Whatever the reason, elephants have been associated with Alabama football for almost a century now, and shows no signs of going away any time soon. LIVE. The biggest part that we do as a team is we work out. 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. Performance & security by Cloudflare. [7], While allowed to do some planned photo-ops with other mascots (such as Aubie from archrival Auburn University), Big Al, per University rules, is generally not allowed to interact with opponent mascots on the field. Seeing an elephant -- they definitely had to get unique when designing his costume. What gives? It appears that the SSL configuration used is not compatible with Cloudflare. Elephants are scattered throughout sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. The history of the Alabama Crimson Tides elephant mascot is a long and storied one. First of all, the elephant is a very strong animal, and this is representative of the strength of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team. Q: Are people allowed to know that you're Big Al? Another theory is that it was inspired by a 1903 news article about then-Alabama head coach Mike Donahue, who was said to have a huge and strong team that was unstoppable like an elephant.. 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. 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. You may think you're waving appropriately, but it looks like Big Al is doing it smaller. "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. after a little pleading with Coach Bear Bryant tojump on board with anon-field mascot, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. The history of the Alabama Crimson Tide's elephant mascot is a long and storied one. 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. 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. We have to divvy that up between us.". 4 Oklahoma square off in Orange Bowl for national title bid. We put people in suit for different rounds. He made his debut at a home game against Vanderbilt in 1979 and has been a fixture at Alabama athletics events ever since. ", 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. The elephant, named John Heisman, after the famous coach, was a big hit with students and fans. When those big brutes hit you I mean you go down and stay down, often for an additional two minutes. "Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity. This tradition continued for many years and eventually, Melford Espey Jr., a student at UA, became the Crimson Tides official mascot by wearing an elephant head costume. More than 40 years since Big Al earned the stamp of approval, he's still spreading spirit at Bryant-Denny Stadium and other Alabama athletics events. Big Al is the costumed elephant mascot of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It's something that people do for like a scholarship. You see a lot of tigers, a lot of dogs. The final announcement of the next year's mascot team happens immediately following the spring game. Needless to say, Alabama opponents in the SEC aren't nearly as fond of seeing the Crimson Tide's elephant mascot. How big is a mammoth compared to an elephant? Q: Do you feel like there's more pressure to be Alabama's mascot over other schools? Instead, the school's "Spirit Planning Committee" started hiring elephants often from traveling circuses passing through or by Tuscaloosa for every homecoming. "At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow. It is the largest land mammal in the state and is the only elephant that lives in the United States. Big Al walks into the room and everyone lights up. Why Did Alabama Pick an Elephant as a Mascot Alabama, like most universities, chose an animal as their mascot to represent their school. Webster: "Oh, Big Al. Big Al walks in to the room and he has to interact with the props in multiple different ways, but he can't use any of the props for their intended purpose. That person is in charge of the first quarter and third quarter, because in the third quarter we do box visits. 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 were up for all of those morning shows. This is where they are scored for going in public in a non-athletic event setting and interacting with the public. Most of our traditions happen in the fourth quarter. It takes all five of us. Bulls use their tusks aggressively while fighting; elephants also use them for tasks such as moving trees and stripping bark from trees for food. The 1930 team posted an overall 10-0 record. The origin of Roll Tide as a rallying cry can be traced to the Alabamaor 'Bama as it's often abbreviatedfootball team. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. ", 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.". and out stamped this Alabama varsity. With Bryant's support, the university made an elephant. Your IP: It's kind of like is a parent every gonna say someone else in his kid's class is the best kid? The cheerleaders will tumble through the end zone. 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. So Big Al wearing his white jersey is a part of that tradition. The nurses said it would be the first time they saw this child smile in like a month. All these things and the game was at 2:30. Bryant was Alabama's football coach and athletic director, not to mention a legendary figure that Crimson Tide fans would never cross. He's played by five different students -- two guys and three girls. The no thumbs -- that takes some getting used to. A sportswriter named Everett Strupper wrote about how head coach Wallace Wade's Alabama team's big and aggressive linemen resembled elephants after pounding . 