How Alabama Football Helped a Community Heal After April 27, 2011

In April 2011, a community looked to Alabama football to help them to begin healing after a devastating tornado and the Tide did just that.

ICYMI: Alabama on Top of the World—Literally

For the annual A-Day Game, 92,310 Alabama fans, students, and alumni packed into Bryant Denny Stadium on April 16, 2011. The event broke records for spring game attendances nationwide. It was a chance for everyone to see what Alabama would have to offer in the upcoming season. Little did anyone know that the face and infrastructure of Tuscaloosa and the state of Alabama would be dramatically altered in just 11 days.

Wednesday April 27, 2011. The day started out just like any other. Men and women in Tuscaloosa and across the state went to work and kids went to school. Thunderstorms began to move into Tuscaloosa and northern Alabama as the day progressed. At approximately 4:43 PM, a violent EF4 tornado with winds reaching up to 190 mph formed just southwest of Tuscaloosa.

The tornado which reached a maximum length of 1.3 miles began its track through the city of Tuscaloosa leaving a trail of devastation behind it before dissipating in the Birmingham area. This was one of 62 total tornadoes that ripped through the State of Alabama on that day.

That day found many Alabama players in New York City for the 2011 NFL Draft that was to take place the following day. What was supposed to be a triumphant day for the University and those who entered the draft suddenly felt insignificant. Hundreds were left without shelter in Tuscaloosa and many more throughout Alabama.

Former quarterback Greg McElroy was one of the players in New York for the draft. After the tornadoes occurred McElroy tweeted this: “A day that is supposed to be filled with excitement has been slapped with a realization of what really matters. Very sobering.” Many other Tide players sent out similar tweets in reaction to the damage. Sadly, 252 Alabamians lost their lives on April 27, 2011. Many were left wondering just how to move forward after losing their home or their loved one.

“We can’t just be a team for them on Saturdays. The fans are with us in the best times, and we have to be with them in the worst of times.” – Coach Nick Saban

Nick Saban and those who had entered the draft returned to Tuscaloosa the Friday following the tornadoes. That afternoon, Saban and his wife went to a local shelter that was housing and feeding around 700 displaced residents. While there, Saban signed autographs for the people while those affiliated with the University helped pass out food and water.  Players and students alike helped at this shelter.

Saban also offered some words of encouragement to those who look to him for guidance as a leader. Saban challenged the team and let them know it was time to step up. “We can’t just be a team for them on Saturdays. The fans are with us in the best times, and we have to be with them in the worst of times”, Saban said. Saban added that just by their presence, they could help people.

During the relief effort Nick Saban and the football team built 17 houses in the Tuscaloosa area. They did what their coach had told them to do. They all lent a hand where they could, even if that meant just going out in the community and providing hope for someone in need.

When the 2011 football season rolled around, the team’s whole mentality was giving hope to the community and the state that had lost so much. The field at Bryant Denny Stadium had houndstooth ribbons painted on the 25 yard lines and the team wore the same ribbons on the back of their helmets. This season wasn’t just about bringing back a national championship to Tuscaloosa. It was about bringing hope back to the state of Alabama and giving the people something to believe in and look forward to.

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The Crimson Tide’s only loss that season came to LSU in what was being called the Game of the Century. Alabama lost 9-6. However, the Tide never lost hope and never lost sight of what they wanted to accomplish for the people of Tuscaloosa and Alabama. Not this team and definitely not for the people they were playing for around the state. The Tide went on to face LSU once again in the BCS National Championship Game in New Orleans, Louisiana. Alabama dominated LSU and won 21-0 bringing the National Championship back to Tuscaloosa.

In addition to the title, the Tide was also presented with The 2011 Disney Spirit Award in recognition of the team’s effort to rebuild Tuscaloosa following the tornado. Alabama long snapper Carson Tinker accepted the award on behalf of the team. Tinker suffered a broken wrist when he was thrown from his home during the storm. His girlfriend, Ashley Harrison, was also one of the many who lost their lives on that day.

Perhaps Tinker said it best just before the team took the field in the Superdome to take on LSU. According to his book “A Season to Remember: Faith in the Midst of the Storm“, linebacker Courtney Upshaw told Tinker just before the team went back into the locker room after warm-ups that he loved him and that this game was for him. Tinker simply but eloquently replied, “No, this is for Alabama.”

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Five years later, if you drive from Birmingham to Tuscaloosa, you can see that the earth still bares the scars from that day. But those scars tell a story of sadness as well as one of courage for those that had to carry on. They tell a story of a storm that took the lives and homes of many, but they also tell the story of how a football team came together to help heal and bring hope to their community of Tuscaloosa and the state of Alabama.

More crimson tide: Preseason Polls are Here, But at Least They’re Right

Rival fans often joke that Tide fans hold those titles won a little more proudly than any other school. In 2011, the whole state probably held their heads more proudly because of a football team that did so much for the community and for the state of Alabama. You were correct, Tinker. That one was for Alabama.