A majority of the fan base is actually caring about the game, so you can focus on the little kids and the people who really want to see Big Al. 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. Q: What was the process of becoming Big Al? One theory is that elephants are known for their strength and power, qualities that are prized in football. While the specific origin of why an elephant was chosen as Alabamas mascot is unknown, there are several theories. After a few rounds, he got dropped. The nickname stuck. Dickey: "That's actually a really funny story. Big Al, Alabama's elephant mascot, has roamed the sidelines for more than 30 years. The school still refused, however, to acknowledge the elephant as an official mascot. The Elephant Story. Why does Alabama use an elephant as a mascot? 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. "It's a pretty common question," said Ken Gaddy, Director of the Paul W. Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa. I don't know how else to put it.". It's something that people do for like a scholarship. Big Al walks into the room and everyone lights up. 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. 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. The team went on to be named National Champions, according to rolltide.com. Because those kids will be like, 'What? I'm not bulky by any means so it was never hard for people to lift me up. Coach Bryant won countless national titles and since his first season at Alabama didn't endure a losing season over that time. Dickey: "We try to keep it a secret for the most part, because we don't want to be on the Quad as Big Al and there be a bunch of kids around us and some drunk college student come and be like, 'Is that trey in there?' Q: What was your favorite game or moment as Big Al? Finally, elephants have long memories, which is a fitting metaphor for university alumni who remember their time at UA fondly. We had Good Morning America. 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. It appears that the SSL configuration used is not compatible with Cloudflare. In its place, costumed mascots have filled the role of the Crimson Tides elephant mascot. Later that afternoon, the candidates come either prepared with a minute-and-a-half skit or they can make an impromptu one at tryouts. "He thought that elephants were big, slow and clumsy. 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. Big Al is the costumed mascot of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The 1930 team posted an overall 10-0 record. But the history of the Crimson Tide's mascot began decades earlier at an Alabama-Ole Miss football game. 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. It's just a small little tradition that not a lot of people know about probably. The elephant, named John Heisman, after the famous coach, was a big hit with students and fans. Big Al was named by a student vote. 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 have a round that is just the walk. The most famous of these is probably Big Al, who has been representing the team since 1979. An elephant is a large mammal of the family Elephantidae and the order Proboscidea. You have to go all the way back to 1930 to find the origin of Alabama's elephant. The mascot known as "Big Al" today was the brainchild of University of Alabama student Walt Tart, member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. 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? ANSWER. In 1917, the band became a military band and was led . "He thought that elephants were big, slow and clumsy. I don't think our team performs as well if Big Al doesn't get the fans into it. 1 Alabama's nickname of "Crimson Tide" brings to mind the school's costumed elephant mascot, Big Al, no matter how hard you try. In 2014, the state legislature even passed a resolution officially recognizing Alphie as Alabamas state animal. It appears that the SSL configuration used is not compatible with Cloudflare. From that point, Strupper started calling Alabama the Red Elephants, and the association stuck. Finally, elephants are social animals that live in close-knit herds. Why Did Alabama Pick an Elephant as a Mascot Alabama, like most universities, chose an animal as their mascot to represent their school. We also have 'Elephant Stomp' which is at Gorgas Library. The biggest part that we do as a team is we work out. But if you wanted Big Al for a private event that would be like $100. Strupper and other writers continued to refer to the Alabama linemen as "Red Elephants," the color referring to the crimson jerseys. Even the Alabama Crimson Tide's elephant mascot, Big Al, is considered the GOAT when it comes to the big, furry friends that roam college football's sidelines. The tradition of an elephant mascot continued for many years, with . 2 The Big Al costume was first officially worn in 1979. William Webster spent four years as Big Al from 2018 to 2021. In 1930,Alabama held its first Elephant Stampede, in which fans were given miniature stuffed elephants to wave during the game. 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. When those big brutes hit you I mean you go down and stay down, often for an additional two minutes. He'll also drop in on your nuptials, if youre willing to pony up his $400 wedding appearance fee. The history of the Alabama Crimson Tides elephant mascot is a long and storied one. You can never see straight in front of you, so when we're taking pictures you always have to put the camera in that blind spot. You have to fast-forward 23 years to come upon the first mention of elephants to describe Alabama football. 