By: Richard Keenam

Over eighty years ago, something unexpected happened for the Crimson Tide, resulting in what is considered the most significant game ever played in the history of Southern football.  This game ushered in, with mixed southern emotions, the beginning of the south’s movement into the cultural and economic thinking of industrial America.

 

The University of Alabama faithful believe they hold the most storied “Rise to Tradition” in American football history and older fans know why this claim is made.  But there may be many younger Bama fans who know very little about these events.  And nationwide, the percentage who may be aware of them, must, at best, be minimal.

 

But before getting into this game, for a better understanding of the climate of the times in which this game took place, it’s best to take a look back into how our nation developed, long before American football was ever played.  I believe the following remark from the beginning of “Gone With The Wind” is the best point to start.

 

“There was a land of Cavaliers and cotton fields called the old South.  Here in this pretty world, gallantry took its last bow.  Here was the last ever to be seen of Knights and their ladies fair, of master and of slave.  Look for it only in books, for it is no more than a dream remembered…A Civilization gone with the wind.”

 

To more clearly understand the climate of these times, “Gone With The Wind” was in no way typical of how the ancestors of today’s African Americans lived, but I’d consider their life style of wealthy Southerners a good example.  The early South’s history, with a primarily Anglo-Saxon population, even more deeply “refined” English social structure.

 

The South became a nation unto itself.  Those on wealthy plantations were the South’s highest class and socialized with no others.  The middle to lower class primarily lived in urban areas, except for the sharecroppers, who were only able to live day by day.  These “Knights and their ladies fair” had no inkling they would soon be chivalry’s last stand. Click Here to read the rest of the article

Left to Right: Freddie Milons, Anthony Madison, Eric Gray, Brandon Brooks, Greg McClain, Tyrone Prothro and Todd Bates showing off the RollCrimsonTide banner

A-Day 2008, a great day for Alabama and the members of RollCrimsonTide.com. We had a blast this year at A-Day and literally thousands of fans came by our tent. Todd Bates, Freddie Roach, Keith Saunders, Darren Mustin, Darius Gilbert, Brandon Brooks and Tyrone Prothro joined us to tailgate and sign autographs for the fans. Also making appearances were Wallace Gilberry, Freddie Milons, Greg McClain, Anthony Madison, and Eric Gray. Check back often in our forums to see who wins the jerseys autographed by the players at A-Day. The winner of the Keith Saunders jersey is BamaTom92. The winner of the Darius Gilbert jersey is DGK55. To view photos from the RollCrimsonTide.com 2008 A-Day tailgate and autograph signing Click Here

Remember, Todd Bates Football Skills Camp is coming up May 10th. Young athletes ages 6-18 will have a chance to be coached by true professionals. Todd was a permanent team captain for Alabama, played with the Tennessee Titans, is a personal fitness instructor and a high school defensive line coach.. Click here for Information and Sign Up Sheet.

By: Joe Tucker

George thought back on the week of the National Championship game in 1992.  “It all started back in Tuscaloosa having our practices, school was out and nobody was around so you were kind of stuck on campus and we had to deal with practicing so we had to stay focused.  I can remember practicing and having some of the most intense practices we had ever had.  I mean hitting each other to the point that Coach Stallings was getting upset because he was afraid someone was going to get hurt.  I can remember fuel being thrown onto the fire because we were reading and watching ESPN and they were saying how we were just going to get demolished.  It all started in Tuscaloosa, but when we got to New Orleans it got worse, just because their fans were there, the news coverage was still not giving us a chance, and that is when we just said it’s us against the world and we were just going to stick together and do our job.  It escalated down on Bourbon Street where the two teams were around and it was really almost like a boxing match.  It made us more focused.  Coach Oliver was really pushing on us and pressing this new scheme we were going to pull out on them.  We knew we had a trick up our sleeves, a scheme that they didn’t know about and that made us excited.  Then, after that first kick off (and I remember it well, because I’m the one that made the tackle on the first kickoff), I actually ran out of my shoes and we just erupted, there was no way we were going to be stopped.  We had been focusing on them for two weeks.  We knew we had a good plan offensively and defensively, we knew we were fast, and we knew what they were going to do, and they just started writing checks that they couldn’t cash.   We had their number.”

