Football History: "The Blue Gray Game Coaching Staffs 1945-1960"

[Chechem]

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The Blue Gray Football Classic was an college All-Star game held in Montgomery's Cramton Bowl the final week of December each year from 1938 through 2001. The contest featured seniors from teams located on opposing sides of the Mason-Dixon line and was, for many years, an early highlight to the bowl season.

The coaches for the squads were also selected from schools in the respective regions and each team had three -- one head coach and two assistants. It was not uncommon for coaches receiving late bowl bids to pull out of the contests and that same problem among the players usually kept announcements of the starting lineup pending until well into December.

I am currently working on a research project that has prompted me to look into the coaching staffs of the games immediately after World War II. What I've discovered is there just isn't a heck of a lot of good information out there on these games and the folks who participated in them....

[Reelvalue]

THANKS FOR POSTING ..I LIVE IN MTGY, AND WITNESSED MANY OF THESE..STILL HAVE THE CAP THAT WAS PUT OUT BY KELLEY TIRES, IT WAS A SAD DAY FOR MTGY WHEN IT WAS DISCONTINUED.

[2Stater]

I grew up in Montgomery and attended many of those games as well. I even did some work for one of the games. I think I was 16 yrs old or so and my older brother was a cameraman for WSFA TV. He and I ran most all the TV cable throughout Cramton Bowl. During the game, I carried the cable for the on-field cameraman. That was a real thrill. I miss those games as well.

[pmull]

My wife is from Montgomery and her two brothers talk about growing up and going to the game every year with fond memories. I remember it being a boring game and I think it was played on Christmas day. All the players were from teams that did not make bowl games. This article is about the early years which was before my time. I always thought the Senior Bowl was a far better game.

[2Stater]

My wife is from Montgomery and her two brothers talk about growing up and going to the game every year with fond memories. I remember it being a boring game and I think it was played on Christmas day. All the players were from teams that did not make bowl games. This article is about the early years which was before my time. I always thought the Senior Bowl was a far better game.

Just ask Mrs. pmull, there wasn't much to do in Montgomery. We were Senior Bowl wannabes, but we took what we could get. 

[Leewillie]

Wow, what a walk down memory lane reading the coaches...

Some I remember well...Paul Dietzel, Wally Butts, Frank Howard, Paul Bryant, Ralph Jordan, Darrell Royal, Rip Engle, Murray Warmath.

[Chechem]

This must be the "Robert E. Lee" High School Band (from Montgomery), right?  I can't read the banner, but it must be their uniforms.

[2Stater]

This must be the "Robert E. Lee" High School Band (from Montgomery), right?  I can't read the banner, but it must be their uniforms.

You are correct. I went to Lanier High School and Lee was our cross-town rival.

[McBaman]

I also grew up in Montgomery and attended several B-G games first as an usher when I was in Boy Scouts and later performed as a member of the Sidney Lanier High School band.  Yes, the pix is of the Robert E. Lee band flag team and I'm guessing the line of ladies behind them are the "Dixie Darlings" who were associated with the So Miss Band who performed at several games.

Before there were so many bowl games, some pretty good players were in the B-G.  The game was on NBC-TV for many years and played on a mid-Dec Saturday afternoon.  It was later moved to Christmas Day for TV reasons and the game was never as popular after that.

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