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. So Big Al's suit is different from a lot of other mascots. The name caught on, and by 1950, Elephants were appearing on Alabama football programs. He's fun. Dickey: "Oh yeah, Big Al is one of my best friends. The bigger ones go to the school.". 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. Then we as the judges have to guess what he's trying to do with the props. The "Why did the elephant paint its toenails" joke has the elephant painting its nails different colors to hide in different places. The 1930 team posted an overall 10-0 record. We do get a little bit of scholarship money just because we do so much for the university. 167.114.26.66 It's almost like thatBig Al is just the best. The other guy who was there was Big Al, and this one dude came up and started pushing on Big Al. With Bryants support, the university made an elephant the teams official mascot in 1980, and Big Al made his debut at the Sugar Bowl. He was kind of drunk, so after he tapped in and hit him, I just kind of pushed him harder than he pushed Big Al -- into the wall. "Some of the mascots they're afraid of, but they're just drawn to Big Al.". Q: Do you feel like there's more pressure to be Alabama's mascot over other schools? YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. What Does the Elephant Mean in Alabama Football In Alabama football, the Red Elephants are the team's linemen. In any case, elephants have long been associated with both Alabama athletics and the state of Alabama as a whole. Compared to its more fearsome mascot counterparts around the country like LSU's live tiger, Mike, Big Al looks like a big stuffed animal. When Bryant shot down the elephant mascot idea, that was that. Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa, told Yahoo Sports in 2012. "[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. Especially considering that "Crimson Tide" entered the pantheon of Alabama traditions long before elephants did. The "Red Elephants" rolled over Washington State 24-0 in the Rose Bowl and were declared National Champions. 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. And with new content being added every day, there's always something new to discover. For Ole Miss was truly battling the big boys for every inch of ground. The students were really involved in the game. Dickey: "The tryout for Big Al -- he's a very creative guy. Alabama's elephant mascot is known as "Big Al". He has a signature, so we practice the signature and teach it to other people. The fact that he's an elephant, it's just not something you see very often. The first elephant to represent the Crimson Tide was actually a live animal, brought to games to lead the team onto the field. That was not the image of his players he wanted to portray.". Webster: "We probably have people that range from 5-foot-9 to 6-foot-2 is the tallest we've had. The tradition of an elephant mascot continued for many years, with various live animals appearing at games and even marching in parades. 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. Thankfully part of Big Al's character is being clumsy. What is Alabama's football mascot? Crimson Tide fans are okay with that. He's a very unconventional mascot in general. In the early 1930s, when the University started associating an elephant with its brand, the elephant was called Alamite. It doesn't look very good. I got to go up to Birmingham with Tuscaloosa police and visit children who were in the critical condition area. Since then, the Crimson Tides elephant mascot has been represented in a variety of ways, from costumed mascots to cartoon characters. He's played by five different students -- two guys and three girls. ", 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. It's not an obvious type of thing.". Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a15f357a85d190a Big Al wears a white jersey for the fourth quarter of football games. You get to make everyone's day. 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. You won't know what the props are beforehand. Whoever makes the final cut is invited to A-Day for the final tryout, which consists of a field walk before the game. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). In addition, the large size of the elephant makes it easily visible and recognizable, even from a distance. Q: Who's the best mascot in college football? 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. We also have prop usage. Today it explains the meaning behind Alabama's elephant mascot. The first day consists of an interview and clinic, where the candidates learn to emulate the character and walk of Big Al. You get better at it after a few months being in suit. "We get it a lot from people not familiar with Alabama. 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. This mirrors the close bond that exists between members of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team and its fans. 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. 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. That's when it really hit me. There's pressure in doing the right thing and making sure Big Al is a positive image for the university, but it's also kind of relaxing having a good football team. It shut out eight opponents and allowed only 13 points all season while scoring 217. That was probably one of the coolest experiences I had as Big Al. Definitely doing those workouts and making sure you stay in shape is a huge deal. This is due to a 2002 incident between Big Al and Seymour of Southern Miss during a game in Tuscaloosa. Q: Are people allowed to know that you're Big Al? We had SEC Nation. Performance & security by Cloudflare. 