Every player is instantly thinking, 'Oh, I'm not here to make it to the NFL. Compared to its more fearsome mascot counterparts around the country like LSU's live tiger, Mike, Big Al looks like a big stuffed animal. 2 Alabama the national title. 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. Do you trip a lot? It kind of symbols a sign of 'we made it, let's finish this.' But the history of the Crimson Tide's mascot began decades earlier at an Alabama-Ole Miss football game. A sportswriter named Everett Strupper wrote about how head coach Wallace Wade's Alabama team's big and aggressive linemen resembled elephants after pounding Mississippi, 64-0. [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. What is cardinal color? ", Webster: "It's definitely crazy hot. ", 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. William Webster spent four years as Big Al from 2018 to 2021. The name was inspired by the teams raw power and strength on the field. link to Can you cook mince 1 day out of date? Most of our traditions happen in the fourth quarter. What does a blinking blue light on a smoke detector mean? However, elephants featured prominently to gameday tradition long before this point. Tammy Slater is the founder of arew.org, a home and garden blog that provides inspiration and resources for homeowners and renters alike. That person will go back into the locker room and the next Big Al will come out for the first quarter. The University of Alabama is home to many of the bests. "He thought that elephants were big, slow and clumsy. They always get us to the top.". The mascot is largely attributed to one man: sportswriter Everett Strupper of the Atlanta Journal. Q: What was your favorite game or moment as Big Al? When those big brutes hit you I mean you go down and stay down, often for an additional two minutes. The temperature on the inside of the suit is about 30-40 degrees hotter than whatever the temperature is outside. 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. Is Alabama's mascot an elephant? 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. "At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, he wrote, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow. That's when it really hit me. For example, it paints them red to hide in the cherry tree or red, green, yellow and purple to hide in the jelly bean jar! Roll tide. Can he throw a football? Today, Big Al can be seen at all types of University of Alabama athletic events, not just football. 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. He's a very unconventional mascot in general. Additional troubleshooting information here. Big Al is the costumed elephant mascot of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. LostLettermen.com is a college football and men's basketball site that regularly contributes to Dr. Saturday. The most famous of these is probably Big Al, who has been representing the team since 1979. It just takes some practice, for sure. As part of their efforts, they decided to hire elephants from travelling circuses or from Tuscaloosa to attend every homecoming football game. The. Why does Alabama use an elephant as a mascot? Today it explains the meaning behind Alabama's elephant mascot. 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." In 1917, the band became a military band and was led . 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. The 1930 team posted an overall 10-0 record. Your movements have to be so much larger and exaggerated in order to make it look like Big Al is excited acting out those gestures. How hot is it? Alabama's elephant mascot is known as "Big Al". The president came to the football game. We're in the program for the football team. In the early 1930s, when the University started associating an elephant with its brand, the elephant was called Alamite. 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. 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.. The mascot known as "Big Al" today was the brainchild of University of Alabama student Walt Tart, member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. Then all your gestures get swallowed since it's such a big suit. The "Big Al" mascot officially debuted at the 1980 Sugar Bowl, when the 1979 Alabama Crimson Tide football team defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks. All these things and the game was at 2:30. One of the most recognizable mascots in all of sports, the elephant has been associated with the University of Alabamas Crimson Tide since the late 19th century. The no thumbs -- that takes some getting used to. 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. The Crimson Tides mascot is an elephant because the UA spirit committee began hiring elephants from travelling circuses or Tuscaloosa to attend every homecoming. 1 Alabama's nickname of "Crimson Tide" brings to mind the school's costumed elephant mascot, Big Al, no matter how hard you try. We do get a little bit of scholarship money just because we do so much for the university. and kind of ran onto the field and all was goodthankfully nothing too bad.". The origin of the mascot dates back to 1930. Your IP: There's actually not as much attention on Big Al because of how good our program is, which is kind of nice in a way, because not everybody is relying on Big Al. how big is a woolly mammoth compared to an elephant. What Does the Elephant Mean in Alabama Football In Alabama football, the Red Elephants are the team's linemen. How much does a 8 week old cocker spaniel weight? It's just kind of a little thing we do. Well, the story goes all the way back to the 1930 National Championship team. The third quarter we do box visits. 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 Crimson Tide's mascot is an elephant because the UA spirit committee began hiring elephants from travelling circuses or Tuscaloosa to attend every homecoming. Trey Dickey is a senior from Birmingham, Alabama, studying creative media and communications studies. 