Paul Bryant died 40 years ago today (1/26/1983)

BamaMoon

Hall of Fame
Apr 1, 2004
20,931
15,930
282
Boone, NC
Just months before I was born, so I never got to see him while he was alive. Only replays. But I've read many books, biographies, etc. Others have passed him on the all-time wins list but no one has been so legendary. Like all things, that may fade over time but for now I still feel like it is true.

My favorite quote, and I love them all, but it is the one that plays on the speakers in Bryant-Denny before each game. "I hope the people remember me as a winner, because I ain't never been nothing but a winner."
My most distinct memory of him was attending games at BDS and Legion Field. He'd always lean up against the goalpost during pre-game warm-ups. If you walked down to the first row you would be about as close to him as the average fan could get. He stood there like a god and to a little boy like me, he was!
 

BamaMoon

Hall of Fame
Apr 1, 2004
20,931
15,930
282
Boone, NC
NASA's three biggest tragedies were:
January 27, 1967 - Apollo 1 fire
January 28, 1986 - Challenger
February 1, 2003 - Columbia

All within a week on the calendar day-wise.
I hope the next time they send the next big rocket up with people on it they'll avoid that week! They probably should all just take that week off!
 

TideATL70

Scout Team
Oct 20, 2020
142
123
62
As I get older, I am just so glad he was able to battle through that 82 season and go out a winner-it takes a lot of courage to know when it's time to "hang it up" as he stated in that December press conference. I know the focus is usually on those last 3 games (including close losses to LSU/Auburn) but that team was 5-0 and ranked #2 including destroying eventual NC Penn State 42-21.
 

DanoCanuck

3rd Team
Feb 5, 2020
295
516
112
The news of his death spread far and wide, including Vancouver Canada where I’m from, and was living at the time. I was well aware of Coach Bryant and Alabama long before his death though. We would get cross border network programming out of Seattle, Washington including college football on Saturdays. When I was a kid in the early 70’s Johnny Musso came to play for the BC Lions. My dad was a big BC Lions fan and would take me to practices where I got his autograph.

After meeting Johnny and finding out he played for Alabama I started looking for Alabama games on TV. I don’t recall the first one I saw but when they put the camera on Coach Bryant I was mesmerized with the man in the houndstooth hat. He had an aura that was undeniable! I became an instant Alabama fan and the rest is history.

ROLL TIDE
 

BamaMoon

Hall of Fame
Apr 1, 2004
20,931
15,930
282
Boone, NC
As I get older, I am just so glad he was able to battle through that 82 season and go out a winner-it takes a lot of courage to know when it's time to "hang it up" as he stated in that December press conference. I know the focus is usually on those last 3 games (including close losses to LSU/Auburn) but that team was 5-0 and ranked #2 including destroying eventual NC Penn State 42-21.
I'd forgotten that we were 5-0. I had to go look and see we finished 8-4 that year. That was quite the slide of finishing 3-4 those final 7 games.

As an aside, I wonder how much Auburn's ascension in the early 80's and then losing Bo to Auburn impacted Coach Bryant's decision? My understanding is Bo wanted to go to Bama, but Dye and fellow recruiters used Coach Bryant's age/health against him.
 

bama2112

All-American
Nov 19, 2006
2,016
290
107
Cobb County, Ga.
Reading many of the post about what were doing when we heard CPB passed away just reminds me that I am no longer that 20 or 30 year old who thought we were immortal.

I was working as a Respiratory Therapist (UAB grad) at Huntsville Hospital. I was covering the MICU ( Medical Intensive Care Unit). I recall is was around 2pm when the news broke .The ICUs can be busy noisy but once we saw it on WHNT there was a hush that fell over the unit. Several of the RN's were wiping away tears. All of a sudden you hear this loud female voice " Hallelujah THE BEAR is dead and the War Damn Eagle". At this point the Medical Director of the MICU a physician, called her to the break room and a few of us listened in. He suggested she take her lunch break and if she thought it was appropriate to celebrates someone death like that she might want to think of a new profession. She transferred to another unit shortly there after. Its one of those moments you vividly recall even 40 years ago.
 

tusks_n_raider

Hall of Fame
May 13, 2009
12,128
12,197
187
Mobile, AL
I barely have memories of Coach Bryant from when he lived.

I was born in '78 so I only have faint memories from about 3-4 years old in '81 and '82

But I DO remember how much of a Mythical Giant type figure he was and how he commanded awe from me then at such a young age.

Whenever my Dad turned on the game and I would see CPB on the TV I would say "Look Mama!! It's B'rear B'ryant!!"

He will always be missed and will never be forgotten.
 

BamaMoon

Hall of Fame
Apr 1, 2004
20,931
15,930
282
Boone, NC
I barely have memories of Coach Bryant from when he lived.

I was born in '78 so I only have faint memories from about 3-4 years old in '81 and '82

But I DO remember how much of a Mythical Giant type figure he was and how he commanded awe from me then at such a young age.

Whenever my Dad turned on the game and I would see CPB on the TV I would say "Look Mama!! It's B'rear B'ryant!!"

He will always be missed and will never be forgotten.
Mythical Giant gets his nickname from wrestling a bear...think about that!

Speaking of how old he looked when he died. He kinda always had an "older face." Bear Bryant in 1945 as HC of Maryland:

1674755273271.png
 

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