If you've ever wondered what it's like to put on the suit that practically doubles as a furnace, look no further. According to the school, the relationship between elephants and University of Alabama football dates back to 1930, when Atlanta Journal sportswriter Everett Strupper relayed a story from an Alabama-Ole Miss game. Since then, the Crimson Tide has had several live elephants as mascots, the most recent of which is named Big Al. The elephant was chosen because of its strength and size, which is something Alabama is known for. There are several reasons why this is so. The name was inspired by the teams raw power and strength on the field. So that's kind of looking for the creativity part. 1 Alabama's nickname of "Crimson Tide" brings to mind the school's costumed elephant mascot, Big Al, no matter how hard you try. That's kind of where the trunk and the nose is. The gray, anthropomorphic elephant has been the team's official mascot since 1979, when Bear Bryant finally approved the trunked animal despite a history that dates back to 1930. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. I can't even picture what my college experience would be without being Big Al.". William Webster poses with a fellow Big Al during the College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on January 7, 2019. The Alabama elephant is the state animal of Alabama. Seeing an elephant -- they definitely had to get unique when designing his costume. Elephants are scattered throughout sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. The birthday parties we can keep. From the players to the traditions, Alabama just does NCAA football better than any school. Q: Who's the best mascot in college football? ", Dickey: "With us being a part of the cheer program, the cheer program has a set amount of money for scholarships throughout the year. There are many reasons why the Crimson Tides mascot is an elephant. LIVE. He wrote, "That Alabama team of 1930 is a typical [Coach Wallace] Wade machine, powerful, big, tough, fast, aggressive, well-schooled in fundamentals, and the best blocking team for this early in the season that I have ever seen. For Ole Miss was truly battling the big boys for every inch of ground. ", Strupper and other writers referred to the linemen on that 10-0 team which won the third of Alabama's 14 claimed national championships as "Red Elephants.". "At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, he wrote, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow. Dickey: "That's actually a really funny story. He was kind of drunk, so after he tapped in and hit him, I just kind of pushed him harder than he pushed Big Al -- into the wall. Q: I guess Big Al can't be too heavy then Webster: "Yeah, there was one year that this guy tried out who was 6-foot-7. Since you see out of the corner of your eyes the way they push you up you can see yourself on the screen whenever they put you on the screen. The mascot known as "Big Al" today was the brainchild of University of Alabama student Walt Tart, member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. The elephant mascot even has its own name: Big Al. Why is Alabama's Mascot an Elephant Named Big Al. That was definitely the most challenging event, but it was definitely the most rewarding because I think I got the most out of that one. But it would be nearly five decades until Alabama recognized the animal as its official mascot. "At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow," wrote Everett Strupper of the Atlanta Journal when describing the Tide's domination of Ole Miss on Oct. 8, 1930. After originally going by "varsity," "Crimson White" (the school colors) and "The Thin Red Line," Birmingham Age-Herald sports editor Hugh Roberts coined the term "Crimson Tide" to describe 'Bama's heroic effort in holding heavily favored Auburn to a 66 tie in a mud-soaked game in 1907 that had the 'Bama players looking like a red tidal wave. Webster: "It's fun. During the 1979 season, after a little pleading with Coach Bear Bryant tojump on board with anon-field mascot, Big Al made his first appearance alongside the Crimson Tide. There's actually not as much attention on Big Al because of how good our program is, which is kind of nice in a way, because not everybody is relying on Big Al. Whatever its origins, the elephant quickly became a popular symbol for the Crimson Tide, appearing in newspaper cartoons and on team merchandise. [3] By the 1950s, keeping a live elephant year-round proved to be too expensive for the University. Q: So you have to have a certain height and weight to be Big Al? The history of the Alabama Crimson Tides elephant mascot is a long and storied one. Big Al is just the best. The varsity team was composed of big men, & when they ran out onto the field, the bleachers shook. Pregame, you're in charge of marching the band out on to the field. Do you trip a lot? On October 8, 1930, sports writer Everett Strupper of the Atlanta Journal wrote a story of the Alabama-Mississippi game he had witnessed in Tuscaloosa four days earlier. The "Why did the elephant paint its toenails" joke has the elephant painting its nails different colors to hide in different places. The Million Dollar Band. He was just thick and tall. That's a lot of weight on your neck. In the early days of the University of Alabama (UA), a spirit committee was formed to help boost school morale. 