The ultimate University of Alabama fan guide to the passionate and historic rivalry between the Auburn Tigers and the Crimson Tide, this book is presented in a unique reversible-book format. Full of interesting trivia, hilarious history, and inside scoops, the book relates the fantastic stories of legendary 'Bama coaches and star players, as well as the numerous villains and their even worse fans who have represented the Tigers over the years. Like two books in one, this completely biased account of the rivalry shows there really is no fine line between love and hate; rather, it's as wide as the drive from Tuscaloosa to Auburn. This is the defining book on the Alabama&–Auburn rivalry and is a must-read for every true Crimson Tide fan.
Alabama’s Crimson Tide has been the most dominant college football team in America for the past decade, winning five national championships and five conference titles. The team, under coach Nick Saban, has won an astounding ninety percent of its games since 2008, and established a dynasty unparalleled in modern college football. As impressive as Saban and his teams have been, these are far from the only glory days in Alabama football history, and their great tradition is celebrated in Miracle Moments in Alabama Crimson Tide Football History. Mark Mayfield chronicles Alabama’s colorful football history dating to when their first team won a scrimmage, 56–0, over a group of Birmingham high school players in 1892. Three decades later, Alabama pulled off a stunning 20–19 upset of West Coast powerhouse Washington in the 1926 Rose Bowl, won its first national championship, and took its place among the elite teams in America with seventeen national titles through eras coached by Wallace Wade, Frank Thomas, the legendary Paul “Bear” Bryant, Gene Stallings, and Saban. Along the way, some of the best players in the nation have been a part of this extraordinary program—from Don Hutson, Harry Gilmer, Joe Namath, Ken Stabler, John Hannah, Lee Roy Jordan, Derrick Thomas, and Cornelius Bennett to Julio Jones, Amari Cooper, Mark Barron, Dont’a Hightower, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Calvin Ridley, and Heisman Trophy winners Mark Ingram Jr. and Derrick Henry. They and so many other remarkable players and coaches are highlighted in Miracle Moments in Alabama Crimson Tide Football History, a must have for all ‘Bama football fans.
One never knows what the topic of discussion will be when taking a seat with the gentlemen in the Backbooth at Chappy’s Deli in Auburn, Alabama. The topics change daily, often several times within the same sitting. The conversation is broad and knows no bounds. Throughout the day, conservative, liberal, and even some middle-of-the-road friends gather for breakfast to chat about the news of the day or just their thoughts and feelings on certain subjects. Usually, the conversation is cordial and without rancor ... but not always. This book is a collection of the group’s recollections, hopes, and dreams. In addition to football, politics and religion, there are stories of friends and neighbors, and of people the gentlemen know only through the news media—mostly imperfect people in an imperfect world doing the best they can. Filled with Southern charm and keen insights, you’ll finish this humorous book convinced that the world would be better if we as a nation had more conversations like the men at Chappy’s.
Long overdue for an institutional history, Auburn University possesses a rich and storied past. Dwayne Cox's The Village on the Plain traces the school's history in authoritative detail from its origins as a private college through its emergence as a complex land-grant university. Originally founded prior to the Civil War with an emphasis on classical education, Auburn became the state's land-grant college after the cessation of hostilities. This infused the school with a vision of the South as a commercial and industrial rival to the North. By the 1880s, instruction in applied science had become Auburn's curricular version of this "New South" creed. Like most southern universities, Auburn never enjoyed financial abundance, creating scarcity that intensified internal debate over whether liberal arts or applied disciplines deserved more of the school's limited resources. Meager state funding for higher education complicated Auburn's rise and became a source of competition with the University of Alabama. This rivalry was perhaps most intense between 1908 and 1948, when the two schools did not meet on the gridiron, but blocked and tackled one another in the legislature over the division of state funds. Like many universities founded in somewhat isolated locations during the antebellum period, Auburn developed an insular culture, which hindered the school's progress in issues related to race. Cox traces how this insularity also found expression in the school's resistance to outside academic regulatory organizations as well as in conflicts over the university's governance. Auburn University's history is that of a small private college that transformed itself in the face of sweeping national events and state politics, not only to survive threats but to emerge more complex and resilient. Offering much to students of higher education and Alabama history, as well as readers affiliated with Auburn University, The Village on the Plain tells the story of this complex and fascinating institution.
