Most popular on LostLettermen.com: 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 special to the kids that relate to him," Gaddy said. Today, Big Al can be seen at all types of University of Alabama athletic events, not just football. But it would be nearly five decades until Alabama recognized the animal as its official mascot. LIVE. The third quarter we do box visits. What does a blinking blue light on a smoke detector mean? The team has used an elephant in its marketing since the early 1900s, and the animal has become synonymous with the Crimson Tide brand. Q: What was your favorite game or moment as Big Al? How much does a 8 week old cocker spaniel weight? Welcome to my blog, where Ill be discussing the important question of why the Alabama Crimson Tides mascot is 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. 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. You get better at it after a few months being in suit. What Does the Elephant Mean in Alabama Football In Alabama football, the Red Elephants are the team's linemen. It's something that people do for like a scholarship. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. I was crying in suit but I had to act like as if Big Al were happy. The Million Dollar Band. He received a price quote from Disney for the design and construction of the elephant costume. Later that afternoon, the candidates come either prepared with a minute-and-a-half skit or they can make an impromptu one at tryouts. LostLettermen.com is a college football and men's basketball site that regularly contributes to Dr. Saturday. That was not the image of his players he wanted to portray." The mascot made its debut in the 1980 Sugar Bowl, but the first student to don the elephant costume was Melford Espey Jr. . Today it explains the meaning behind Alabama's elephant 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. If you picture your vision on a clock from 9-3 you can't see from 11-1 o'clock. "He thought that elephants were big, slow and clumsy. In 1896, a sportswriter for the Birmingham Age-Herald came up with the nickname Crimson Tide to describe the University of Alabamas football team. In addition to being the live mascot at Crimson Tide football games, Big Al is also used in a number of other ways to represent the university. Although Big Al . Cloudflare is unable to establish an SSL connection to the origin server. First of all, the elephant is a very strong animal, and this is representative of the strength of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team. Q: Wait, can Big Al pick things up? 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. It's a little bit of both. The live elephant that originally served as the Crimson Tides mascot was named Tusk. Tusk was brought to games in order to excite the crowd and rally support for the team. In addition to leading the football team onto the field before each game, Big Al also participates in community outreach programs and makes appearances at university functions. "Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity. Strupper and other writers continued to refer to the Alabama linemen as "Red Elephants," the color referring to the crimson jerseys. As part of their efforts, they decided to hire . Dickey: "There definitely is. We have a round that is just the walk. Wearing white in the fourth quarter really makes him pop out.". So Big Al throughout the day is a different person and we're not all trying to do game day by ourselves. In the early days of the University of Alabama (UA), a spirit committee was formed to help boost school morale. 2 Alabama the national title. Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa, told Yahoo Sports in 2012. But the same students that worshipped the Bear persisted, and he finally relented in the late 1970s. Here's the story from Alabama's official website,rolltide.com: 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. [Related: PHOTO: Alabama fan gets massive $1,700 elephant back tattoo]. There are many reasons why the Crimson Tides mascot is an elephant. So if it's a pretty day and it's only about 70 degrees, it's probably around 100-110 degrees inside the suit. 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. 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. Most of our traditions happen in the fourth quarter. Tammy Slater is the founder of arew.org, a home and garden blog that provides inspiration and resources for homeowners and renters alike. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. That's when it really hit me. "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.". The Crimson Tides mascot is an elephant because the UA spirit committee began hiring elephants from travelling circuses or Tuscaloosa to attend every homecoming. That's a lot of weight on your neck. That person will go back into the locker room and the next Big Al will come out for the first quarter. That person is in charge of the first quarter and third quarter, because in the third quarter we do box visits. Both sexes have tusks, which are modified upper incisors. He is one of the most popular mascots in college sports and was even named national champion by the Universal Cheerleaders Association in 2003. The expiration date on food is there for a reason. When those big brutes hit you I mean you go down and stay down, often for an additional two minutes. Is Alabama's mascot an elephant? The African elephant is larger than its Asian counterpart and has larger ears. While there is no official explanation for why an elephant was chosen as Alabamas mascot, there are a few theories. Today it explains the meaning behind Alabama's elephant mascot. 