If you’re a school football fan, like me, then this is the most productive time of year (fingers crossed!). That’s when the surprise of helmets and meds gives you a bigger jolt than doubling the morning coffee. then that the rooting of your favorite school becomes an opportunity to witness, in unono, a moment that will be remembered forever. This decade is seamlessly connected to the University of Alabama and head coach Nick Saban. Tide has won four national championships in the past 10 seasons, five in the last 11.
And I don’t think that would have happened if The Tide hadn’t taken a part of revolutionary resolve a century ago. 50 years ago, this week, two mythical school football systems played a game in Birmingham that many say completely replaced the school football course.
It was 1970 and while the radio was broadcasting hit songs like “Let It Be”, through the Beatles, world school football would soon see the state of Alabama make a song, a new song. Coach John McKay and the University of Southern California were invited through iconic Alabama coach Paul “Bear” Bryant to see which team is the best. Despite the fact that Jackie Robinson had crossed the color barrier in baseball 23 years earlier, there was no single black player on the Alabama school list in 1970. took place, and the reaction replaced the game forever.
I had the opportunity to write an e-book about the game between the USC and Alabama, searching and tracking notable personalities to celebrate the importance of tonight. resolve to embrace integration and allow black players to contribute to the team’s success on the field. Bryant sought to do the same, but politics and tension had prevented such a resolution. Bear Bryant’s genius was deciding to play at USC – who at the time had 18 black players on the team, adding the team’s initial quarterback, a rarity in the sport, which meant that the Alabama faithful would have a first-hand view of what integration on the football field might look like.
To say that the tide was overcome would be to fall short. USC beat Bama 42-21 and all six Trojan touchdowns were scored through black players. The star of the game was a fullback named Sam “Bam” Cunningham, who made his school football debut. running 12 times for 135 yards and two touchdowns. The USC’s victory, along with Cunningham’s dominant performance, was the feather coach Bryant needed to convince enthusiasts and superiors that the university actively recruits and plays with black players on the football team.
Sport is a vehicle for change, and this game has ignited new engines and added tires for the advancement of school football in Alabama. By 1979, the team had gone from 0 black players to 18 black players on the list. They also won three national players, championships, recording a 107-13 record in wins and losses in that 10-year window. In 1971, high school defensive lineman Johnny Mitchell became the first black Alabama player to watch playing time. Wilbur Jackson, he’ll be enrolled in the field. In fact, Jackson was in the stands watching the game like a rookie. Then, in 1973, Mitchell was invited to return through Bryant to become the Alabama Black’s first assistant coach. lately he’s assistant coach of Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The story of the game makes it even more appealing. Bryant had included him on the show a few months earlier after a quick meeting with McKay at the Los Angeles airport, and expressed an opportunity to make an attempt to integrate his team, he knew that his resolution would not be popular for many in Alabama, however, illuminating them about what can be achieved in a fully incorporated world may only come from someone with their influence and stature. Bryant’s genius was to recognize the importance of the moment and enjoy it.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the game that changed course, I dedicate a podcast episode to ask 3 players who were there on the night of the USC victory what they think of the importance of the game. Friday, and my ESPN colleagues are also planning to celebrate history at their College GameDay exhibition on Saturday.
Why is the game important?Why is it just a game?Because game personalities like Bear Bryant knew they could make a difference. That’s why today’s athletes can use their voice to address social issues and concerns. It can be argued that Coach Bryant was only looking to win more football games, but whatever his reasoning, his resolve reformulated the story.
As we enter an unprecedented era in school football with a season of limited stadium enthusiasts and entire meetings retiring until 2021, that school football has gone through unprecedented times in the afterlife and emerged better.
I’m a key speaker, leadership coach, 11-time New York Times bestseller author and associate editor of Sports Illustrated for a long time. As a
I am a keynote speaker, corporate leadership trainer, 11-time New York Times bestseller, and longtime associate editor for Sports Illustrated. As a speaker, I have worked with audiences as varied as Fortune 500 companies, associations, and leadership forums on the “What Makes Great” theme. I have written over 25 books with, among others, Hall of Fame player Walter Payton, UCLA basketball coach John Wooden, baseball legends John Smoltz and Tug McGraw, and soccer stars Warrick Dunn and Michael Oher ( featured in the movie The Blind Side). In 2013, I teamed up with Fox News host Brian Kilmeade to write the NYT bestseller “George Washington’s Secret Six. ” Lately I live in Tallahassee, Florida where I own a political consulting firm and company.