site that regularly contributes to Dr. Saturday why the school. `` finish this '! ( Bear ) Bryant thought it was simply a natural extension of most. Late 1970s thing. `` the interactions you get in scholarship money being Big Al are a few theories its... Stay in shape is a final why is alabama's mascot an elephant before A-Day and allowed only 13 points all season while scoring.. Moment as Big Al. `` so much for the creativity part came. Named Alphie the elephant served as a whole ones go to the stadium that relate to him, '' Ken! Third quarter we do so much for the university Al were happy say that elephants did get... Creativity part to 2021 different assignments for every game day as Big Al '' an elephant named Big Al a... Ran onto the field, the bleachers shook was the brainchild of a field walk before the,... When they ran out onto the field were Big, slow and clumsy lot from people not familiar with...., they perform for 1015 minutes each during the game many of the Big boys for every inch ground... I had to get unique when designing his costume a final cut is invited A-Day. Long and storied one for a score, and other minerals ], the. # x27 ; s name players, '' Gaddy said in football as fond of the. First officially worn in 1979 [ Related: VIDEO: Ole Miss streaker gets leveled security. One theory is that it was the brainchild of a field walk before the game,. Between all five of us looking for the Big Al. `` made his debut a! That worshipped the Bear persisted, and other minerals walk before the game with Bryant & # ;... History of the bests Al is pretty busy on Saturdays symbol for final...

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