Painting by Daniel A. Moore on a stamp honoring Bryant. Note the numbers on the players' helmets signifying his 323 wins

Paul William 'Bear' Bryant (September 11, 1913 – January 26, 1983) was an American college football coach. Best known as the longtime head coach of the University of Alabama football team, he achieved an unparalleled legendary status in the sport, winning the national championship six times, and setting the record as the all-time (up to that time) most successful coach in NCAA Division I college football, with a record of 323-85-17. Paul Bear Bryant Stamp Image This image of a postage stamp may be copyrighted and/or have other restrictions on its reproduction imposed by the issuing authority. ... Paul Bear Bryant Stamp Image This image of a postage stamp may be copyrighted and/or have other restrictions on its reproduction imposed by the issuing authority. ... A stamp is a distinctive mark or impression made upon an object, for instance those made on a piece of paper and used to indicate the prepayment of a fee or tax. ... September 11 is the 254th day of the year (255th in leap years). ... Link title1913 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... January 26 is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1983 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A college football game between Colorado State University and the Air Force Academy. ... In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction and instruction of the on-field operations of an athletic team or of individual athletes. ... University of Alabama The University of Alabama (also known as Alabama, UA, or colloquially as Bama) is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. ... The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA, often pronounced NC-Double-A) is a voluntary and often controversial association of about 1200 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletics programs of many colleges and universities in the United States. ... Division I (or DI) is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association in the United States. ...

Biography

Paul Bryant was born in Moro Bottom, Arkansas on September 11, 1913. He was 11th of 12 children born to William and Ida Kilgore Bryant. In 1927 he successfully wrestled a muzzled bear for a theater promotion, after which he was given the nickname "Bear." With Bryant playing offensive end and defensive tackle, the Fordyce High School Red Bugs of Fordyce, Arkansas won the 1930 Arkansas High School Football State Championship. 1927 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Fordyce is a city located in Dallas County, Arkansas. ... 1930 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... State nickname: The Natural State Other U.S. States Capital Little Rock Largest city Little Rock Governor Mike Huckabee (R) Official languages English Area 137,732 km² (29th)  - Land 134,856 km²  - Water 2,876 km² (2. ...

He attended the University of Alabama and played on its football team. He played in the 1935 Rose Bowl after a 10-0-0 season. He graduated in 1936. The team's combined record during Bryant's college playing years was 23-3-2. 1935 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football game usually played on January 1 at the stadium of the same name in Pasadena, California. ... 1936 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Coaching career

After graduating in 1936, Bryant took a coaching job at Union College in Tennessee, but left that position when offered an assistant coaching position at Alabama. Over the next four years, the team compiled a 29-5-3 record. in 1940 he left to become an assistant at Vanderbilt University. The next winter he was to have become the head coach at the University of Arkansas, but the bombing of Pearl Harbor changed his plans. Bryant enlisted in the United States Navy, serving in North Africa before being granted an honorable discharge to train recruits and coach the football team at North Carolina Pre-Flight. While in the Navy, he attained the rank of Lieutenant Commander. 1936 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... This article is about the college in New York; there are also Union Colleges in Barbourville, Kentucky and Lincoln, Nebraska and a Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. ... State nickname: Volunteer State Other U.S. States Capital Nashville Largest city Memphis Governor = Phil Bredesen (D) Governor {{{Governor}}} Official languages English Area 109,247 km² (36th)  - Land 106,846 km²  - Water 2,400 km² (2. ... 1940 was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (colloquially known as Vandy) is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational university in Nashville, Tennessee. ... Plaque on University of Arkansas campus The University of Arkansas (also known as the U. of A. or simply Arkansas) is a public, coeducational, land-grant university system. ... Satellite image of Pearl Harbor. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... In the Royal Navy, United States Navy and United States Coast Guard, a lieutenant commander (lieutenant-commander or Lt Cdr in the RN) is a commissioned officer superior to a lieutenant and inferior to a commander. ...

