It's pretty much a part-time job. The "Why did the elephant paint its toenails" joke has the elephant painting its nails different colors to hide in different places. The team has used an elephant in its marketing since the early 1900s, and the animal has become synonymous with the Crimson Tide brand. They play the Green Day song ["Basket Case"]. LSU in 2019 was probably my favorite environment in sports. They play 'Tusk' and it's just kind of a cool little tradition we have. 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. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Roll tide. Another reason why the elephant is a good choice for a mascot is because it is a very noble creature. Big Al is just the best. Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa, told Yahoo Sports in 2012. Strupper and other writers continued to refer to the Alabama linemen as "Red Elephants," the color referring to the crimson jerseys. The history of the Alabama Crimson Tide's elephant mascot is a long and storied one. It's the interactions you get to have with people in other circumstances you would never get to meet. 4 Oklahoma square off in Orange Bowl for national title bid, Jonah Williams: 3 things to know about Alabama football's offensive tackle, Mack Wilson: 5 things to know about the Alabama football linebacker, Quinnen Williams: 4 things to know about the Alabama football defensive tackle, Raekwon Davis: 4 things to know about the Alabama football defensive lineman, Paul Tyson: 5 things about Alabama football signee, Bear Bryant's great-grandson, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. "At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, he wrote, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow. 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. You see a lot of tigers, a lot of dogs. The Crimson Tides mascot is an elephant because the UA spirit committee began hiring elephants from travelling circuses or Tuscaloosa to attend every homecoming. We're actually athletes at the university just as much as a cheerleader is. We do get a little bit of scholarship money just because we do so much for the university. ", Strupper, using the flair for the dramatic common in sportswriting at the time, wrote, "At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow. [3] By the 1950s, keeping a live elephant year-round proved to be too expensive for the University. William Webster spent four years as Big Al from 2018 to 2021. There are a few theories about why Alabama chose an elephant as its mascot. He was just thick and tall. 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 Why do they say Roll Tide in Alabama? If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Even though the elephant served as a symbol for the team, it took decades for the Big Al mascot to come to fruition. 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! 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. Every player is instantly thinking, 'Oh, I'm not here to make it to the NFL. The mascot represents the strength and power of the Crimson Tide, and its presence on the sidelines is a source of inspiration for the teams players. None of us even have close to a full scholarship. In 1930,Alabama held its first Elephant Stampede, in which fans were given miniature stuffed elephants to wave during the game. 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?' It probably weighs about 30 pounds and that's all sitting on your head and your neck. 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. From the players to the traditions, Alabama just does NCAA football better than any school. Like the team's nickname, it was the brainchild of a sports writer . The other guy who was there was Big Al, and this one dude came up and started pushing on 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. 1 Alabama's nickname of "Crimson Tide" brings to mind the school's costumed elephant mascot, Big Al, no matter how hard you try. So Big Al wearing his white jersey is a part of that tradition. 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. The gray, anthropomorphic elephant has been the team's official mascot since 1979, when Bear Bryant finally approved the trunked animal despite a history that dates back to 1930. So Quad is everything that happens before Big Al even arrives in the stadium. Is Alabama's mascot an elephant? Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a15f357a85d190a "He thought that elephants were big, slow and clumsy. 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. The history of the Alabama Crimson Tides elephant mascot is a long and storied one. Big Al is a life-sized elephant costume that is worn by a student at University of Alabama home football games. Big Al is the costumed mascot of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Performance & security by Cloudflare. The "Red Elephants" are why the school eventually chose Big Al is its mascot. 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. 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! Take a trip to Tuscaloosa and you'll find Nick Saban, who is undoubtedly the greatest college football coach of our generation. 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. and out stamped this Alabama varsity. 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. He became Big Al in the spring of 2019 and is currently one of five students on the Big Al team. "He thought that elephants were big, slow and clumsy. The "Red Elephants" rolled over Washington State 24-0 in the Rose Bowl and were declared National Champions. 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. So within that sort of height. Big Al, Alabama's elephant mascot, has roamed the sidelines for more than 30 years. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article 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. Today it explains the meaning behind Alabama's elephant mascot. You have to go all the way back to 1930 to find the origin of Alabama's elephant. The varsity team was composed of big men, & when they ran out onto the field, the bleachers shook. The fact that he's an elephant, it's just not something you see very often. "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. Do you trip a lot? Adult elephants typically weigh 57 tonnes (5,0007,000 kg), although some males have been recorded at up to 12 tonnes (12,000 kg). The elephant, named John Heisman, after the famous coach, was a big hit with students and fans. When those big brutes hit you I mean you go down and stay down, often for an additional two minutes. 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. 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. Usually, if you're a first-year on the team you get a little bit less than everyone else on the team. It's not just a random date that the food company picked out of thin air. Both sexes have tusks, which are modified upper incisors. The nickname "Crimson White," then "Thin Red Line" and "Crimson Tide" stuck. The Alabama Crimson Tides elephant mascot is one of the most recognizable symbols in college football. The elephant is also very large, which makes it an imposing figure that can be seen from far away. [Related: PHOTO: Alabama fan gets massive $1,700 elephant back tattoo]. The birthday parties we can keep. 1 . ", Webster: "It's definitely crazy hot. One possibility is that it was simply a natural extension of the already-existing elephant nickname. 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? 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. If people tried to crowd surf you they would not be able to get you up I don't think.". 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. I got to go up to Birmingham with Tuscaloosa police and visit children who were in the critical condition area. Why is the Alabama mascot an elephant? We also have prop usage. 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 Million Dollar Band. The elephants were brought to Tuscaloosa for the football teams opening game against Mississippi State, which Alabama won 70. I'm not bulky by any means so it was never hard for people to lift me up. Thankfully part of Big Al's character is being clumsy. It's definitely not the reason to be Big Al. The origin of Alabama's elephant mascot and its association with Crimson Tide football is a popular conversation topic among fans and outsidersalike. Trey Dickey is a senior from Birmingham, Alabama, studying creative media and communications studies. It just runs deep. 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. Wearing white in the fourth quarter really makes him pop out.". 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. How hot is it? Strupper and other writers continued to refer to the Alabama linemen as "Red Elephants," the color referring to the crimson jerseys. It shut out eight opponents and allowed only 13 points all season while scoring 217. All of the Big Als that played Big Al are a very close community to me. 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. 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. Q: What was the process of becoming Big Al? That was not the image of his players he wanted to portray.". That's just Big Al.' 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