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Kent Waldrep passed away today.
Posted on 2/27/22 at 11:31 pm
Posted on 2/27/22 at 11:31 pm
The TCU running back paralyzed from the neck down against Alabama at Legion Field in 1974.
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Posted on 2/28/22 at 4:50 am to Evolved Simian
Former TCU running back passes away on Sunday (On3)
quote:
Former Texas Christian running back Kent Waldrep passed away on Sunday afternoon. The former Horned Frog was paralyzed in a game against Alabama in 1974. He ran the ball on a play called, “Red Right 28” sweep toward the Alabama sideline, where he was met by a number of Crimson Tide defenders. When he regained consciousness, legendary Crimson Tide football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant was standing over his hospital bed. Bryant developed an incredibly strong relationship with the Waldrep family that is still ongoing.
Bear Bryant was so upset after Waldrep was paralyzed that he didn’t return to Tuscaloosa with his team, but he instead visited Waldrep in the hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. There is a book written by Allen Barra named The Last Coach which goes into depth about Bear Bryant raising money for Waldrep to help buy him a wheelchair accessible van and pay his medical bills. Not only that, the legendary Alabama head coach took it a step further and got some financial assistance from his friend, former New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. Bear Bryant stayed in touch with the former TCU running back until Bryant’s death in 1983. Waldrep sat with the Bryant family at the legendary coach’s funeral.
At the age of 25, Kent Waldrep formed the American Paralysis Foundation. As the vice-chair of the National Council on Disability (he was appointed by former President Ronald Reagan), he helped write up the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Waldrep became a part of the Alabama football family. He was honorary member of the A-Club (Alabama’s letterman club). Kent Waldrep’s sons, Trey and Charley Waldrep, attended Alabama on Bryant scholarships.
This post was edited on 2/28/22 at 4:54 am
Posted on 2/28/22 at 7:14 am to TidalSurge1
quote:
Rick Karle WVTM 13@RickKarle·14h.
@AlabamaFTBL family has lost a family member.
How former @TCUFootball RB Kent Waldrep became loved by the Crimson Tide and helped the world after a horrific injury
Posted on 2/28/22 at 8:38 am to Alabama_Fan
Thanks for the post and pics.....a tragic thing remembers by nearly ALL older Alabama fans.
Posted on 2/28/22 at 9:33 am to coachcrisp
Coach Crisp, my father played hoops for Bama in '43,'46, and "47. Crisp was coach in '46.
Anyway, I don't think I went to that TCU game, can't remember, but I remember seeing the replay of that particular play. You're right, certain age group remembers that situation well.
Anyway, I don't think I went to that TCU game, can't remember, but I remember seeing the replay of that particular play. You're right, certain age group remembers that situation well.
Posted on 2/28/22 at 10:59 am to BamalaAnderson
I vaguely remember; was a UA student in '74.
This post was edited on 2/28/22 at 4:43 pm
Posted on 2/28/22 at 6:03 pm to BamalaAnderson
quote:Then you may know what a fine man he was.
Coach Crisp, my father played hoops for Bama in '43,'46, and "47. Crisp was coach in '46.
Colleges athletics was a different world back then, and "Depression Era" kids that came from nothing were signed to play for schools, and there were times when he'd give money out of his pocket to buy shoes, or a new shirt to wear for some of them.
He recruited Coach Bryant and Don Hutson to Alabama.
That was a time/world folks now couldn't comprehend
Posted on 2/28/22 at 6:25 pm to coachcrisp
He often spoke of coach Crisp and those days. Had only one pair of shoes and when they wore down to basically nothing they inserted a piece of cardboard and kept going.
My father told a story when the beat Kentucky at home with Rupp as coach. A dance the night before the game at Fosters led to some tricky footing because of the fresh wax. Bama put a couple of wet towels in front of their bench and when a player had a chance he would tap his shoes on the wet towels for better footing.
Bama won but Kentucky got revenge later in the year in a blowout.
A good story from the ‘40s. A lot those guys had served in WWII and came back to schools. Those were tough guys.
My father told a story when the beat Kentucky at home with Rupp as coach. A dance the night before the game at Fosters led to some tricky footing because of the fresh wax. Bama put a couple of wet towels in front of their bench and when a player had a chance he would tap his shoes on the wet towels for better footing.
Bama won but Kentucky got revenge later in the year in a blowout.
A good story from the ‘40s. A lot those guys had served in WWII and came back to schools. Those were tough guys.
Posted on 2/28/22 at 7:54 pm to BamalaAnderson
I was in the Tip-Off Club and hosted Coach Rupp on his last trip to Tuscaloosa as Kentucky's HC.
He told us that during that time he was coaching guys who'd been in the war and had fought.
He laughed when talking about trying to discipline guys who'd been fighting a war for the last 4 years!
I'll never forget that, and him!
He told us that during that time he was coaching guys who'd been in the war and had fought.
He laughed when talking about trying to discipline guys who'd been fighting a war for the last 4 years!
I'll never forget that, and him!
Posted on 2/28/22 at 9:15 pm to coachcrisp
Good stuff coachcrisp
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