4 Oklahoma square off in Orange Bowl for national title bid, Jonah Williams: 3 things to know about Alabama football's offensive tackle, Mack Wilson: 5 things to know about the Alabama football linebacker, Quinnen Williams: 4 things to know about the Alabama football defensive tackle, Raekwon Davis: 4 things to know about the Alabama football defensive lineman, Paul Tyson: 5 things about Alabama football signee, Bear Bryant's great-grandson, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. That's when it really hit me. It doesn't look very good. He is one of the most popular mascots in college sports and was even named national champion by the Universal Cheerleaders Association in 2003. We have different people we have to go through to post things on social media. It's definitely not the reason to be Big Al. But if you wanted Big Al for a private event that would be like $100. Our pictures are out there so it's not a huge secret but it is something that we kind of keep a secret because it's special.". [Related: PHOTOS: 2012 college football uniform tracker & grader]. The fact that he's an elephant, it's just not something you see very often. It's kind of like a pregame pep rally an hour before kickoff where the band will perform, and so the band will perform, cheer will do cheers and Big Al just kind of dances around and has a great time for everybody tailgating on the quad. Elephants are scattered throughout sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. We have five different assignments for every game day split between all five of us. We do have a roster on rolltide.com. You have to go all the way back to 1930 to find the origin of Alabama's elephant. 1 Alabama, No. Since the early 1900s, the University of Alabama has been associated with the elephant. We talked to two Big Als -- one who currently plays him and one who used to -- to understand exactly what life as 'Bama's mascot is like. I've always had good experiences with it. Tusks grow throughout an elephants lifetime; an individuals tusk length is a useful criterion for age determination as elephants reach physical maturity at around 15 years old. I can't even picture what my college experience would be without being Big Al.". As part of their efforts, they decided to hire . [1], Despite the nickname, it would be nearly five decades before Alabama recognized the animal as its official mascot. In 1979, he was meeting with the homecoming chairman, Ann Paige, as they were trying to come up with something different for the school's homecoming parade. Q: What was your favorite game or moment as Big Al? In the early days of the University of Alabama (UA), a spirit committee was formed to help boost school morale. The 1930 team posted an overall 10-0 record. The Alabama elephant is the state animal of Alabama. The origin of the mascot dates back to 1930. 1 Answer ANSWER The story of how Alabama became associated with the "elephant" goes back to the 1930 season when Coach Wallace Wade had assembled a great football team. Why is Alabama's Mascot an Elephant Named Big Al. After a few rounds, he got dropped. All these things and the game was at 2:30. ", Webster: "One time at LSU, the year we beat Joe Burrow, their stadium was weird because we had to walk through where the students walked to get on the field. So very rarely will you see Big Al on the sideline in Bryant-Denny during the third quarter because he's actually up in the boxes visiting people up there. Bulls use their tusks aggressively while fighting; elephants also use them for tasks such as moving trees and stripping bark from trees for food. All of the Big Als that played Big Al are a very close community to me. [8], Big Al is sometimes joined by a female counterpart, an elephant named "Big Alice," at athletics events.[9]. 1 . Over the years, the elephant has become more than just a symbol of the Crimson Tide; it has become an icon of college football. Trey Dickey is a senior from Birmingham, Alabama, studying creative media and communications studies. elephants are also known for their loyalty, which is another trait that makes them well-suited to being a mascot for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Big Al is the costumed elephant mascot of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. ", Strupper, using the flair for the dramatic common in sportswriting at the time, 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 the Alabama varsity. 1 Alabama's nickname of "Crimson Tide" brings to mind the school's costumed elephant mascot, Big Al, no matter how hard you try. The elephant, named John Heisman, after the famous coach, was a big hit with students and fans. It's something that people do for like a scholarship. Every player is instantly thinking, 'Oh, I'm not here to make it to the NFL. Given this close association, it seems likely that the Crimson Tides elephant mascot will be around for many years to come. Nothing about No. As part of their efforts, they decided to hire elephants from travelling circuses or from Tuscaloosa to attend every homecoming football game. The tradition of using an elephant as a mascot has continued ever since. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. The mascot made its debut in the 1980 Sugar Bowl, but the first student to don the elephant costume was Melford Espey Jr.22 Sept 2021. Why do Alabama fans say Roll Tide? On October 8, 1930, a sportswriter for the Atlanta Journal, Everett Strupper, wrote about the previous weekend's Alabama-Ole Miss football game. The elephant mascot even has its own name: Big Al. Dickey: "That's actually a really funny story. By the 1950s, keeping a live elephant year round proved to be too expensive for the university. And in the early 1960s, Alabama student Melford Espey went the extra mile and dressed up as the animal to cheer on his beloved team. Q: Something tells me Big Al is pretty busy on Saturdays. The first elephant to represent the Crimson Tide was actually a live animal, brought to games to lead the team onto the field. It appears that the SSL configuration used is not compatible with Cloudflare. In addition to being the live mascot at Crimson Tide football games, Big Al is also used in a number of other ways to represent the university. Q: So you have to have a certain height and weight to be Big Al? The "Why did the elephant paint its toenails" joke has the elephant painting its nails different colors to hide in different places. How did Big Al became Alabama's mascot? You get to make everyone's day. Everyone puts their fours in the air. But it would be nearly five decades until Alabama recognized the animal as its official mascot. So