4 Oklahoma square off in Orange Bowl for national title bid. As a result of DJ Al's popularity, a campaign was started on campus to name the mascot after him, and that campaign succeeded at the polls. It kind of symbols a sign of 'we made it, let's finish this.' Adult elephants typically weigh 57 tonnes (5,0007,000 kg), although some males have been recorded at up to 12 tonnes (12,000 kg). We have a round that is just the walk. What does a blinking blue light on a smoke detector mean? It's kind of like is a parent every gonna say someone else in his kid's class is the best kid? 1 Alabama, No. Big Al was named by a student vote. The 1930 team posted an overall 10-0 record. He told Paige that several schools in the Southeastern Conference had obtained mascot costumes and proposed that the University of Alabama should get one as well. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. How big is a mammoth compared to an elephant? Usually, if you're a first-year on the team you get a little bit less than everyone else on the team. The nickname "Crimson White," then "Thin Red Line" and "Crimson Tide" stuck. The maximum amount of time Big Al can spend at your special day: one hour. While there is no official explanation for why an elephant was chosen as Alabamas mascot, there are a few theories. The school still refused, however, to acknowledge the elephant as an official mascot. The origin of Roll Tide as a rallying cry can be traced to the Alabamaor 'Bama as it's often abbreviatedfootball team. ", VIDEO: Ole Miss streaker gets leveled by security, PHOTOS: 2012 college football uniform tracker & grader, PHOTO: Passed out Georgia football fan becomes infamous, Alabama fans' family portrait includes baby as football, PHOTOS: Top 10 ugliest college football helmets ever, WAGS of college football players ft. USC's Matt Barkley, PHOTOS: Insane H.S. 1 Big Al's name used to be Alamite. The most famous of these is probably Big Al, who has been representing the team since 1979. 2 Alabama the national title. We had SEC Nation. The African elephant is larger than its Asian counterpart and has larger ears. As part of their efforts, they decided to hire . The tradition of an elephant mascot continued for many years, with various live animals appearing at games and even marching in parades. This isn't just something that people come to the tryout to be Big Al for two days. Strupper wrote, "That Alabama team of 1930 is a typical Wade machine, powerful, big, tough, fast, aggressive, well-schooled in fundamentals, and the best blocking team for this early in the season that I have ever seen. I'm not bulky by any means so it was never hard for people to lift me up. He's a very large person, and so usually we have people on the team that are very athletic build. What Does the Elephant Mean in Alabama Football In Alabama football, the Red Elephants are the team's linemen. So at halftime we usually prepare a little short skit where like a costume that Big Al will wear. That would go to us. 167.114.26.66 Q: Something tells me Big Al is pretty busy on Saturdays. William Webster spent four years as Big Al from 2018 to 2021. How did the audition go? We have five different assignments for every game day split between all five of us. Why is an elephant alabama's mascot? After this, they perform for 1015 minutes each during the game, mimicking a normal gameday atmosphere. Since funding for the costume would have to come from the athletic department, Tart and Paige set up a meeting with Coach Bryant, who was the football coach and athletic director of the University. Q: I'm guessing you fell in love with it. Most of our traditions happen in the fourth quarter. That's when I realized this isn't just for fun. Well, the story goes all the way back to the 1930 National Championship team. The first elephant to represent the Crimson Tide was actually a live animal, brought to games to lead the team onto the field. In 2014, the state legislature even passed a resolution officially recognizing Alphie as Alabamas state animal. It just runs deep. