The Alabama Crimson Tide football team represents the University of Alabama in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A), competing as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Alabama is one of the most storied programs in college football history, claiming 12 national championships and having been coached by the legendary Paul "Bear" Bryant for 25 years. Alabama has also recorded 25 conference championships, 21 SEC championships, and holds NCAA records with 55 post-season bowl game appearances, 31 bowl game victories, leads the NCAA in undefeated, untied seasons with 8 seasons of perfect records, and is second behind the Oklahoma Sooners in number of ten-win seasons, with 28. Alabama leads the SEC West Division with its 5 appearances in the SEC Championship game, and has a winning record against every other SEC team. The Associated Press (AP) ranks Alabama 5th in All Time Final AP Poll appearances. With 787 wins over 112 years of football, Alabama ranks 6th all-time in win-loss records in the NCAA.
Alabama plays its home games at Bryant-Denny Stadium, which is located on-campus in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. With a capacity of 92,138. Bryant-Denny Stadium is currently the 7th largest on campus college football stadium in the nation.
History
Paul "Bear" Bryant
Coach Paul W. "Bear" Bryant is the name most associated with the Crimson Tide football program. His famous houndstooth hat, and images of him leaning against a goalpost while his players warmed up for a game, are recognizable by football fans everywhere.On December 3, 1957, Bryant informed his players at Texas A&M University, where he was then coaching, that he would be accepting the position of head football coach at his alma mater, the University of Alabama. "Gentlemen, I've heard Mama calling, and now I'm going home" he was reported to have said. From 1978 to 1980, Bryant led the tide to 28 straight victories. He had other winning streaks of 19, 17, 12 and 11 victories.
The key to Bryant's success was that he understood that there was more to a player than a strong arm or fast legs. The building of character was essential to the building of a winning team. "Intentions over the years were to help the players to be better persons every day, to help themselves, to teach a lesson on and off the field," he said.
They were lessons not soon forgotten. Kenny "Snake" Stabler, who quarterbacked Bama to a perfect 11-0 season in 1966, recalled when Coach Bryant suspended him during his junior year. "He made me realize what I was throwing away, and he gave me the opportunity to recapture it," Stabler said.
On December 29, 1982, sports history was made and an era ended with Bryant's final game, the Liberty Bowl. It was the same bowl he had taken the Tide to in his first year as head coach, and his final team defeated Illinois 21-15. With 323 career wins, Bryant was the winningest coach in college football history to that point. At Alabama, he tallied to 232 wins, six national championships, and 24 straight bowl appearances.
"I'd probably croak in a week if I ever quit coaching," Bryant once said. He was close — Bryant died 27 days after he coached his last game.
Recent history
Following the death of Bear Bryant, Alabama has had its high points and its low points. Since the retirement of Bryant, the team has had eight different head coaches: Ray Perkins, Bill Curry, Gene Stallings, Mike Dubose, Dennis Franchione, Mike Price, Mike Shula, and most recently Nick Saban. The Tide won its last national championship in 1992, during the Stallings tenure.Following Gene Stallings's retirement in 1996, defensive coordinator Mike Dubose was named head coach. He proved to be an excellent recruiter of defensive linemen, though as a head coach he wasn't as effective. He benefited tremendously from the leadership of Shaun Alexander and Chris Samuels, winning the SEC championship in 1999. Expectations quickly rose for the Tide, which started the 2000 season as high as No. 3 in some polls. The Tide quickly lowered, ending up 3-8, including a last-second loss to Central Florida. Dubose was fired and replaced by an up-and-coming coach from TCU, Dennis Franchione.
The media-savvy Franchione gained popularity quickly with his coaching style and media-friendly press conferences. He led Alabama to two winning seasons in 2001 and 2002, going 7-5 and 10-3, respectively. However, the rumor was that Franchione was wanting to leave Alabama, and had expressed interest in other jobs, including the Kansas opening. One year later, under much media scrutiny, Franchione left for Texas A&M. After the well-documented Mike Price fiasco 
, Miami Dolphins quarterbacks coach Mike Shula was hired after a rushed search. It was his first head coaching job at any level. Shula went through many first-year pains, ending up 4-9 after suffering heartbreaking narrow defeats to Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Tennessee. Slight improvement during his second season sent the Alabama Crimson Tide to a 6-6 record and the Music City Bowl, its first bowl in three years. The season started off with great promise as the Tide rolled to a 3-0 start, but ultimately season ending injuries to the entire starting backfield doomed the Tide's chances of any great successes. The 2005 recruiting class was Alabama's first "full" recruiting class since 2001 due to the harsh penalties imposed on the program for NCAA violations under Coach Dubose.
