The 1985 Spring Game?
Click Here to watch the game
For years, there have been debates about how to spice up college football spring football games.
Long before you watched – or didn't watch – this year's version of your team walk through the motions of a glorified scrimmage, the Alabama Crimson Tide went a different route.
The year was 1985.
The game pitted Alabama's squad against a group of former players.
The names are numerous on both sides of the ball. People showed up in numbers. The video of the game below will prove that, but it was as competitive as walk-ins battling the starting lineup. Yet, people showed.
"It was all fun," former Alabama quarterback Scott Hunter told AL.com. "We had a good time, but obviously we were overmatched."
Hunter, who was 37 at the time of the game, scored the alumni's only touchdown on a quarterback keeper from the 1 as the "Varsity" defeated the alumni 20-7. (Watch the Hunter touchdown at 18:37 mark of the video below.)
The Mobile native said the game was the brainchild of coach Ray Perkins, who invited all former players out to play. The team had "three or four practices," Hunter said. A simple playbook was formulated with a handful of run and pass plays out of a couple of formations.
Not exactly the recipe for success against the like of Cornelius Bennett and Mike Shula.
"It wasn't very even," Hunter laughed.
Kenny Stabler started at quarterback for the alumni before giving way to Hunter, who hit a long pass down the sideline to the 5. After a gracious penalty to the 1, Hunter scored from the 1.
Did he call his own number?
"Oh sure," Hunter said. "They almost tore my head off. I think it was the entire defensive front."
The quarterback was quick to point out it isn't anything you will see again anytime soon.
"It wouldn't be something you could do now," Hunter said. "One of the older offensive lineman had a broken nose, and I asked him if he knew his nose was broken. He said, 'Yeah, I love it.'"
Check out the video below, then the complete alumni roster from that game.
Here are the alumni from the game:
Click Here to watch the game
For years, there have been debates about how to spice up college football spring football games.
Long before you watched – or didn't watch – this year's version of your team walk through the motions of a glorified scrimmage, the Alabama Crimson Tide went a different route.
The year was 1985.
The game pitted Alabama's squad against a group of former players.
The names are numerous on both sides of the ball. People showed up in numbers. The video of the game below will prove that, but it was as competitive as walk-ins battling the starting lineup. Yet, people showed.
"It was all fun," former Alabama quarterback Scott Hunter told AL.com. "We had a good time, but obviously we were overmatched."
Hunter, who was 37 at the time of the game, scored the alumni's only touchdown on a quarterback keeper from the 1 as the "Varsity" defeated the alumni 20-7. (Watch the Hunter touchdown at 18:37 mark of the video below.)
The Mobile native said the game was the brainchild of coach Ray Perkins, who invited all former players out to play. The team had "three or four practices," Hunter said. A simple playbook was formulated with a handful of run and pass plays out of a couple of formations.
Not exactly the recipe for success against the like of Cornelius Bennett and Mike Shula.
"It wasn't very even," Hunter laughed.
Kenny Stabler started at quarterback for the alumni before giving way to Hunter, who hit a long pass down the sideline to the 5. After a gracious penalty to the 1, Hunter scored from the 1.
Did he call his own number?
"Oh sure," Hunter said. "They almost tore my head off. I think it was the entire defensive front."
The quarterback was quick to point out it isn't anything you will see again anytime soon.
"It wouldn't be something you could do now," Hunter said. "One of the older offensive lineman had a broken nose, and I asked him if he knew his nose was broken. He said, 'Yeah, I love it.'"
Check out the video below, then the complete alumni roster from that game.
