My Favorite Alabama Football Season And Memories Of My Defense-Loving Dad
By Chris Hale
When we started talking about ways to celebrate being at 100 days until Alabama football, my mind immediately went to the season that I think of every time I see the number 100 – the 1992 Championship season. The piece eventually turned into more of a father thing with not as much history. I knew Father’s Day was coming and I hope it helps me get through the day as well as the ones that take the time to read the ramblings from an Alabama boy.
As a youngster growing up with about every family member including my dad being a fan of the Crimson Tide, I remember around the months of December and January getting mad because I could never understand why Alabama couldn’t play for the national title like I saw other schools getting to do. Look, I was young and didn’t understand how the polls worked. I had heard my dad always talking about seasons under Bear Bryant and I wanted to experience something like that. I just missed being able to remember a Bryant coached team by a few years. Dad always said I wouldn’t have to wait long because it was Alabama football. Thinking back, most of the conversations would come on the water while we were fishing, in the woods hunting, or just about riding around on a Sunday.
Sep 14, 2013; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies former player and coach Gene Stallings on the field prior to the game at Kyle Field. Stalings was one of the
Years passed and then, it was finally time to experience it in 1992. As kids, all we really thought about was offense. Everyone wanted to be the “all-time” quarterback or Jay Barker in backyard games. Even the guy that would grow to have the body of lineman and appreciate defense more wanted that position as well. Yeah, I’m talking about me. Dad even got involved in all of those even though I’m sure after the day he had put in at work, he wanted to rest. I inherited that trait from dad. If I have an awful long day and I get still, I’m out like a light.
Even though I wanted to play offense in the backyard, dad made sure I knew at the time that this Tide defense was special. Little did I know back then, it would be one of the best ever in college football. Anytime you can hold opponents to under 10 points a game, you got things under control. They held an Ole Miss team that was averaging 241 yards per game to just 83 yards and an LSU team to 22 yards rushing, just to name few. Dad also would talk plays, statistics, as well as history during the game so that some of it would soak in. Little did I know that all of that would be useful now after I started writing. I still need some practice with that, too.
I didn’t really remember specific plays at the time until later when I went back to watch anything I could. I remember players Eric Curry and John Copeland absolutely pulverizing opposing quarterbacks. Everything they did was pointed out by dad since he was a fan of defenses. Dad never yelled much over a game but I remember him going crazy on the Antonio Langham interception in the Iron Bowl right after half time and especially the one in the SEC Championship against Florida that sent Alabama to play for it all. He was so excited that one of the coaches that coached with Coach Bryant, which was Coach Gene Stallings, would bring the glory back to Tuscaloosa. I can still see the smile on his face after Alabama won the SEC Title that season. He always perked up when the Tide had something special happen. He had told me a few weeks before the Auburn game that he felt this would end up being a special season.
That month until the Sugar Bowl seemed like a year, but I did get one of my favorite sayings from Dad out of that. When all the Miami players were running their mouths about how they would embarrass the Tide, dad smiled and said, “Son, sometimes folks will let their battleship mouth overload their rowboat butt”. I cleaned up part of that.
The game finally arrived and as any Alabama fan knows, it was all Alabama. Miami quarterback Gino Torretta had a rough night because it’s difficult to throw a pass while lying flat on the Superdome’s turf. I still remember everyone going crazy when George Teague ran down Lamar Thomas on a play that would be called back. It seemed like everyone yelled simultaneously “He’s going to catch him!”, which began with some profanity-filled dialog that would make a preacher blush. I know because one of those in attendance was a preacher, but he didn’t seem to mind. After all was said and done, I got to see the Tide finally when a national title and was elated.
I always wanted to see one more national title with dad after I got older. We saw SEC championships but no titles. He passed away in November of 2006. Football was one thing we enjoyed together along with hunting and fishing. A few weeks before he passed, he told me after another Mike Shula loss, “I don’t think you will have to wait too long to see another national title.” I told him, “I don’t think it will be under this coach”, and he smirked and said, “I don’t either”.
The day he passed away, the room was full of family and friends. Of course, I was there along with my mother and grandmother (dad’s mom). After visiting with him for a while, he motioned for me to come over. The congestive heart failure with everything else had him too weak to sit up. The doctors had told us he would make it about a week and we called all the family in. Once I got closer and in a soft whisper, he said, “Son, get your grandma home (his mom) because she has been up all day. I’m not going to be here too much longer and she needs rest. Also, try to catch a game this week. That’ll cheer you up and I love you. You were a wonderful son”.
I didn’t want to leave, but that is what he wanted and I knew that was my goodbye. I knew he may not live through the night but, on the other hand, in his 66 years he was always more concerned with others than he was with his own well-being. So I did what I thought would make him feel better. I figured I had two hours or so to get grandma settled and get back to the hospital. My drive home was about 50 minutes so after I get in, I called to check in and the nurse told me he was gone. It was just him and my mom – his bride since 1978. Maybe he knew that I couldn’t take seeing my football, fishing, and hunting buddy pass away so he sent me to take care of grandma. He was in the hospital for a week and had spent a good bit of time with me, telling me exactly what I needed to do when that time come. I tried to watch the Iron Bowl a few days later but still pretty much in shock. I couldn’t even muster any interest for that. Those that know me know how much I get into watching football. It would be probably a week and a half before everything really hit me. Before that I was helping with arrangements, calling family and friends, making sure everything was square with his retirement and, picking out his favorite song, which is below. It still brings me to tears. After everything settled down, I was sitting on the porch and the dam just broke. I had lost my outdoors buddy and the one that kept me straight, my mom had lost her devoted husband and, my grandma had lost her son. It still doesn’t seem fair but I know he isn’t hurting.
Just about a month after he passed, Coach Mal Moore hired Nick Saban and we all know what happened from there. They always say to listen to the folks that are older than you are. It turns out that they more than what us youngsters think. I can hear another reminder. “Son, your old man does know what he’s talking about at times”.
If your father is still in your life, make it a point to call him or see him today. If he isn’t in your life, still call. I would have anything to see mine to talk about the quarterback battle in Tuscaloosa or to go hunting and fishing with him. Truth be told, since 2006 I don’t think I’ve been hunting or fishing maybe a total of 10 times combined. That and football was our time and I think about him daily, but it’s always more during this holiday. Happy Father’s Day to all of the dads out there and the same to mine. I miss you, Pop.
My hope is that this will convince at least one of you out there to reach out to your dad and create some of these same type memories that I have and that keep me going and even laughing at times. That pride doesn’t hurt too much going down if you have to swallow some and it will be much better in the long run. Thanks if you made it this far to listen to this ol’ country boy’s story and we appreciate all of your support for Bama Hammer.