In 2005, Alabama rolled to a 10-2 record including a 13-10 win over pass-happy Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl, however, they failed to beat Auburn University for the fourth straight time. The Tide had trouble scoring at times because of a season-ending injury to Tyrone Prothro, Brodie Croyle's best target and because of poor play on the offensive line. They opened the season with a dominating 9-0 record, including beating the rival Tennessee Volunteers, and the Florida Gators by a score of 31-3. A third-ranked LSU team ended their streak with a home defeat in overtime, and the Tide lost to Auburn in the Iron Bowl the next week after the defense surrendered 21 first quarter points.
2006 was a "rebuilding year" that saw the likes of Croyle and DeMeco Ryans replaced with such players as the young John Parker Wilson. It ended in a disappointing 6-7 record overall and 2-6 in the SEC, including losses of eight points or less to conference opponents Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi State, and Auburn. On November 27, 2006, Shula was fired and defensive coordinator Joe Kines was announced as Alabama's interim head coach. Mike Shula finished his career at Alabama as the only Alabama coach ever to lose to Auburn four times in a row.
On January 3, 2007, Nick Saban accepted an offer worth US$32 million guaranteed for 8 years to be the next Crimson Tide head coach. Saban was previously the head coach of the Miami Dolphins of the NFL and he has also coached at Louisiana State University, Michigan State University, and University of Toledo.
Alabama head football coaches
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Championships
National Championships
The national championship in NCAA Division I FBS is the subject of much debate, as discussed on the NCAA Division I-A national football championship page. Alabama claims 12 national championships, of the 17 documented by the NCAA in its list of Past Division I National Champions. Championships prior to 1945 were determined by numerous organizations and associations (some retroactively); these organizations include the National Championship Foundation (NCF), Helms Athletic Foundation, Dunkel Index, Houlgate, Litkenhaus, and the College Football Research Association (CFRA). Since 1936, the AP Poll has been the most widely-circulated national championship selector. The AFCA Coaches Poll has also been widely recognized since 1950. Since 1998, the national championship has been bestowed by the Bowl Championship Series.The NCAA does not officially name a national champion, but does provide listing of national champion selections they recognize, often noting several teams in the same year. In addition to the 12 championships claimed by the Alabama program, the NCAA records lists four additional Alabama championships: 1945, 1966, 1975 and 1977. These championships, however, are not claimed by the university.
The following table lists the 12 national championships claimed by Alabama:
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Abbreviations:
- CFRA - College Football Research Association (retroactive)
- H - Helms Athletic Foundation (retroactive 1883-1941)
- NCF - National Championship Foundation (retroactive)
- D - Dunkel Index (since 1929)
- HG - Houlgate's Football Thesaurus
- FA - Football Annual
- W - Williamson
National Championship Seasons
- 1925 -- The 1925 Alabama football team, coached by Wallace Wade, completed the regular season 9-0-0, winning the Southern Conference championship. Alabama was then invited to play Washington in the January 1, 1926 Rose Bowl. Coach Wade's team initially fell behind the undefeated Huskies, but rallied in the second half to defeat Washington 20-19. The outstanding player of the game was Johnny Mack Brown. The 1925 Alabama football team finished the season with a 10-0-0 record and was selected national champions by Football Annual and the Helms Athletic Foundation.
- 1926 -- The 1926 Alabama football team, coached by Wallace Wade, completed the regular season 9-0-0, winning the Southern Conference championship. Alabama was then invited to play Stanford in the January 1, 1927 Rose Bowl. Coach Wade's team tied the Indians 7-7 to finish the season 9-0-1. The outstanding player of the game was Fred Pickhard. The 1926 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the Helms Athletic Foundation.
