Jersey Countdown to Gameday

BamaHoHo

All-American
Aug 7, 2007
2,251
1,532
187
Coaling, Alabama, United States
13 Days: George Teague

by Kerry Goode

13 days away..
We honor lucky 13 … Mr. George Theo Teague who played free safety in the National Football League with the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, and Miami Dolphins.
An Air Force brat, Teague grew up at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas and Sembach Air Base, Germany, before moving to Alabama and attending Jefferson Davis High School.
Teague’s first shining moment was as a college athlete in the 1993 Sugar Bowl on the University of Alabama football team. This game marked his first interception with a return for a touchdown. Five plays later, he raced downfield and caught up with sprinting University of Miami wide receiver Lamar Thomas and stripped the ball from him in full stride, maintaining possession of the ball as he returned it upfield. Although the play was called back on an offsides penalty against Alabama, it effectively squashed Miami's effort to regain their offensive momentum: Miami was forced to punt soon afterward, and never mounted another substantial offensive threat in the Crimson Tide's 34–13 victory.
"That kind of play demoralizes a team, and it also demoralizes that player," said Antonio Langham. "He's like, 'National TV, millions of people watching, I get run down, and I've been talking all week about how fast I am.'" Teague estimates he was 15 yards away when Thomas caught the ball.
"I broke out with the best track form that I had and went and caught him," Teague said.
His teammates marveled. "They always say there's a difference between clock speed and football speed," Langham said.
Yeah, Teague said. "And scared speed." Teague had every intention of stripping the ball. "We were just taught as defensive backs that the ball is ours," he said. "I just wanted my football back. "I was trying to hit the ball down. I still don't know how it came up, but there it was in my face. I just grabbed it."
The kicker: The play was nullified by a penalty because defender Antonio London was offsides. Of course, if Thomas had scored, the touchdown would have stood.
"Without question, probably the greatest play in college football that will never exist," Tide defensive lineman Shannon Brown said.
Teague believes The Strip made him an NFL first-round draft choice. Several years later, he signed as a free agent with the Miami Dolphins. Thomas was a teammate. "Every time I was in the locker room, if Lamar was somewhere and I was heading that direction, all the guys said, 'Hey, Lamar, watch out! Teague's behind you!'"
George is probably best known for a notable incident during a game against the San Francisco 49ers on September 24, 2000. In that game, 49ers wide receiver Terrell Owens caught his second touchdown pass of the game and ran to the Cowboys' iconic star logo at midfield to celebrate as he had on the previous touchdown earlier. Teague violently shoved Owens from behind during the celebration and was ejected from the game. In 2008, the moment was named one of the ten most memorable in the history of Texas Stadium by ESPN. “A lot of trash talking during that game. A lot of stuff going on during that game,” Teague recalled. “Basically, I got angry. Enough was enough.”
After 9/11
There was no pre-arranged plan for George to carry the flag onto the field. It was a spontaneous decision just before pregame player introductions. “I just noticed a guy standing there (in the tunnel) with the flag I just grabbed it,” George recalls. “I thought it would be a good idea.”
“I have the picture in my office and my home,” George says proudly. “It was a special time for me. I have a military background, first and foremost. My dad and several family members served in the armed forces for many, many years. I grew up living on a military base (in Sembach, Germany). To come out with that flag and not just represent the Dallas Cowboys, but represent our country, it was a special moment. It was a good time for our family, also, to say that we’re patriots and we’ll stand strong.”

http://www.georgeteague.com/


















 

BamaHoHo

All-American
Aug 7, 2007
2,251
1,532
187
Coaling, Alabama, United States
12 Days: Kenny Stabler

