Former Alabama coach Paul Bear Bryant died 30 years ago Saturday, Jan. 26. Many Tide fans and even SEC fans can tell you where they were when they heard the news. Bryant’s memory is still very much alive in the minds of Tide fans and all across the state of Alabama.
Crimson Tide fans are criticized for living in the past by trying to hire a coach who was the second coming of Bryant. They might have one now in Nick Saban. What is perceived as Alabama’s great weakness is also its greatest strength, meaning they might have to go through a laundry list of coaches until they find another Bryant in their pursuit of excellence. Ask a Tide fan today and they will tell you that the wait was worth it after winning three of four national titles.
Bryant has to be on every coaching Mount Rushmore for SEC fans. Saban is probably a recently addition to the Mount Rushmore, along with Steve Spurrier, who like Bryant, has been one of the great agents for change in SEC history. Bryant won six national titles and easily could have won two more in 1966 and 1977, but the media voted for Notre Dame to win the titles instead of Alabama. Little wonder why Tide fans enjoyed the recent BSC title win over the Irish.
Bryant was a flawed human being, but his ex-players and coaches will tell anyone that he was the greatest influence on their life. He was a disciplinarian, but was also fair. Bryant was also an innovator. He went to his friend Darrell K. Royal after the 1970 season to gather information on the wishbone formation. Bryant not only adopted the wishbone as his offense, but he also added an effective passing attack to it.
Bryant’s fingerprints are all over the Alabama campus. His memory will forever be kept alive by adoring fans and former players. Even 30 years later, he is still considered the greatest coach in SEC and college football history. Alabama and SEC fans will remember him this weekend with a sense of reverence reserved for a coach of his stature.
NO LABOR DAY NIGHT GAME: The Georgia at Clemson opening game rumored to be Labor Day night will not happen. USA Today’s Dan Wolken reported that the Bulldogs’ season-opening game against Clemson could be moved to Monday for a special Labor Day night matchup. Wolken tweeted that he had been told that by the Clemson coach himself: “Dabo Swinney told me the Clemson-Georgia game to open next season could end up on Monday night.”
According to AJC. com, the two schools have a contract to play the game on August 31st in Clemson and would need to amend it to play on any other date. The paper also reached out to Georgia Athletic Director Greg McGarity to see if the story had any legs. “That’s not an option, even if it was an option,” McGarity said. “There’s been no discussion about that at all.”
The real problem with a Labor Day night game would be that Georgia plays divisional foe South Carolina the following Saturday. A more realistic possibility for Georgia would be moving the Clemson game to an earlier date such as Thursday, Aug. 29, or Friday the 30th. ACC schools will unveil their football schedule in the next few weeks. The Bulldogs and Tigers might be the best game of the ACC’s first weekend, but just not on Labor Day Night.
AUBURN: According www.al.com, a trio of junior college transfers–running back Cameron Artis-Payne, guard Devonte Danzey (6-foot-3, 285) and defensive tackle Ben Bradley– all enrolled at Auburn during this month. Bradley (6-3, 315 pounds) had 43 tackles, five sacks and 9.5 tackles-for-loss for Hutchinson (Kansas) last year. Artis-Payne (5-11, 210 pounds) rushed for 2,048 yards and 25 touchdowns on 261 carries as a sophomore at Allan Hancock Community College in Santa Maria, Calif. last year to break the school records for single-season yardage, single-season touchdowns and career yardage.
FLORIDA: Former South Carolina assistant coach Brad Lawing, who has coached for 33 years, is a good hire for coach Will Muschamp as the defensive line coach and assistant head coach. The vacancy came open after Dan Quinn left for the same position with the Seattle Seahawks. Muschamp promoted linebackers coach D.J. Durkin to defensive coordinator. Lawing had already spent 17 years with the Gamecocks on two separate occasions. South Carolina immediately hired from North Carolina defensive line coach Deke Adams to replace Lawing.
GEORGIA: Marc Weiszer reported that Bulldog offensive tackle John Theus had surgery this week to repair a broken bone in his right foot. He will miss at least part of spring practice according to the school’s media relations. Theus, who is from Jacksonville, Fla., had a solid freshman season.
OLE MISS: Per the Clarion Ledger, Senquez Golson will not play baseball for Ole Miss in 2013. Instead, the sophomore will focus on football. Golson was selected in the eighth round of the 2011 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox. He turned down a reported $1.2 million signing bonus from the Red Sox in order to play both sports at Ole Miss. Golson hit only .204 with 10 strikeouts in 54 at-bats last spring. He played in 22 games before academic concerns limited his season. In football, Golson tied for the team lead with three interceptions. He played in all 12 games, started six and had 36 tackles.
LSU: According to www.espn.com, Priest Willis (6-foot-2, 200 pounds), a nationally ranked safety from Tempe (Ariz.) Marcos De Niza chose UCLA over LSU. Willis is ranked in the top 100 by all four major recruiting services, topping out at No. 41 according to Scout, which rates him as a five-star prospect. Regardless, LSU will end up with a top 15 recruiting class.
TENNESSEE: Vol fans may not be happy to know that Charlie Strong will receive an 8-year deal worth $3.7 million a year. Strong turned Tennessee down to stay at Louisville. His team beat Florida in the Sugar Bowl. Brett McMurphy of CBSSports.com reported that Strong will be nation’s 7th-highest paid coach, trailing only Alabama’s Nick Saban, Texas Mack Brown, Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops, Ohio State’s Urban Meyer, LSU’s Les Miles and Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz.
FLORIDA STATE: FSU offensive coordinator James Coley has accepted an offer to go to Miami for the same position and a $500,000 salary offer, per the Orlando Sentinel. Why would Coley make a lateral move? He has Miami roots and he will be able to call offensive plays in Coral Gables.
GREEN EXCELLING: Florida State commitment Ryan Green, who is from St. Pete Catholic High school, scored his 1,000th point recently in basketball to compliment his 3,000-plus rushing yards in football.
VIRGINIA: This is how not to enjoy your official recruiting visit. According to the www.timesdispatchcom, the Cavaliers’ top recruit was arrested early Sunday morning. Running back Taquan Mizzell of Virginia Beach, Virginia’s first five-star recruit since 2005, was charged with underage possession of alcohol. Mizzell was hosted on his official visit by fellow Tidewater standout Eli Harold, a freshman defensive end who was celebrating his 19th birthday on Sunday. The NCAA allows current players to host recruits once, to give the prospects an indication of local night life. The charge isn’t expected to affect Mizzell’s ability to play for the Cavs.