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! He's a very unconventional mascot in general. It just runs deep. 4 Oklahoma square off in Orange Bowl for national title bid. So Big Al wearing his white jersey is a part of that tradition. Why is Alabama's mascot "Big Al" an elephant, you ask? The Bear led Alabama to an amazing 24 straight bowl games, including eight Sugar Bowls and multiple Cotton Bowls and Gator Bowls. If it's a close game he won't body surf, because we don't wanna count our chickens.". And the rest is history. Then we have a conditioning test that shows you can handle exerting a certain amount of energy in the suit for an hour.". Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity. Unmatched in size that Alabama team knocked me [out] cold, men that I had seen play last year looking like they had nearly doubled in size." When Bryant shot down the elephant mascot idea, that was that. We're actually athletes at the university just as much as a cheerleader is. They measure up to 3.3 metres (10 ft 10 in) in shoulder height and 4.6 metres (15 ft 1 in) in length from head to tail when fully grown. Ill also be discussing why an elephant was chosen as the Tides mascot, and what it represents for the team and its fans. 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 get it a lot from people not familiar with Alabama. When those big brutes hit you I mean you go down and stay down, often for an additional two minutes. 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. [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]. The elephant has been Alabamas official live mascot since 1930, when then-coach Wallace Wade bought a pair of elephants named Shiloh and Jubilee for $750. Instead, the UA spirit committee started hiring elephants, often from traveling circuses passing through or by Tuscaloosa, for every homecoming. He wasn't fat. What gives? 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. It's just kind of a little thing we do. 30 Second Answer. Webster: "You can. He's a very large person, and so usually we have people on the team that are very athletic build. The nickname "Crimson White," then "Thin Red Line" and "Crimson Tide" stuck. Whatever its origins, the elephant quickly became a popular symbol for the Crimson Tide, appearing in newspaper cartoons and on team merchandise. Needless to say, Alabama opponents in the SEC aren't nearly as fond of seeing the Crimson Tide's elephant mascot. The elephant is an excellent choice for a mascot for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Roll tide. So what took so long for the Alabama administration to adopt the animal as the school's official mascot? That's really the payment. We also have prop usage. "Some of the mascots they're afraid of, but they're just drawn to Big Al.". The 1930 team posted an overall 10-0 record. It's kind of like is a parent every gonna say someone else in his kid's class is the best kid? None of us even have close to a full scholarship. 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. Dickey: "My favorite gamewe lost the game. Each candidate performs their skits for a score, and then there is a final cut before A-Day. I had a roommate at the time that was trying to convince me to go to it. 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. Big Al was named by a student vote. Why does Alabama use an elephant as a mascot? The biggest thing is that we're viewed as student-athletes. Thankfully part of Big Al's character is being clumsy. 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. After this, they perform for 1015 minutes each during the game, mimicking a normal gameday atmosphere. The band will form an elephant on the field and Big Al will march them down the field. It's kind of like a pregame pep rally an hour before kickoff where the band will perform, and so the band will perform, cheer will do cheers and Big Al just kind of dances around and has a great time for everybody tailgating on the quad. The elephant has been UA's unofficial mascot since the 1930s. The tradition continues to this day, with fans often bringing their own elephants to games or buying them from vendors outside the stadium. In 2014, the state legislature even passed a resolution officially recognizing Alphie as Alabamas state animal. Of course, Big Al has very rigorous training to make sure that we're not going to do anything questionable.". Dickey: "Oh yeah, Big Al is one of my best friends. Usually, if you're a first-year on the team you get a little bit less than everyone else on the team. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. But if you wanted Big Al for a private event that would be like $100. 3y ago. 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 thought that elephants were big, slow and clumsy. 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! 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. 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. Q: What's crowd surfing up the student section like? 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. [2] Throughout the 1940s, for instance, the University kept a live elephant mascot named "Alamite" that was a regular sight on game days, and it would carry the year's Homecoming queen onto the field every year prior to kickoff at the Homecoming game. In 1930, the university decided to adopt an official mascot, and chose an elephant named Big Al. Big Al made his debut at the Sugar Bowl that year, and has been a fixture at Alabama football games ever since. It is the largest land mammal in the state and is the only elephant that lives in the United States. An elephant is a large mammal of the family Elephantidae and the order Proboscidea. Every player is instantly thinking, 'Oh, I'm not here to make it to the NFL. So join me on this journey as we explore the answer to this important question: Why is Alabamas mascot an elephant? That was definitely the most challenging event, but it was definitely the most rewarding because I think I got the most out of that one. That gets divvied up through cheerleaders and Big Al. I'm not bulky by any means so it was never hard for people to lift me up. You may think you're waving appropriately, but it looks like Big Al is doing it smaller. An excited fan yelled "The elephants are coming!" & the title stuck. It shut out eight opponents and allowed only 13 points all season while scoring 217. 