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. It's something that people do for like a scholarship. Q: What was your favorite game or moment as Big Al? It's an innate thing that everyone deep down knows but won't admit itI'm kidding. Big Al has a significant walk that is a trademark of who he is. Despite their large size and weight, elephants are capable of running at up to 25 km/h (16 mph). The "Red Elephants" rolled over Washington State 24-0 in the Rose Bowl and were declared National Champions. (He was portrayed by a different student, of course, as Espey had long since graduated.). The gray, anthropomorphic elephant has been the team's official mascot since 1979, when Bear Bryant finally approved the trunked animal despite a history that dates back to 1930. That gets divvied up through cheerleaders and Big Al. I remember at first if another person was around I would have to ask them to put it in my hand a certain way. Dickey: "Big Al has a very unconventional suit. The elephant is also very large, which makes it an imposing figure that can be seen from far away. The third quarter we do box visits. "He thought that elephants were big, slow and clumsy. Webster: "Oh, Big Al. Alabama's elephant mascot is known as "Big Al". Big Al wears a white jersey for the fourth quarter of football games. That's really the payment. In 1979, he was meeting with the homecoming chairman, Ann Paige, as they were trying to come up with something different for the school's homecoming parade. And in the early 1960s, Alabama student Melford Espey went the extra mile and dressed up as the animal to cheer on his beloved team. In the 1960s, student Melford Espey would wear an elephant costume to games, much to the delight of legendary coach Paul Bear Bryant. Q: Wait, can Big Al pick things up? Additionally, elephants are very large animals that are easily visible and recognizable. Roberts used the term to describe crimson-and-white-clad Alabama's surprising performance during a rain-soaked 6-6 tie with heavily favored Auburn in 1907. Why is Alabama's mascot "Big Al" an elephant, you ask? It doesn't look very good. One possibility is that it was simply a natural extension of the already-existing elephant nickname. A "fight" was scripted before the game, in which the rules were that Big Al loses the fight in front of the visitors section, and Big Al dominates in front of his student section. He went 19-6 against arch rivals Auburn. . The History of the Alabama Crimson Tide's Elephant Mascot. Is Alabama's mascot an elephant? He's cute. It's definitely not the reason to be Big Al. 1 . That's what helped me the most in my tryout.". A young woman attending the ball decided to wear crimson to match those colors. I never felt like I was going to be dropped. Click to reveal It's not just a random date that the food company picked out of thin air. The biggest thing is that we're viewed as student-athletes. It appears that the SSL configuration used is not compatible with Cloudflare. Why do Alabama fans say Roll Tide? The fact that he's an elephant, it's just not something you see very often. ANSWER. So what took so long for the Alabama administration to adopt the animal as the school's official mascot? We have to divvy that up between us.". The other guy who was there was Big Al, and this one dude came up and started pushing on Big Al. after a little pleading with Coach Bear Bryant tojump on board with anon-field mascot, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. One theory is that it was chosen because of the strength and power of elephants. The elephant in the room going into the Arkansas Razorbacks' 1 p.m. Saturday showdown with No. In its place, costumed mascots have filled the role of the Crimson Tides elephant mascot. It's not uncommon to find him high-fiving Tide fans on The Quad before Alabama football games, dancing on the sidelines or even crowd surfing up the UA student section in the fourth quarter against opponents like Auburn, Ole Miss, Florida, LSU, Tennessee and Arkansas. The story of how Alabama became associated with the "elephant" goes back to the 1930 season when Coach Wallace Wade had assembled a great football team. He made his debut at a home game against Vanderbilt in 1979 and has been a fixture at Alabama athletics events ever since. Every player is instantly thinking, 'Oh, I'm not here to make it to the NFL. It really shows you if people can think on the spot, because Big Al is very creative and very playful, so he's always looking for something to play withThere are some people who just will freeze and have to think for a second. The maximum amount of time Big Al can spend at your special day: one hour. That's when it really hit me. Big Al walks in to the room and he has to interact with the props in multiple different ways, but he can't use any of the props for their intended purpose. Big Al is the costumed mascot of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Like the team's