Big Al's suit is different from a lot of other mascots. The history of the Alabama Crimson Tides elephant mascot is a long and storied one. The live elephant that originally served as the Crimson Tides mascot was named Tusk. Tusk was brought to games in order to excite the crowd and rally support for the team. The history of the Alabama Crimson Tide's elephant mascot is a long and storied one. Aubie (a tiger) and an eagle. link to Can you cook mince 1 day out of date? The. Thankfully part of Big Al's character is being clumsy. [3] By the 1950s, keeping a live elephant year-round proved to be too expensive for the University. Bryant said he thought elephants were very smart and a little slow, but approved the funds for the elephant costume. With thousands of articles covering everything from do-it-yourself repairs to tips on parenting, Arew has something for everyone. According to the school, the relationship between elephants and University of Alabama football dates back to 1930, when Atlanta Journal sportswriter Everett Strupper relayed a story from an Alabama-Ole Miss game. Given that they are not indigenous to the North American continent, let alone the general Tuscaloosa area, it may seem odd that an elephant serves as the mascot for the University of Alabamas football team. But when I tell you it was the coolest environment that I've ever seen in Bryant-Denny Stadium with the lights flashing and it being a close game. "Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity. Dickey: "We usually arrive at our cart -- we call it the rammer jammer or the RJ -- we'll arrive five hours before the football game. Q: Wait, can Big Al pick things up? It shut out eight opponents and allowed only 13 points all season while scoring 217. Nonetheless, a student in a doe-eyed elephant costume struts his stuff at every Bama home game, having become a fixture at one of the states proudest institutions. Roll tide. Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming!' Q: I'm guessing you fell in love with it. Since you see out of the corner of your eyes the way they push you up you can see yourself on the screen whenever they put you on the screen. Whatever its origins, the elephant quickly became a popular symbol for the Crimson Tide, appearing in newspaper cartoons and on team merchandise. If you picture your vision on a clock from 9-3 you can't see from 11-1 o'clock. Since then, the Crimson Tide has had several live elephants as mascots, the most recent of which is named Big Al. It's just a great opportunity for Big Al to stand out because all of our players are going to be wearing red every home game. The origin of the mascot dates back to 1930. The 1930 team posted an overall 10-0 record. . Dickey: "My favorite gamewe lost the game. All rights reserved (About Us). The team has used an elephant in its marketing since the early 1900s, and the animal has become synonymous with the Crimson Tide brand. [7] The scripted fight suddenly became unscripted after Seymour deviated from the set rules, and a raucous fight on the sidelines between the two ensued. In the 1960s, student Melford Espey would wear an elephant costume to games, much to the delight of legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity. Unmatched in size that Alabama team knocked me [out] cold, men that I had seen play last year looking like they had nearly doubled in size." If it's a close game he won't body surf, because we don't wanna count our chickens.". After you march them on to the field they will play 'Tusk,' which is sort of Big Al's statement song. The team went on to be named National Champions, according to rolltide.com. We also have prop usage. The tradition of an elephant mascot continued for many years, with various live animals appearing at games and even marching in parades. We have a round that is just the walk. Nothing about No. "Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity. "At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, he wrote, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow. Despite their large size and weight, elephants are capable of running at up to 25 km/h (16 mph). The cheerleaders will tumble through the end zone. The more you return and the more you dedicate to the program, the more you get in scholarship money. "Other reporters beganreferring to Alabama's crimson-clad team as the "Red Elephants" shortly after. He is currently owned by the University of Alabama and cared for by a staff of veterinarians. [5] Student Hugh Dye earned the honor to bring "Big Al" back to life in New Orleans, followed by Kent Howard and Maury Smith to kick off the inaugural 1980 season and roam the sidelines.[6]. We also have 'Elephant Stomp' which is at Gorgas Library. Strupper and other writers continued to refer to the Alabama linemen as "Red Elephants," the color referring to the crimson jerseys. The elephant has been UA's unofficial mascot since the 1930s. how big is a woolly mammoth compared to an elephant. That was definitely the most challenging event, but it was definitely the most rewarding because I think I got the most out of that one. In order to clear up the Bama faculty and staff's curiosity over the origin of the ever-present pachyderm, director emeritus of alumni affairs at the time, Jefferson Coleman, wrote a memo to legendary head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant in 1977. The mascot represents the strength and power of the Crimson Tide, and its presence on the sidelines is a source of inspiration for the teams players. How did the audition go? You see a lot of tigers, a lot of dogs. Why is Alabama's mascot an elephant? The "Big Al" mascot officially debuted at the 1980 Sugar Bowl, when the 1979 Alabama Crimson Tide football team defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks. The students were really involved in the game. There are several reasons why this is so. If there's not enough students like if it's super hot one day and there's not a lot of students left and it's a blowout game, he won't body surf because that's just kind of tacky. How much does a 8 week old cocker spaniel weight? Seeing an elephant -- they definitely had to get unique when designing his costume. That was not the image of his players he wanted to portray." The mascot made its debut in the 1980 Sugar Bowl, but the first student to don the elephant costume was Melford Espey Jr. It's just a small little tradition that not a lot of people know about probably. ", Webster: "It's definitely crazy hot. He's a very unconventional mascot in general. That's when I realized this isn't just for fun. 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