So did you ever wonder how Alabama ended up with an elephant as its mascot? The majority of Bama fans know, or have an idea, but how about the newbies? Or others who just like trivia? Let's delve into how "Big AL" came to be.

     We must go back to the 1930 football season when Wallace Wade was the head coach of the Alabama football team. Coach Wade has recruited and coached up a great football team that season. On October 4th of that year the varsity squad took the field to battle the Ole Miss Rebels. Everett Strupper, Atlanta Journal sportswriter, was amazed at the size of the Bama boys as they began play. In his column the following week he wrote, "...the earth started to tremble, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow. Some excited fan in the stands bellowed , 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity...men that i had seen play last year looking like they had nearly doubled in size."

     From that season game on Strupper and other sports writers continued referring to the Alabama linemen as "Red Elephants." The red, of course, alluding to the crimson color of their jerseys.

     And how did that 1930 Alabama football team fare? They posted a 10-0 record while shutting out eight of their opponents and only allowed 13 points for the entire season. That squad went to the Rose Bowl, rolling over Washington State 24-0 and declared National Champions.

     Now you know.