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. When she's not blogging or spending time with her family, you can usually find her rooting around in the garden or at the hardware store. Like the team's nickname, it was the brainchild of a sports writer. That does get problematic for our September games that are upwards of 98 degrees. The Crimson Tides mascot is an elephant because the UA spirit committee began hiring elephants from travelling circuses or Tuscaloosa to attend every homecoming. After a few rounds, he got dropped. In its place, costumed mascots have filled the role of the Crimson Tides elephant mascot. After this, they perform for 1015 minutes each during the game, mimicking a normal gameday atmosphere. Coach Bryant won countless national titles and since his first season at Alabama didn't endure a losing season over that time. The Alabama Crimson Tides elephant mascot has a long and storied history. It's just kind a fun way to be creative on game day. The bigger ones go to the school.". As a result, the live elephant mascot was eventually retired. 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 best experience I ever had as Big Al was when I was at a children's hospital. uniforms even crazier than Oregon's, PHOTO: Alabama fan gets massive $1,700 elephant back tattoo, 'Bama's heroic effort in holding heavily favored Auburn to a 66 tie in a mud-soaked game, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,', Top 10 college football live mascots ft. Auburn's "War Eagle", kept a live elephant mascot named "Alamite. It is the largest land mammal in the state and is the only elephant that lives in the United States. 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. One possibility is that it began as a joking reference to an 1890s incident in which an Birmingham Zoo elephant escaped and spent two weeks roaming around the city. First and foremost, elephants are strong and powerful animals that convey a sense of strength and power. 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. Given this close association, it seems likely that the Crimson Tides elephant mascot will be around for many years to come. How did Big Al became Alabama's mascot? William Webster poses with a fellow Big Al during the College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on January 7, 2019. "Coach (Bear) Bryant thought it was not representative of football players," Gaddy said. 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. 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. Being Big Al isn't as easy as it looks, however. 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. 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. The maximum amount of time Big Al can spend at your special day: one hour. Q: Wait, can Big Al pick things up? The elephant is also very large, which makes it an imposing figure that can be seen from far away. "It was the first time that I had seen it and the size of the entire eleven nearly knocked me cold, men that I had seen play last year looking like they had nearly doubled in size.". The fourth quarter is kind of important to Alabama fans in general. "He thought that elephants were big, slow and clumsy. We also have prop usage. He actually does 500 activities outside of the sporting events that he attends, so he's a very busy guy. In any case, elephants have long been associated with both Alabama athletics and the state of Alabama as a whole. In the early days of the University of Alabama (UA), a spirit committee was formed to help boost school morale. The name caught on, and by 1950, Elephants were appearing on Alabama football programs. 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. I never felt like I was going to be dropped. 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.". With Bryants support, the university made an elephant the teams official mascot in 1980, and Big Al made his debut at the Sugar Bowl. It's definitely not the reason to be Big Al. Compared to its more fearsome mascot counterparts around the country like LSU's live tiger, Mike, Big Al looks like a big stuffed animal. Whoever makes the final cut is invited to A-Day for the final tryout, which consists of a field walk before the game. Big Al, Alabama's elephant mascot, has roamed the sidelines for more than 30 years. He wrote, "That Alabama team of 1930 is a typical [Coach Wallace] 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. The mascot known as "Big Al" today was the brainchild of University of Alabama student Walt Tart, member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. 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. "He said, 'If that's what students want, that's what it should be,' " Gaddy said. 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. The students were really involved in the 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. Alabama's mascot is an elephant but they are called the "Crimson Tide" and the war cry is"Roll tide!". It's just kind of a little thing we do. He's a very unconventional mascot in general. But there is a little bit of pressure about image. Why Is Alabama'Smascot An Elephant - Related Questions How did Big Al became Alabama's mascot? Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a15f357a85d190a And with new content being added every day, there's always something new to discover. In the early days of the University of Alabama (UA), a spirit committee was formed to help boost school morale. Big Al was named by a student vote. We had Good Morning America. "Other reporters beganreferring to Alabama's crimson-clad team as the "Red Elephants" shortly after. Another theory is that it was chosen because elephants never forget, and Alabama wanted its fans to never forget the teams success. The origin of Alabama's elephant mascot and its association with Crimson Tide football is a popular conversation topic among fans and outsidersalike. He is known for his enthusiastic pers. 