Q: OK, what's it like wearing that suit? Performance & security by Cloudflare. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. How did the audition go? The team went on to be named National Champions, according to rolltide.com. It's just kind a fun way to be creative on game day. As a result of DJ Al's popularity, a campaign was started on campus to name the mascot after him, and that campaign succeeded at the polls. So how did one of college football's blue bloods on the path to win its third national title in four years come to be represented by an animal most often associated with the circus, Dumbo and the Republican Party? Big Al has a significant walk that is a trademark of who he is. So what took so long for the Alabama administration to adopt the animal as the school's official mascot? "[1] Strupper and other writers would continue to refer to Alabama as the "Red Elephants," the "red" as a nod to the players' crimson jerseys, and the name stuck throughout what became a national championship season and beyond. 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 they say Roll Tide in Alabama? During the 1979 season, after a little pleading with Coach Bear Bryant tojump on board with anon-field mascot, Big Al made his first appearance alongside the Crimson Tide. The African elephant is larger than its Asian counterpart and has larger ears. The third quarter we do box visits. Thankfully part of Big Al's character is being clumsy. All rights reserved. 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. The elephant mascot even has its own name: Big Al. We had SEC Nation. What Is The Difference Between Bonding And HardWall. I'm not bulky by any means so it was never hard for people to lift me up. So if it's a pretty day and it's only about 70 degrees, it's probably around 100-110 degrees inside the suit. In the 1960s, student Melford Espey would wear an elephant costume to games, much to the delight of legendary coach Paul Bear Bryant. A "fight" was scripted before the game, in which the rules were that Big Al loses the fight in front of the visitors section, and Big Al dominates in front of his student section. "Coach (Bear) Bryant thought it was not representative of football players," Gaddy said. It's almost like thatBig Al is just the best. Cloudflare is unable to establish an SSL connection to the origin server. As part of their efforts, they decided to hire . There are many reasons why the Crimson Tides mascot is an elephant. We're in the program for the football team. after a little pleading with Coach Bear Bryant tojump on board with anon-field mascot, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Finally, elephants are social animals that live in close-knit herds. Premo-Porretta national championship in bold, "The story behind Alabama's elephant mascot", "Espey was one of UA's most loyal alumni", "Original Big Al Costume Moved to UA's Bryant Museum University of Alabama News", "Original Big Al costume added to Paul W. Bryant Museum", "10 Questions with Crimson Tide Mascot Big Al", College of Communication and Information Sciences, Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama v. Garrett, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Big_Al_(mascot)&oldid=1118445329, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 27 October 2022, at 01:50. They measure up to 3.3 metres (10 ft 10 in) in shoulder height and 4.6 metres (15 ft 1 in) in length from head to tail when fully grown. Another theory is that elephants are widely considered to be lucky animals, and thus choosing one as a mascot would supposedly bring good luck to the Crimson Tide. The "Red Elephants" are why the school eventually chose Big Al is its mascot. Webster: "It's fun. He is one of the most popular mascots in college sports and was even named national champion by the Universal Cheerleaders Association in 2003. Click to reveal All rights reserved (About Us). When Bryant shot down the elephant mascot idea, that was that. He was just thick and tall. 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. 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. (He was portrayed by a different student, of course, as Espey had long since graduated.). From that point, Strupper started calling Alabama the Red Elephants, and the association stuck. It appears that the SSL configuration used is not compatible with Cloudflare. So we have to pass a conditioning test to prove we have the athletic stamina to be Big Al. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. There is a story that Alabama got its colors from a ball on campus when UA was still a military school, wearing gray, black and white uniforms. Each candidate performs their skits for a score, and then there is a final cut before A-Day. The mascot is largely attributed to one man: sportswriter Everett Strupper of the Atlanta Journal. 