Former Bama Great Kenny Stabler Passes
Whether one was a fan of Alabama football or not, Kenny Stabler was a hero to to many. Stabler passed away yesterday, according to a statement from his family.
The Stabler family statement reads:
We announce with great sadness that our father, Ken Stabler, passed away Wednesday, July 8 as a result of complications associated with colon cancer.
He passed peacefully surrounded by the people he loved most, including his three daughters and longtime partner, as some of his favorite songs played in the background, such as Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" and Van Morrison's "Leaves Falling Down."
He quietly battled Stage 4 colon cancer since being diagnosed in February 2015.
He wanted to make a difference in the lives of others in both life and death. At his request, his brain and spinal cord were donated to Boston University's Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center to support research for degenerative brain disease in athletes.
He was a kind, generous and unselfish man, never turning down an autograph request or an opportunity to help someone in need. A great quarterback, he was an even greater father to his three girls and grandfather to his two "grand snakes."
We are grateful for the tremendous love and support from friends and fans. We ask that you please respect our privacy during this difficult time as we grieve this heartbreaking loss.
Funeral Arrangements are pending. In lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be made to the XOXO Stabler Foundation to support research of colon cancer and sports-‐related head trauma. More Information will be available on Ken Stabler's Facebook Fan page and the XOXO Stabler Foundation.
He is survived by his three daughters Kendra Stabler Moyes (husband, Scott), Alexa (fiancé, Hunter Adams) and Marissa; His grandsons Jack And Justin Moyes; Sister Carolyn Bishop; Nephew Scott Bishop; and great nephew and niece Tayler and Payton Bishop. He is preceded in death by his father, Leroy Stabler, and mother, Sally Stabler.
Known as "The Snake", Stabler was know for not only being a quarterback for the Alabama Crimson Tide and Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, but also as a great NFL quarterback for 14 seasons. He played for the Oakland Raiders from 1970-1979, the Houston Oilers from 1980-1981, and the New Orleans Saints from 1982-1984.
And of course everyone enjoyed Snake on the University of Alabama football broadcasts with his knowledge, demeanor, and his levity.
Alabama head football coach Nick Saban issued the following statement:
"I think anyone who had the chance to get to know Kenny would appreciate the great person he was and the pride he had for the University of Alabama. I have had the chance to be around some of the best to ever play college and pro football, and Kenny may have been one of the greatest competitors to ever play the game.
I was lucky enough to work with him on our radio broadcast my first year in Tuscaloosa and also have some special memories with him at a couple of our golf events. He was not only an outstanding football player, he was an all-around great guy and someone I really enjoyed spending time with. We lost a legend today and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family."
Rest in peace, Snake. The Bama family, and so many more, have lost a favorite son.
To the family: God bless you in your time of grieving. In the coming days you will share memories with one another of dad, son, grandfather, brother...and the witty and fun man that was Ken Stabler.
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How Alabama Got Its Mascot
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.
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Tide Ranks 18th In CBS Best In College Sports
CBS Sports has just released their CBS Sports Best in College Sports rankings, and the University of Alabama can be found in the top 20. Coming off a season with a pair of four-place national rankings (football and gymnastics), the UA athletics department came in at number 18.
Based on a weighted formula that assigns points in five sports, the Crimson Tide's 18th place finish garnered 240 points for its number four finish in football, 80 points in the wild card slot for finishing number four at the NCAA Championships, and 20 points for the men's basketball team making the NIT. Alabama finished with a total of 340 points.
The only other Southeastern Conference schools making the top 20 was Arkansas coming in at number 16. However, two others weren't far behind, with Georgia coming in at 21 and LSU making the 23rd spot.
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Women's Tennis Schedule
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
The 2015-16 Women's Tennis Schedule was released yesterday.
Alabama head coach Jenny Mainz said, "We're enthusiastic about the upcoming 2015-16 season. We have so many positives to build on following 2014-15. We're thrilled to be hosting some prestious events at home again this year in front of our loyal Alabama fans. Our home crowd has pulled us through many pivotal matches that have catapulted our ranking. We're grateful for our fans and their commitment to our program."