by Kerry Goode

12 Days out
He was born Christmas Day 1945 in Foley, Alabama, where he was a highly regarded high school player.
He was a three-sport standout, starring in baseball, basketball and football. In fact, he was selected three times in the MLB Draft as a left-handed pitcher. He was the 24th player picked in 1968. He also handed Hall of Famer Don Sutton his only high school loss.
Before he starred for Bear Bryant at Alabama from 1964-67 and before he won Super Bowl XI with the Oakland Raiders, Stabler made a name – and a nickname.
He was zig-zagging down the field for a touchdown run one night and Coach Denzil Hollis told Kenny's father that he was running like a snake. So when Kenny came back to the sideline, Hollis said, 'Good job, Snake.' It just kind of took off from there."
But his legacy was arguably even greater at Alabama, where he played behind Namath and, after taking over as the starting quarterback, led the 11-0 season of 1966 that didn’t result in the national championship. Pollsters instead rewarded Notre Dame for pulling off a tie at Michigan State, which remains a sore subject to many Crimson Tide fans.
There was also the “Run in the Mud,” a 47-yard touchdown that was the difference in a 7-3 victory against Auburn in the 1967 Iron Bowl.
He compiled a starting record of 28-3-2, including a dominating 34-7 victory against Nebraska in the 1967 Sugar Bowl to be named the game’s most valuable player. But, at times, Stabler gave Paul W. “Bear” Bryant fits as well, and the coach once said: “You just can’t tell about left-handed crapshooters and quarterbacks.”
Stabler played 10 seasons for the Raiders (1970-79) and also briefly with the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints. His record as a starter was 94-49-1, and he was on the throwing end of some of the most exciting plays in NFL history, including “The Ghost to the Post,” “The Holy Roller” and “The Sea of Hands.” Named All-Pro three times, he was the league’s Offensive Player of the Year in 1974, and both the Player of the Year and passing champion in 1976.
Foley High School retired Kenny Stabler’s 12 jersey number at a special halftime ceremony during the Lions home opener versus Robertsdale on Friday on Lester Smith Field at Ivan Jones Stadium in Foley in honor of his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“There is no way to describe the pride an Alabama player feels in himself and the tradition of the school,” -Stabler














 

BamaHoHo

All-American
Aug 7, 2007
2,251
1,532
187
Coaling, Alabama, United States
11 Days: Mike Shula

by Kerry Goode

11 days to go….
It’s a nice time to pause and say once again, "Thanks Mike!" You will always be a beloved son. But know like I do… “You gotta beat teams in Orange.”
Mike Shula served as the head football coach at the University of Alabama, his alma mater, for four seasons, from 2003 to 2006. He is the son of Don Shula, the NFL's all-time winningest coach, and the younger brother of Dave Shula. Shula attended high school at Christopher Columbus High School, in Miami, Florida, where he won all-state honors and led his team to the state championship game. He enrolled at the University of Alabama in 1983, where he started at quarterback for three seasons.
Shula's football career started with the Crimson Tide, where he was the starting quarterback from 1984 to 1986. The team's record during these three seasons was 24–11–1, with wins in the Aloha Bowl and the Sun Bowl, plus key victories over USC, Ohio State and Notre Dame. Despite a lack of overwhelming athletic ability or a particularly strong arm, Shula was known for his gutsy performances in big games. He engineered last minute comebacks against Georgia and rival Auburn, in the 1985 Iron Bowl. After graduating from Alabama, Shula was selected in the 12 round as the 313th overall pick of the 1987 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he saw little playing time in 1987, his only season in the NFL.
Mike Shula was hired as head coach at Alabama in May 2003 after the termination of Mike Price. At the time of his arrival, the program was in great turmoil despite a 10-3 record the previous year. In that year, the program had been hammered by NCAA sanctions, and lost Dennis Franchione to Texas A&M, and subsequently fired Mike Price due to his off-field actions. At the time, he was the second-youngest coach in all of Division I-A football, at age 38.
In 2006 Alabama ended the season by losing their final three games to Mississippi State at home, LSU, and their fifth consecutive Iron Bowl loss to in state rival Auburn, ending with a 6–6 record. On November 26, one week after the Iron Bowl loss, Alabama athletic director Mal Moore notified Mike Shula that he would not be retained as the University of Alabama's head football coach for the 2007 season. Shula finished with a 26-23 record.
The Carolina Panthers named Shula as their quarterbacks coach. In 2011, Shula helped quarterback Cam Newton earn Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year after turning in one of the most prolific rookie seasons in NFL history.
On January 18, 2013, the Panthers named Shula as their offensive coordinator. He was named Offensive Coordinator of the Year by Pro Football Focus during the 2015 NFL season.
Shula married to Shari Shula. They have three daughters: Samantha, Brooke, and Ryan Lucy.
COACHING HISTORY TEAM YEARS
Offensive Coordinator Carolina Panthers 2013-Present
Quarterbacks Coach Carolina Panthers 2011-2012
Quarterbacks Coach Jacksonville Jaguars 2007-2010
Head Coach Alabama Crimson Tide 2003-2006
Quarterbacks Coach Miami Dolphins 2000-2002
Offensive Coordinator Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1996-1999
Tight Ends Coach Chicago Bears 1993-1995
Coach’s Assistant Miami Dolphins 1991-1992
Offensive Assistant Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1988-1990
















 

BamaMoon

Hall of Fame
Apr 1, 2004
20,810
15,647
182
Boone, NC
I'm not an autograph hound, but AJ's autograph on that helmet is pretty cool, especially how he signed the "AJ" part!:BigA:

I still think he's the most undervalued player Bama may have ever had considering the record books vs. the varied fan opinions of him.
 

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