My father told me Bear Bryant did not believe in having black players on his team? That he was a racist coach having no black players on his team just whites.
USC became the first fully integrated team to play in the state of Alabama and beat them 42-21 all six touchdowns scored by USC team were by African-American players, against an all-white Crimson Tide team.
Was he a racist?
2007-12-27 09:31:46 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Football (American)
Yes he was. U of Alabama was forced to integrate, just like all schools. Sad but true.
2007-12-27 09:35:36 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
This Site Might Help You.
RE:
Is this true about Paul "Bear" Bryan?
My father told me Bear Bryant did not believe in having black players on his team? That he was a racist coach having no black players on his team just whites.
USC became the first fully integrated team to play in the state of Alabama and beat them 42-21 all six touchdowns scored by USC team were...
2015-08-18 21:09:12 · answer #2 · answered by Audra 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think it's fair to single out Bear Bryant (although I'm not sure what your dad told you was true). Unfortunately, most people in the South were racists at that time, and again, unfortunately, many still are.
I am from Alabama and attended The University of Alabama where we very much value tradition. I know that George Wallace's stand at Foster's Auditorium wasn't the greatest moment of our history, but it is part of our history. We should learn from the past and not let history repeat itself in that aspect.
2007-12-27 09:48:59 · answer #3 · answered by WT 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I am from Bama, born and raised and I didn't know Bear Bryant personally, but I did read where he always stated that the reason black players weren't recruited was simply because of the social climate. Not until George Wallace was out of office did he dare to recruit black players. Don't make assumptions about a person because of what you think you know! Not all white folks were racist even in those racially charged times, they were just powerless to do anything about it.
2014-10-26 00:23:43 · answer #4 · answered by Jessica W 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Alabama had separate colleges for blacks and whites. It would not be any more racist for him to not have black players at an all white school than it would be racist for a coach to not have white players at an all black school. The last all white national champions was the 1963 Texas Longhorns. Today, blacks with about 10% of the population dominate almost every college football team in America be it a white or a black school.
2007-12-27 09:44:07 · answer #5 · answered by warrior.peasant 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
NO PAUL BEAR BRYANT WAS NOT A RACIST. HE TOOK HELM OF FOOTBALL IN 1958 AT ALABAMA.
HISTORY LESSON / OK:
PLESSY V FERGUSON 1896--KEPT SCHOOLS FOR BLACKS AND WHITES SEPERATE BECAUSE OF EQUAL EDUCATION.
BROWN V BOARD OF EDUCATION 347 US 483 (1954) INTEGRATION BEGAN.
IN THE SOUTH THERE ARE SCHOOLS STILL THAT ARE ALL BLACK SCHOOLS. MATTER OF FACT TODAY YOU HAVE 115 PREDOMINATELY BLACK ONLY COLLEGES IN THE US.
SOME OF THESE SCHOOLS IN ALABAMA ARE ALABAMA A&M, TUSKEEGEE, MILES, ALABAMA STATE, SELMA UNIVERSITY.
ONE OF THE BEST COLLEGES WHERE BLACK ATHELETES CAME OUT OF WAS / IS GRAMBLING UNIVERSITY.
REMEMBER THERE WAS ONLY ONE BLACK PRO FOOT BALL PLAYER (FOLLIS) IN 1945 AND THE FIRST BLACK HEISMAN TROPHY WINNER WAS ERNIE DAVIS IN 1961.
PAUL BEAR BRYANT KNEW THE BLACKS ABILITY TO PLAY BUT WAS CONSTRAINED TO RECRUIT DUE TO SOUTHERN POLICY OF BLACK AND WHITES AT SEPERATE INSTITUTIONS.
REMEMBER GOV GEORGE WALLACE AND THE FOOT STEPS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA JUNE 11, 1963--WE WILL STAND FIRM IN ALABAMA AGAINST INTEGRATION.??
THE TWO STUDENTS WERE JAMES HOOD AND VIVIAN MALONE-THEY WERE ADMITTED BY FEDERAL DECREE OVER THAT OF GEORGE WALLACE.
SO NO BEAR WAS NOT PREJUDICIAL HE WAS CONSTRAINED BY LAW FROM RECRUITING BLACKS UNTIL 1963?
AND THEN UNIVERSITY POLICY UNTIL 1969? MOST BLACKS DID NOT WANT TO ATTEND UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA, THEY HAD THEIR OWN ALLEGENCE WITH A BLACK COLLEGE.
IF I AM NOT WRONG THERE WERE BLACK PLAYERS ON THE TEAM IN THE USC DEFEAT ON SEPT 12TH, 1970 (SAT). IT WAS AN ALL WHITE STARTER TEAM??
2007-12-27 14:05:43 · answer #6 · answered by ahsoasho2u2 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Yes he didnt recruit black players in his early career. But in 1971 when Johnny Rodgers ran all over Bama's defense he said to one of his assistants that he should recruit more black players
2007-12-27 09:49:13 · answer #7 · answered by shut up and take your pants off 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
It amazes me how ill informed some of you west coasters are. Bear Bryant was anything but a racist. You must understand the culture in the 1950s and 1960s. Bryant was instamental in promoting ALL athletes and he didn't give one hoot about the color. Read a book.......
2007-12-27 10:11:06 · answer #8 · answered by Tommy 7 · 0⤊ 4⤋
Actually, I have heard the opposite. He didnt care who played for him as long as they were good. Bryant was credited with helping to stimulate the integration of southern college football by recruiting the first black SEC football player. Do some research and get your facts straight before defaming a dead mans name.
2007-12-27 09:44:47 · answer #9 · answered by RayRay 2 · 4⤊ 4⤋
It was the University at that time - not Bryant. He actually went to the heads of the school and said he needed some of those fast negroes.
2007-12-27 09:58:57 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 4⤋