Tyler Stearns |
Alabama football was one of the best teams in the country in the 1960s-70s under the leadership of legendary coach Bear Bryant. The Crimson Tide was consistently a national championship contender during those years. But they had a major difference from another powerhouse out west. The USC Trojans were a fully integrated football team under coach John McKay. Alabama was a segregated program with only white players.
Bryant was a close friend of McKay's and asked him to bring Southern Cal to Tuscaloosa for a game. Bryant wanted to integrate the team, but the boosters and Alabama faithful were uncomfortable with the idea. McKay agreed, knowing full well that he would win the game.
The Trojans, led by Sam "The Bam" Cunningham, routed the Tide 42-21. Cunningham had over 130 yards rushing and two touchdowns in the game. Bryant got the desired effect, as immediately the Alabama program began to rethink the segregation of their team.
Pundits have pointed to this game as being a major turning point in the history of college football. The game signifies an influential moment in the end of segregation in Southern sports. Alabama was the standard at the time and as they began to integrate, other Southern teams caught on.
The game was also a major turning point in the attitudes that white Southerners had toward African Americans. Football has a massive cultural influence on the region and for their team to be destroyed by an integrated team proved that their racism and stubbornness were negatively affecting them. The game proved that sports can affect much more than the field.
Commentaires