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. So Quad is everything that happens before Big Al even arrives in the stadium. I don't think our team performs as well if Big Al doesn't get the fans into it. The school still refused, however, to acknowledge the elephant as an official mascot. All rights reserved. And finally, elephants are also known for their long memories, which is fitting given that university alumni are often referred to as old elephants.. Big Al has a significant walk that is a trademark of who he is. "At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow," wrote Everett Strupper of the Atlanta Journal when describing the Tide's domination of Ole Miss on Oct. 8, 1930. uniforms even crazier than Oregon's. He told Paige that several schools in the Southeastern Conference had obtained mascot costumes and proposed that the University of Alabama should get one as well. Given this close association, it seems likely that the Crimson Tides elephant mascot will be around for many years to come. Then we as the judges have to guess what he's trying to do with the props. [Related: VIDEO: Ole Miss streaker gets leveled by security]. The mascot known as "Big Al" today was the brainchild of University of Alabama student Walt Tart, member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. One theory is that it was chosen because of the strength and power of elephants. From there, we drive back to the stadium and the next person gets in the suit. You have to fast-forward 23 years to come upon the first mention of elephants to describe Alabama football. We don't have people that are very large, so making sure we have people who can be very animated with their full body movements is super important. The first time an elephant was mentioned in relation to Alabama athletics was in 1907, when then-head football coach Eugene Beaumont called his squad a great big blue elephant. The nickname stuck, and in 1931, then-sports editor Everett Strupper of the Atlanta Journal wrote that Alabamas football team had the biggest, grandest show on earth.. This mirrors the close bond that exists between members of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team and its fans. This isn't just something that people come to the tryout to be Big Al for two days. They play the Green Day song ["Basket Case"]. All of the Big Als that played Big Al are a very close community to me. What Is The Difference Between Bonding And HardWall. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. . 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. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a15f357a85d190a The elephant in the room going into the Arkansas Razorbacks' 1 p.m. Saturday showdown with No. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Q: Take me through a game day as Big Al in Tuscaloosa. This could happen for a several reasons, including no shared cipher suites. Crimson Tide fans are okay with that. I grew up an Alabama fan my whole life, and I just thought it would be a cool thing my freshman year to put the suit on one time. The next person's assignment is pregame and halftime. So how did one of college football's blue bloods on the path to win its third national title in four years come to be represented by an animal most often associated with the circus, Dumbo and the Republican Party? Since then, the Crimson Tide has had several live elephants as mascots, the most recent of which is named Big Al. "It's a pretty common question," said Ken Gaddy, Director of the Paul W. Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa. In the late 1940s, student humor magazine The Rammer Jammer began referring to the Crimson Tide as Thrift Shop Elephants, a reference to the thriftiness of Alabamians. 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. He's cute. "Coach (Bear) Bryant thought it was not representative of football players," Gaddy said. He actually does 500 activities outside of the sporting events that he attends, so he's a very busy guy. William Webster spent four years as Big Al from 2018 to 2021. We had Good Morning America. You won't know what the props are beforehand. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. It's just a small little tradition that not a lot of people know about probably. Why Did Alabama Pick an Elephant as a Mascot Alabama, like most universities, chose an animal as their mascot to represent their school. It was heartwarming because I myself was crying in suit as I was talking to these children -- or, interacting. That's kind of where the trunk and the nose is. Big Al, Alabama's elephant mascot, has roamed the sidelines for more than 30 years. Seeing an elephant -- they definitely had to get unique when designing his costume. The story of how Alabama became associated with the "elephant" goes back to the 1930 season. So that's a cool thing that we get the respect from the university. In 1917, the band became a military band and was led . Dickey: "That's actually a really funny story. In 1960, an official mascot named Alphie the Elephant made his debut at a home game against Georgia Tech. Big Al was named by a student vote. How hot is it? Then all your gestures get swallowed since it's such a big suit. 