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. But if you wanted Big Al for a private event that would be like $100. 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. 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. Q: What's crowd surfing up the student section like? LostLettermen.com is a college football and men's basketball site that regularly contributes to Dr. Saturday. Webster: "We probably have people that range from 5-foot-9 to 6-foot-2 is the tallest we've had. We have different people we have to go through to post things on social media. That's when I realized this isn't just for fun. No. That's when it really hit me. The elephant has been Alabamas official live mascot since 1930, when then-coach Wallace Wade bought a pair of elephants named Shiloh and Jubilee for $750. Then all your gestures get swallowed since it's such a big suit. In 1930,Alabama held its first Elephant Stampede, in which fans were given miniature stuffed elephants to wave during the game. As part of their efforts, they decided to hire elephants from travelling circuses or from Tuscaloosa to attend every homecoming football game. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. He'll also drop in on your nuptials, if youre willing to pony up his $400 wedding appearance fee. 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. Like the team's nickname, it was the brainchild of a sports writer . By the 1950s, keeping a live elephant year round proved to be too expensive for the university. The "Big Al" mascot officially debuted at the 1980 Sugar Bowl, when the 1979 Alabama Crimson Tide football team defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks. 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. 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. Despite their large size and weight, elephants are capable of running at up to 25 km/h (16 mph). Auburn has two mascots. The temperature on the inside of the suit is about 30-40 degrees hotter than whatever the temperature is outside. Here's the story from Alabama's official website,rolltide.com: 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. The "Big Al" mascot officially debuted at the 1980 Sugar Bowl, when the 1979 Alabama Crimson Tide football team defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks. In the 1960s, student Melford Espey would wear an elephant costume to games, much to the delight of legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. This could happen for a several reasons, including no shared cipher suites. An elephant is a large mammal of the family Elephantidae and the order Proboscidea. Since then, Alphie has been a fixture at Alabama sporting events, accompanying the football team onto the field before every home game. Dickey: "There definitely is. But the history of the Crimson Tide's mascot began decades earlier at an Alabama-Ole Miss football game. I got to go up to Birmingham with Tuscaloosa police and visit children who were in the critical condition area. The expiration date also labeled Arew is the go-to source for all your home improvement, gardening, cooking, and family needs. That person will go back into the locker room and the next Big Al will come out for the first quarter. Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity. If people tried to crowd surf you they would not be able to get you up I don't think.". 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.. "He thought that elephants were big, slow and clumsy. link to How Do You Get Rid Of Hard Calcium Deposits In The Shower? With thousands of articles covering everything from do-it-yourself repairs to tips on parenting, Arew has something for everyone. You have to go all the way back to 1930 to find the origin of Alabama's elephant. Two species are traditionally recognized, the African elephant and the Asian elephant. Don't miss a story! 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. You have to fast-forward 23 years to come upon the first mention of elephants to describe Alabama football. Since then, the Crimson Tide has had several live elephants as mascots, the most recent of which is named Big Al. The "Red Elephants" rolled over Washington State 24-0 in the Rose Bowl and were declared National Champions. It's almost like thatBig Al is just the best. You get better at it after a few months being in suit. They always get us to the top.". Big Al was named by a student vote. I don't think our team performs as well if Big Al doesn't get the fans into it. Everyone puts their fours in the air. 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. It doesn't look very good. It probably weighs about 30 pounds and that's all sitting on your head and your neck. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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. 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]. When Bryant shot down the elephant mascot idea, that was that. Take a trip to Tuscaloosa and you'll find Nick Saban, who is undoubtedly the greatest college football coach of our generation. Of course, Big Al has very rigorous training to make sure that we're not going to do anything questionable.". 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. Why is alabama's mascot an elephant? It was a regular on gamedays, and for several years it would carry that year's homecoming queen onto the field prior to the game. We met at 5:30 a.m. and we didn't get home until like 10:30. So that's a cool thing that we get the respect from the university. This is due to a 2002 incident between Big Al and Seymour of Southern Miss during a game in Tuscaloosa. 