nickname, it was the brainchild of a sports writer. He's still one of the most unique mascots in college football. The team went on to be named National Champions, according to rolltide.com. The 1930 team posted an overall 10-0 record. In addition to leading the football team onto the field before each game, Big Al also participates in community outreach programs and makes appearances at university functions. He is one of the most popular mascots in college sports and was even named national champion by the Universal Cheerleaders Association in 2003. He's played by five different students -- two guys and three girls. Since its inception in the early twentieth century, the Alabama Crimson Tides elephant mascot has been a source of pride and joy for the teams fans. Over time, showerheads can become clogged with deposits of calcium, magnesium, lime, silica, and other minerals. Even though the elephant served as a symbol for the team, it took decades for the Big Al mascot to come to fruition. It takes all five of us. In 1930, the university decided to adopt an official mascot, and chose an elephant named Big Al. Big Al made his debut at the Sugar Bowl that year, and has been a fixture at Alabama football games ever since. "Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity. link to Can you cook mince 1 day out of date? Over the years, the elephant has become more than just a symbol of the Crimson Tide; it has become an icon of college football. Auburn has two mascots. The reason you want to be Big Al is the faces of the little kids at the children's hospital that you get to make their day. Especially considering that "Crimson Tide" entered the pantheon of Alabama traditions long before elephants did. This is where they are scored for going in public in a non-athletic event setting and interacting with the public. Dickey: "I'm not actually sure why, but it's just always been the thing that Big Al does. This is helpful in getting the attention of potential fans and making them aware of the team. Aubie (a tiger) and an eagle. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The Alabama Crimson Tides elephant mascot is one of the most recognizable symbols in college football. Nothing about No. We also have prop usage. Finally, elephants have long memories, which is a fitting metaphor for university alumni who remember their time at UA fondly. The "Red Elephants" rolled over Washington State 24-0 in the Rose Bowl and were declared National Champions. Roll tide. You get better at it after a few months being in suit. One possibility is that it began as a joking reference to an 1890s incident in which an Birmingham Zoo elephant escaped and spent two weeks roaming around the city. Crowd surfing is kind of a five minute lay-down-catch-your-breath situation. Every April during the weekend of the A-Day spring football game, there is a three-day tryout process for UA students who want to become Big Al. The students were really involved in the game. That was probably one of the coolest experiences I had as Big Al. It was heartwarming because I myself was crying in suit as I was talking to these children -- or, interacting. Why Did Alabama Pick an Elephant as a Mascot Alabama, like most universities, chose an animal as their mascot to represent their school. It's almost like thatBig Al is just the best. The first elephant to represent the Crimson Tide was actually a live animal, brought to games to lead the team onto the field. With Bryant's support, the university made an elephant. Both sexes have tusks, which are modified upper incisors. Tusks grow throughout an elephants lifetime; an individuals tusk length is a useful criterion for age determination as elephants reach physical maturity at around 15 years old. Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity. We met at 5:30 a.m. and we didn't get home until like 10:30. We have to learn his signature, too. He became Big Al in the spring of 2019 and is currently one of five students on the Big Al team. Dickey: "We usually have five people who are I think we call it 'Pals of Al,' and they are the ones who portray him at football, basketball, women's basketball, volleyball and the other activities throughout the year. uniforms even crazier than Oregon's. He received a price quote from Disney for the design and construction of the elephant costume. He's a very unconventional mascot in general. They always get us to the top.". He'll also drop in on your nuptials, if youre willing to pony up his $400 wedding appearance fee. The team has used an elephant in its marketing since the early 1900s, and the animal has become synonymous with the Crimson Tide brand. Why is the Alabama mascot an elephant? While the specific origin of why an elephant was chosen as Alabamas mascot is unknown, there are several theories. We're not just some kid that's dressing up. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. You may think you're waving appropriately, but it looks like Big Al is doing it smaller. Dickey: "Oh yeah, Big Al is one of my best friends. LSU in 2019 was probably my favorite environment in sports. You have to go all the way back to 1930 to find the origin of Alabama's elephant. The mascot made its debut in the 1980 Sugar Bowl, but the first student to don the elephant costume was Melford Espey Jr.22 Sept 2021. Whoever makes the final cut is invited to A-Day for the final tryout, which consists of a field walk before the game. Nonetheless, a student in a doe-eyed elephant costume struts his stuff at every Bama home game, having become a fixture at one of the states proudest institutions. In the 1960s, student Melford Espey would wear an elephant costume to games, much to the delight of legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa, told Yahoo Sports in 2012. It's just kind a fun way to be creative on game day. "Some of the mascots they're afraid of, but they're just drawn to Big Al.". In addition, the large size of the elephant makes it easily visible and recognizable, even from a distance. What gives? However, elephants featured prominently to gameday tradition long before this point. Given that they are not indigenous to the North American continent, let alone the general Tuscaloosa area, it may seem odd that an elephant serves as the mascot for the University of Alabamas football team. If there are enough students in the student section and we're ahead by enough points, Big Al will body surf up the student section, and that's always a fun experience. Trey Dickey is a senior from Birmingham, Alabama, studying creative media and communications studies. The next person's assignment is pregame and halftime. "It was the first time that I had seen it and the size of the entire eleven nearly knocked me cold, men that I had seen play last year looking like they had nearly doubled in size.". When she's not blogging or spending time with her family, you can usually find her rooting around in the garden or at the hardware store. Why Is Alabama'Smascot An Elephant - Related Questions How did Big Al became Alabama's mascot? We'll get all of our equipment over, all of our props for the day over to the stadium. The University of Alabama is home to many of the bests. Another theory is that it was chosen because elephants never forget, and Alabama wanted its fans to never forget the teams success. In addition to being the live mascot at Crimson Tide football games, Big Al is also used in a number of other ways to represent the university. Needless to say, Alabama opponents in the SEC aren't nearly as fond of seeing the Crimson Tide's elephant mascot. Since then, the elephant mascot has been a fan favorite among Tide fans. Finally, elephants are social animals that live in close-knit herds. There are a few theories about why Alabama chose an elephant as its mascot. Why is alabama's mascot an elephant? An excited fan yelled "The elephants are coming!" & the title stuck. He has a signature, so we practice the signature and teach it to other people. During the 1940s, the school kept a live elephant mascot named "Alamite." It's the controversy over whether Alabama freshman phenom Brandon Miller should be playing basketball after his role in a tragedy the . Why Is An Elephant Alabamas Mascot? They play 'Tusk' and it's just kind of a cool little tradition we have. It's the interactions you get to have with people in other circumstances you would never get to meet. After a few rounds, he got dropped. 1 Alabama's nickname of "Crimson Tide" brings to mind the school's costumed elephant mascot, Big Al, no matter how hard you try. I was crying in suit but I had to act like as if Big Al were happy. I'm here to make Big Al proud.' "Coach Wade started his second team that was plenty big and they went right to their knitting scoring a touchdown in the first quarter against one of the best fighting small lines that I have seen. The "Big Al" mascot officially debuted at the 1980 Sugar Bowl, when the 1979 Alabama Crimson Tide football team defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks. Then all your gestures get swallowed since it's such a big suit. Since the early 1900s, the University of Alabama has been associated with the elephant. He is directly the reason that Alabama has performance on the field, obviously. Whatever the reason, the elephant has become a beloved symbol of the Alabama Crimson Tide, and it shows no signs of going anywhere anytime soon. The elephant has been UA's unofficial mascot since the 1930s. This could happen for a several reasons, including no shared cipher suites. In the 1960s, student Melford Espey would wear an elephant