In 1945 Bryant was named head coach at the University of Maryland. He stayed for only one season, before taking the same position at the University of Kentucky for eight seasons which included Kentucky's first bowl appearance (1947) and their only Southeastern Conference title (1950). In 1954, Bryant took over the reigns of the football program at Texas A&M University. It was there, in his first year, that he took the team to a notoriously rigorous pre-season training camp in 100 degree heat in Junction, Texas. 76 of 111 players left the team within ten days, and the 35 that stayed suffered through a grueling 1-9 season. Only two years later, though, Bryant led the "Junction Boys" to the championship of the Southwest Conference with a 34-21 victory over the University of Texas in Austin. After the 1957 season, having compiled an overall 25-14-2 record at Texas A&M, Bryant returned to Tuscaloosa to take the head coaching position at Alabama. 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... University of Maryland, College Park The University of Maryland, College Park (also known as UM, UMD, or UMCP) is a public coeducational university situated in suburban College Park, Maryland just outside Washington, D.C. The flagship institution of the University System of Maryland, the university is most often referred to... The University of Kentucky (also as UK or simply Kentucky) is a public, co-educational university located in Lexington, Kentucky. ... 1947 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a college athletic conference which operates in the southeastern United States. ... 1950 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1954 was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Texas A&M University Texas A&M University, often Texas A&M, A&M or TAMU for short, is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. ... Junction is a city located in Kimble County, Texas. ... The Southwest Athletic Conference (SWC) was a college athletic conference in the United States, now defunct. ... The University of Texas System comprises fifteen educational institutions in Texas, of which nine are general academic universities, and six are health institutions. ... Skyline from Town Lake City nickname: Live Music Capital of the World Location in the state of Texas County Travis County Mayor Will Wynn Area   â€“Land   â€“Water 669. ... 1957 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

He coached at Alabama for 25 seasons, winning six national titles (1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, and 1979). His standing in the state of Alabama was unmatched by any other figure. In the 1968 Democratic National Convention, Bryant received one and a half surprise votes to be the democratic candidate for President of the United States. His win over in-state rival Auburn University in November 1981 was Bryant's 315th, earning him the record for victories over Amos Alonzo Stagg. When Bryant retired after the 1982 season, his record at Alabama totaled 242-46-9. 1961 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1964 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1965 was a common year starting on Friday (link goes to calendar). ... 1973 was a common year starting on Monday. ... 1978 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... 1979 is a common year starting on Monday. ... Police and protesters at the Convention The 1968 Democratic National Convention was held in Chicago by the United States Democratic Party, for the purposes of choosing the Democratic nominee for the 1968 U.S. Presidential Election. ... The President of the United States is the head of state of the United States. ... Auburn University (AU) is a state university located in Auburn, Alabama in the United States. ... 1981 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Amos Alonzo Stagg (August 16, 1862 _ March 17, 1965), was a renowned American collegiate coach in multiple sports, primarily football, and an overall athletic pioneer. ... 1982 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In his career Bryant participated in a total of 31 post-season bowl games including 24 consecutively at Alabama. He had 15 bowl wins, including eight Sugar Bowls, was a 10-time Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year and a four-time National Coach of the Year. Even today many fans still speak of him in the present tense, and his legacy casts a long shadow over every subsequent head coach at Alabama. The Sugar Bowl is an annual college football (American football) bowl game played in New Orleans, Louisiana, usually on January 1. ... The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a college athletic conference which operates in the southeastern United States. ...

Integration

Bryant presided over a turbulent time in the history of the university, in particular with racial relations in Alabama in the 1960s. He and basketball coach C. M. Newton are credited with bringing the school's sports programs into the modern era. After losing to an exceptional University of Southern California team whose star running back was a young African American from Mobile, Bryant is said to have gone to the governor of Alabama personally, as the university's athletic director, to request a change in policy with regard to the granting of athletic scholarships to blacks, which was granted. Many believe that it was Bryant's intention when scheduling the game with U.S.C. The 1960s, or The Sixties, in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1960 and 1969, but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past twenty years. ... Basketball is very popular in U.S. colleges. ... The University of Southern California (also known as USC, SC, Southern Cal, and Southern California), Southern Californias oldest private research university, is located in the urban center of Los Angeles, California. ... African Americans, also known as Afro-Americans or black Americans, are an ethnic group in the United States of America whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Sub-Saharan and West Africa. ... Mobile and Mobile Bay from space, June 1991 Mobile (pronounced mo-BEEL) is a city located in Mobile County, Alabama, United States. ... The following is a list of the territorial and state governors of Alabama. ... Athletic director (more frequently, athletics director) is a position at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, which oversees the work of the coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs. ...

