Excellent Read About A Player on Coach Bryant's First Team in 1958

[Marshal Dillon]

This is a three page article, so be sure to click the numbers after the page.

The phone rang soon after Baxter Booth walked through the front door.

Just back from an Athens High School basketball game on a winter night in 1955, the talented end had already committed to sign a football scholarship with the University of Alabama.

But when Booth answered the phone, one of his teammates began urging him to reverse field.

“You need to talk to these Auburn people,” the friend insisted. “They’re gonna buy me a car!”

Click here to read the rest of the article

[FocusedFan]

Thanks, great read!  I wonder how many of today's prima donna players would have made it through one of Coach Bryant's 1950's gut check practices? I'm guessing a pretty low percentage.

[Marshal Dillon]

Thanks, great read!  I wonder how many of today's prima donna players would have made it through one of Coach Bryant's 1950's gut check practices? I'm guessing a pretty low percentage.

One of their mommies would have gone to practice and punched Coach Bryant in the nose for picking on their baby.

 

[FocusedFan]

Do you think they would have 'decommitted' ?   

[SUPERCOACH]

I seriously doubt Coach would have offered them a scholarship.  He didn't care for players like that at all, and if they did make it on campus he would have "fired" them.  Read the first paragraph of the story I posted on the blog a couple of weeks ago if you haven't read it yet:

Let's go: a Coach Bryant story

Also, ask Namath.  Then ask Stabler.  When Bryant sat Stabler, Stabler got a telegraph from Namath that simply said "He means it".

[FocusedFan]

Yes, I read that story. Classic Coach Bryant. Have you ever heard Namath tell the one where he changed the play Coach Bryant sent into the Orange Bowl game? Coach Bryant sent in a play and Namath thought he had a better idea so he called his own play. We failed to make a first down and turned the ball over. When Namath got to the sideline, Coach Bryant reached up and put his arm around Joe's shoulder and talked to him about it. Namath says "I know to the folks in the stands and watching on tv it looked like the old coach was consoling his player and giving him the old 'we'll get 'em next time' speech, but what he was doing was pinching my neck so hard I was about to pass out and telling me, "you SOB, if you ever change a play I send in again, I'll kill you!" '

[SUPERCOACH]

Yes, that is a good one.  I think it might have been in that book too.

[crtuneman]

The article said he joined the army after college. I think boot camp would have been easy for a guy that went through Bear's first season. He probably thought he was on vacation during boot camp. 

[ricky023]

Lordy they still buying cars, lol. RTR!

[SUPERCOACH]

Hey Marshal, I hope you don't mind but I inserted a quote from the article and then put it on the front page blog.

Thanks for the link.

[Kupkake]

I'm reading Namath by Frank Kriegel.  The description of training camp is identical but even more descriptive.  Joe Namath's first meeting with Coach Bryant is an unparalleled event in Alabama and Bear Bryant history.  I strongly urge all who remember this era to read Namath.  It's a captivating book and I have trouble putting it down - and I'm female.  I think you guys will love it!

[SUPERCOACH]

I'm reading Namath by Frank Kriegel.  The description of training camp is identical but even more descriptive.  Joe Namath's first meeting with Coach Bryant is an unparalleled event in Alabama and Bear Bryant history.  I strongly urge all who remember this era to read Namath.  It's a captivating book and I have trouble putting it down - and I'm female.  I think you guys will love it!

Thanks Kupkake, I will put it on my list at Amazon.  I try to keep a few books I want on my list in case I need to add something to my cart to get the free shipping.

[SUPERCOACH]

This reminds me of a story I read about Joe, probably in the Bear book.  He was playing in his first game, I think it was against Vandy.  Some defender was picking on him and asked him "What is your name boy?"  Without missing a beat, he replied "You'll read it in the paper tomorrow".

[SUPERCOACH]

I looked up the story from the book and posted it on the blog.

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