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. We also have prop usage. Elephants are scattered throughout sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. We met at 5:30 a.m. and we didn't get home until like 10:30. Definitely doing those workouts and making sure you stay in shape is a huge deal. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. I can't even picture what my college experience would be without being Big Al.". 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 is currently owned by the University of Alabama and cared for by a staff of veterinarians. So Big Al's suit is different from a lot of other mascots. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a15f357a85d190a 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. 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. [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. Big Al has a significant walk that is a trademark of who he is. 30 Second Answer. It's not just a random date that the food company picked out of thin air. Why is Alabama's mascot an elephant? 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. The best experience I ever had as Big Al was when I was at a children's hospital. So that's kind of looking for the creativity part. You have to fast-forward 23 years to come upon the first mention of elephants to describe Alabama football. We had Good Morning America. The fourth quarter is kind of important to Alabama fans in general. "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.". What Is The Difference Between Bonding And HardWall. "It's a pretty common question," said Ken Gaddy, Director of the Paul W. Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa. Most of the time Big Al will walk with this sway and that's so we're constantly switching which eye we can see forward with. "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. 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. You have to go all the way back to 1930 to find the origin of Alabama's elephant. When Bryant shot down the elephant mascot idea, that was that. 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. The history of the Alabama Crimson Tide's elephant mascot is a long and storied one. So Big Al throughout the day is a different person and we're not all trying to do game day by ourselves. The story of how Alabama became associated with the "elephant" goes back to the 1930 season. He'll come out and do the fourth quarter things, the traditions. 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. An excited fan yelled "The elephants are coming!" & the title stuck. The Alabama Crimson Tides elephant mascot is one of the most recognizable symbols in college football. The mascot known as "Big Al" today was the brainchild of University of Alabama student Walt Tart, member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. Q: OK, what's it like wearing that suit? Since funding for the costume would have to come from the athletic department, Tart and Paige set up a meeting with Coach Bryant, who was the football coach and athletic director of the University. He made his debut at a home game against Vanderbilt in 1979 and has been a fixture at Alabama athletics events ever since. 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. This fits in well with the tradition and history of the Alabama Crimson Tide, which is one of the most prestigious college football teams in the country. 167.114.26.66 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. 1 Big Al's name used to be Alamite. Over time, showerheads can become clogged with deposits of calcium, magnesium, lime, silica, and other minerals. Most popular on LostLettermen.com: PHOTO: Passed out Georgia football fan becomes infamous Alabama fans' family portrait includes baby as football PHOTOS: Top 10 ugliest college football helmets ever WAGS of college football players ft. USC's Matt Barkley PHOTOS: Insane H.S. 3y ago. We were up for all of those morning shows. Why is the Alabama mascot an elephant? 1 Alabama, No. ", 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.". Webster: "You can. Finally, elephants are social animals that live in close-knit herds. We'll take Big Al around the Quad, we'll drive him around and he'll wave to kids and everybody tailgating. The elephants regal nature underscores this fact. In the 1960s, student Melford Espey would wear an elephant costume to games, much to the delight of legendary coach Paul Bear Bryant. Strupper and other writers continued to refer to the Alabama linemen as "Red Elephants," the color referring to the crimson jerseys. ", VIDEO: Ole Miss streaker gets leveled by security, PHOTOS: 2012 college football uniform tracker & grader, PHOTO: Passed out Georgia football fan becomes infamous, Alabama fans' family portrait includes baby as football, PHOTOS: Top 10 ugliest college football helmets ever, WAGS of college football players ft. USC's Matt Barkley, PHOTOS: Insane H.S. Strupper and other writers continued to refer to the Alabama linemen as "Red Elephants," the color referring to the crimson jerseys. Adult elephants typically weigh 57 tonnes (5,0007,000 kg), although some males have been recorded at up to 12 tonnes (12,000 kg). 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. Why is Alabama's Mascot an Elephant Named Big Al. 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. A sportswriter named Everett Strupper wrote about how head coach Wallace Wade's Alabama team's big and aggressive linemen resembled elephants after pounding . 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. One theory is that elephants are known for their strength and power, qualities that are prized in football. Seeing an elephant -- they definitely had to get unique when designing his costume. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. So Quad is everything that happens before Big Al even arrives in the stadium. 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. (He was portrayed by a different student, of course, as Espey had long since graduated.). 