All over Tuscaloosa, people are running around preparing for a different kind of December celebration. 200 years ago on December 13, 1818, Tuscaloosa officially became a city. Over the past 200 years Tuscaloosa as a city has done a lot of amazing things. Some have to do with the University, and others don’t, but one of Tuscaloosa’s biggest achievements has been the University of Alabama assuming the role as a widely respected sports name across the years. University players have set records in every single sport, from football to swimming, gymnastics, to softball. Through the 200 hundred year span, the football team alone has set and broken dozens of records.

It may surprise you that a lot of these records were set during the 20 year period between 1960 and 1980. In these 20 years Alabama won 20 of the country wide bowls, winning the Sugar Bowl 6 times, the Sun Bowl 3 times, the Cotton Bowl once, the Rrange Bowl 2 times, and many, many others. As of today, the Crimson Tide has been named SEC champions 17 times, 5 of those titles were won between 1961 and 1979. The NCAA named the Crimson tide the decade dominators in both the 60s and the 70s claiming that they were the team to beat.

The tide is recognized as a team with some of the strongest players in the SEC, because of the sheer amount star players that have been inducted into the college football hall of fame, 115 to be exact. 3 players have been named as statistical champions for pass efficiency, kicking, and field goals made. During the 1960s all the way to the 80’s Alabama has been a dominating team, setting and shattering their own records as well as those of others. Those players made our team what it is today and are certainly deserving of a Roll Tide!