1961 Alabama

Game Day! You know, I have to say, I didn't really get an offseason (something about a coaching change here along with finishing a book), but this had the be the longest offseason I've ever experienced. There was so much going on, and so much anticipation. Thankfully, we're here.

Well, I put up one photo from Notre Dame, and all of a sudden everyone's "Hey, what about ---!" Heavy sigh. I'll get to them, I promise. Remember, it's a long season. One thing I frequently come across is a shot of a coach being carried off the field by his players. This seemed to happen every couple of weeks or so for Paul W. "Bear" Byrant because there are so many photos out there of his players doing just that. I don't know what the record is for times carried off a field, but I bet he has it.

This is from the 1961 season, his Bryant's first national championship with the Crimson Tide. Alabama went 10-0 in the regular season (the last five games were all shutouts) and defeated No. 9 Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl, 10-3. Photo courtesy of the Paul W. Bryant Museum.