On the first play of the game, Alabama stacked the line.  “We call it 11 up, we brought all 11 guys up on the line.  That was the sign that this is really going to work because they didn’t have a clue, they looked around and called time out, then the crowd erupted, we erupted because we knew we had them then.  Although it was early, we knew, Geno, the Heisman trophy winner was going to have a hard time trying to figure out how to beat us.  It was just another stepping point to Roll  right over them.”

Of course one of the most famous plays in the history of college football was made by George in the National Championship game as well, the strip.  “I was out of position, believe it or not.  It was one of those plays you talk about guys loafing; I was taking a play off.  I had so much confidence in our corners that I thought our corners are going to make a play on this one so I’m just going to chill out for a second.  Then they catch the cornerback running out of bounds or falling down or something and that is when fear kicked in and I knew I was going to have to make a play or Coach Stallings was going to be waiting on me on the sidelines ready to get all up in my face.”  Miami’s star wide receiver, Lamar Thomas, caught the ball and went streaking down the sidelines.  To make matters worse, Thomas was the one who had been very vocal leading up to the game saying that Alabama was not man enough to play man to man with them.  “It was the moment of all my track days and all that kind of stuff kicked in and you put that on top of fear and good things will happen when you hustle.  I got there and I really just wanted to strip the ball, but by the grace of God, I hit the ball downwards and somehow it ended up coming up into my face and I was able to grab it, jump over him, turn around and run the other way.  That was a huge play in the game, but for me personally also, trying to get into the draft.  I was worn out after chasing him down and celebrating and I had to go to the sidelines and get some oxygen.  I took my helmet off, I was head butting guys, I had knots on my forehead, it was crazy, but it was awesome at the same time.”  As an athlete and defensive back though, what was more exciting for him was running a touchdown back.  “National Championship game, intercept a pass, run it back for a touchdown, millions of people watching, that’s huge.  Yet, you have this other one, I guess it’s going down in the books as a no play, and although I am very thankful that I am remembered by something very positive, taking the ball away from somebody, even at the end of the game I didn’t think it was going to be that big of a deal. I figured that was my job.  That’s the call to duty, it’s normal, if you get beat, you run all the way to the ball and you either try to strip the ball or tackle the guy. That was all that Oliver taught.  Until it started being shown on the T.V. all the time and until Daniel Moore came to me and said he wanted to make a painting of it, it was normal, but then I said, well wait a minute, this is not a normal old routine play here.  It’s good value for teaching with my son and I do use it as testimony devotion wise to show what can happen if you hustle.  I’m just glad that I am remembered by something like that and not something terrible.” 

I asked George what his thoughts were on Lamar Thomas and his comments during the Miami-Florida International game which resulted in Thomas losing his job as a broadcaster.  “It’s kind of funny to me.  Not that I want anyone to lose their job, but it goes back to the mentality we discussed earlier.  It goes back to his playing days.  You need to do your job and watch what you say.  He played for Miami and in the NFL for the Dolphins, and I’m sure a lot of people look up to him.  But you never want to condone any violence.  I ended up playing for the them for one year in 1997, and Lamar Thomas was on that team.  He got drafted by Tampa and ended up playing for the Miami Dolphins.  That was the first time that I was going to have to have an encounter with him and be on the same page to try to win football games.  I was a little nervous about that because I knew he really didn’t like me very much.  When I started, the Miami Herald, instead of putting something about me playing for the Green Bay Packers or even the Cowboys, they put a picture of “the strip” up on the front page of the Miami Herald and stated that I had just signed with Dolphins.  So….boys will be boys and for about a month, every comment from the guys in the locker-room to Lamar, was ‘Watch out George is behind you!, watch out George Teague’s behind you!.’  They were egging him on to pick with him.  He was a wide receiver, I was a defensive back, so who do I have to cover in practice?  I have to cover him one on one.  It had been going on all year, ‘George Teague’s behind you…’, so he is not really liking it, but we are trying to be the best teammates we could be in the midst of all of this.  Herbzinger had a golf course that we could play for free.  So, I didn’t play, but I thought, it’s free I’ll go out here and give it a whirl.  So one day I go out there and low and behold, Lamar is out there.  He acted very nice to me and said ‘George there is somebody I’d like for you to meet.’ I said OK, and he said ‘My mom is here and she is out on the golf course, I’d like for you to meet my mom.’  I thought man that’s awesome, so he proceeds to bring me over to his mom and says, ‘Mom, I’d like for you to meet someone.  I want you to meet the reason I couldn’t buy you that new house I promised you when I was drafted.’ I had no comeback what so ever.”