The first black player to sign with Alabama was Wilbur Jackson. The first black to actually appear in a game was junior-college transfer John Mitchell. By 1973 nearly a third of the starters for the Crimson Tide were African Americans. 1973 was a common year starting on Monday. ...

Libel case

In March 1963, The Saturday Evening Post ran a story alleging that Bryant had been overheard conspiring with University of Georgia coach Wally Butts to fix their 1962 game. Butts and Bryant sued the Post for libel and won punitive damages of over $3,000,000, (later reduced to $460,000) . The case hastened the demise of the weekly Post as a weekly general-interest magazine, and also did enough damage to Butts' reputation to force his resignation as Georgia's athletic director. 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... A cover of the Saturday Evening Post from 1903 The Saturday Evening Post was a weekly magazine published in the United States from August 4, 1821 to February 8, 1969. ... The Arch, the gateway to UGAs historic North Campus. ... 1962 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... A collection of magazines A magazine is a periodical publication containing a variety of articles on various subjects. ...

Retirement

Bryant announced his retirement as head football coach at Alabama effective with the end of the 1982 season. His last game was a 21-15 victory in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee over the University of Illinois. He had intended to stay on with the University as athletic director, but died on January 26, 1983 after checking into a hospital in Tuscaloosa with chest pains. His death came less than a month after his last game as a coach. See also: 1981 in sports, 1983 in sports and the list of years in sports. Auto Racing Stock car racing: NASCAR Championship - Darrell Waltrip Bobby Allison won the Daytona 500 CART Racing - Rick Mears won the season championship Indianapolis 500 - Gordon Johncock Formula One Champion - Finland 24 hours of Le... Notes Mountain West Conference champion Utah was released from its contractual obligation to the Liberty Bowl after earning a Bowl Championship Series berth in 2004. ... City nickname: The River City or The Bluff City Location in the state of Tennessee County Shelby County, Tennessee Area  - Total  - Water 763. ... University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign   The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, also known as UIUC and the U of I (the officially preferred abbreviation), is the largest campus in the University of Illinois system. ... Athletic director (more frequently, athletics director) is a position at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, which oversees the work of the coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs. ... January 26 is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1983 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Legacy

Bryant is buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Birmingham, Alabama. In February, 1983 President Ronald Reagan awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Nickname: The Magic City, Pittsburgh of the South Location in Alabama Founded  -Incorporated 1871 1871  County Jefferson County Mayor Bernard Kincaid Area  - Total  - Water 393. ... February is the second month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1983 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975). ... The Presidential Medal of Freedom is one of the two highest civilian awards in the United States, considered the equivalent of the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor. ...

Bryant-Denny Stadium, a high school and a major street in Tuscaloosa are named for him. There is also a museum dedicated to him on Alabama's campus. A national "College Football Coach of the Year" award is named for him and he was honored with a U.S. postage stamp in 1966. Bryant-Denny Stadium is the home stadium for the University of Alabama football team, located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on Paul W. Bryant Drive. ... Tuscaloosa is a city in west central Alabama, on the Black Warrior River in Tuscaloosa County. ... A museum is typically a non-profit, permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits, for purposes of study, education enjoyment, the tangible and intangible evidence of people and their environment. ... 1966 was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ...

Bryant is fondly remembered, even revered, in Alabama for his reputation as a wise, tough, dedicated leader with an indisputable record of successes. His trademark houndstooth hat is an instantly-recognizable icon and his deep, gravelly voice continues to reverberate in local folklore: ""If you believe in yourself and have dedication and pride - and never quit, you'll be a winner. The price of victory is high but so are the rewards."

Gary Busey portrayed Bryant in a 1984 biographical film, "The Bear". The 2003 movie The Junction Boys depicts Bryant's first season as head coach at Texas A&M Gary Busey (born June 29, 1944 in Goose Creek, Texas) is an American film actor. ... This is a list of film-related events in 2003. ... The Junction Boys is the name given to the “survivors” of Paul “Bear” Bryant’s 10 day summer football camp in Junction, Texas beginning September 1, 1954. ...

Bear Bryant's son, Paul, Jr. is a 1966 graduate and current trustee of the University of Alabama. 1966 was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ...

References

• Coach Bryant timeline at the Paul W. Bryant Museum.
• Paul "Bear" Bryant at the College Football Hall of Fame
• PDF summary of Bryant's record from RollTide.com
• Bear Bryant quotes from Wikiquote

External Links

• Paul W. Bryant Museum