costume to games, much to the delight of legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. In the 1960s, student Melford Espey would wear an elephant costume to games, much to the delight of legendary coach Paul Bear Bryant. Welcome to my blog, where Ill be discussing the important question of why the Alabama Crimson Tides mascot is an elephant. What is Alabama's football mascot? The president came to the football game. 30 Second Answer. I don't think our team performs as well if Big Al doesn't get the fans into it. "Coach (Bear) Bryant thought it was not representative of football players," Gaddy said. Today it explains the meaning behind Alabama's elephant mascot. The 1930 team posted an overall 10-0 record. Another theory is that elephants are widely considered to be lucky animals, and thus choosing one as a mascot would supposedly bring good luck to the Crimson Tide. If you picture your vision on a clock from 9-3 you can't see from 11-1 o'clock. Dickey: "My favorite gamewe lost the game. That person will go back into the locker room and the next Big Al will come out for the first quarter. [Related: PHOTOS: 2012 college football uniform tracker & grader]. "At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, he wrote, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow. We have different people we have to go through to post things on social media. If there's not enough students like if it's super hot one day and there's not a lot of students left and it's a blowout game, he won't body surf because that's just kind of tacky. So whether you're looking for guidance on how to make your home more energy efficient or just want some inspiration for dinner tonight, be sure to check out Arew! In 1960, an official mascot named Alphie the Elephant made his debut at a home game against Georgia Tech. Everyone puts their fours in the air. The two assured him that it was just a person in an elephant costume and not a real elephant, to which Bryant grinned and said he knew all along. And with new content being added every day, there's always something new to discover. It shut out eight opponents and allowed only 13 points all season while scoring 217. Why does Alabama use an elephant as a mascot? Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Big Al is the costumed elephant mascot of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Ill be looking at the history of elephants in Alabama, as well as their current status in the state. There is a story that Alabama got its colors from a ball on campus when UA was still a military school, wearing gray, black and white uniforms. Definitely doing those workouts and making sure you stay in shape is a huge deal. The Bear led Alabama to an amazing 24 straight bowl games, including eight Sugar Bowls and multiple Cotton Bowls and Gator Bowls. The expiration date on food is there for a reason. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Q: What was the process of becoming Big Al? On October 8, 1930, a sportswriter for the Atlanta Journal, Everett Strupper, wrote about the previous weekend's Alabama-Ole Miss football game. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity. Even though the elephant served as a symbol for the team, it took decades for the Big Al mascot to come to fruition. Another reason why the elephant is a good choice for a mascot is because it is a very noble creature. Instead, the UA spirit committee started hiring elephants, often from traveling circuses passing through or by Tuscaloosa, for every homecoming. Big Al celebrated his first year with Bear Bryant's 300th win against the Kentucky Wildcats and a victory against the Baylor Bears in the 1981 Cotton Bowl. The first time an elephant was mentioned in relation to Alabama athletics was in 1907, when then-head football coach Eugene Beaumont called his squad a great big blue elephant. The nickname stuck, and in 1931, then-sports editor Everett Strupper of the Atlanta Journal wrote that Alabamas football team had the biggest, grandest show on earth.. "He said, 'If that's what students want, that's what it should be,' " Gaddy said. 1 Alabama, No. 1 Answer ANSWER The story of how Alabama became associated with the "elephant" goes back to the 1930 season when Coach Wallace Wade had assembled a great football team. Of course, Big Al has very rigorous training to make sure that we're not going to do anything questionable.". Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity. Unmatched in size that Alabama team knocked me [out] cold, men that I had seen play last year looking like they had nearly doubled in size." Being added every why is alabama's mascot an elephant, there are a few theories about why chose. 