In its place, costumed mascots have filled the role of the Crimson Tides elephant mascot. how big is a woolly mammoth compared to an elephant. In the 1960s, student Melford Espey would wear an elephant costume to games, much to the delight of legendary coach Paul Bear Bryant. That was probably one of the coolest experiences I had as Big Al. The fact that he's an elephant, it's just not something you see very often. In 1917, the band became a military band and was led . Strupper and other writers continued to refer to the Alabama linemen as "Red Elephants," the color referring to the crimson jerseys. If it's a close game he won't body surf, because we don't wanna count our chickens.". He's played by five different students -- two guys and three girls. Elephantidae is the only surviving family of the order Proboscidea; other, now extinct, members of the order include deinotheres, gomphotheres, mammoths, and mastodons. "Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity. After box visits, Big Al will come back in a white jersey. 1 . The fourth quarter is kind of important to Alabama fans in general. Each candidate performs their skits for a score, and then there is a final cut before A-Day. For Ole Miss was truly battling the big boys for every inch of ground. Webster: "We probably have people that range from 5-foot-9 to 6-foot-2 is the tallest we've had. "We get it a lot from people not familiar with Alabama. Auburn has two mascots. That's really the payment. It just runs deep. Big Al was named by a student vote. The elephant, named John Heisman, after the famous coach, was a big hit with students and fans. From that point, Strupper started calling Alabama the Red Elephants, and the association stuck. I'm here to make Big Al proud.' He is one of the most popular mascots in college sports and was even named national champion by the Universal Cheerleaders Association in 2003. We have five different assignments for every game day split between all five of us. If people tried to crowd surf you they would not be able to get you up I don't think.". 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. 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. How hot is it? 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. "Coach (Bear) Bryant thought it was not representative of football players," Gaddy said. In 1960, an official mascot named Alphie the Elephant made his debut at a home game against Georgia Tech. Roll tide. The band will form an elephant on the field and Big Al will march them down the field. [8], Big Al is sometimes joined by a female counterpart, an elephant named "Big Alice," at athletics events.[9]. 167.114.26.66 ", 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.". An elephant is a large mammal of the family Elephantidae and the order Proboscidea. Because those kids will be like, 'What? Needless to say, Alabama opponents in the SEC aren't nearly as fond of seeing the Crimson Tide's elephant mascot. LostLettermen.com is a college football and men's basketball site that regularly contributes to Dr. Saturday. Since its inception in the early twentieth century, the Alabama Crimson Tides elephant mascot has been a source of pride and joy for the teams fans. Dickey: "Big Al has a very unconventional suit. This isn't just something that people come to the tryout to be Big Al for two days. They always get us to the top.". 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. Since you see out of the corner of your eyes the way they push you up you can see yourself on the screen whenever they put you on the screen. The next person's assignment is pregame and halftime. What that is is we'll have a room with three random props in it. Henry "Zipp" Newman, who became the sports editor of the Birmingham News at the age of 25, helped popularize the nickname. The Alabama elephant is the state animal of Alabama. Even though the elephant served as a symbol for the team, it took decades for the Big Al mascot to come to fruition. The origin of Alabama's elephant mascot and its association with Crimson Tide football is a popular conversation topic among fans and outsidersalike. Big Al is a life-sized elephant costume that is worn by a student at University of Alabama home football games. Q: Do you feel like there's more pressure to be Alabama's mascot over other schools? 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. That does get problematic for our September games that are upwards of 98 degrees. If you've ever wondered what it's like to put on the suit that practically doubles as a furnace, look no further. 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. 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 "Big Al" mascot officially debuted at the 1979 Sugar Bowl, when the 1979 Alabama Crimson Tide football team defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks. I can't even picture what my college experience would be without being Big Al.". It appears that the SSL configuration used is not compatible with Cloudflare. The tradition of using an elephant as a mascot has continued ever since. One theory is that elephants are known for their strength and power, qualities that are prized in football. That's when it really hit me. Every April during the weekend of the A-Day spring football game, there is a three-day tryout process for UA students who want to become Big Al. 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. 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 elephant in the room going into the Arkansas Razorbacks' 1 p.m. Saturday showdown with No. He is currently owned by the University of Alabama and cared for by a staff of veterinarians. Another theory is that it was chosen because elephants never forget, and Alabama wanted its fans to never forget the teams success. uniforms even crazier than Oregon's. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The history of the Alabama Crimson Tides elephant mascot is a long and storied one. Your IP: Why is Alabama's mascot an elephant? The story of how Alabama became associated with the "elephant" goes back to the 1930 season when Coach Wallace Wade had assembled a great football team. The school still refused, however, to acknowledge the elephant as an official mascot. 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 had Good Morning America. ", Webster: "I think it's on the website too but if a corporate company wants Big Al its $400 to the university. But there is a little bit of pressure about image. 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. It just takes some practice, for sure. Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity. The tradition continues to this day, with fans often bringing their own elephants to games or buying them from vendors outside the stadium. The expiration date on food is there for a reason. The origin of the mascot dates back to 1930. It is the largest land mammal in the state and is the only elephant that lives in the United States. 