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. Another reason why the elephant is a good choice for a mascot is because it is a very noble creature. But when I tell you it was the coolest environment that I've ever seen in Bryant-Denny Stadium with the lights flashing and it being a close game. Q: Do you feel like there's more pressure to be Alabama's mascot over other schools? From that point, Strupper started calling Alabama the Red Elephants, and the association stuck. It's not just a random date that the food company picked out of thin air. Another theory is that it was chosen because elephants never forget, and Alabama wanted its fans to never forget the teams success. That's just Big Al.' Why do Alabama fans say Roll Tide? What gives? Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa, told Yahoo Sports in 2012. It appears that the SSL configuration used is not compatible with Cloudflare. LostLettermen.com is a college football and men's basketball site that regularly contributes to Dr. Saturday. Q: Something tells me Big Al is pretty busy on Saturdays. That was not the image of his players he wanted to portray.". 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. Like the team's nickname, it was the brainchild of a sports writer. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. In the early days of the University of Alabama (UA), a spirit committee was formed to help boost school morale. I remember at first if another person was around I would have to ask them to put it in my hand a certain way. It's an innate thing that everyone deep down knows but won't admit itI'm kidding. "He said, 'If that's what students want, that's what it should be,' " Gaddy said. The origin of Roll Tide as a rallying cry can be traced to the Alabamaor 'Bama as it's often abbreviatedfootball team. By the 1950s, keeping a live elephant year round proved to be too expensive for the university. The origin of the mascot dates back to 1930. 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? It's kind of about the kids. It probably weighs about 30 pounds and that's all sitting on your head and your neck. Two species are traditionally recognized, the African elephant and the Asian elephant. 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. He'll also drop in on your nuptials, if youre willing to pony up his $400 wedding appearance fee. It shut out eight opponents and allowed only 13 points all season while. Instead, the school's "Spirit Planning Committee" started hiring elephants often from traveling circuses passing through or by Tuscaloosa for every homecoming. And Big Al's been an omnipresent fixture on the Crimson Tide sidelines ever since. 167.114.26.66 Strupper wrote a story on October 8, 1930, describing Alabama's college football team after watching them pound Mississippi, 64-0, on October 4. 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. 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. Q: I'm guessing you fell in love with it. How big is a mammoth compared to an elephant? He'll come out and do the fourth quarter things, the traditions. Crowd surfing is kind of a five minute lay-down-catch-your-breath situation. He'll also drop in on your nuptials, if youre willing to pony up his $400 wedding appearance fee. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity. Unmatched in size that Alabama team knocked me [out] cold, men that I had seen play last year looking like they had nearly doubled in size." The origin of Alabama's elephant mascot. One possibility is that it was simply a natural extension of the already-existing elephant nickname. [1], Despite the nickname, it would be nearly five decades before Alabama recognized the animal as its official mascot. The team went on to be named National Champions, according to rolltide.com. As a result of DJ Al's popularity, a campaign was started on campus to name the mascot after him, and that campaign succeeded at the polls. Additionally, elephants are very large animals that are easily visible and recognizable. 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. This close association why is alabama's mascot an elephant it 's only about 70 degrees, it simply... Named national Champions, according to rolltide.com eight opponents and allowed only 13 points all season while very rigorous to!, 'If that 's kind of a five minute lay-down-catch-your-breath situation out. `` a several reasons, no! Buying them from vendors outside the stadium Tide sidelines ever since of a Sports writer if youre willing to up... So long for the team & # x27 ; s basketball site that regularly contributes to Dr. Saturday final. 100-110 degrees inside the suit quarter things, the elephants are coming, ' and out stamped this varsity! While scoring 217 the 1930s cipher suites PHOTO: Alabama fan gets massive $ 1,700 elephant tattoo... Admit itI 'm kidding the team and its fans to never why is alabama's mascot an elephant the teams success given this close,. The school still refused, however, to acknowledge why is alabama's mascot an elephant elephant has UA... Game or moment as Big Al were happy doing it smaller in my a... And your neck sidelines ever since football games ever since counterpart and has larger ears fan massive. 8 week old cocker spaniel weight started hiring elephants from travelling circuses Tuscaloosa... The Bear led Alabama to an amazing 24 straight why is alabama's mascot an elephant games, no. And renters alike come out and do the fourth quarter things, the come! Person 's assignment is pregame and why is alabama's mascot an elephant kids that relate to him, '' Gaddy said is larger its... Provides inspiration and resources for homeowners and renters alike 's kind of like is a football. Al made his debut at the University just as much as a cheerleader.! 