- 1930 -- The 1930 Alabama football team, coached by Wallace Wade, completed the regular season 9-0-0, winning the Southern Conference championship. Alabama was then invited to play Washington State in the January 1, 1931 Rose Bowl. Coach Wade's team defeated the Cougars 24-0 to finish the season 10-0-0. The outstanding player of the game was John Campbell. The 1930 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the Davis poll.
- 1934 -- The 1934 Alabama Crimson Tide, coached by Frank Thomas, completed the regular season 9-0-0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. Alabama was then invited to play Stanford in the January 1, 1935 Rose Bowl. Coach Thomas' team defeated the Indians 29-13 to finish the season 10-0-0. The outstanding player of the game was Millard "Dixie" Howell. The 1934 Alabama football team was selected national champions by Dunkel, Williamson and Football Thesaurus.
- 1941 -- The 1941 Alabama Crimson Tide, coached by Frank Thomas, completed the regular season 8-2-0. Alabama's squad finished 3rd in the Southeastern Conference after suffering losses to Mississippi State and Vanderbilt. Alabama was then invited to play Texas A&M in the January 1, 1942 Cotton Bowl. Coach Thomas' team defeated the Aggies 29-21 to finish the season 9-2-0. The outstanding players of the game were Holt Rast, Don Whitmire, and Jimmy Nelson. While the final AP Poll ranked the 1941 Alabama football team #20, the squad was selected national champions by Football Thesaurus.
- 1961 -- The 1961 Alabama Crimson Tide, coached by Bear Bryant, completed the regular season 10-0-0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. Led by quarterback Pat Trammell, linebacker Lee Roy Jordan and two-way lineman Billy Neighbors, Alabama outscored their opponents 297-25. Alabama was then invited to play the #9-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks in the January 1, 1962 Sugar Bowl. Coach Bryant's team defeated the Razorbacks 10-3 to finish the season 11-0-0. The outstanding player of the game was Mike Fracchia. The 1961 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP and Coaches Polls.
- 1964 -- The 1964 Alabama Crimson Tide, coached by Bear Bryant, completed the regular season 10-0-0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. Alabama was led by quarterback Joe Namath. Alabama was then invited to play the Texas Longhorns in the January 1, 1965 Orange Bowl. Coach Bryant's team lost to the Longhorns 21-17 to finish the season 10-1-0. The outstanding player of the game was Joe Namath. Because final polls were released before bowl games were played at the time, the 1964 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP and Coaches Polls in favor of undefeated Arkansas. Because of the controversy, the AP Poll decided to wait until after the bowl games to select their champion in the 1965 season.
- 1965 -- The 1965 Alabama Crimson Tide, coached by Bear Bryant, completed the regular season 8-1-1, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. The Tide lost to Georgia and tied Tennessee during the regular season. Alabama was then invited to play Nebraska in the January 1, 1966 Orange Bowl. Coach Bryant's team defeated the Cornhuskers 39-28 to finish the season 9-1-1. The outstanding player of the game was Steve Sloan. The 1965 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP Poll.
- 1973 -- The 1973 Alabama Crimson Tide, coached by Bear Bryant, completed the regular season 11-0-0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. Alabama was then invited to play Notre Dame in the December 31, 1973 Sugar Bowl. Coach Bryant's team lost to the Fighting Irish 24-23 to finish the season 11-1-0. The 1973 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the Coaches Poll as at the time the final poll was announced prior to the bowl games. Because of the controversy after the bowl loss, the Coaches Poll began selecting their champion after the bowl games starting in 1974.
- 1978 -- The 1978 Alabama Crimson Tide, coached by Bear Bryant, completed the regular season 10-1-0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. The Tide defeated #10-ranked Nebraska 20-3, and defeated #11-ranked Missouri 38-20, and lost to Southern Cal during the regular season. Alabama was then invited to play #1-ranked Penn State in the January 1, 1979 Sugar Bowl. Coach Bryant's team defeated the Nitanny Lions 14-7 to finish the season 11-1-0. The outstanding player of the game was linebacker Barry Krauss. The 1978 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP Poll.
