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The Crimson Tide
Early newspaper accounts of the University's football squad simply referred to them as the "varsity" or the "Crimson White." The first nickname popular with the media was the "Thin Red Line," which was used until 1906. Hugh Roberts, former sports editor of the Birmingham Age-Herald, is credited with coining the phrase "Crimson Tide" in an article describing the 1907 Iron Bowl played in Birmingham. The game was played in a sea of red mud with Auburn a heavy favorite to win. Alabama held Auburn to a 6-6 tie, thus graduating to their newfound nickname.

[edit] The Elephant
The elephant's association with Alabama dates back to the 1930 football season when the Crimson Tide was led by Coach Wallace Wade. There are two stories about how Alabama became associated with the elephant.

Officially, following the 1930 game versus Ole Miss, Atlanta Journal sports writer Everett Strupper wrote:

"At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, 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. 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."

Sports writers continued to refer to Alabama as the "Red Elephants" afterwards, referring to their crimson jerseys. The 1930 team shut out eight of ten opponents, allowing a total of only 13 points all season. The "Red Elephants" rolled up 217 points that season, including a 24-0 victory over Washington State in the Rose Bowl.

Another account attributes the Rosenberger's Birmingham Trunk Company for the elephant association. Alabama used the Birmingham Trunk Company's luggage to travel to the 1930 Rose Bowl. The luggage company's trademark was a red elephant standing on a trunk. When the football team arrived in Pasadena, the reporters greeting them associated their large size with the elephants on their luggage.

Despite these early associations of the elephant to the University of Alabama, the university did not officially accept the elephant as university mascot until 1979. [1]

Alabama's elephant mascot is known as "Big Al."

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he flooded onto the fied like a Crimson tide

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Wasn't it in a game against Ole Miss?

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Colonel Toddy

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The Elephant
The elephant's association with Alabama dates back to the 1930 football season when the Crimson Tide was led by Coach Wallace Wade. There are two stories about how Alabama became associated with the elephant.

Officially, following the 1930 game versus Ole Miss, Atlanta Journal sports writer Everett Strupper wrote:

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Wasn't it in a game against Ole Miss?

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So Crimson Tide flowed during the Ole Miss Game

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Wasn't it in a game against Ole Miss?

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Actually, that's when the Elephants came out and introduced their trunks...

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No I just like SEC sports history. Like knowing the first college football game in the Deep South (Auburn vs. Georgia) took place ten minutes from my home at Piedmont Park in Atlanta. Or knowing that the LSU Tigers name is derived from a confederate military regiment.

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No I just like SEC sports history. Like knowing the first college football game in the Deep South (Auburn vs. Georgia) took place ten minutes from my home at Piedmont Park in Atlanta. Or knowing that the LSU Tigers name is derived from a confederate military regiment.

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Alabama's Rammer Jammer, in part, comes from the name other Confederate soldiers used to refer to Alabama soldiers.

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Alabama Fans : Where did the name Crimson Tide come from ?

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