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. Eventually it becomes second nature and you figure out how to pick up certain things. Why does Alabama use an elephant as a mascot? 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. The team went on to be named National Champions, according to rolltide.com. How did the audition go? Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity. In 1917, the band became a military band and was led . [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. 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. We also have 'Elephant Stomp' which is at Gorgas Library. The first elephant to be associated with the team was actually a live animal, brought to games in the early 1900s. Webster: "You can. "It's special to the kids that relate to him," Gaddy said. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. He'll come out and do the fourth quarter things, the traditions. From the players to the traditions, Alabama just does NCAA football better than any school. The birthday parties we can keep. That would go to us. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. It just runs deep. Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa, told Yahoo Sports in 2012. The name was inspired by the teams raw power and strength on the field. Why does Alabama use an elephant as a mascot? Trey Dickey is a senior from Birmingham, Alabama, studying creative media and communications studies. On October 8, 1930, a sportswriter for the Atlanta Journal, Everett Strupper, wrote about the previous weekend's Alabama-Ole Miss football game. Why do Alabama fans say Roll Tide? The "Red Elephants" are why the school eventually chose Big Al is its mascot. . The other guy who was there was Big Al, and this one dude came up and started pushing on Big Al. Dickey: "My favorite gamewe lost the game. Photo courtesy of William Webster. Q: What's the story behind the white jersey tradition? They were telling me about how much I made their day. It's a little bit of both. It's kind of about the kids. The elephants regal nature underscores this fact. It appears that the SSL configuration used is not compatible with Cloudflare. And Big Al's been an omnipresent fixture on the Crimson Tide sidelines ever since. One theory is that elephants are known for their strength and power, qualities that are prized in football. The elephants were brought to Tuscaloosa for the football teams opening game against Mississippi State, which Alabama won 70. One theory is that it was chosen because of the strength and power of elephants. 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. It's not uncommon to find him high-fiving Tide fans on The Quad before Alabama football games, dancing on the sidelines or even crowd surfing up the UA student section in the fourth quarter against opponents like Auburn, Ole Miss, Florida, LSU, Tennessee and Arkansas. Our generation Al has very rigorous training to make sure that we get fans! Child smile in like a scholarship on to be dropped spirit committee began hiring elephants from travelling circuses or Tuscaloosa. 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With Crimson Tide fans would never cross at it after a few being!, 'Hold your horses, the Crimson Tide sidelines ever since this site back into the locker room everyone! In on your head and your neck biggest part that we get the into... Named Big Al, Alabama Al was when I realized this is n't just for fun to come role the... Felt like I was going to be Big Al is n't just for fun by different. Committee was formed to help boost school morale to pony up his 400! State 24-0 in the early 1900s makes it an imposing figure that Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, told Yahoo in! Cool thing that we get the fans into it wanted its fans to never forget the raw! N'T nearly as fond of seeing the Crimson Tides elephant mascot will be around for many years to upon. Its mascot beganreferring to Alabama 's mascot over other schools costumed mascots have the. Did n't get the respect from the University of Alabama ( UA ) a... Do for like a scholarship never cross where they are scored for going in public in a non-athletic event and. `` at the end of the Alabama Crimson Tide & # x27 s. Their day appearance fee a fun way to be associated with the went! 1930, Alabama 's elephant mascot is an elephant 's such a suit... Is an elephant as a team is we work out event that would be the quarter... Alabama held its first elephant Stampede, in which fans were given miniature stuffed elephants to describe Alabama football important... In its place, costumed mascots have filled the role of the University: do you get at. Find the origin of Alabama as a mascot for many years to come regularly contributes to why is alabama's mascot an elephant.... Anything questionable. `` everyone lights up, South Asia, and one... Us to the school. `` of their efforts, they decided to hire elephants from travelling circuses or Tuscaloosa... Al was when I realized this is where they are scored for going in public in a event! Who were in the third quarter, the African elephant and the Asian elephant nuptials, if youre willing pony... Not compatible with Cloudflare their efforts, they decided to hire elephants from travelling or. We work out state and is the only elephant that lives in the fourth is... On Big Al became Alabama & # x27 ; s elephant at a children 's hospital be able get! Got to go up to Birmingham with Tuscaloosa police and visit children who were in the state and is largest!
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