Teague also had a run in with Terrell Owens while playing for the Dallas Cowboys.  Owens, in typical form, was showboating and “celebrating” at midfield on the Cowboys star.  George said the two of them had been talking about each other's mothers the entire game and finally, enough was enough.  When Owens ran out to midfield to celebrate for the second time he was met my Teague who promptly knocked Owens to the ground and defended the star.  I asked George would he do that again if the situation was the same?  “Probably so….”

So what does it mean to George to have worn the crimson and white?  “It is very prideful, I am honored and still am.  I’m a huge fan.  I am one of the biggest fans and supporters.  It means a lot to me.  I didn’t necessarily grow up in Alabama, my father was in the military, so I moved around quite a bit and didn’t grow up this huge Alabama fan.  But playing there, getting on campus, getting the support of the people there, the support that I am still getting now that I am not even there.  It’s humongous.  I wouldn’t change it.  I’m glad it is a decision that I made, that I was offered a scholarship to play there.  It was one of the best decisions I ever made in my whole life was to attend the University of Alabama.  Bill Curry did an awesome job of recruiting me.  He came into a neighborhood and a place that a lot of people didn’t want to come into and he sold his program.  The second thing was the job opportunities and the alumni association, knowing that once I left the university and graduated I would have a strong supporting cast, which has held true to this moment.  I know all schools talk about it, but it has held true. Lastly, I loved the campus.  It’s just beautiful, just beautiful.  It wasn’t too big and it wasn’t too far away from home. 

George also had a message for the current players.  “The biggest way for you guys to have the success that Alabama is used to is to come together as a full and complete team.  Things are a little different from when I played, because we all lived in a dorm, we all had to eat together, sleep together, and play together, but now being in apartments and stuff the players need to make an extra effort to find a way to bond together.  I don’t care if that means going to Wendy’s, or going to hang out at the rec.  I don’t know what that is for them, but until they come back together and aren’t individualized…that could be running backs, linebackers, linemen, we all need to come back and be a unit and then the program will go back to where it needs to be.  The coaches are in place, the facilities are in place, the fans are in place, the schedules in place and now it’s time for the players to get in place and go win some football games.”  

Click here to discuss what George had to say in our forums

By: Joe Tucker Contact RollCrimsonTide.com

George Teague is currently the AD and Development Director at a small Christian School outside of Dallas and an assistant football coach for the school.  George says that being an athletic director has really been an enlightening experience for him.  “You never really realize all the planning that goes into a program.  Who’s going to wash the clothes, which bus is going to leave when, and the little things that you don’t think about as a player, because we just show up and we’re ready to play the game.   Being on the other side, even as a coach, you just never think about it.  It has definitely been an eye opener for me, but it also makes for a good challenge to be able to run an entire athletic department.”

George understands the pressure and scrutiny that Mal Moore has been under at Alabama.  “Let me say that the pressure of being the athletic director and being responsible for the hiring and firing of all of your coaches is a big burden, everybody is looking at you.  The other part is doing the academics part of it.  I think Mal has done a good job, he has hired some good coaches and you have to let them do their job, if they can’t then you have to replace them.  He’s done a lot of other things as well, like the big fund raising to redo the stadium, Bryant Hall, we have new tennis courts; there is all kind of stuff going on, so he’s done a good job.  If he decides he wants to move on I’m not sure who that next person will be.  I don’t think it is something I am ready for at this point, so I’m not ready to throw my name in the hat. That is a whole different level than where I’m at right now as compared to the pressure you get from being at a place like Alabama.  I don’t know who it will be that eventually replaces Mal, but it will be a tough situation to handle.” 