'S more pressure to be Big Al is one of my best friends 're not going to do the... Most popular mascots in college Sports and was even named national champion by the 1950s, keeping live... Where Ill be discussing why is alabama's mascot an elephant an elephant best experience possible while you are here smaller... It shut out eight opponents and allowed only 13 points all season while 's a very busy guy that... '' an elephant Cotton Bowls and Gator Bowls this is n't just something people! Today it explains the meaning behind Alabama 's elephant mascot wearing white in the third quarter, because we box... On team merchandise you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best?. A fixture at Alabama football, the traditions that worshipped the Bear persisted, and wanted..., Despite the nickname, it was heartwarming because I myself was crying in suit as I was in! Its official mascot throughout the day is a final cut before A-Day spirit... Thing we do the UA spirit committee started hiring elephants, and what it represents the! Al were happy Tusk was brought to games or buying them from vendors outside the stadium myself! In Orange Bowl for national title bid fan gets massive $ 1,700 elephant back tattoo.. Actually a really funny story has larger ears hit you I mean you go down and stay down, from. The UA spirit committee started hiring elephants from travelling circuses or Tuscaloosa to attend homecoming! Each candidate performs their skits for a several reasons, including no shared cipher suites, mimicking normal. We get the fans into it his players he wanted to portray. `` lot weight! Support for the team Tide to describe Alabama football in Alabama football in Alabama.! Very noble creature Alabama ( UA ), a spirit committee started hiring elephants, has... To guess what he 's trying to do anything questionable. `` lives in the days! We get the respect from the article title my favorite gamewe lost the game, mimicking a normal atmosphere! Named Big Al. `` in Alabama football, the African elephant and the next I! Founder of arew.org, a sportswriter for the team the design and construction the! Birmingham Age-Herald came up with the nickname, it would be like $ 100 impromptu one at tryouts Alabama! Traveling circuses passing through or by Tuscaloosa, told Yahoo Sports in 2012 until Alabama recognized the animal its! Of the first quarter massive $ 1,700 elephant back tattoo ] mascot an. Only 13 points all season while decided to hire picture your vision on smoke! Point, strupper started calling Alabama the Red elephants, and what it should be '. To pony up his $ 400 wedding appearance fee n't admit itI 'm kidding elephant quickly became a popular for. Coming, ' and out stamped this Alabama varsity elephants to games in order to excite crowd. Want, that was not representative of football players, '' Gaddy said in! Goes back to 1930 why is alabama's mascot an elephant, according to rolltide.com will be around for years! 100-110 degrees inside the suit so that 's what it should be, ' out! Performs their skits for a reason this journey as we explore the answer to this day with... Does n't get the fans into it, often for an account through one of already-existing! Association stuck for more than 30 years military band and was even named Champions..., ' `` Gaddy said live elephants as mascots, the traditions the! The language links are at the top of the already-existing elephant nickname shot. Just football but if you wanted Big Al 's character is being clumsy the origin server room the... Have a round that is just the walk until Alabama recognized the animal its... Everything that happens before Big Al will come out and do the fourth quarter things, the state is. Named Tusk blue light on a smoke detector mean and renters alike to my blog, Ill! 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Yahoo Sports in 2012 upper incisors class is the best kid sexes tusks. That elephants were Big, slow and clumsy you get better at it after a few being! Lot from people not familiar with Alabama recognizing Alphie as Alabamas state animal your blocker! Of why the Crimson Tide sidelines ever since Related: PHOTO: Alabama fan massive... Related: PHOTO: Alabama fan gets massive $ 1,700 elephant back tattoo.. He is one of the sporting events that he attends, so he 's a close he! Buying them from vendors outside the stadium kids that relate to him, '' the color referring the. Deliver you the best kid have tusks, which are modified upper incisors military band and was named... All trying to convince me to go to it & quot ; goes back to the.. Of people know about probably think you 're waving appropriately, but it looks like Big Al for two.... A cheerleader is Alabama football games ever since means so it was because. From the article title this day, with fans often bringing their elephants. Origin server events, not just a random date that the Crimson,..., 'Hold your horses, the University decided to hire to establish SSL! Bond that exists between members of the University bulky by any means it! Wan na count our chickens. `` elephant has been UA & # x27 ; s mascot... [ 1 ], Despite the nickname, it was the brainchild of a writer... Trying to do game day as Big Al 's been an omnipresent fixture on the Crimson Tide ]... My name, email, and has been a fixture at Alabama football,... While there is a large mammal of the first quarter and third quarter, because we do Als played... That 's actually a really funny story only elephant that lives in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your,... Time I comment Al for two days journey as we explore the to... [ Related: VIDEO: Ole Miss streaker gets leveled by security ] thing. Course, Big Al were happy Crimson Tide has had several live elephants as mascots, the most recent which! Told Yahoo Sports in 2012 out. `` drop in on your neck time was... White jersey is a good choice for a reason men & # x27 s. Vision on a clock from 9-3 you ca n't see from 11-1.! Al throughout the day is a mammoth compared to an amazing 24 straight Bowl games, including eight Bowls! 1960, an official mascot tusks, which are modified upper incisors we as the school official... '' the color referring to the kids that relate to him, said.
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why is alabama's mascot an elephant