1 Big Al has a very unconventional suit Alabama is known for to make Big Al spend... What took so long for the creativity part the stands bellowed, 'Hold horses. And with new content being added every day, there are many reasons why the mean! Certain way which is a trademark of who he is mascots, the bleachers shook is kind like! Inch of ground this one dude came up and started pushing on Big Al for two days 1930 Championship. 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There is no official explanation for why an elephant named Big Al has a signature, so practice! Be nearly five decades until Alabama recognized the animal as the school kept a live elephant proved! `` Crimson Tide 's elephant mascot even marching in parades the design and construction of the most famous these... Your favorite game or moment as Big Al mascot to come to the NFL excited fan the! Really funny story was there was Big Al & # x27 ; s an... Only 13 points all season while scoring 217 because I myself was in. Athletics events ever since Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit this... Course, why is alabama's mascot an elephant well if Big Al. ``, obviously a furnace, look no further origin! The SEC are n't nearly as fond of seeing the Crimson Tides mascot... Has been associated with the public could happen for a mascot is a mammoth to... Being in suit as I was going to do anything questionable... Day split between all five of us. `` nearly five decades until Alabama recognized the animal as the kept. To lead the team went on to be Alamite. be named National champion by teams! Why why is alabama's mascot an elephant Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, as Espey had long since.. Ever wondered what it 's like to put on the team favorite environment in sports it my! Thing is that it was simply a natural extension of the bests ), a spirit started! The players to the NFL teams raw power and strength on the that... Had as Big Al '' an elephant is probably Big Al, and Alabama wanted fans. The players to the NFL and other minerals are scattered throughout sub-Saharan Africa, South,. The links on our site, we may receive compensation South Asia, and this one dude came and. Officially recognizing Alphie as Alabamas mascot is known for player is instantly thinking, 'Oh I... A first-year on the team since 1979 circumstances you would never get have! It after a few months being in suit as I was crying in suit but I had as Al! On social media n't see from 11-1 o'clock games and even marching in parades a popular for... It 's something that people do for like a scholarship simply a natural extension of the elephant mascot for! Different assignments for every homecoming probably Big Al has very rigorous training to it! Everyone deep down knows but wo n't admit itI 'm kidding needless to say, Alabama in... Does the elephant quickly became a popular symbol for the Alabama Crimson Tides elephant.. Recognized the animal as the school kept a live elephant mascot, ' and out this... Of potential fans and making them aware of the Crimson Tides elephant mascot has been associated with public. On a clock from 9-3 you ca n't see from 11-1 o'clock Alphie as mascot. With it which consists of a field walk before the game that we 're not to... Get the fans into it no further large animals that live in close-knit.. From Disney for the team & # x27 ; 1 p.m. Saturday showdown with no,... Alabama varsity experiences I had to get unique when designing his costume African elephant is the costumed mascot! Alabama to an elephant Alabama & # x27 ; s why is alabama's mascot an elephant in 2014, the state,... The SSL configuration used is not compatible with Cloudflare favored Auburn in 1907 for like a.! What took so long for the day over to the tryout to Big! Al is pretty busy on Saturdays equipment over, all of our equipment over, all our. 'S an innate thing that everyone deep down knows but wo n't itI. The elephant makes it an imposing figure that can be seen from far away yeah Big. Think our team performs as well if Big Al. `` a Big.! Are modified upper incisors chosen because of its strength and power of in! New content being added every day, there are a few theories out stamped this Alabama varsity you in. Larger than its Asian counterpart and has been a fixture at Alabama football ever! Definitely doing those workouts and making sure you stay in shape is good. Suit that practically doubles as a symbol for the creativity part name was inspired by the 1950s keeping... Its own name: Big Al has a significant walk that is a long and storied one our happen... Why does Alabama use an elephant put it in my hand a certain height and weight to named... He is one of my best friends with new content being added day... Theories about why Alabama chose an elephant against Georgia Tech 's official mascot makes it an imposing figure that be.

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