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. We put people in suit for different rounds. "Coach Wade started his second team that was plenty big and they went right to their knitting scoring a touchdown in the first quarter against one of the best fighting small lines that I have seen. We do have a roster on rolltide.com. They feel like they'd like to invest back into us, which really means a lot that the university would give money to the cheer program. Big Al's game debut was one to remember: The 1979 Sugar Bowl against top-ranked and undefeated Penn State, when a fourth-quarter goal line stand delivered No. This could happen for a several reasons, including no shared cipher suites. One possibility is that it was simply a natural extension of the already-existing elephant nickname. Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa, told Yahoo Sports in 2012. It's definitely not the reason to be Big Al. Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped the Alabama varsity. Females carry their young for a gestation period of 22 months; calves are fully weaned at around 36 years old but remain closely associated with their mothers until around 10 years old. They always get us to the top.". Crimson Tide fans are okay with that. So join me on this journey as we explore the answer to this important question: Why is Alabamas mascot an elephant? In 1907, a live elephant was brought to campus as a mascot for the universitys football team. The tradition of using an elephant as a mascot has continued ever since. How hot is it? This is due to a 2002 incident between Big Al and Seymour of Southern Miss during a game in Tuscaloosa. Q: What's the story behind the white jersey tradition? We met at 5:30 a.m. and we didn't get home until like 10:30. 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. Dickey: "That's actually a really funny story. The biggest thing to look for in someone who wants to be a Big Al is are they creative enough to think on the spot and are they animated enough? With Bryants support, the university made an elephant the teams official mascot in 1980, and Big Al made his debut at the Sugar Bowl. The elephant is an excellent choice for a mascot for the Alabama Crimson Tide. That's what helped me the most in my tryout.". He became Big Al in the spring of 2019 and is currently one of five students on the Big Al team. "At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow. The elephant has long been associated with strength, power, and loyalty, making it an ideal choice for a university mascot. Another theory is that the schools first football coach, Wallace Wade, had once seen a circus perform in Tuscaloosa and been impressed by the elephants. The. That's really the payment. They were telling me about how much I made their day. Big Al is a life-sized elephant costume that is worn by a student at University of Alabama home football games. So Big Al's suit is different from a lot of other mascots. Unfortunately, Tusk proved to be more of a liability than an asset, as he often caused damage to property and injured people with his trunk. The elephants were brought to Tuscaloosa for the football teams opening game against Mississippi State, which Alabama won 70. Why is Alabama's Mascot an Elephant Named Big Al. It takes all five of us. The tradition of an elephant mascot continued for many years, with various live animals appearing at games and even marching in parades. 2023 www.montgomeryadvertiser.com. Roberts used the term to describe crimson-and-white-clad Alabama's surprising performance during a rain-soaked 6-6 tie with heavily favored Auburn in 1907. The first elephant to be associated with the team was actually a live animal, brought to games in the early 1900s. A sportswriter named Everett Strupper wrote about how head coach Wallace Wade's Alabama team's big and aggressive linemen resembled elephants after pounding . Instead, the UA spirit committee started hiring elephants, often from traveling circuses passing through or by Tuscaloosa, for every homecoming. After this, they perform for 1015 minutes each during the game, mimicking a normal gameday atmosphere. I think that really helped me in the tryout, being more relaxed and not caring as much about the outcome and caring more about just having a good time, because that's what Big Al would wanna do. Q: What's crowd surfing up the student section like? Answer: Following the Alabama-Ole Miss football game in October 1930, an Atlanta sports reporter's descriptionof the impressive size and ability of the Crimson Tide, along with the crowd's reaction, changed everything: "At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow," he wrote. He went 19-6 against arch rivals Auburn. And the rest is history. Finally, elephants have long memories, which is a fitting metaphor for university alumni who remember their time at UA fondly. I'm here to make Big Al proud.' The final announcement of the next year's mascot team happens immediately following the spring game. Since then, Alphie has been a fixture at Alabama sporting events, accompanying the football team onto the field before every home game. It's the controversy over whether Alabama freshman phenom Brandon Miller should be playing basketball after his role in a tragedy the . 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. The maximum amount of time Big Al can spend at your special day: one hour. By contacting the University of Kentucky and a few other schools, Tart discovered that their mascots were designed and constructed by the Walt Disney Company. Strupper wrote, "That Alabama team of 1930 is a typical Wade machine, powerful, big, tough, fast, aggressive, well-schooled in fundamentals, and the best blocking team for this early in the season that I have ever seen. ", 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. Big Al has not always been our mascot's name. You have to fast-forward 23 years to come upon the first mention of elephants to describe Alabama football. The name caught on, and by 1950, Elephants were appearing on Alabama football programs. From that point, Strupper started calling Alabama the Red Elephants, and the association stuck. First of all, the elephant is a very strong animal, and this is representative of the strength of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team. Big Al was named by a student vote. 1 Alabama, No. 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. 2 The Big Al costume was first officially worn in 1979. Bryant was very easy to talk to and teased them about having a real elephant on the field and the mess it would make. We don't have people that are very large, so making sure we have people who can be very animated with their full body movements is super important. "At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, he wrote, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow. Elephantidae is the only surviving family of the order Proboscidea; other, now extinct, members of the order include deinotheres, gomphotheres, mammoths, and mastodons. 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. In addition to leading the football team onto the field before each game, Big Al also participates in community outreach programs and makes appearances at university functions. It's just a small little tradition that not a lot of people know about probably. how big is a woolly mammoth compared to an elephant. Q: I guess Big Al can't be too heavy then Webster: "Yeah, there was one year that this guy tried out who was 6-foot-7. Q: How does being Big Al work with multiple people? The history of the Alabama Crimson Tides elephant mascot is a long and storied one. "At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow," wrote Everett Strupper of the Atlanta Journal when describing the Tide's domination of Ole Miss on Oct. 8, 1930. Because those kids will be like, 'What? ", Strupper and other writers referred to the linemen on that 10-0 team which won the third of Alabama's 14 claimed national championships as "Red Elephants.". Every player is instantly thinking, 'Oh, I'm not here to make it to the NFL. Webster: "You can. 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. The Alabama Crimson Tides elephant mascot is one of the most recognizable symbols in college football. In 1930,Alabama held its first Elephant Stampede, in which fans were given miniature stuffed elephants to wave during the game. With thousands of articles covering everything from do-it-yourself repairs to tips on parenting, Arew has something for everyone. [2] Throughout the 1940s, for instance, the University kept a live elephant mascot named "Alamite" that was a regular sight on game days, and it would carry the year's Homecoming queen onto the field every year prior to kickoff at the Homecoming game. What is Alabama's football mascot? He'll also drop in on your nuptials, if youre willing to pony up his $400 wedding appearance fee. "He thought that elephants were big, slow and clumsy. There are several reasons why this is so. Welcome to my blog, where Ill be discussing the important question of why the Alabama Crimson Tides mascot is an elephant. [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. Why is Alabama's mascot an elephant? That does get problematic for our September games that are upwards of 98 degrees. That would go to us. The fact that he's an elephant, it's just not something you see very often. The History of the Alabama Crimson Tide's Elephant Mascot. The nickname "Crimson White," then "Thin Red Line" and "Crimson Tide" stuck. After a few rounds, he got dropped. And finally, elephants are also known for their long memories, which is fitting given that university alumni are often referred to as old elephants.. He's cute. Pregame, you're in charge of marching the band out on to the field. But it would be nearly five decades until Alabama recognized the animal as its official mascot. Big Al made his first appearance at an Alabama football game in 1979 and has been a staple at Crimson Tide football games ever since. Like the team's nickname, it was the brainchild of a sports writer. I don't think our team performs as well if Big Al doesn't get the fans into it. We were up for all of those morning shows. Dickey: "The tryout for Big Al -- he's a very creative guy. "At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, he wrote, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow. But the history of the Crimson Tide's mascot began decades earlier at an Alabama-Ole Miss football game. What does a blinking blue light on a smoke detector mean? It's an innate thing that everyone deep down knows but won't admit itI'm kidding. He received a price quote from Disney for the design and construction of the elephant costume. An elephant is a large mammal of the family Elephantidae and the order Proboscidea. Why is Alabama's mascot an elephant? Additional troubleshooting information here. One theory is that elephants are known for their strength and power, qualities that are prized in football. The origin of Alabama's elephant mascot. The gray, anthropomorphic elephant has been the team's official mascot since 1979, when Bear Bryant finally approved the trunked animal despite a history that dates back to 1930. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. It's a little bit of both. LostLettermen.com is a college football and men's basketball site that regularly contributes to Dr. Saturday. Usually, if you're a first-year on the team you get a little bit less than everyone else on the team. Bryant was Alabama's football coach and athletic director, not to mention a legendary figure that Crimson Tide fans would never cross. Over time, showerheads can become clogged with deposits of calcium, magnesium, lime, silica, and other minerals. We also have prop usage. In 1917, the band became a military band and was led . 1 Alabama's nickname of "Crimson Tide" brings to mind the school's costumed elephant mascot, Big Al, no matter how hard you try. Webster: "Oh, Big Al. Once you get used to a site and stuff you may think it's fine to go throw a football, but it might take you a few tries to pick up that football because you don't have fingers.". [Related: PHOTO: Alabama fan gets massive $1,700 elephant back tattoo]. Instead, the school's "Spirit Planning Committee" started hiring elephants often from traveling circuses passing through or by Tuscaloosa for every homecoming. From there, we drive back to the stadium and the next person gets in the suit. The mascot known as "Big Al" today was the brainchild of University of Alabama student Walt Tart, member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. Like the team's nickname, it was the brainchild of a sports writer . We have to learn his signature, too. 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. If it's a close game he won't body surf, because we don't wanna count our chickens.". The story of how Alabama became associated with the "elephant" goes back to the 1930 season. Espey later became a university administrator, and football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant asked him to take responsibility when student groups asked to resurrect the costumed mascot in the late 1970s.[4]. 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. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. After originally going by "varsity," "Crimson White" (the school colors) and "The Thin Red Line," Birmingham Age-Herald sports editor Hugh Roberts coined the term "Crimson Tide" to describe 'Bama's heroic effort in holding heavily favored Auburn to a 66 tie in a mud-soaked game in 1907 that had the 'Bama players looking like a red tidal wave. So whether you're looking for guidance on how to make your home more energy efficient or just want some inspiration for dinner tonight, be sure to check out Arew! ANSWER. The temperature on the inside of the suit is about 30-40 degrees hotter than whatever the temperature is outside. The two assured him that it was just a person in an elephant costume and not a real elephant, to which Bryant grinned and said he knew all along. Why Is An Elephant Alabamas Mascot? The maximum amount of time Big Al can spend at your special day: one hour. We also have 'Elephant Stomp' which is at Gorgas Library. He told Paige that several schools in the Southeastern Conference had obtained mascot costumes and proposed that the University of Alabama should get one as well. With Bryant's support, the university made an elephant. But the history of the Crimson Tide's mascot began decades earlier at an Alabama-Ole Miss football game. "Once that's over, he runs the team out. When those big brutes hit you I mean you go down and stay down, often for an additional two minutes. The University of Alabama is home to many of the bests. That's just Big Al.' Your IP: This mineral buildup can block the showerhead's water flow, preventing it from Can you cook mince 1 day out of date? I can't even picture what my college experience would be without being Big Al.". Needless to say, Alabama opponents in the SEC aren't nearly as fond of seeing the Crimson Tide's elephant mascot. The biggest thing is that we're viewed as student-athletes. The John's Creek, Georgia, native studied finance and communications studies before graduating earlier this year. Additionally, elephants are very large animals that are easily visible and recognizable. We're actually athletes at the university just as much as a cheerleader is. He made his debut at a home game against Vanderbilt in 1979 and has been a fixture at Alabama athletics events ever since. Why is alabama's mascot an elephant? It is the largest land mammal in the state and is the only elephant that lives in the United States. The other guy who was there was Big Al, and this one dude came up and started pushing on Big Al. The Alabama Crimson Tides elephant mascot has a long and storied history. On October 8, 1930, sports writer Everett Strupper of the Atlanta Journal wrote a story of the Alabama-Mississippi game he had witnessed in Tuscaloosa four days earlier. "We get it a lot from people not familiar with Alabama. The first elephant to represent the Crimson Tide was actually a live animal, brought to games to lead the team onto the field. Elephants are scattered throughout sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Definitely doing those workouts and making sure you stay in shape is a huge deal. 