Paul William "Bear" Bryant was an American college football player and coach. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest college football coaches of all time, and best known as the head coach of the University of Alabama football team, the Alabama Crimson Tide, from 1958 to 1982. During his 25-year tenure as Alabama's head coach, he amassed six national championships and 13 conference championships. Upon his retirement in 1982, he held the record for the most wins (323) as a head coach in collegiate football history. The Paul W. Bryant Museum, Paul W. Bryant Hall, Paul W. Bryant Drive, and Bryant–Denny Stadium are all named in his honor at the University of Alabama.
The NCAA Division II football championship is an American college football tournament played annually to determine a champion at the NCAA Division II level. It was first held in 1973, as a single-elimination playoff with eight teams. The tournament field has subsequently been expanded three times: to 16 teams in 1988, 24 teams in 2004, and 28 teams in 2016.
Richard Marvin Butkus was an American professional football linebacker, sports commentator, and actor. He played football for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) from 1965 to 1973. He was invited to eight Pro Bowls in nine seasons, named a first-team All-Pro five times, and was twice recognized by his peers as the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year. Butkus was renowned as a fierce tackler and for the relentless effort with which he played. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most intimidating linebackers in professional football history.
Clyde Douglas "Bulldog" Turner was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He was elected, as a player, to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1960 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966. He was also selected in 1969 to the NFL 1940s All-Decade Team.
Jim Britt Grobe is an American football coach and former player who was most recently the defensive coordinator of the San Antonio Commanders of the Alliance of American Football. His previous position to that was as head football coach at Baylor University. From 2001 to 2013, Grobe served as the head football coach at Wake Forest University. In 2006, he was named ACC Coach of the Year by a unanimous vote and AP Coach of the Year for coaching Wake Forest to an 11–2 regular season and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) title.
Melvin Farr was an American professional football player and businessman.
James Donald Owens was an American football player and coach. He played one year in th National Football League (NFL) as an end for the Baltimore Colts. Owens' career in coaching was longer-lived, as he held the position of head coach at the University of Washington from 1957 to 1974, compiling a record of 99–82–6 (.545) in 18 seasons.
The Alabama Crimson Tide football program represents the University of Alabama in the sport of American football. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team is currently led by Kalen DeBoer. The Crimson Tide is among the most storied and decorated football programs in NCAA history. Since beginning play in 1892, the program claims 18 national championships, including 13 wire-service national titles in the poll-era, and five other titles before the poll-era. From 1958 to 1982, the team was led by Hall of Fame coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, who won six national titles with the program. Alabama then had a dominant run under head coach Nick Saban between 2007 and 2023, resulting in six further national titles.
The Baylor Bears football team represents Baylor University in Division I FBS college football. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. After 64 seasons at the off-campus Baylor Stadium, renamed Floyd Casey Stadium in 1989, the Bears opened the new on-campus McLane Stadium for the 2014 season.
The Texas A&M Aggies football program represents Texas A&M University in the sport of American football. The Aggies compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Texas A&M football claims three national titles and 18 conference titles. The team plays all home games at Kyle Field, a 102,733-person capacity outdoor stadium on the university campus.
Lee Roy Caffey was an American professional football player who was an outside linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers. Caffey is one of the top 100 Green Bay Packers of All-Time (#57). Caffey and teammates, Ray Nitchke and Dave Robinson, were named one of the top 10 best linebacking trios in the history of the NFL by ESPN. He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies and is one of Texas A&M’s top 10 best players in the NFL.
William Chase Daniel is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Missouri Tigers, earning second-team All-American honors in 2007. He was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2009. During his career, Daniel was also a member of the New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, and Los Angeles Chargers. Daniel is a Super Bowl champion, having been the backup quarterback on the Saints team that won Super Bowl XLIV.
The 1964 Arkansas Razorbacks football team was an American football team that represented the University of Arkansas in the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1964 NCAA University Division football season. In their seventh year under head coach Frank Broyles, the Razorbacks compiled an undefeated 11–0 record, won the SWC championship, closed the regular season with five consecutive shutouts, outscored all opponents by a combined total of 231 to 64, and defeated Nebraska 10–7 in the Cotton Bowl.
Robert Lavern Celeri was a quarterback who played for the University of California, two seasons in the National Football League (NFL), and a total of eight seasons in two Canadian leagues – the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (IRFU) and the Ontario Rugby Football Union (ORFU).
A national championship in the highest level of college football in the United States, currently the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), is a designation awarded annually by various organizations to their selection of the best college football team. Division I FBS football is the only National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sport for which the NCAA does not host a yearly championship event. As such, it is sometimes referred to as a "mythical national championship".
Jacquizz "Quizz" Rodgers is a former American football running back. He played college football at Oregon State, and was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL draft.
The 1986 Baylor Bears football team represented the Baylor University in the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Bears offense scored 325 points, while the Bears defense allowed 207 points. The Bears finished the season second in the Southwest Conference. In the Battle of the Brazos, Texas Football magazine voted the 1986 football game between Baylor and Texas A&M the outstanding game of the Southwest Conference of the 1980s. Texas A&M overcame a 17–0 deficit, and won the game 31–30 and later advanced to the Cotton Bowl Classic.
The 1974 Peach Bowl was a college football bowl game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Vanderbilt Commodores at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Texas Tech represented the Southwest Conference (SWC) and Vanderbilt represented the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in the competition. The game was the final competition of the 1974 football season for each team and resulted in a 6–6 tie.
The 1960 Baylor Bears football team represented Baylor University during the 1960 college football season. The Bears were led by second-year head coach John Bridgers and played their home games at Baylor Stadium in Waco, Texas. They competed as members of the Southwest Conference, finishing in second and ranked 12th in the final AP Poll with a regular season record of 8–2. They were invited to the 1960 Gator Bowl, where they lost to Florida, 12–13.
The 1947 Baylor Bears football team was an American football team that represented Baylor University in the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1947 college football season.