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. As part of their efforts, they decided to hire elephants from travelling circuses or from Tuscaloosa to attend every homecoming football game. The second day consists of more clinic, as well as being judged on the walk and participating in a band cheer. How big is a mammoth compared to 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. [5] Student Hugh Dye earned the honor to bring "Big Al" back to life in New Orleans, followed by Kent Howard and Maury Smith to kick off the inaugural 1980 season and roam the sidelines.[6]. It just runs deep. [3], In the early 1960s, Melford Espey, Jr., then a student, was the first to wear an elephant head costume to portray the Crimson Tide's unofficial mascot. 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. How much does a 8 week old cocker spaniel weight? "He thought that elephants were big, slow and clumsy. Q: OK, what's it like wearing that suit? 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. A self-taught DIYer, Tammy loves nothing more than tackling a new project in her own home. The Million Dollar Band, the University of Alabama's marching band, was founded in 1912 with 14 members under the direction of Dr. Gustav Wittig. Big Al never stops moving, and so that is a huge aspect of who he is.". Webster: "You can. "At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow. Eventually it becomes second nature and you figure out how to pick up certain things. The origin of the mascot dates back to 1930. Then we have a conditioning test that shows you can handle exerting a certain amount of energy in the suit for an hour.". That does get problematic for our September games that are upwards of 98 degrees. "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. 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. The first shift is Quad. So Big Al throughout the day is a different person and we're not all trying to do game day by ourselves. elephants are also known for their loyalty, which is another trait that makes them well-suited to being a mascot for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Each candidate performs their skits for a score, and then there is a final cut before A-Day. Dickey: "We usually have five people who are I think we call it 'Pals of Al,' and they are the ones who portray him at football, basketball, women's basketball, volleyball and the other activities throughout the year. Tammy Slater is the founder of arew.org, a home and garden blog that provides inspiration and resources for homeowners and renters alike. From that point, Strupper started calling Alabama the Red Elephants, and the association stuck. Q: Something tells me Big Al is pretty busy on Saturdays. So that's kind of looking for the creativity part. 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. ", 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. They were telling me about how much I made their day. Auburn has two mascots. Pregame, you're in charge of marching the band out on to the field. The biggest thing is that we're viewed as student-athletes. "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.". 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! That person is in charge of the first quarter and third quarter, because in the third quarter we do box visits. However, elephants featured prominently to gameday tradition long before this point. Bryant was Alabama's football coach and athletic director, not to mention a legendary figure that Crimson Tide fans would never cross. Strupper and other writers continued to refer to the Alabama linemen as "Red Elephants," the color referring to the crimson jerseys. I'm here to make Big Al proud.' From there, we drive back to the stadium and the next person gets in the suit. Is Alabama's mascot an elephant? 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. 1 Answer ANSWER The story of how Alabama became associated with the "elephant" goes back to the 1930 season when Coach Wallace Wade had assembled a great football team. He is currently owned by the University of Alabama and cared for by a staff of veterinarians. What gives? 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. It's definitely not the reason to be Big Al. Bulls use their tusks aggressively while fighting; elephants also use them for tasks such as moving trees and stripping bark from trees for food. "Once that's over, he runs the team out. That's a lot of weight on your neck. Over the years, the elephant has become more than just a symbol of the Crimson Tide; it has become an icon of college football. [Related: Top 10 college football live mascots ft. Auburn's "War Eagle"]. As part of their efforts, they decided to hire . How Do You Get Rid Of Hard Calcium Deposits In The Shower? It shut out eight opponents and allowed only 13 points all season while. 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. Photo courtesy of William Webster. 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 elephant is also very large, which makes it an imposing figure that can be seen from far away. The Alabama elephant is the state animal of Alabama. 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Probably Big Al wears a white jersey for the fourth quarter of football games from 5-foot-9 to 6-foot-2 the... [ Related: Top 10 college football live mascots ft. Auburn 's `` War Eagle ]... Especially considering that `` Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, told Yahoo Sports in 2012 the... Of Big Al & quot ; he thought that elephants are social animals that in. Spaniel weight from costumed mascots have filled the role of the University started an... Elephants from travelling circuses or from Tuscaloosa to attend every homecoming football.!
