Name-a-Day Calendar, November 10: Alabama Crimson Tide
Page 4 of 365
Chosen in: 1907
Chosen by: Sportswriter Hugh “Doc” Roberts
On November 16, 1907, Alabama and Auburn faced off in a football game in Birmingham. Bear Bryant wasn’t even born yet, let alone Nick Saban, so Alabama had yet to become the dynastic football powerhouse it is today and Auburn was heavily favored in this game. But Alabama shocked everyone by playing their rivals to a 6-6 tie.1
The field in Birmingham was a muddy wreck, which may have impacted the final score and almost certainly impacted the writing of the Birmingham Age-Herald’s Hugh “Doc” Roberts, who described Alabama’s plucky underdog team in their crimson jerseys as a “crimson tide”.
The Alabama football team had no official nickname at the time, with writers usually calling them either the “Crimson White” or the “Thin Red Line”, and this new name took a little while to catch on, but it gradually grew into what is now one of the most recognizable athletic brands, collegiate or otherwise, in the United States.
Why their mascot is an elephant is another story, this one also fueled mostly by old timey sportswriters. The sheer size of the linemen on the 1930 Crimson Tide caused Atlanta Journal writer Everett Strupper to liken them to elephants.2 This quip evidently stuck with fans for decades; in 1979, when student leaders finally convinced Bear Bryant to allow a mascot after years of pleading, the elephant was the first thing that came to mind.
Read more about the creation of Alabama’s original elephant mascot here.
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The only tie in Iron Bowl history
The full quote: “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’s worth noting that Everett Strupper was previously a national champion halfback for Georgia Tech, so he knew big when he saw it.