Here are the alumni from the game:
- Fred Baker, FL, 1976
- Ronnie Joe Barnes, DE, 1974
- Richard Barry, FB, 1951
- Francis Beaulieu, OB, 1969
- David Bedwell, DB, 1967
- Bucky Berry, PK, 1976
- Thomas Boler, OL, 1980
- Vince Boothe, OL, 1979
- Jim Bowdoin, OB, 1956
- Steve Bowman, FB, 1965
- Jim Bradford, OL, 1977
- Gary Bramblett, OL, 1982
- Richard Brewer, SE, 1967
- Gary Britt, TE, 1977
- Johnny Brooker, PK, 1982
- Tommy Brooker, PK, 1961
- Jim Bunch, OL, 1979
- Tom Calvin, FB, 1950
- Jerry Cash, FL, 1971
- Pete Cavan, OB, 1977
- Richard Ciemny, PK, 1970
- Cotton Clark, OB, 1962
- Mike Clements, DB, 1980
- Ralph Cochran, QB, 1949
- Don Cokely, OL, 1971
- Donald Connor, OL, 1955
- Wayne Cook, TE, 1966
- Vince Cowell, OL, 1980
- Sylvester Croom, C, 1974
- John Croyle, DE, 1973
- Allen Crumbley, DB 1978
- Angelo Danelutti, OL, 1934
- Charles Davis, FB, 1949
- Mike Dean, DB, 1969
- Steve Dean, OB, 1973
- Vincent Delaurentis, C, 1953
- Ron Dichiara, PK, 1974
- Cecil Dowdy, OL, 1966
- Warren Dyar, TE, 1973
- Ken Emerson, DB, 1970
- John Elias, DL, 1982
- Charlie Ferguson, OL, 1969
- Jim Fuller, OL, 1966
- George Gammon, QB, 1942
- Rickey Gililand, LB, 1978
- Louis Green, OL, 1977
- Jay Grogan, TE, 1983
- Norris Hammer, DE, 1968
- Hudson Harris, OB, 1964
- Paul Harris, DE, 1976
- Neb Hayden, QB, 1970
- Ed Hines, DE, 1972
- Ed Holdnak, OL, 1949
- Bill Hollis, OB, 1955
- Buddy Holt, TE, 1979
- Darwin Holt, TE, 1979
- Scott Hunter, QB, 1970
- Jim Ivy, OL, 1984
- Ken James, DE, 1970
- Bobby Johns, DB, 1967
- Joe Jones, FB, 1980
- Peter Kim, PK, 1982
- Tyrone King, DB, 1975
- Jim Krapf, LB, 1972
- Rand Lambert, C, 1974
- Phil Law, TE, 1971
- Harry Lee, LB, 1953
- John Lombardo, DB, 1984
- Gary Martin, DB, 1963
- Eddie McCombs, TE, 1980
- Bobby McKinney, DB, 1972
- Dewey Mitchell, LB, 1977
- Duff Morrison, OB, 1961
- Russ Mosley, OB, 1942
- David Muncher, LB, 1983
- Billy Neighbors, DL, 1961
- Rod Nelson, P, 1976
- Butch Norman, OL, 1973
- Jack O'Rear, OL, 1977
- Gary Oser, OL, 1976
- Calvin Parker, DE, 1978
- Robin Parkhouse, DE, 1971
- Ray Perkins, SE, 1966
- Billy Pierce, DB, 1984
- John Paul Poole, SE, 1958
- Eddie Propst, DB, 1967
- Carlton Rankin, QB, 1962
- Mike Reilly, DL, 1968
- Billy Richardson, OB, 1961
- Ronnie Roddam, C, 1969
- John Rogers, OL, 1974
- Terry Rowell, DL, 1971
- Larry Ruffin, DL, 1975
- Jack Rutledge, OL, 1961
- David Sadler, OL, 1977
- Alvin Samples, OL, 1969
- Willard Scissum, OL, 1984
- Brownie Sides, DL, 1967
- Fred Sington Jr., PK, 1959
- Joe Sisia, DL, 1960
- Steve Sloan, QB, 1965
- Jack Smalley Jr., LB, 1977
- Barry Smith, C, 1979
- Dan Smith, P, 1984
- Tom Spencer, DB, 1979
- Paul Spivey, OB, 1973
- Steve Sprayberry, OL, 1973
- Ken Stabler, QB, 1967
- Gerald Stephens, C, 1962
- Chuyuck Strickland, LB, 1973
- Wayne Trimble, QB, 1966
- Paul Tripoli, DB, 1984
- Ed Tuck, FL, 1984
- Mike Tucker, DB, 1977
- Dick Turpin, DE, 1975
- Woody Umphrey, P, 1980
- David Valletto, DB, 1984
- Eddie Versprille, FB, 1963
- Doug Bickers, OL, 1983
- Jay Vines, TE, 1978
- Noojin Walker, OB, 1955
- David Watkins, DE, 1973
- Gus White, DL, 1976
- Mike White, C, 1984
- Steve Whitman, FB, 1979
- Ken Wilder, OL, 1969
- Rod Wilkin, PK, 1970
- Steve Williams, DB, 1971
- Jim Wilson, OL, 1962
- Curtis Wofford, DB, 1984
- Lloyd Wofford, DL, 1984
- Steve Wright, OL, 1963
- Gary Yelvington, DE, 1974
