Bear Bryant facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Bear Bryant

Bryant in 1973
Biographical details
Born	(1913-09-11)September 11, 1913 Moro Bottom, Arkansas, U.S.
Died	January 26, 1983(1983-01-26) (aged 69) Tuscaloosa, Alabama, U.S.
Playing career
1933–1935	Alabama
Position(s)	End
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1936	Union (TN) (assistant)
1936–1940	Alabama (assistant)
1940–1941	Vanderbilt (assistant)
1942	Georgia Pre-Flight (assistant)
1944	North Carolina Pre-Flight (defensive assistant)
1945	Maryland
1946–1953	Kentucky
1954–1957	Texas A&M
1958–1982	Alabama
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1954–1957	Texas A&M
1958–1983	Alabama
Head coaching record
Overall	323–85–17
Bowls	20–12–2
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
6 National (1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, 1979) 14 SEC (1950, 1961, 1964–1966, 1971–1975, 1977–1979, 1981) 1 SWC (1956)
Awards
3× AFCA Coach of the Year (1961, 1971, 1973) 12× SEC Coach of the Year (1950, 1959, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1977–1979, 1981)
College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1986 (profile)

Paul William "Bear" Bryant (born September 11, 1913 – died January 26, 1983) was a famous American college football player and coach. Many people think he was one of the greatest college football coaches ever. He is best known as the head coach for the University of Alabama football team.

During his 25 years as Alabama's head coach, he won six national championships. He also won thirteen conference championships. When he retired in 1982, he held the record for the most wins (323) as a head coach in college football history.

Many places at the University of Alabama are named after him. These include the Paul W. Bryant Museum and Bryant–Denny Stadium. He was also famous for his black and white houndstooth hat. He often leaned against the goal post before games and held his rolled-up game plan on the sidelines. Before Alabama, Bryant coached at the University of Maryland, the University of Kentucky, and Texas A&M University.

Early Life and Nickname

Bryant was born in Cleveland County, Arkansas. He was the 11th of 12 children. He got his nickname "Bear" when he was 13 years old. This happened after he agreed to wrestle a captive bear at a carnival.

His mother wanted him to become a minister. But Bryant told her, "Coaching is a lot like preaching." He went to Fordyce High School. He was 6 feet 1 inch tall in eighth grade. He later grew to 6 feet 4 inches as an adult. He started playing on the school's football team in eighth grade. In his senior year, his team won the 1930 Arkansas state football championship.

College Football Player

Bryant earned a scholarship to play football for the University of Alabama in 1931. He played as an end for the Crimson Tide. He was part of the school's 1934 national championship team. Bryant often called himself the "other end" because the big star was Don Hutson. Hutson later became a famous player in the National Football League.

Bryant played with a partially broken leg in a 1935 game against Tennessee.

Coaching Career Highlights

After college, Bryant became an assistant coach at Union University in 1936. Soon after, he returned to the University of Alabama as an assistant coach. He also coached as an assistant at Vanderbilt University. During World War II, he joined the United States Navy. He coached the North Carolina Navy Pre-Flight football team. One of his players there was future Hall of Fame quarterback Otto Graham.

Maryland Terrapins Coach

Bryant as Maryland head coach in 1945

In 1945, Bryant became the head coach for the Maryland Terrapins. He led the team to a 6–2–1 record in his only season there. He left Maryland after one year to coach at the University of Kentucky.

Kentucky Wildcats Coach

Bryant coached at Kentucky for eight seasons. He led Kentucky to its first bowl game in 1947. In 1950, his team won its first Southeastern Conference title. The 1950 Kentucky Wildcats football team had a great 11–1 record. They beat top-ranked Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl. Some people believe his 1950 team should have been named national champions.

Bryant left Kentucky after the 1953 season. He felt that the school's basketball team, coached by Adolph Rupp, was always more important than football.

Texas A&M Aggies Coach

In 1954, Bryant became the head coach and athletic director at Texas A&M University. His first season in 1954 was tough, with a 1–9 record. This season started with a very hard training camp in Junction, Texas. The players who stayed were called the "Junction Boys".

