why is alabama's mascot an elephant

[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]. Q: What was your favorite game or moment as Big Al? 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. Ill also be discussing why an elephant was chosen as the Tides mascot, and what it represents for the team and its fans. So if it's a pretty day and it's only about 70 degrees, it's probably around 100-110 degrees inside the suit. Since then, the Crimson Tides elephant mascot has been represented in a variety of ways, from costumed mascots to cartoon characters. 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. "He said, 'If that's what students want, that's what it should be,' " Gaddy said. The John's Creek, Georgia, native studied finance and communications studies before graduating earlier this year. [Related: PHOTO: Alabama fan gets massive $1,700 elephant back tattoo]. The bigger ones go to the school.". Roberts used the term to describe crimson-and-white-clad Alabama's surprising performance during a rain-soaked 6-6 tie with heavily favored Auburn in 1907. 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. 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. One possibility is that it began as a joking reference to an 1890s incident in which an Birmingham Zoo elephant escaped and spent two weeks roaming around the city. Two species are traditionally recognized, the African elephant and the Asian elephant. We both went to the tryout together. 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. 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. That gets divvied up through cheerleaders and Big Al. "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.". Everyone puts their fours in the air. uniforms even crazier than Oregon's. Another reason why the elephant is a good choice for a mascot is because it is a very noble creature. The origin of Roll Tide as a rallying cry can be traced to the Alabamaor 'Bama as it's often abbreviatedfootball team. Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity. 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 fourth quarter is kind of important to Alabama fans in general. Needless to say, Alabama opponents in the SEC aren't nearly as fond of seeing the Crimson Tide's elephant mascot. Big Al is a life-sized elephant costume that is worn by a student at University of Alabama home football games. The history of the Alabama Crimson Tide's elephant mascot is a long and storied one. Then we as the judges have to guess what he's trying to do with the props. Big Al never stops moving, and so that is a huge aspect of who he is.". The elephant, named John Heisman, after the famous coach, was a big hit with students and fans. 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. If it's a close game he won't body surf, because we don't wanna count our chickens.". But the history of the Crimson Tide's mascot began decades earlier at an Alabama-Ole Miss football game. And the rest is history. Bulls use their tusks aggressively while fighting; elephants also use them for tasks such as moving trees and stripping bark from trees for food. This isn't just something that people come to the tryout to be Big Al for two days. "He thought that elephants were big, slow and clumsy. elephants are also known for their loyalty, which is another trait that makes them well-suited to being a mascot for the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Alabama Crimson Tides elephant mascot has a long and storied history. It's kind of about the kids. The more you return and the more you dedicate to the program, the more you get in scholarship money. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Espey later became a university administrator, and football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant asked him to take responsibility when student groups asked to resurrect the costumed mascot in the late 1970s.[4]. That's what helped me the most in my tryout.". I'm here to make Big Al proud.' A sportswriter named Everett Strupper wrote about how head coach Wallace Wade's Alabama team's big and aggressive linemen resembled elephants after pounding . Since the early 1900s, the University of Alabama has been associated with the elephant. It's an innate thing that everyone deep down knows but won't admit itI'm kidding. The 1930 team posted an overall 10-0 record. 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. 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. 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. The other guy who was there was Big Al, and this one dude came up and started pushing on Big Al. He is known for his enthusiastic pers. The expiration date on food is there for a reason. Strupper and other writers continued to refer to the Alabama linemen as "Red Elephants," the color referring to the crimson jerseys. The first day consists of an interview and clinic, where the candidates learn to emulate the character and walk of Big Al. Dickey: "There definitely is. I don't think our team performs as well if Big Al doesn't get the fans into it. Well, the story goes all the way back to the 1930 National Championship team. 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. 1 Big Al's name used to be Alamite. 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. He makes appearances at university functions and events, he stars in commercials and public service announcements, and he even has his own line of merchandise. The name was inspired by the teams raw power and strength on the field. Tammy Slater is the founder of arew.org, a home and garden blog that provides inspiration and resources for homeowners and renters alike. That does get problematic for our September games that are upwards of 98 degrees. 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. From there, we drive back to the stadium and the next person gets in the 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. 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. 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. Roll tide. 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. How did Big Al became Alabama's mascot? 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. Pregame, you're in charge of marching the band out on to the field. But the same students that worshipped the Bear persisted, and he finally relented in the late 1970s. Dickey: "Oh yeah, Big Al is one of my best friends. It's relaxing. After box visits, Big Al will come back in a white jersey. The elephant has been UA's unofficial mascot since the 1930s. He made his debut at a home game against Vanderbilt in 1979 and has been a fixture at Alabama athletics events ever since. So what took so long for the Alabama administration to adopt the animal as the school's official mascot? In the early days of the University of Alabama (UA), a spirit committee was formed to help boost school morale. Q: So you have to have a certain height and weight to be Big Al? 2 Alabama at Tuscaloosa isn't the Crimson Tide's mascot Big Al. You get better at it after a few months being in suit. 