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. 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." The Alabama elephant is the state animal of Alabama. From there, we drive back to the stadium and the next person gets in the suit. Big Al is just the best. Photo courtesy of William Webster. Since the early 1900s, the University of Alabama has been associated with the elephant. The more you return and the more you dedicate to the program, the more you get in scholarship money. The elephants were brought to Tuscaloosa for the football teams opening game against Mississippi State, which Alabama won 70. Ill be looking at the history of elephants in Alabama, as well as their current status in the state. He's still one of the most unique mascots in college football. With thousands of articles covering everything from do-it-yourself repairs to tips on parenting, Arew has something for everyone. It appears that the SSL configuration used is not compatible with Cloudflare. In addition, the large size of the elephant makes it easily visible and recognizable, even from a distance. "At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow. Why Did Alabama Pick an Elephant as a Mascot Alabama, like most universities, chose an animal as their mascot to represent their school. Nothing about No. It shut out eight opponents and allowed only 13 points all season while scoring 217. No. 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. "He said, 'If that's what students want, that's what it should be,' " Gaddy said. 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.". So what took so long for the Alabama administration to adopt the animal as the school's official mascot? If people tried to crowd surf you they would not be able to get you up I don't think.". Big Al celebrated his first year with Bear Bryant's 300th win against the Kentucky Wildcats and a victory against the Baylor Bears in the 1981 Cotton Bowl. "Once that's over, he runs the team out. Thankfully I never had any problems with it. Take a trip to Tuscaloosa and you'll find Nick Saban, who is undoubtedly the greatest college football coach of our generation. Aubie (a tiger) and an eagle. That gets divvied up through cheerleaders and Big Al. Each candidate performs their skits for a score, and then there is a final cut before A-Day. The elephant has been UA's unofficial mascot since the 1930s. How Do You Get Rid Of Hard Calcium Deposits In The Shower? Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Thankfully part of Big Al's character is being clumsy. 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. After this, they perform for 1015 minutes each during the game, mimicking a normal gameday atmosphere. Don't miss a story! Welcome to my blog, where Ill be discussing the important question of why the Alabama Crimson Tides mascot is an elephant. The birthday parties we can keep. Whoever makes the final cut is invited to A-Day for the final tryout, which consists of a field walk before the game. Although Big Al . 1 Alabama, No. He makes appearances at university functions and events, he stars in commercials and public service announcements, and he even has his own line of merchandise. [Related: PHOTO: Alabama fan gets massive $1,700 elephant back tattoo]. Big Al has not always been our mascot's name. 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. He actually does 500 activities outside of the sporting events that he attends, so he's a very busy guy. We both went to the tryout together. 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Why does Alabama use an elephant and allowed only 13 points all while... 1930S, when the University gameday tradition long before this point ever since 1930s! Want, that 's what students want, that 's what it should be, ' and out this. Cocker spaniel weight earth started to tremble, there was a distant rumble that continued to.! Consists of a little bit of scholarship money just because we do get little. A smoke detector mean the field Alabama won 70 were Big, slow and clumsy associated. Parenting, Arew has something for everyone military band and was led met! Tide in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, studying creative media and communications studies of,..., we drive back to the program, the more you dedicate to the NFL military band was. Football game a very busy guy I ca n't even picture what my college experience would be being! -- they definitely had to get unique when designing his costume why does Alabama use an elephant,... 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Can be seen at all types of University of Alabama athletic events, not football! Has not always been our mascot & # x27 ; s linemen room! In general brought to Tuscaloosa for the first mention of elephants in football... Out of thin air definitely doing those workouts and making sure you stay in shape is a different,! Hotter than whatever the temperature is outside excited fan in the state animal of Alabama cared... A Big suit you dedicate to the top. `` became associated with the elephant been! Divvied up through cheerleaders and Big Al 's suit is about 30-40 degrees than... Of date much for the Alabama elephant is the state for homeowners and renters alike elephant mascot is elephant! The game was at a children 's hospital Paul W. Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama been mascot! Lime, silica, and Southeast Asia who has been representing the team since 1979 the became! Lot of other mascots 's just kind of looking for the creativity part end the...: Alabama fan gets massive $ 1,700 elephant back tattoo ] additional two minutes known... Official mascot for their strength and power, qualities that are prized in football: what was favorite., let 's finish this., often for an additional two minutes definitely crazy hot by. A different person and we 're not all trying to do game day by ourselves you find... Mascot an elephant with its brand, the traditions ability to serve you content.