Two years later, in 1956, Bryant led the 1956 Texas A&M Aggies football team to win the Southwest Conference championship. In 1957, his star player, John David Crow, won the Heisman Trophy. Bryant tried to bring black players onto the Texas A&M team. But he was told the school would be the last to integrate. He replied, "Well, then that's where we're going to finish in football."

After compiling a 25–14–2 record at Texas A&M, Bryant returned to Alabama.

Alabama Crimson Tide Coach

Memorial of Bryant outside Legion Field

Bryant returned to his old school, Alabama, in 1958. He famously said, "Mama called. And when Mama calls, you just have to come runnin'." His first practice at Alabama was very tough, similar to the "Junction Boys" camp. Many players quit the team.

Alabama had only won four games in the three years before Bryant arrived. In his first season (1958), the team improved to a 5–4–1 record. In 1959, Alabama beat their rival Auburn and played in a bowl game for the first time in six years.

In 1961, with quarterback Pat Trammell, Alabama went undefeated (11–0). They beat Arkansas 10–3 in the Sugar Bowl and won the national championship.

The next few years were also very successful. With quarterback Joe Namath, Alabama won national championships in 1964 and 1965. In 1966, Alabama went undefeated again. However, they finished third in the national rankings behind Michigan State and Notre Dame.

By 1969 and 1970, Alabama's teams were not as strong. Many wondered if Bryant, at 57, was losing his touch.

For years, Bryant was criticized for not recruiting black players. He said the social climate in Alabama made it very difficult. He finally convinced the school to allow it. In 1969, Wilbur Jackson became Alabama's first black scholarship player. In 1971, John Mitchell became the first black player to play for Alabama. By 1973, about one-third of the team's starting players were black. Mitchell also became Alabama's first black coach that season.

In 1971, Bryant changed Alabama's offense to the "wishbone formation." This change helped the team become very successful again.

• The 1971 Alabama Crimson Tide football team went undefeated in the regular season.
• Bryant's 1973 team shared the national championship.
• The 1978 Alabama Crimson Tide football team also shared the national title. They famously beat undefeated Penn State in the Sugar Bowl with a great goal-line defense.
• Bryant won his sixth and final national title in 1979.

Bryant coached at Alabama for 25 years. He won six national titles and thirteen SEC championships. His total coaching record was 323 wins, 85 losses, and 17 ties.

Later Life and Passing

Bryant's health began to decline in the late 1970s. He had some heart issues and a mild stroke.

After the 1982 season, Bryant announced his retirement. He said, "This is my school, my alma mater. I love it and I love my players. But in my opinion, they deserved better coaching than they have been getting from me this year." His last game was a 21–15 victory in the Liberty Bowl against the University of Illinois.

Four weeks after retiring, on January 26, 1983, Bryant passed away from a massive heart attack. He was 69 years old. His doctor said it was amazing Bryant had coached Alabama to two national championships in his last five years, given his poor health.

A month after his passing, President Ronald Reagan awarded Bryant the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is the nation's highest award for civilians. A moment of silence was held for him before Super Bowl XVII.

Honors and Awards

• He was named Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year twelve times.
• The Paul W. Bryant Museum opened in 1988. It tells the story of sports at the University of Alabama.
• A street on the University of Alabama campus was renamed Paul W. Bryant Drive.
• He was named National Coach of the Year three times (1961, 1971, 1973). The national coach of the year award is now called the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award in his honor.
• In 1975, Alabama's Denny Stadium was renamed Bryant–Denny Stadium in his honor.
• He was honored with a U.S. postage stamp in 1996.
• Super Bowl XVII was dedicated to Bryant. A moment of silence was held in his memory.

Legacy and Influence

Many of Bryant's former players and assistant coaches became successful head coaches.

• Danny Ford (Clemson, 1981), Howard Schnellenberger (Miami of Florida, 1983), and Gene Stallings (Alabama, 1992) all won national championships.
• Ozzie Newsome, who played for Bryant at Alabama, became a successful general manager in the NFL. He led the Baltimore Ravens to two Super Bowl championships.

Bryant has been shown in several movies, including The Bear and Forrest Gump.

Coaching Record

In his 38 seasons as a head coach, Bryant had 37 winning seasons. He coached in 29 postseason bowl games, including 24 in a row at Alabama. He won fifteen bowl games. Bryant still holds records for being the youngest college football head coach to win 300 games. He also has the most winning seasons (30).