When and why did you become a Crimson Tide fan?

[Lifer]

I grew up in South Alabama in the 60’s and 70’s when Bear Bryant and his teams dominated the southern football landscape. I grieved over “punt Bama punt” and I don’t see a score of 17-16 without it coming to mind. I always pulled for the Tide during the game and the Sunday afternoon replay with Coach Bryant, “Bingo! that was goody! Who was that John?, I think that was Joe Laboo!”

Like so many on here, I am a huge fan but not an alumni.
I think it would be interesting to see how and why you became a fan of the Tide.

I retired from Nationwide Insurance as a claim’s representative in 2019. I have lived in Jacksonville Fl since 1984. It’s true, “My homes in Alabama no matter where I lay my head.”

Roll Rockin Tide!

 

[The Ols]

I went from Chicago to Tuscalossa to play baseball…
Found out I wasn’t D1 material pretty quickly…Choices were simple. Transfer to a small school or stay where legend’s are born…I stayed…never went back…best decision (other than marrying my wife) I’ve ever made…That was 1984…Now, my daughter is a freshman on the equestrian team…just took two seconds at the UGa invitational in her last show. Olsons bleed Crimson…
Roll Tide!!!

 

[BamaMoon]

Birth...born and raised that way in Walker Co., Alabama. Never knew different!

 

[Bidgoodman]

Birth...born and raised that way in Walker Co., Alabama. Never knew different!

Grew up in Ttown. Went to first game at 10 years old. Graduated from Bama. The Crimson Tide is in my blood.

 

[CrimsonPaul]

I started at Alabama in 1959 which was Coach Bryant's second season. I was an Auburn fan up to that point just because my sister went to Auburn. I used to be one of the first fans in the student section of home game and seeing the players work out and Alabama grew in me that first year.

 

[Lifer]

Auburn winning NC in 57 might have made it tough to choose Bama in 1959.

 

[BamaMoon]

Auburn winning NC in 57 might have made it tough to choose Bama in 1959.

They weren't Auburn in 1957. Alabama Polytech Institute.

 

[CrimSonami]

Initially by geographical default living in the state. When I became more aware of fan significance I chose Bama more due to the fact that I was born the year Coach Bryant accepted Mama’s call to come home.

 

[Elefantman]

By the grace of God, I'm the offspring of two Alabama grads.

 

[rolltide7854]

1964 Orange Bowl when I was 10 years old is my first memory of watching Alabama. Nameth scored!!!!

 

[TrueCrimson7]

Was a baseball fan until I started medical school in 2006. I was so busy studying day in and day out that I only had time to watch one game a week and needed the break most on Saturdays. I grew up in Alabama, so I started watching and rooting for Tide football. It was a great time to start!

 

[BamaBoySince89]

1989: watching the Iron Bowl with my Father and Uncle. All that week I remember being asked who I was rooting for and I really didn’t know who to choose. Up to that time I really didn’t watch much sports, I was more into being outside playing but that game changed everything! Although Bama lost that day 30-20, I was won over by my Pops and Uncle, seemed like the whole game I watched them yell and scream at the tv. It just seemed like Bama was the better choice. One of many good decisions I’ve ever made in life

 

[Padreruf]

Moved to Mobile in the summer of 1959 and was soon converted by my new Alabama friends...I was 8 at the time. Gosh -- that's 64 years ago. We lived across the street from Ladd Memorial Stadium and I used to sneak in to watch the games there...the workers knew me and would let me in. Those were the days...

 

[selmaborntidefan]

In all honesty, it happened because I was on a school bus in Illinois with a kid born in Mississippi who insulted my birthplace. Alabama where was my grandparents lived and my favorite place, I had no idea about anything else.

First Tide game I ever saw was the 1979 Sugar Bowl, so I had no idea how incredible the Goal Line Stand was; I was nine years old and expected us to stop them.