- 1979 -- The 1979 Alabama Crimson Tide, coached by Bear Bryant, completed the regular season 11-0-0, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. The Tide defeated #18-ranked Tennessee 27-17, and defeated #14-ranked Auburn University 25-18 during the regular season. Alabama was then invited to play #6-ranked Arkansas in the January 1, 1980 Sugar Bowl. Coach Bryant's team defeated the Razorbacks 24-9 to finish the season 12-0-0. The outstanding player of the game was running back Major Ogilvie. The 1979 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP and Coaches Polls.
- 1992 -- The 1992 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, coached by Gene Stallings, completed the regular season 11-0-0. They then defeated #12-ranked Florida in the inaugural SEC Championship Game, defeating the Gators 28-21; the win gave Alabama its 20th SEC title and a record of 12-0-0. Alabama was then invited to play #1-ranked Miami in the January 1, 1993 Sugar Bowl. Coach Stallings' team defeated the Hurricanes 34-13 to finish the season 13-0-0. The outstanding player of the game was Derrick Lassic. The 1992 Alabama football team was selected national champions by the AP and Coaches Polls.
Conference Championships
Alabama has won a total of 25 conference championships, including 21 SEC Championships. The school has won more SEC football titles than any other school, with two coming since the conference split into separate divisions adding a Championship Game.Conference affiliations
- 1892-94, Independent
- 1895-1921, Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
- 1922-32, Southern Conference
- 1933-present, Southeastern Conference
List of Conference Championships
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Divisional Championships
As winners of the Southeastern Conference's Western Division, Alabama has made 5 appearances in the SEC Championship Game, with the most recent coming in 1999. The Tide is 2-3 in those games. Incidentally, all five of Bama's SEC Championship Game appearances have come against Florida.
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Records
All-time bowl results
Alabama has participated 55 bowl games and has 31 bowl victories, both NCAA records. Alabama also holds the distinction of being the team that has made the most Rose Bowl appearances outside of the Pac-10 and Big 10 conferences.| Date | Bowl | W/L | Opponent | PF | PA |
| January 1, 1926 | Rose Bowl | W | Washington | 20 | 19 |
| January 1, 1927 | Rose Bowl | T | Stanford | 7 | 7 |
| January 1, 1931 | Rose Bowl | W | Washington State | 24 | 0 |
| January 1, 1935 | Rose Bowl | W | Stanford | 29 | 13 |
| January 1, 1938 | Rose Bowl | L | California | 0 | 13 |
| January 1, 1942 | Cotton Bowl | W | Texas A&M | 29 | 21 |
| January 1, 1943 | Orange Bowl | W | Boston College | 37 | 21 |
| January 1, 1945 | Sugar Bowl | L | Duke | 26 | 29 |
| January 1, 1946 | Rose Bowl | W | USC | 34 | 14 |
| January 1, 1948 | Sugar Bowl | L | Texas | 7 | 27 |
| January 1, 1953 | Orange Bowl | W | Syracuse | 61 | 6 |
| January 1, 1954 | Cotton Bowl | L | Rice | 6 | 28 |
| December 19, 1959 | Liberty Bowl | L | Penn State | 0 | 7 |
| December 17, 1960 | Bluebonnet Bowl | T | Texas | 3 | 3 |
| January 1, 1962 | Sugar Bowl | W | Arkansas | 10 | 3 |
| January 1, 1963 | Orange Bowl | W | Oklahoma | 17 | 0 |
| January 1, 1964 | Sugar Bowl | W | Mississippi | 12 | 7 |
