Bear Bryant
Bear Bryant
Paul William "Bear" Bryantwas an American college football player and coach. He was best known as the longtime head coach of the University of Alabama football team. During his 25-year tenure as Alabama's head coach, he amassed six national championships and thirteen conference championships. Upon his retirement in 1982, he held the record for most wins as head coach in collegiate football history with 323 wins. The Paul W. Bryant Museum, Paul W. Bryant Hall, Paul W. Bryant Drive, and...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionCoach
Date of Birth11 September 1913
CityFordyce, AR
CountryUnited States of America
It's been years since I've had a real input in the game anyway. For this game, I've just tried to keep all the other stuff away from the players and coaches.
I've had many a player tell me all through high school and right up until signing day that they were coming to Alabama, then they signed with somebody else.
Sacrifice. Work. Self-discipline. I teach these things, and my boys don't forget them when they leave.
Don't talk too much. Don't pop off. Don't talk after the game until you cool off.
In life, you'll have your back up against the wall many times. You might as well get used to it.
There is no sin in not liking to play; it's a mistake for a boy to be there if he doesn't want to.
I want to make sure I don't interfere with the success of that team next year. I don't see any way I could go to practice like most of 'em do, and not hurt the team. I'd go nuts if I tried doing that.
Georgia Tech beat us and Mississippi Southern tied us last year, and Texas beat us after we had the game won. We only played about five games the way we were capable of playing and lost one of those.
But it's still a coach's game. Make no mistake. You start at the top. If you don't have a good one at the top, you don't have a cut dog's chance. If you do, the rest falls into place. You have to have good assistants, and a lot of things, but first you have to have the chairman of the board.
Don't overwork your squad. If you're going to make a mistake, under-work them.
Find your own picture, your own self in anything that goes bad. It's awfully easy to mouth off at your staff or chew out players, but if it's bad, and your the head coach, you're responsible. If we have an intercepted pass, I threw it. I'm the head coach. If we get a punt blocked, I caused it. A bad practice, a bad game, it's up to the head coach to assume his responsibility.
I left Texas A&M because my school called me. Mama called, and when Mama calls, then you just have to come running.
I'm known as a recruiter. Well you've got to have chicken to make chicken salad.
Recognize winners. They come in all forms.