For nearly twenty years Eli Gold has been behind the microphone for Alabama football, calling many a memorable game and witnessing first hand some defining moments in the history of Alabama football: an unbelievable win at Penn State; numerous wins over Tennessee on the Third Saturday in October; a national title win over Miami. He also had a front row seat for the 1990 return of "Junction Boy" Gene Stallings. Those firsthand memories, plus many great moments from "days gone by," are just some of the stories as told by the Voice of the Crimson Tide. Other memorable moments include: Bama takes Southern football out west Bear Bryant answers "Mama's call" 12 national championships Joe Willie and the "Snake" The Goal Line Stand Mike Shula and a return to the Bowls "The passion he brings to his broadcasts, be it NASCAR or Alabama football, is beyond compare. There is no one better to write a book about one of the proudest franchises in all of college sports." ?Mike Helton, President, NASCAR "A whole generation of Alabama fans [know] Eli as "The Voice of the Tide." Like all great broadcasters, he is a wonderful storyteller and this book is filled with some stories that I had never heard. An enjoyable combination of Bama football history and behind the scenes broadcast booth stories." ?University of Alabama coach Mike Shula
In this lively and fascinating book, noted writer and Auburn alum Paul Hemphill tells the story of the progress of Auburn from that first game coached by Auburn legend George Petrie through the team’s growth and development into the national force it is today. Hemphill records the many highs and occasional lows, and the heartbreak and jubilation each caused, noting the standouts great and small on the way. A Tiger Walk through History contains 172 photographs, many of them rare and surprising. The text and photos capture the many great players and coaches in the Auburn football experience: Auburn’s first bowl appearance in 1936; coaching eras of innovative football genius John Heisman, after whom the Heisman trophy is named; “Iron Mike” Donahue; Ralph “Shug” Jordan, who brought Auburn its first national championship in 1957; Pat Dye, Terry Bowden, and present coach Tommy Tuberville; Auburn’s two Heisman trophy winners Pat Sullivan and Bo Jackson; and victories over rivals Alabama and Georgia. The 2007-2008 season is highlighted, including the sixth straight win over Alabama and a bowl victory over Clemson. As the game has grown, Auburn and its team have grown with it, and Auburn now ranks as a perennial power both in its conference and in the nation. Vince Dooley states in his foreword that “beyond the famous coaches and players and their heroics on behalf of the Orange and Blue, A Tiger Walk through History is also about time-honored traditions—rallying cries like ‘Sullivan-to-Beasley’ and ‘Punt Bama Punt’ and ‘Rolling Toomer’s Corner’—that echo in resounding fashion from the pages of Paul Hemphill’s remarkable book.” No fan, whether casual or devoted, can afford to miss this riveting account of the Plainsmen’s journey from the very beginning to today, which is the record of a great university as well as the story of the development of a great football team.
In Tuscaloosa, Alabama the world revolves around one thing: The University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide. But on April 27, 2011 everything changed. An EF4 tornado ripped through the small college town and changed it forever. Carson Tinker, the starting long snapper for the 2011 and 2012 National Champion Crimson Tide, was among those forever changed by the events of April 27. Tinker lost his girlfriend Ashley Harrison to the storm, but not his faith. In the midst of unfathomable destruction, Tinker saw love, companionship, perseverance, and triumph in a community torn apart by a natural disaster. Where everyone else saw tragedy, Carson Tinker saw blessing. Following the storm, the Crimson Tide suited up to face their most challenging season to date. Tinker’s personal story guides readers through what cannot be described any other way than a season to remember.
War Eagle! In the Auburn University Football Vault, former athletic director David Housel follows the Tigers through 115 years of football history. With exciting edge-of-your-seat narrative, historic photographs, and memorabilia from his personal collection, Housel's love letter to Auburn football is a heartfelt tribute to the sports program that has been a part of his life for nearly 40 years. The Auburn University Football Vault delivers Tiger fans a scrapbook bursting with rarely seen reproduction memorabilia from Auburn's storied history.
