re: RIP to one of the GOAT southern men of all time

As a young Bama fan in the 70s and 80s I “hated” him and Auburn. But not really. It was youthful rivalry trash talking. I learned to love and respect him the more I matured, the more I knew about him and that Coach Bryant loved him. If Bear Bryant loved him like a son, that’s good enough for me. When I lived in Decatur AL, I used to listen to him talk football for 2 hours a week on Wes Neighbors’ radio show. He could recall specific play calls, game situations, players and scores from 45-50 years ago. Some of his best stories were from when he was at East Carolina. Fascinating. The man knew more about Bryant and Bama football history than most Bama fans. One of the few true legends of the SEC. RIP, coach.