Informative Speech: The Alabama Crimson Tide

I. Attention Getter: What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the Alabama Crimson Tide? Hatred? Championships? Nick Saban? Picture this scenario in your mind. It may give you great joy to hear. It’s first and goal on the Alabama two-yard line. The Clemson Tigers have the ball. The score is twenty-eight to thirty-one in favor of the Crimson Tide. There is six seconds left in the ball game. Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson lines up the receive the snap. The ball is snapped, Watson rolls to his right and hits an open receiver, Hunter Renfroe, for the game winning touchdown. Alabama’s chance at an undefeated season is put to rest in a single play. I tell you this to say this, Alabama is not immune to the heart wrenching

feeling of a loss. They, like many other college football teams today, have suffered defeat throughout their existence.
II. Reveal the topic: Today we will learn about the history of the University of Alabama Football Program.
III. Establish Credibility and goodwill: I chose this topic because I am very passionate about the subject of Alabama football and have done quite extensive research and am very knowledgeable about the subject.
IV.

Preview of Main Points: Before we dive into the numerous championships and accolades of Alabama football program, we must first understand how the team itself was created and the early history of the program.

(Connective: First, let’s take a look at the formation of the Alabama football program and its early years.)

Body

I. The University of Alabama football has a very interesting beginning dating back to

1892.

A. According to the web article “University of Alabama Football” by Steve Townsend, close friend of Mal Moore, the legendary athletic director of Alabama, The University of Alabama formed its first football team in 1892, winning 56-0 over a team with players picked from various Birmingham schools and designating themselves as Birmingham High School.

1. In the 1892 season, the Tide were coached by E.B. Beauont, and their captain would include William G. Little, who is credited as being William G. Little.

2. The Tide first rose to prominence with the hire of Xen Scott, a horse-racing journalist from Cleveland, Ohio, in 1919.

a) This unusual hiring paid off, as Alabama had its best season going 8-1. The following year, the team went 10-1 and secured a monumental victory over powerhouse University of Pennsylvania 9-7, in

1922.
b) Scott compiled an overall record of 29-9-3 during his tenure at the University of Alabama.
3. Following the resignation of Scott, Wallace Wade, a graduate of Brown University and veteran of World War I, began coaching the Crimson Tide in 1923.
a) In 1925, the Crimson Tide were able to accomplish their first undefeated season en route to a 10-0 season, including a historic victory over Washington in the Rose Bowl.
b) This game is regard as one of the most important games in Southern football history.
c) After Wallace Wade left Alabama to become the coach at Duke University, Frank Thomas would step in and take head coaching duties for the Tide.
4. The following two coaches to succeed Wade were Frank Thomas and Harold “Red” Drew.
1) These two coaches would continue the success of previous coaches and compile a total of over 169 total wins and multiple bowl wins.
5. After Drew stepped down, the Crimson Tide would suffer through three dismal seasons of football under Jennings B. “Ears” Whitworth.
1) During this time the Tide were desperately in search of a coach to reinvigorate the program.
B. The installation of legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant would spark a run of highly successful football that would last over 25 years.
1. As the late Joe Paterno, former legendary coach of Penn State, once quoted regarding Bryant’s persona, “Even his peers were in awe of him. He had such charisma. He was just a giant figure.”
C. The following coaches after Bryant would include Ray Perkins, Bill Curry, and Gene Stallings.
1. Stallings was a former player of Bryant. His teams showed many similar qualities to Bryant’s teams including mental and physical toughness.
(Connective: Now that we understand the formation and early history of the football program, we can now discuss the numerous awards and accolades the program has produced over time.
II. Throughout its history, the players of the Crimson Tide football program have claimed numerous awards and honors, including a couple of Heisman trophy winners.
1) In total, the football program boasts a total of 16 national championships.
2) Despite this steady success, it was not until the 2009 and 2015 season that Alabama claimed its first two Heisman trophy winners in Mark Ingram and Derrick Henry
3) The University of Alabama is responsible for a combined 64 consensus All-Americans according to Sports Reference College Football.
4) The Alabama Crimson Tide are also located in the top five of all-time winningest college football programs with 878 wins.
(Connective: Because we understand the early history and various achievements of the Tide, we can now discuss recent success of the Alabama football program as it relates to the past ten years.)
III. There is one man who can be credited with putting the Crimson Tide back on the national map in the mid-2000s, and his name is Nick Saban.
1. In the years leading up to his hiring in 2007, Alabama had many turbulent seasons that included four coaches in only six years.
2. In January of 2007 Saban was installed as the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide.
3. Saban would soon create what some people would call a dynasty.
a) This dynasty would include five national titles in his eleven years with the program.

b) Saban’s current reign has also compiled two Heisman trophy winners and twenty-nine consensus All-Americans.

4. According to FiveThrityEight’s Elo ratings, five of Saban’s teams would qualify for one of the top 20 teams of all-time.

5. Saban’s teams would also include two undefeated seasons that would result in two national championships.

(Connective: Now that we’ve discussed the early history, various accolades, and recent success of the Alabama football team, I hope you are more informed about this team as a whole.)

Conclusion

I. Signal Closure: In conclusion, The University of Alabama football has accomplished many things in order to become a very respected and dominant force in college football today.

II. Reinforce thesis statement: In conclusion, The University of Alabama football program has a very successful and storied history because of its early years as a football team, its various awards and accolades, and its recent dominance of college football in the past ten years.

III. From now on, I hope that you will be more informed about Alabama football not only in regards to its recent success, but also what it took to achieve the storied tradition that follows the program to this

day.