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Dickey: "There definitely is. Why does Alabama use an elephant as a mascot? Alabama's elephant mascot is known as "Big Al". They play the Green Day song ["Basket Case"]. Cloudflare is unable to establish an SSL connection to the origin server. It shut out eight opponents and allowed only 13 points all season while scoring 217. 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. Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming!' That's kind of where the trunk and the nose is. 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. So we have to pass a conditioning test to prove we have the athletic stamina to be Big Al. 1 Alabama, No. It's kind of about the kids. 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. We also have prop usage. The Alabama elephant is the state animal of Alabama. 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. Despite their large size and weight, elephants are capable of running at up to 25 km/h (16 mph). However, elephants featured prominently to gameday tradition long before this point. If there are enough students in the student section and we're ahead by enough points, Big Al will body surf up the student section, and that's always a fun experience. 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. 30 Second Answer. Over the years, the elephant has become more than just a symbol of the Crimson Tide; it has become an icon of college football. Q: I guess Big Al can't be too heavy then Webster: "Yeah, there was one year that this guy tried out who was 6-foot-7. Today it explains the meaning behind Alabama's elephant mascot. Q: Are people allowed to know that you're Big Al? William Webster spent four years as Big Al from 2018 to 2021. Like the team's nickname, it was the brainchild of a sports writer . You get to make everyone's day. Dickey: "I'm not actually sure why, but it's just always been the thing that Big Al does. Well, the story goes all the way back to the 1930 National Championship team. "Once that's over, he runs the team out. [Related: VIDEO: Ole Miss streaker gets leveled by security]. 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. 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. Finally, elephants have long memories, which is a fitting metaphor for university alumni who remember their time at UA fondly. What gives? ", Webster: "It's definitely crazy hot. Strupper and other writers continued to refer to the Alabama linemen as "Red Elephants," the color referring to the crimson jerseys. We also have 'Elephant Stomp' which is at Gorgas Library. The Bear led Alabama to an amazing 24 straight bowl games, including eight Sugar Bowls and multiple Cotton Bowls and Gator Bowls. He's a very unconventional mascot in general. ", 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. None of us even have close to a full scholarship. The bigger ones go to the school.". Today, Big Al can be seen at all types of University of Alabama athletic events, not just football. 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. Whoever makes the final cut is invited to A-Day for the final tryout, which consists of a field walk before the game. So Quad is everything that happens before Big Al even arrives in the stadium. A young woman attending the ball decided to wear crimson to match those colors. Strupper and other writers continued to refer to the Alabama linemen as "Red Elephants," the color referring to the crimson jerseys. The man who Bryant tasked with spearheading Big Al's creation was none other than Espey, who by that time was working as an Alabama administrator. Ill be looking at the history of elephants in Alabama, as well as their current status in the state. A sportswriter named Everett Strupper wrote about how head coach Wallace Wade's Alabama team's big and aggressive linemen resembled elephants after pounding . So within that sort of height. The Crimson Tides mascot is an elephant because the UA spirit committee began hiring elephants from travelling circuses or Tuscaloosa to attend every homecoming. "He thought that elephants were big, slow and clumsy. 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. It's the interactions you get to have with people in other circumstances you would never get to meet. Q: I'm guessing you fell in love with 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. and out stamped this Alabama varsity. What gives? Since then, the Crimson Tide has had several live elephants as mascots, the most recent of which is named Big Al. The elephant is also very large, which makes it an imposing figure that can be seen from far away. It's not an obvious type of thing.". It appears that the SSL configuration used is not compatible with Cloudflare. Dickey: "The tryout for Big Al -- he's a very creative guy. There are a few theories about why Alabama chose an elephant as its mascot. 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. Thankfully I never had any problems with it. The maximum amount of time Big Al can spend at your special day: one hour. How Do You Get Rid Of Hard Calcium Deposits In The Shower? In any case, elephants have long been associated with both Alabama athletics and the state of Alabama as a whole. One possibility is that it was simply a natural extension of the already-existing elephant nickname. That would go to us. 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! The more you return and the more you dedicate to the program, the more you get in scholarship money. 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. Compared to its more fearsome mascot counterparts around the country like LSU's live tiger, Mike, Big Al looks like a big stuffed animal. Elephants are scattered throughout sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. There are several reasons why this is so. Being Big Al isn't as easy as it looks, however. 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. And finally, elephants are also known for their long memories, which is fitting given that university alumni are often referred to as old elephants.. So Big Al throughout the day is a different person and we're not all trying to do game day by ourselves. 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. 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 all your gestures get swallowed since it's such a big suit. Pregame, you're in charge of marching the band out on to the field. It's a little bit of both. It's just kind of a little thing we do. He actually does 500 activities outside of the sporting events that he attends, so he's a very busy guy. And in the early 1960s, Alabama student Melford Espey went the extra mile and dressed up as the animal to cheer on his beloved team. "It's a pretty common question," said Ken Gaddy, Director of the Paul W. Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa. From the players to the traditions, Alabama just does NCAA football better than any school. 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. Band will form an elephant as a mascot Big, slow and.... Way back to 1930 there for a score, and Alabama wanted its fans to never forget, and association. Because the UA spirit committee began hiring elephants from travelling circuses or Tuscaloosa to attend every homecoming one is... 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