This whole "these folks never went to school there," I mean, who invents these kinds of dumb arguments? My Dad never played for the St Louis Cardinals, either, but he grew a fan of theirs. He was also (somewhat) a fan of the Mizzou Tigers, and he never went to school there, either.

However - note for the record that the FIRST school where I applied to go to college - and was accepted - was, in fact, the University of Alabama. I only didn't go because I was responsible enough not to stick some Auburn grad with my unpaid student loans since we couldn't afford it.

 

[Ole Man Dan]

When I was a very little boy, my Mother told me I was an Alabama fan. Who was I to argue with my Mom.
At the time we lived in Baton Rouge, La. a few blocks from
Tiger Stadium. We were soon to move back to Alabama.
As near as I can figure that means I've known I was an Alabama Fan for more than 70 years. (Nearly 77 years now...)

 

[Professor]

After getting my Ph.D. in Chemistry from University of Virginia, joined the faculty at UA in 1967. Left there in 1977. While at UA became huge fan of the Bear and his boys and never got over it. Those were great times to be on campus. I may be the biggest Alabama fan in North Carolina, at least I hope so.

 

[RammerJammer14]

Well, never really had much of a choice . My grandad went to Alabama, my aunts and uncles went to Alabama, my parents went to Alabama and met there, my family is from Tuscaloosa. My dad got a job in South Carolina when I was a little kid, so I grew up in South Carolina, but I was always an Alabama fan. Of course, other than a few games that I very very vaguely remember watching with my dad in the mid 90s at the end of Stallings’ time, the first real Alabama games that I remember watching was when we were terrible. And I also remember it being hard to watch Alabama games in SC- seemed like we were never on TV. My dad would also shake his head at how bad we were and tell me about how the Bear would never accept this and how when he was in school they used to bet on if the offense or defense would score more points in a game. Actually he still tells me that .

My first in-person Alabama game was Alabama at SC in 2001 where we lost by 1 point after for some reason going for 2 on not converting earlier in the game. I remember crying as we left the stadium, it’s a good thing that camera operators weren’t hunting for sad fans as much back then . SC was a historically garbage program and had recently hired Lou Holtz, and I never heard the end of it at school. Point being, I think living in SC made me a more intense fan (I also went to the 2010 game in Columbia- miserable again). Then Alabama hired Saban my last year of HS, then I attended UA and the program won 3 national titles, 2 back to back. Perfect timing.

 

[Saban4Ever]

I grew up in the state of Alabama. Was born a Bama fan. Have many relatives who went to UA.

.One of my relatives worked at UA for many years. I did not go to UA because I got an athletic scholarship to a smaller school in Alabama. I wasn't good enough to play at Bama. lol

I remember watching Bama football as a kid. Was devastated when Bear Bryant died (I was in high school then). So thankful that Coach Saban has been at Bama for as long as he has. I have always been a Bama fan, regardless of the coach or the team record, but it sure is nice to have been a fan during Bear Bryant's years and now Coach Saban's time. It will be very strange whenever the time comes for another coach. I personally think Coach Saban will coach until he is no longer physically able to. I don't see him retiring unless he has major medical issues or worse.

 

[92tide]

my paternal grandad was from coker and grew up in the 1920's working on campus and my dad was born and raised in tuscaloosa. my parents were both bama students (dad got an engineering degree in the 60's and mom dropped out her junior year the year before i was born). my first in person game was vs vpi (now va tech) in 1978 with my dad. i got to go to pretty much every tuscaloosa game from 80-84/5 ushering with the boy scouts.

 

[Tide Rev]

I grew up in an Auburn household. When I was 6 years old, I was captivated listening to Coach Bryant every Sunday afternoon. There was no way I could cheer for the Cow College. I did not get to attend my first live game until 1980. When I walked in the stadium and saw Coach Bryant leaning against the goal post, I felt like I had entered heaven. I still get chills walking into BDS to witness a game. RTR!