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re: Offense wins championships.
Posted on 1/18/16 at 9:42 am to bama1959
Posted on 1/18/16 at 9:42 am to bama1959
quote:I did. My mother was close to Coach Hank and his wife Kathryn, while I was friends with Hank Jr. (I bet he took you to Dollarhide to fish!). While in school, mama worked for the athletic dept while Coach Hank was there under Coach Frank Thomas. Not many folks realize that he recruited Coach Bryant and Don Hutson out of Arkansas, bought them a train ticket and sent them to Tuscaloosa. Coach Bryant actually had to get his high school diploma from Tuscaloosa High because he was short some credits. Coach Hank did things for player and people in general that few folks realized. Mama said that she'd seen him take money out of his pocket and give to a player to go buy a pair of shoes because the kids shoes were worn out and he had no money to buy any more....and back then, coaches weren't paid squat!
By the way, did you know Coach Hank Crisp? I know he died in 1970 but I knew him when I was a very young lad. He lived down the street from my parents when I was growing up. He took me fishing and even to a basketball game once.
I got a ton of stories about those folks (Coach Bryant, Coach Thomas, Hutson, etc.) that mama shared with us because they remained lifelong friends.
1
Posted on 1/18/16 at 10:44 am to coachcrisp
quote:
I did. My mother was close to Coach Hank and his wife Kathryn, while I was friends with Hank Jr. (I bet he took you to Dollarhide to fish!). While in school, mama worked for the athletic dept while Coach Hank was there under Coach Frank Thomas. Not many folks realize that he recruited Coach Bryant and Don Hutson out of Arkansas, bought them a train ticket and sent them to Tuscaloosa. Coach Bryant actually had to get his high school diploma from Tuscaloosa High because he was short some credits. Coach Hank did things for player and people in general that few folks realized. Mama said that she'd seen him take money out of his pocket and give to a player to go buy a pair of shoes because the kids shoes were worn out and he had no money to buy any more....and back then, coaches weren't paid squat!
I got a ton of stories about those folks (Coach Bryant, Coach Thomas, Hutson, etc.) that mama shared with us because they remained lifelong friends.
Awesome stories. That should be part of Alabama lore. I love the old history (Wallace Wade and Frank Thomas era). They started our tradition. If it wasn't for them Bryant doesn't come to Tuscaloosa and we are a middle of the pack SEC team today.
I probably was too young to take on a trip to Dollarhide. I would have been only 5-7 at the time. We went to a lake in the neighborhood. Later when I was 16 I shot at and missed a deer at Dollarhide and got paddled (tradition for missing a deer) by Wu Winslett (from the 25' Championship team). Embarrassing moment but I wouldn't trade it for anything.
This post was edited on 1/18/16 at 10:48 am
Posted on 1/18/16 at 11:06 am to bama1959
Coach Thomas' widow, Francis lived up the street from us with her daughter Rita who was mentally handicapped. When I was a kid, Mama and I would go up to visit them every week or so. It was a very small house and they lived quite modestly because all they had was state employee pension money to live on (imagine where they'd have been if he'd coached in modern times!). In the house, there was a small den-like room with a tv, and a couple of chairs, but you should have seen what was on every inch of the walls! There were trophies, plaques (Nat'l Coach of the Year, etc.), proclamations and framed newspaper clippings, and finally photographs going all the way back to when he was at Notre Dame with Coach Rockne...it was literally a damn museum right there in that little nondescript house up the street!
Posted on 1/18/16 at 2:15 pm to coachcrisp
quote:
Coach Thomas' widow, Francis lived up the street from us with her daughter Rita who was mentally handicapped. When I was a kid, Mama and I would go up to visit them every week or so. It was a very small house and they lived quite modestly because all they had was state employee pension money to live on (imagine where they'd have been if he'd coached in modern times!). In the house, there was a small den-like room with a tv, and a couple of chairs, but you should have seen what was on every inch of the walls! There were trophies, plaques (Nat'l Coach of the Year, etc.), proclamations and framed newspaper clippings, and finally photographs going all the way back to when he was at Notre Dame with Coach Rockne...it was literally a damn museum right there in that little nondescript house up the street
Cool. Very interesting. I have a few coach Bryant stories I may post one day.
Posted on 1/18/16 at 2:29 pm to higgs_boson
quote:
The turning point in 2013 FSU was a successful fake punt.
No, it was half time, where Gus started to choke.
AU should have won that game by 21 or more. Worst SEC collapse in modern history.
Posted on 1/18/16 at 2:59 pm to plazadweller
quote:
Our front 7 was as good as anyone's in 2010.
Don't remember much 'bout your front 7, but Nick Fairley was probably the most dominant DL in the nation that year...he was just 'bout as important to the AU defense as Cam was to your offense...while Cam was undoubtedly y'all's MVP, I don't think y'all run the table without Fairley...
Posted on 1/18/16 at 3:09 pm to GeauxTigerNation
Three of the last eight national champions had a scoring offense in the top 5. Six of eight had a scoring defense in the top 5, and five of those were in the top 2.
So, no, offense does not win championships.
So, no, offense does not win championships.
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