| January 1, 1965 | Orange Bowl | L | Texas | 17 | 21 |
| January 1, 1966 | Orange Bowl | W | Nebraska | 39 | 28 |
| January 2, 1967 | Sugar Bowl | W | Nebraska | 34 | 7 |
| January 1, 1968 | Cotton Bowl | L | Texas A&M | 16 | 20 |
| December 28, 1968 | Gator Bowl | L | Missouri | 10 | 35 |
| December 13, 1969 | Liberty Bowl | L | Colorado | 33 | 47 |
| December 31, 1970 | Bluebonnet Bowl | T | Oklahoma | 24 | 24 |
| January 1, 1972 | Orange Bowl | L | Nebraska | 6 | 38 |
| January 1, 1973 | Cotton Bowl | L | Texas | 13 | 17 |
| December 31, 1973 | Sugar Bowl | L | Notre Dame | 23 | 24 |
| January 1, 1975 | Orange Bowl | L | Notre Dame | 11 | 13 |
| December 31, 1975 | Sugar Bowl | W | Penn State | 13 | 6 |
| December 20, 1976 | Liberty Bowl | W | UCLA | 36 | 6 |
| January 2, 1978 | Sugar Bowl | W | Ohio State | 35 | 6 |
| January 1, 1979 | Sugar Bowl | W | Penn State | 14 | 7 |
| January 1, 1980 | Sugar Bowl | W | Arkansas | 24 | 9 |
| January 1, 1981 | Cotton Bowl | W | Baylor | 30 | 2 |
| January 1, 1982 | Cotton Bowl | L | Texas | 12 | 14 |
| December 29, 1982 | Liberty Bowl | W | Illinois | 21 | 15 |
| December 24, 1983 | Sun Bowl | W | Southern Methodist | 28 | 7 |
| December 28, 1985 | Aloha Bowl | W | USC | 24 | 3 |
| December 25, 1986 | Sun Bowl | W | Washington | 28 | 6 |
| January 2, 1988 | Hall of Fame Bowl | L | Michigan | 24 | 28 |
| December 24, 1988 | Sun Bowl | W | Army | 29 | 28 |
| January 1, 1990 | Sugar Bowl | L | Miami | 25 | 33 |
| January 1, 1991 | Fiesta Bowl | L | Louisville | 7 | 34 |
| December 28, 1991 | Blockbuster Bowl | W | Colorado | 30 | 25 |
| January 1, 1993 | Sugar Bowl | W | Miami | 34 | 13 |
| December 31, 1993 | Gator Bowl | W | North Carolina | 24 | 10 |
| January 2, 1995 | Citrus Bowl | W | Ohio State | 24 | 17 |
| January 1, 1997 | Outback Bowl | W | Michigan | 17 | 14 |
| December 29, 1998 | Music City Bowl | L | Virginia Tech | 7 | 38 |
| January 1, 2000 | Orange Bowl | L (OT) | Michigan | 34 | 35 |
| December 27, 2001 | Independence Bowl | W | Iowa State | 14 | 13 |
| December 31, 2004 | Music City Bowl | L | Minnesota | 16 | 20 |
| January 2, 2006 | Cotton Bowl | W | Texas Tech | 13 | 10 |
| December 28, 2006 | Independence Bowl | L | Oklahoma State | 31 | 34 |
| December 30, 2007 | Independence Bowl | W | Colorado | 30 | 24 |
| Total | 55 bowl games | 31-21-3 | - | - |
Bowl appearances by bowl, listed in order of first appearance:
| Bowl | Number of Appearances | Record |
| Rose Bowl | 6 | 4-1-1 |
| Cotton Bowl | 7 | 3-4-0 |
| Orange Bowl | 8 | 4-4-0 |
| Sugar Bowl | 12 | 8-4-0 |
| Liberty Bowl | 4 | 2-2-0 |
| Bluebonnet Bowl | 2 | 0-0-2 |
| Gator Bowl | 2 | 1-1-0 |
| Sun Bowl | 3 | 3-0-0 |
| Aloha Bowl | 1 | 1-0-0 |
| Hall of Fame Bowl | 1 | 0-1-0 |
| Fiesta Bowl | 1 | 0-1-0 |
| Blockbuster Bowl | 1 | 1-0-0 |
| Citrus Bowl | 1 | 1-0-0 |
| Outback Bowl | 1 | 1-0-0 |
| Music City Bowl | 2 | 0-2-0 |
| Independence Bowl | 3 | 2-1-0 |
Individual award winners
All-Americans
Alabama has had 92 players honored 103 times as First-Team All-Americans.- DeMeco Ryans, LB, 2005
- Shaun Alexander, RB, 1999
- Chris Samuels, OT, 1999
- Michael Myers, DE, 1996
- Dwayne Rudd, LB, 1996
- Kevin Jackson, SS, 1996
- Jay Barker, QB, 1994
- Michael Proctor, PK, 1993-1994
- David Palmer, FL, 1993
- Antonio Langham, CB, 1992-1993
- John Copeland, DE, 1992
- Eric Curry, DE, 1992
