Looking in the stands at an Alabama football game might be different this year, as the newly established Yell Crew will lead in the upper deck, showing the freshman class what it means to Roll Tide.
The Yell Crew, a group of students ranging from sophomores to seniors who share a passion for Alabama football, was established by First Year Experience in order to make the student section one of the most exciting sections, according to the Yell Crew application website.
Mary Alice Porter, coordinator of the First Year Experience and Parent Programs, said the goal of the Yell Crew is to create an engaging game day experience for the students in the upper deck.
“As leaders of the section, the Yell Crew models what it means to be an Alabama fan while also sharing athletic history and traditions with the freshman class,” Porter said. “These leaders are incredibly passionate about Alabama football, and their knowledge about our colorful history allows them to educate and unite our freshman class as a cohort through football games.”
Yell Crew members must attend every home game and viewing parties for away games, as well as training sessions in August and September. With these requirements come benefits such as a $500 stipend, a free drink card for home games and Yell Crew shirts and polos, according to the website.
The Yell Crew will provide role models for freshman students and demonstrate what it means to be a good member of the student section. They will help out on game traditions such as when to hold up four fingers, when to yell “Roll Tide” and other cheers Butch Hallmark, a graduate assistant for First Year Experience, said.
“The Yell Crew is just a bunch of super fans who know exactly what the freshman students are going through when it comes to attending their first game,” Hallmark said. “The Yell Crew has so much passion for the Crimson Tide and are already leaders on campus. They want to make the upper deck the loudest section of Bryant-Denny, so in four years of doing this, the entire student section will have developed those good habits and stay for all four quarters.”
Made up of Greek members, a former student athlete, honors students, Avanti Orientation Leaders, Parent Ambassadors, Spectrum members and students who are part of the Blount Undergraduate Initiative, the Yell Crew is able to relate to everyone one way or another, Hallmark said.
Chase Padgett, a sophomore majoring in metallurgical engineering, became a Yell Crew member to make home games worth sitting through.
“I was thrilled to hear that we were creating an organization on campus that would lead the student section in cheers and chants at the home football games,” Padgett said. “During my freshman year I enjoyed going to the football games, but I always felt that too many students would become complacent during the games. I want to make our football games exciting for the students and encourage them to participate in the game by cheering along with our cheerleaders and sing along with the Million Dollar Band.”
While the Yell Crew hasn’t had a home game yet, the members have been reading over Crimson Tide history in order to prepare for their debut. From the 1925 championship to the history in the making today, the Yell Crew is eager to pass the traditions down, Padgett said.
The Yell Crew will hold a viewing party for the Texas A&M game on Sept. 14 in the Ferguson Center Ballroom, with doors opening at 1:30 p.m. Food, games and giveaways will be provided along with a WVUA 90.7 live broadcast.
