🏈 30 years ago today

[tidentrue]

Coach Bryant passed away 30 years ago today, do you remember where you were?

 

[Hardkore]

Jan 26,1983 was a Wednesday and I was 13. I was in school.

http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/?year=1983

 

[XXL TideFan]

Floating on a flat top in the Med between Naples, Italy and Beirut, Lebanon

 

[BornBama]

I was standing at a water fountain at Hueytown Elementary. I still remember which one of my friends told me.

 

[0LDSCH00L]

I was at work, but I left and went straight to my father's house. My younger brother and my brother in-law were already there. It felt like there had been a death in our family when I walked in the door.

Momma was crying...

 

[ElephantStomp]

I was home from kindergarten with chicken pox

 

[bamatommy]

Coach Bryant passed away 30 years ago today, do you remember where you were?

Yes, I was in the tenth grade and I was in Huntsville for a field trip. My class went to the Space & Rocket Center. Not long before we left to go home, we heard that Bear Bryant had passed away. Very sad moment.

There was a guy in one of my classes that was a big Auburn fan, and when Coca Cola came out with a commemorative Bear Bryant Coke, he said he was going to get one and drink it. Not cool!

 

[EuroTide]

i wasnt even planned yet ...

 

[Kirk Van de Graaff]

I was a junior in High School, Went to the Bama Illinois game at the Liberty Bowl, I met the man twice in my life, and the last time I met him was in April of 1982. He patted me on my head, didnt wash my hair for a couple of days. LOL. Sad day for Bama fans for sure. Thats the reason for the avatar.

 

[Swamptick]

Sitting in first grade. I'll never forget. Our teacher was sad. So were most of us. Growing up on campus, I had the pleasure of watching him coach in person. Dad made it a point to tell mr at that young age, that I had seen a living legend. I am grateful to have a Dad like that.

Rest in peace Coach Bryant!

 

[PhillyGirl]

Considering I wasn't born until 1990, I was not yet a twinkle in my father's eye at that point!!

I really truly wish I'd been alive to see/know/watch the man. My dad always talked about what a great coach and fascinating man he was as I was growing up. Bear was one of the first football names I knew. But I can only know him through YouTube clips, photos, quotes,stories, etc. There will never be another Bear and I'm sad I will never be able to know what it was like back then with him.

 

[BigAl]

I was driving home from work and i heard it on the radio. Ive been to his grave site many times.

 

[PhillyGirl]

I was driving home from work and i heard it on the radio. Ive been to his grave site many times.

Just out of curiosity, where is it? I assume Tuscaloosa or Birmingham?

 

[Kirk Van de Graaff]

Birmingham

 

[Bamabww]

I was at work and as I was coming home heard that Coach Bryant had been taken to the hospital and that's all they knew at that time. 30 minutes later when I got home, I was met at the door by my 5 year old son with tears in his eyes and he said "daddy, Coach Bryant has died." We sat on the floor and watched the reports together until bed time, both of us with tears in our eyes most of the evening.

 

[hawkman]

Freshman in college - I was studying because the next day I had a Calculs II and a Chemistry II exam. Didn't do worth a crap on either one of them.

 

[UAgrad93]

I was in the 6th grade. Our history teacher came in and told us that Coach Bryant had passed away. Mr. Morton was a tall dark haired man that was very stern, but his eyes were welled up with tears. Everyone in the class was in tears. After getting home that afternoon, I went to my room and cried myself to sleep. I had always played ball in the yard with the neighbors and we always picked who our favorite player was and that we would all go to The University of Alabama and play for THE BEAR!! Later on, I had the opportunity to walk on when Coach Curry and then Coach Stallings was here. When Coach Stallings came in to talk with us, I closed my eyes and actually thought I heard Coach Bryant speaking. It sent chills down my spine. When I started coaching, my last coaching stop was with a guy who had been a manager during Coach Bryant's last year. He was given the task of having to go in and clean out Coach Bryant's locker. He said of all of the different items in the locker, he kept one of Coach Bryant's whistles.

 

[MunchyOs]

I was 9 years old and I was at my weekly cub scout gathering. My father had come to pick me up. He pulled up in his 1980 Toyota pickup truck, rolled down the window, and told me that Bear Bryant had passed away. I was speechless. I remember having this feeling that Coach had died of a broken heart due to leaving the very thing he loved. Dark day indeed.

 

[porkchop]

I was 10 years old. When going to Skyland Elementary our teachers took us outside to listen to things (this is not the exact day that Coach Bryant died) and we listened to the funeral procession on the radio, listened to Holy Spirit's church bells ring that morning.

I'll never forget hearing those church bells. It was like one of those, "in the movies" type things.

I believe that was the day of his funeral procession.