The Crimson Tide will play the first of seven fall tournaments in Waco, Texas on September 18-20 at the Baylor Invitational. From there it's Malibu, California to the Oracle Collegiate Tennis Championships, and then to South Carolina for the Furman Fall Classic ending the month of September.
Maya Jansen and Erin Routliffe, two-time defending NCAA doubles champions, will play in the ITA Women's All-American Championships in Los Angeles, California from October 3-11. The team will then play in the USTA-ITA Southern Regional Championships in Auburn from October 16-19. Then Bama hosts the Roberta Alison Fall Classic on October 30-31 and then wrap up the fall season in Flushing Meadows, New York from November 12-15 for the USTA/ITA National Indoor Championship.
Then begins the 2016 dual match season on January 15 in Evanston, Illionois at the Northwestern Invitational. The Tide then hosts the ITA Kick-Off Weekend for the fourth consecutive season January 23-24. Next up for Bama will be the ITA National Indoor Championships in Madison, Wisconsin from February 5-8 where they face both Northwestern and Virginia. Then it's to Montgomery for the annual Blue Gray National Tennis Classic on February 26-27.The Southeastern Conference season will open for the Tide with back-to-back home matches with LSU on March 3, followed by Texas A&M on March 5 at the Alabama Tennis Stadium. Then Bama is on the road for four road matchups with Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, and then Missouri. Four of the next five are at home, and Bama goes to Kentucky and then defending NCAA champs Vandy.
Mainz said, "I'm optimistic about the upcoming season as our team continues to steadily climb and improve. I'm excited about our new players integrating with our veterans and I know that we will have a dynamic team that will be exciting to watch. We have a nice blend of experience, talent, leadership, and fire-power that makes up an ambitious group motivated to take Alabama women's tennis to the top."
The SEC Tennis Tournament will be held April 20-24 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Then comes the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament, with sites still to be determined, from May 13-15. The NCAA Team Championships will be played from May 19-30 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
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12 Tide Rowers Named Scholar-Athletes
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
The Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) yesterday named 12 members of the Alabama rowing team as Scholar-Athlete designation. The 12 this year is the largest number of rowing team athletes to receive the honor.
The previous high was 11 athletes back in 2010 to receive the honor. The Alabama program began in 2006, and have had a minimum of five student-athletes named to the list since its inception. A total of 122 Bama rowers have earned the honor over these eight seasons.
This year's scholar-athletes are:
Ashley Allison
Jacklin Byers
Alyssa Drevenak
Melissa Etter
Nura Hussein
Caitlin O'Neil
Logan O'Neil
Jennifer Parker
Haleigh Robinson
Katherine Scott
Alexandra Smith
Gabby SprioScholar-Athletes must maintain a minimum 3.5 career grade point average, be at least sophomore in eligibility, and compete in at least 75 percent of the team's spring races according to the CRCA.
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Robinson, Ragland, Henry on Watch Lists For 2015
Three University of Alabama football players have been named to watch lists for 2015, according to Aaron Suttles of the Tuscaloosa News. Representing the Crimson Tide are A'Shawn Robinson, Reggie Ragland, and Derrick Henry.
A'Shawn Robinson has been named to the Chuck Bednarik Award watch list. The Bednarik Award each year goes to the best collegiate defensive player of the year. Last season Robinson had 49 tackles, 6.5 tackles for lost yardage, three pass breakups, four quarterback hurries, one forced fumble, and a blocked kick. He played in all 14 games.
Reggie Ragland has also been named to the Chuck Bednarik Award watch list. Last season he had 95 tackles, 10.5 tackles for lost yardage, 1.5 sacks, three pass breakups, three fumble recoveries, one forced fumble, one quarterback hurry, and one interception. He played in all 14 games. This season he will move from outside linebacker to inside linebacker.
Derrick Henry has been named to the Maxwell Award watch list. Last season he picked up 990 rushing yards and scored 11 touchdowns. He led the Crimson Tide in rushing last season, averaging 5.8 yards per carry.
Congratulations to these three.
