Minutes before kickoff each home game, those loyal to the Crimson Tide reflect back on our history. Reverence is displayed as the “Legends” video offers us a time to be thankful even if it isn’t the last week(end) in November.
It wasn’t until Saturday, however, that this quasi-religious pregame ritual afforded me any greater spiritual meaning. A friend looked up afterward, literal tears in his eyes, and pointed out that this was one of our last home games as students. Things would never be the same. But for some reason it wasn’t the years of excitement, the championships, or even Saban the Great that I thought about. It was our late athletic director Mal Moore.
Maybe it was nerves before the big game, concern over injuries on defense or a slight buzz, but my sentimental goodbye to fall Saturdays in Alabama was bigger than our recent run of national championships or our optimistic future. It was, in fact, bigger than football.
As Coach Moore’s accomplishments continue to leave a legacy on the field, his ethic leaves members of the University community something far more valuable. A love for our state and its people, more than anything else, defined his 50 years of service to The University of Alabama.
That love was not always easy, either, as it meant the unparalleled scrutiny of managing football in Tuscaloosa. Lest we forget that most of coach Moore’s tenure as athletic director was largely considered a failure. A series of underwhelming head coaching hires seemed to always put him on the hot seat. Still, his commitment to building quality programs in every sport never wavered.
Moore built programs, not personalities. Even with the hire of Nick Saban, Alabama athletics continued to strive for excellence across campus. Many of us will never fully appreciate his commitment to sports like gymnastics or golf, but it was that very service without due appreciation that made coach Moore special.
History will likely only remember Moore in relationship to Paul “Bear” Bryant and Nick Saban, but it was the decades in between that shaped his legacy. Football may connect many of us to Moore, but it was his love of our state and this university that made him family. Most of us will never adorn rings or boast trophies, but we can learn from leaders like coach Moore how to act like champions.
Perhaps the greatest legacy coach Moore left was class. The “Legends” video points to this only in victory, but Moore showed us that grace and class are always the mark of a champion whether they appear to be a winner at the time or not. At Alabama we’ve become very comfortable with winning. I can only hope that we’ve grown to act like champions.
So as another season of Alabama football quickly comes to a close, for many of us the last time as students, I encourage you to experience the other programs in which Mal Moore has left a legacy. But when your time at The University of Alabama is up, reflect back on the love of school and state that makes us all champions.
Ross Green is a senior majoring in economics and history. His column runs biweekly on Tuesdays.