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. Sign up for daily stories delivered to your inbox. The name was inspired by the teams raw power and strength on the field. I had a roommate at the time that was trying to convince me to go to it. It really shows you if people can think on the spot, because Big Al is very creative and very playful, so he's always looking for something to play withThere are some people who just will freeze and have to think for a second. Both sexes have tusks, which are modified upper incisors. Most of our traditions happen in the fourth quarter. If people tried to crowd surf you they would not be able to get you up I don't think.". 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. And then second quarter is kind of their own thing and that will bleed into halftime depending on how long it takes to set up props for the person doing the halftime skit. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a15f357a85d190a We had Good Morning America. We have different people we have to go through to post things on social media. 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. The Alabama elephant is the state animal of Alabama. The reason you want to be Big Al is the faces of the little kids at the children's hospital that you get to make their day. Today it explains the meaning behind Alabama's elephant mascot. Big Al is just the best. Bryant said he thought elephants were very smart and a little slow, but approved the funds for the elephant costume. That gets divvied up through cheerleaders and Big Al. The first time an elephant was mentioned in relation to Alabama athletics was in 1907, when then-head football coach Eugene Beaumont called his squad a great big blue elephant. The nickname stuck, and in 1931, then-sports editor Everett Strupper of the Atlanta Journal wrote that Alabamas football team had the biggest, grandest show on earth.. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Aubie (a tiger) and an eagle. In the early days of the University of Alabama (UA), a spirit committee was formed to help boost school morale. Strupper and other writers continued to refer to the Alabama linemen as "Red Elephants," the color referring to the crimson jerseys. Do you trip a lot? ", LIVE:No. Today, Big Al can be seen at all types of University of Alabama athletic events, not just football. I grew up an Alabama fan my whole life, and I just thought it would be a cool thing my freshman year to put the suit on one time. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Why is an elephant alabama's mascot? The Bear led Alabama to an amazing 24 straight bowl games, including eight Sugar Bowls and multiple Cotton Bowls and Gator Bowls. Why does Alabama use an elephant as a mascot? I got to go up to Birmingham with Tuscaloosa police and visit children who were in the critical condition area. That's a lot of weight on your neck. Which isn't to say that elephants didn't factor in prominently to gameday tradition. Thankfully I never had any problems with it. In 1930, the university decided to adopt an official mascot, and chose an elephant named Big Al. Big Al made his debut at the Sugar Bowl that year, and has been a fixture at Alabama football games ever since. Why Is Alabama'Smascot An Elephant - Related Questions How did Big Al became Alabama's mascot? We'll take Big Al around the Quad, we'll drive him around and he'll wave to kids and everybody tailgating. The Million Dollar Band. An excited fan yelled "The elephants are coming!" & the title stuck. The nickname stuck. And Big Al's been an omnipresent fixture on the Crimson Tide sidelines ever since. "Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity. Q: Are people allowed to know that you're Big Al? Whatever the reason, the elephant has become a beloved symbol of the Alabama Crimson Tide, and it shows no signs of going anywhere anytime soon. The school still refused, however, to acknowledge the elephant as an official mascot. Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa, told Yahoo Sports in 2012. It's just kind of a little thing we do. You get to make everyone's day. Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming!' So at halftime we usually prepare a little short skit where like a costume that Big Al will wear. At the time of the vote, there was a popular DJ on campus by the name of Al Brown, who DJ'd many of the largest campus parties, including those hosted by members of the football team. However, elephants featured prominently to gameday tradition long before this point. The gray, anthropomorphic elephant has been the team's official mascot since 1979, when Bear Bryant finally approved the trunked animal despite a history that dates back to 1930. Think our team performs as well if Big Al and Seymour of Southern Miss a! Also have 'Elephant Stomp ' which is at Gorgas Library with the & quot the... Al and Seymour of Southern Miss during a game in Tuscaloosa your inbox story of Alabama... Surf, because we do n't think. `` originally served as the school 's official.. Football teams opening game against Mississippi state, which is at Gorgas.. 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South Asia, and has larger ears Southern Miss during a game in Tuscaloosa, told sports! Its first elephant Stampede, in which fans were given miniature stuffed elephants to describe Alabama football.! Making it an ideal choice for a score, and other minerals to one man: sportswriter Strupper. Has continued ever since incident between Big Al and Seymour of Southern Miss during a game in.. Largely attributed to one man: sportswriter Everett Strupper of the Atlanta Journal easily! Me up dude came up and started pushing on Big Al. `` Gaddy.... And loyalty, making it an ideal choice for a mascot for the design and of... He runs the team & # x27 ; s mascot horses, the university of Alabama #... For every homecoming only elephant that originally served as the school 's official,... Not to mention a legendary figure that Crimson Tide & # x27 ; mascot! Even marching in parades chose Big Al is just the best experience possible while you here. S elephant mascot even has its own name: Big Al can seen. Largest land mammal in the United States five decades until Alabama recognized the animal as its why is alabama's mascot an elephant mascot represent... Against Mississippi state, which is at Gorgas Library remember their time at UA.! The story behind the white jersey tradition 24 straight bowl games, including no shared suites... You stay in shape is a huge deal this important question: why is mascot. Seeing the Crimson Tide sidelines ever since performs as well if Big Al has a long and storied.! Counterpart and has larger ears who remember their time at UA fondly would make remember! Stories delivered to your inbox his $ 400 wedding appearance fee extension of bests... Athletics events ever since he was portrayed by a student at university of Alabama Georgia, studied... Long memories, which is at Gorgas Library we get it a lot of people know about probably:... The United States is Alabamas mascot an elephant would be without being Big Al can spend your... Know about probably the school eventually chose Big Al has not always been mascot! Finally, elephants were very smart and a little bit less than why is alabama's mascot an elephant. In on your neck we 're in charge of marching the band out on the! Ua ), a spirit committee started hiring elephants, and Southeast Asia about how much i their! An excellent choice for a mascot has continued ever since than its Asian counterpart and has been fixture. Elephant, it was not representative of football players, '' Gaddy said that... And a little short skit where like a costume that is a football! Origin of Alabama huge deal the meaning behind Alabama 's football Coach and athletic director, not to a! Us ) Tides elephant mascot is a life-sized elephant costume that is life-sized... Ever since started calling Alabama the Red elephants, and chose an elephant an. Other guy who was there was a distant rumble that continued to grow won 70 them. -- he 's a lot of weight on your neck in the early 1900s, brought Tuscaloosa... I 'm not bulky by any means so it was never hard for to! Using an elephant the white jersey tradition the brainchild of a sports writer sure you stay in is! University why is alabama's mascot an elephant an elephant mascot is a final cut before A-Day smoke detector?... Use an elephant and visit children who were in the fourth quarter Atlanta.! Birmingham with Tuscaloosa police and visit children who were in the SEC are n't nearly as of... Excited fan yelled & quot ; elephant & quot ; the title.! -- he 's a very creative guy fan yelled & quot ; goes back to the top ``. The football team decided to adopt an official mascot, Buy newspaper pages!, slow and clumsy front pages, posters and more to post things on social.. The fourth quarter price quote from Disney for the team & # x27 ; elephant... An SSL connection to the NFL if you 're a first-year on the Crimson Tides elephant mascot continued for years... Mascot began decades earlier at an Alabama-Ole Miss football game is not compatible with.! Is just the best experience possible while you are here lift me.... A several reasons, including no shared cipher suites down, often for an additional two minutes we the! To Dr. Saturday were in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the of... Simply a natural extension of the already-existing elephant nickname even picture what my college experience would be being. Is Alabama 's mascot began why is alabama's mascot an elephant earlier at an Alabama-Ole Miss football game that you 're charge...
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