- Robert Stewart, NT, 1991
- Philip Doyle, K, 1990
- Keith McCants, LB, 1989
- John Mangum, CB, 1989
- Derrick Thomas, LB, 1988
- Kermit Kendrick, DB, 1988
- Larry Rose, OG, 1988
- Bobby Humphrey, TB, 1986-1987
- Van Tiffin, PK, 1986
- Cornelius Bennett, LB, 1984-1986
- Jon Hand, DT, 1985
- Jeremiah Castille, CB, 1982
- Mike Pitts, DE, 1982
- Tommy Wilcox, S, 1981-1982
- Thomas Boyd, LB, 1980-1981
- E. J. Junior, DE, 1980
- Don McNeal, CB, 1979
- Jim Bunch, OT, 1979
- Dwight Stephenson, C, 1979
- Barry Krauss, LB, 1978
- Marty Lyons, DT, 1978
- Ozzie Newsome, SE, 1977
- Leroy Cook, DE, 1974-1975
- Sylvester Croom, C, 1974
- Mike Washington, CB, 1974
- Woodrow Lowe, LB, 1973-1975
- Buddy Brown, OT, 1973
- Wayne Wheeler, SE, 1973
- John Hannah, OG,1971-1972
- Jim Krapf, C, 1972
- John Mitchell, DE, 1972
- Johnny Musso, HB, 1970-1971
- Steve Sloan, QB, 1969
- Alvin Samples, OG, 1969
- Sam Gellerstadt, NG, 1968
- Mike Hall, LB, 1968
- Dennis Homan, SE, 1967
- Kenny Stabler, QB, 1967
- Bobby Johns, DB, 1966-1967
- Ray Perkins, SE, 1966
- Richard Cole, DT, 1966
- Cecil Dowdy, OT, 1966
- Paul Crane, LB/C, 1965
- Joe Namath, QB, 1964
- Wayne Freeman, OG, 1964
- Dan Kearly, DT, 1964
- David Ray, PK, 1964
- Lee Roy Jordan, LB, 1962
- Billy Neighbors, OT, 1961
- George Mason, OT, 1954
- Bobby Marlow, HB, 1952
- Ed Salem, HB, 1950
- Harry Gilmer, HB, 1945
- Vaughn Mancha, C, 1945
- Joe Domnanovich, C, 1942
- Don Whitmire, OT, 1942
- Holt Rast, DE, 1941
- Carey Cox, C, 1939
- Joe Kilgrow, HB, 1937
- Leroy Monsky, OG, 1937
- James Ryba, DT, 1937
- James "Bubber" Nesbit, FB, 1936
- Arthur "Tarzan" White, OG, 1936
- Riley Smith, QB, 1935
- Millard "Dixie" Howell, QB, 1934
- Don Hutson, SE, 1934
- Bill Lee, DT, 1934
- Tom Hupke, OG, 1933
- Johnny Cain, FB/P, 1931-1932
- John Henry Suther, HB, 1930
- Fred Sington, OT, 1929-1930
- Tony Holm, FB, 1929
- Fred Pickhard, OT, 1926
- Hoyt "Wu" Winslett, DE, 1926
- A.T.S. "Pooley" Hubert, QB, 1925
- W.T. "Bully" VandeGraaff, OT, 1915
College Football Hall of Fame Inductees
There have been 16 former players and 3 former coaches of Alabama to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.Players
- Cornelius Bennett, LB, 2005
- Billy Neighbors, OT, 2003
- Johnny Musso, HB, 2000
- John Hannah, OG, 1999
- Ozzie Newsome, SE, 1994
- Fred Sington, OT, 1993
- Harry Gilmer, HB, 1993
- Vaughn Mancha, C, 1990
- Frank Howard, OG, 1989
- Riley Smith, QB, 1985
- Lee Roy Jordan, LB, 1983
- Johnny Cain, FB, 1973
- Millard "Dixie" Howell, HB, 1970
- A.T.S. "Pooley" Hubert, QB, 1964
- Johnny Mack Brown, HB, 1957
- Don Whitmire, OT, 1956
- Don Hutson, E, 1951
Coaches
- Paul "Bear" Bryant, 1986
- Wallace Wade, 1955
- Frank Thomas, 1951
Other Awards
Heisman Trophy Finalists
As legendary Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant once said, "We play for team trophies, not indiviual ones.". Today, the Crimson Tide is still without a Heisman Trophy winner. However, some notable players have finished in the top five of Heisman voting.| Player | Year | Finish | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jay Barker | 1994 | 5th | QB |
| David Palmer | 1993 | 3rd | WR |
| Terry Davis | 1972 | 5th | QB |
| Johnny Musso | 1971 | 4th | HB |
| Lee Roy Jordan | 1962 | 4th | LB |
| Pat Trammell | 1961 | 5th | QB |
| Harry Gilmer | 1947 | 5th | HB |
| Harry Gilmer | 1945 | 5th | HB |