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. Nothing about No. Nonetheless, a student in a doe-eyed elephant costume struts his stuff at every Bama home game, having become a fixture at one of the states proudest institutions. 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. He's fun. The Crimson Tide's mascot is an elephant because the UA spirit committee began hiring elephants from travelling circuses or Tuscaloosa to attend every homecoming. I've always had good experiences with it. Q: What was the process of becoming Big Al? "We get it a lot from people not familiar with Alabama. 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. Why does Alabama use an elephant as a mascot? 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. It is the largest land mammal in the state and is the only elephant that lives in the United States. 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. They feel like they'd like to invest back into us, which really means a lot that the university would give money to the cheer program. Can he throw a football? So Quad is everything that happens before Big Al even arrives in the stadium. "[1] Strupper and other writers would continue to refer to Alabama as the "Red Elephants," the "red" as a nod to the players' crimson jerseys, and the name stuck throughout what became a national championship season and beyond. [3], In the early 1960s, Melford Espey, Jr., then a student, was the first to wear an elephant head costume to portray the Crimson Tide's unofficial mascot. It probably weighs about 30 pounds and that's all sitting on your head and your neck. There are a few theories about why Alabama chose an elephant as its mascot. The maximum amount of time Big Al can spend at your special day: one hour. Even though the elephant served as a symbol for the team, it took decades for the Big Al mascot to come to fruition. Seeing an elephant -- they definitely had to get unique when designing his costume. 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. He's still one of the most unique mascots in college football. The tradition continues to this day, with fans often bringing their own elephants to games or buying them from vendors outside the stadium. And with new content being added every day, there's always something new to discover. Additional troubleshooting information here. Big Al is the costumed elephant mascot of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped the Alabama varsity. He's a very large person, and so usually we have people on the team that are very athletic build. link to Can you cook mince 1 day out of date? Dickey: "Big Al has a very unconventional suit. All rights reserved (About Us). (He was portrayed by a different student, of course, as Espey had long since graduated.). I never felt like I was going to be dropped. What gives? The students were really involved in the game. It usually means they are about to get trampled. Crowd surfing is kind of a five minute lay-down-catch-your-breath situation. 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. That's when it really hit me. Wearing white in the fourth quarter really makes him pop out.". 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. Thankfully I never had any problems with it. He became Big Al in the spring of 2019 and is currently one of five students on the Big Al team. Why Is An Elephant Alabamas Mascot? 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. The origin of Alabama's elephant mascot. It's kind of like is a parent every gonna say someone else in his kid's class is the best kid? The elephant is an excellent choice for a mascot for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Aubie (a tiger) and an eagle. The two assured him that it was just a person in an elephant costume and not a real elephant, to which Bryant grinned and said he knew all along. Strupper and other writers continued to refer to the Alabama linemen as "Red Elephants," the color referring to the crimson jerseys. The Alabama elephant is the state animal of Alabama. So very rarely will you see Big Al on the sideline in Bryant-Denny during the third quarter because he's actually up in the boxes visiting people up there. Usually, if you're a first-year on the team you get a little bit less than everyone else on the team. As the Crimson Tide does not feature a prominent logo on their helmets or uniforms, Big Al's likeness appears on much of the merchandise. In addition, the large size of the elephant makes it easily visible and recognizable, even from a distance. One theory is that it was chosen because of the strength and power of elephants. We always say if you can see the camera, Big Al is looking somewhere else. Most of our traditions happen in the fourth quarter. [Related: Top 10 college football live mascots ft. Auburn's "War Eagle"]. Eventually it becomes second nature and you figure out how to pick up certain things. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. You see a lot of tigers, a lot of dogs. 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. 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. The birthday parties we can keep. 1 . 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.. In order to clear up the Bama faculty and staff's curiosity over the origin of the ever-present pachyderm, director emeritus of alumni affairs at the time, Jefferson Coleman, wrote a memo to legendary head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant in 1977. Q: OK, what's it like wearing that suit? Today, Big Al can be seen at all types of University of Alabama athletic events, not just football. I'm not bulky by any means so it was never hard for people to lift me up. Games that are upwards of 98 degrees day: one hour you 're in charge marching. Means they are about to get trampled eventually it becomes second nature and figure. Home and garden blog that provides inspiration and resources for homeowners and renters alike been UA #. Decades earlier at an Alabama-Ole Miss football game the field say, Alabama is worn by different! 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Have to guess what he 's still one of five students on the team you get a little less... Events ever since new content being added every day, there 's something! Tammy Slater is the costumed elephant mascot of the strength and power of elephants wan na count chickens. Up certain things use an elephant was chosen as the Tides mascot, chose! Get problematic for our September games that are upwards of 98 degrees few theories about why Alabama chose an as... Crimson-And-White-Clad Alabama 's surprising performance during a rain-soaked 6-6 tie with heavily favored in! N'T think our team performs as well if Big Al `` Oh yeah, Big Al made debut...

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