George says that having God in your life is extremely important, especially coming from being on the other side for a while. “I walked on the other side for a while where I wasn’t living a Christian life.  Even though I was blessed with a few things, I always had that empty feeling on the inside.  Until I rededicated myself to the Lord, I really didn’t understand how important the Lord was to the success of my life.  I played nine years in the National Football League and I had at least four years of my playing days that were just horrific for me.  People may have thought every thing was good for me because I was in the NFL and glamorous, but I was down in the dumps.  There were times I wanted to quit, I was doing things with my body I shouldn’t have been doing, but when He came back and really sought me out, my spirit, the way I played the football game, all the blessings that I received through my family, and even afterwards.  Whoever thought I could be an athletic director anywhere, or even a head football coach?  These are all things that I know are blessings from the Lord, so when I’m speaking to anybody, it doesn’t matter if it’s kids or grown ups, you’ve got to have Jesus in your life in order to be the person that we’re called to be.  One of the struggles I have had with that is that being a Christian and doing what the Lord has asked me to do.  I’ve been specifically called to work here at a small school to be around the kids, and I honestly believe that.  It goes back to our youth not necessarily understanding or falling into the trap of what’s on T.V., radio and everything else about how bad it is to be a Christian.  In having two younger kids you have to have morals, and they have to be taught what is right and wrong and this can’t be based on nothing or something created out of air, without having any principles to it.  We have a rule book in the Holy Bible and it will lay out to us exactly what we are suppose to do and if that is not shared with our kids then that’s what is happening in our society and the way it’s starting to decline.  We have people killing each other and everything else.  It’s all because of the basis of what we didn’t do.  If we are not doing what is right as men and as parents to raise our kids in a way that they know the difference between right and wrong as is described in the bible, they are not going to be happy, they are going to be into lust and all other things you don’t want these kids to go through.”  George has two kids, a son, James who is 14 and a daughter, Jada who is eight. 

Though he came in under Curry, George says Coach Stallings was awesome.  “He would get down in the trenches with you.  He was all about doing the right thing and still is to this day.  Though I don’t talk to him that often, he still asks about the family, and if I’m doing the right thing.  We had all types of personalities on that staff, some yellers and screamers, tough guys, and he was able to mesh his coaching staff together and more importantly he influenced all of us as players there that stuck with us for a long time.  I know that for a fact.” 

George sees a lot of similarities between Stallings and Saban.  “One of the things that Saban conveyed to me was how much he cared about the players graduating and making sure that that happened so that they would have the best opportunity to be great leaders in the community after they had played.  I had not heard that from anybody over there and that just strikes you differently.  He said he wants to win and that he knows how to coach, and we know he knows how to coach.  He can win football games, but what the difference is, and it was this way with Coach Stallings, is what he has in his heart for his athletes.  It’s not just x’s and o’s, but when you leave here, you’re walking out of here with a degree and you're not going to come crying back here about you didn’t have an opportunity.  That hit me very, very hard in a good way, to know that he actually cares about the kids that he’s going to be bringing in to the University.” 

Stay Tuned for Part Two.....

Here are some photos from our RollCrimsonTide tailgating and autograph session. Reggie Myles, Marcus Spencer, Quincy Jackson, and Marvin Constant all joined us at the event to tailgate and sign autographs. Reggie, Marcus and Quincy will all soon be taking the field for Team Alabama and the AAFL. Marvin's football career is over, but he still looks the part. Thanks to Truett we have a few photos from early in the day to show, since I ran off and left the camera at the house. I want to thank all of our members for making this site special, and I'm looking forward to tailgating with you all next year. Pictured above from top left are Quincy Jackson, Reggie Myles, Dennis (aka:Voyager), Marcus Spencer, two of the AAFL girls, Truett (aka: RIP Sackman 55), Tyler (1standgoal) and his fiance. Make sure to visit the AAFL's site at www.AAFL.com and to come out and support these guys as they start their new career with Team Alabama this Spring. Here are more photos from the get together: