Bear Bryant of Alabama and John McKay of Southern California were friends because they could be – two coaches who enjoyed a round of golf, a good joke and didn’t have to worry about stepping on each other since they worked on opposite sides of the country.
Back in the late 1960s, presumably over 18 holes, they shook hands on a home-and-home series that would change Alabama football forever.
The first game, in Birmingham in 1970, is widely viewed as one of the critical steps in bringing Black players onto the Alabama roster. The second game, in Los Angeles in 1971, is widely viewed as the start of a renaissance in Bryant’s storied career with the Crimson Tide.
The Tide is heading West again this week, making a rare trip back to Los Angeles with more history on the line. This time, it’s the BCS title game, with top-ranked ‘Bama playing Thursday against No. 2 Texas.
“Back then, the thought of going to Los Angeles was viewed as sort of a rare opportunity,” said Ken Gaddy, director of the Bear Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa. “Obviously, it was a travel issue for everyone, going that far. But Coach Bryant had played in the Rose Bowl, so he was familiar.”
Indeed, Alabama has been to the Rose Bowl six times – all before 1946, and before the Southeastern Conference became what it is today – and the game is mentioned in the Crimson Tide fight song.
But until this week, the Tide’s most substantial L.A. connection was that series in 1970 and 1971, when Bryant, the Alabama football program and the Deep South all found themselves at a crossroads.
