I Remember Paul "Bear" Bryant

by Browning, Al

• ISBN13: 9781581821598
• ISBN10: 158182159X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-08-01
• Publisher: Cumberland House

Summary

Paul Bear" Bryant was arguably the greatest football coach in the history of college football. Beloved by fans of the Alabama Crimson Tide, by the time he retired from coaching following the 1982 season, his teams had won 323 games, a feat unmatched by any coach in college football history. Before arriving in Tuscaloosa, he had coached at Maryland, Kentucky, and Texas A&M; his teams at Alabama won six national championships and thirteen Southeastern Conference titles. On July 17, 1981, Coach Bryant sat in his office at Memorial Coliseum reminiscing with sports columnist Al Browning of the Tuscaloosa News. Contemplating the twilight of his career, he calmly said, "They'll forget me as soon as I croak and am buried". When Browning objected, Coach smiled slightly and said, "No, that's the way it is. Life moves on, and people find interest in other things". While Bryant's memory may have faded slightly, he certainly has not been forgotten, and I Remember Paul "Bear" Bryant is a glowing testimony to the love that those who knew him best continue to have for him to this day. Here dozens of his contemporaries, former players, childhood friends, family, competitors, opponents, and his "boys" offer in their own words their favorite memories of this man they loved so much. They recall ordinary moments as well as extraordinary ones; they recall moments of joyful victory and bitter defeat; they recall memories of the gridiron discipline he dished out and the thoughtful, helpful guidance he offered to his players, even long after they had graduated and gone on to their own careers. While Bryant has moved on from this life, he has not been forgotten, and the personal memories included in IRemember Paul "Bear" Bryant proves it beyond doubt. "

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Acknowledgments	xi
Introduction	xiii
The Boy	3	(12)
The College Player	15	(10)
The Superstar	25	(38)
The Molder of Superstars	63	(20)
The Man in Charge	83	(24)
The Motivator	107	(18)
The Competitor	125	(22)
The Game Day Warrior	147	(6)
The Respected Rival General	153	(8)
The Recruiter	161	(8)
The Comical Man	169	(16)
The Compassionate Man	185	(12)
The Man At Home	197	(4)
The Year At Maryland	201	(6)
The Kentucky Years	207	(6)
The Texas A&M Years	213	(6)
The Builder of Champions	219	(6)
The Alabama Years	225	(10)
The Tireless Man At Work	235	(6)
The Innovator	241	(12)
The Bowl Game Power Broker	253	(10)
The Media Darling	263	(12)
The Family Man	275	(10)
The Businessman	285	(4)
The Sudden Departure	289	(10)
The Man Remembered	299	(2)
The Final Word	301	(2)
Index	303