| Joe Kilgrow | 1937 | 5th | HB |
Rivalries
Auburn
Alabama's rivalry with the Auburn Tigers is known as the Iron Bowl. The Iron Bowl is considered by many to be one of the greatest college football rivalries. The outcome of the game determines who will have bragging rights in the state of Alabama for the next year. Because the rivalry is so intense, many families, marriages, and other groups are split over their respective teams. The rivalry regularly has implications in who the West's representative in the SEC Championship Game will be. The first Iron Bowl was in 1893; however, play between the two schools was suspended after 1907 because of, among other reasons, financial causes. The game has been played annually since play was resumed in 1948. The Iron Bowl is best known for its years of play at Birmingham's Legion Field. Alabama leads the series 38-33-1. Alabama owns the longest winning streak in the series: nine games between 1973 and 1981. Alabama has not won the Iron Bowl since 2001.Tennessee
Named the Third Saturday in October, the name refers to its traditional calendar date, but it is no longer exact. From 1995 to 2006, it has only been scheduled for that date four times. However, recently the game has returned to its traditional date, and was played on that weekend in 2007. The rivalry dates back to the 1920s, when legendary Tennessee coach Robert Neyland began challenging Alabama's perennial role atop the conference (Southern and SEC) standings. In the 1950s, Bear Bryant started the tradition of passing out victory cigars after a victory over Tennessee, but since the 1990s, both teams now typically celebrate a victory in this way. The series is known for its streaks: Alabama had an 11 game winning streak from 1971 to 1981 and a nine game unbeaten streak from 1986 to 1994 (this includes one tie in 1993, a game that was later forfeited by Alabama due to NCAA sanctions). This streak was followed immediately by a seven game win streak by Tennessee from 1995-2001. Each team has won three of the last six meetings, with Alabama winning the last meeting 41-17. Alabama leads the all-time series 45-38-7.LSU
Alabama versus LSU is a rivalry within the SEC. It began with an Alabama victory in Baton Rouge in 1971. Alabama would not lose in Baton Rouge again until LSU won, 30-28, in 2000. The significance of this rivalry increased greatly with Alabama's hiring of former LSU coach Nick Saban. The first meeting between the Saban-coached Crimson Tide and LSU was played Nov. 3, 2007 in Tuscaloosa. The Tigers won 41-38, scoring two touchdowns in the final three minutes. The game is now being referred to as the Saban-Bowl. Alabama leads the all-time series 42-22-5.
Crimson Tide in the NFL
Alabama has more Super Bowl winning quarterbacks than any other school, with 3. Bart Starr won Super Bowls I and II with the Green Bay Packers, Joe Namath won Super Bowl III with the New York Jets, and Ken Stabler won Super Bowl XI with the Oakland Raiders. In fact, these 3 former Tiders were the only former SEC quarterbacks to lead their respective NFL teams to a Super Bowl victory until the Colts won Super Bowl XLI with Peyton Manning at quarterback.Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductees
- Ozzie Newsome, SE, 1999
- Dwight Stephenson, C, 1998
- John Hannah, OG, 1991
- Joe Namath, QB, 1985
- Bart Starr, QB, 1977
- Don Hutson, E, 1963