"The Iron Bowl" - 28 Years after 1963

(58 Years Ago)

Tommy Towery

LHS '64

I have college degrees from three universities, none of which are located in Alabama. Still, being born and raised in that state, the Iron Bowl is always a game I loved to watch. This past weekend I saw a game which went into four overtimes and many will talk about for years to come. Most of my family went to Alabama, and I had planned to do so myself. Back in 1963 those were my plans. In my book, "A Million Tomorrows - Memories of the Class of '64" on November 28th section I wrote:

My first college plan was to go to the University of Alabama.  That was because of my dad's Veteran's benefits.  Since my dad was a disabled veteran, I could go to any Alabama state school and have full tuition and books paid for.  I then found that I could go to Memphis State and live with my mother and stepfather, and pay for tuition and books.  It was a choice made by my finances, and not by my heart.  Tuition at Memphis State was $82.50 a semester, and the cost of a dorm room and food at 'Bama would have been closer to $1000 a semester.  Memphis State didn't have the prestige or reputation of Alabama.  Memphis State was a nice school, despite of its nickname of "Tiger High" laid on it because so many students lived at home and commuted to classes.  The day's trip was made just to see what the campus looked like.

Those comments were made about the first time I visited Memphis State's campus during a visit to Memphis during Thanksgiving break of 1963. The next day, November 29th, I made the trip back to Huntsville and made the following reflections in my journal. I got a ride back with my mother's former boss, instead of taking the bus which I normally used for transportation to and from Memphis.

Buses didn't have radios, but some cars did.  We passed the time on the trip listening to the Alabama-Auburn football game.  That game has always been a required interest item for everyone in the state of Alabama.  In Alabama, you have to either support Auburn or Alabama.  There is no neutral ground in the Cotton State on this particular weekend.  I had been a Tide fan since my first trip to the Alabama High School Press Association on the University's campus.  Perhaps if it had been hosted by Auburn, I would have been rooting for the War Eagles that afternoon as the car wound its way through Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama.  Certain parts of the trip took us down in valleys and behind hills which made the radio signals come and go as the road changed.  It always seemed to go at the most critical points of the game.

Alabama lost to Auburn.  That is the one game of the whole year's schedule that Alabama hates to lose.  In 1963, we were in the midst of the Bear Bryant era.  He was considered a god by most of the people in the state.  The joke was that he would walk out on the field and the clouds would part and the sun would come out.  One story going around was that he took two Cokes and five bags of potato chips and fed the entire stadium.  The legacy of the Alabama team went with his death.  It was amazing how one person could have such an effect on a whole team and a whole sport.  It has taken the Alabama team a long time to recover from the passing away of their great coach.

I don't think I remembered the quarterback for Alabama that year was none other than Broadway Joe Namath, All-SEC, Pro Football Hall of Fame, and Super Bowl III Champion. The starting quarterback for Auburn was Jimmy Sidle, the first SEC quarterback to rush for over 1,000 yards and an All-American in 1963.

While I was looking up some of these things I happened to come upon a roster for the 1967 Clemson and Alabama games. Here is the Alabama roster. Pay particular attention to Number 20. Did anyone else from the classes of 64-67 play for Auburn or Alabama?

To be impartial, this week I have written about Iron Bowl games won by Alabama and Auburn alike. To be honest, I cared more about Lee High School games back then than those played by colleges. I liked going to Lee games because I went with my friends and enjoyed the comradery more than the sport. I also enjoyed being cuddled up in blankets with girlfriends more than watching the games. I enjoyed going to Goldsmith-Schiffman Field in the early high school days and then to the new Huntsville Stadium when it opened. My brother Don was a big football star but I was smaller and never felt I could live up to his standards. I do think I went out for the team one year, but only to the first day and saw it was not a match for me.

Comments on Last Week's Issue

First here are the results of the poll on whether or not you readers wanted me to continue the inclusion of the photos from the 1960 General yearbook.

Janet Holland, LHS ‘67, "And to think, all we had on Whidbey Island was an entire island power outage, gales 50 mph, which lasted 3 days for my section (brother Lee James '65 was less). Sounds mild compared to the rest of the world! (Whidbey is 168 sq mi, Long Island 1401, 4th largest off US). I don't miss the Huntsville weather. I am enjoying the photos, even though they aren't my class. I do recognize my band members as I was in the band all my 4 years at Lee."

Sir James Ballard, LHS ‘'67 or there aboutz, "I think it's a good idea to include Lee when it was a "Junior"...Lots of oldsters here in Huntspatch appreciate it." 

Gail Brady Ayres, LHS ‘66, "Sorry to hear of Randy's passing.  We were just talking about him this week.  I have known him since we were around four.  My husband, Hugh, was friends with him at Auburn."

Dale Thompson, LHS ‘64, "Yes continue the photos from the 1960 yearbook thanks for all the things you continue to do for our class."

Escoe G. Beatty, LHS ‘65, "I like the photos from the 1960 annual.  It is fun to see these old photos because this is how they all looked when I first knew them.  My gooodness we all sure have changed!  I have this annual but rarely look back through it.  Thanks Tommy for continuing to entertain us with your creativity!"

Larry Seaver, LHS ‘64 (No comment; just checking in I guess!)

Barbara Hood Diamond, LHS ‘66, "When I open your email and see a face,  I know that someone has passed away. This week I was so sad to see that it was Randy Goodpasture, a classmate who was usually seated not far from me, if not in front. I think it was Randy’s seat that I once put a tack on, which got me a trip to the principal’s office."

Jim Bannister, LHS ‘66, "Randy Goodpasture and Danny Johnson were my best friends in high school. We did everything together. Now I am the only one of the threesome left. Their passing has left a big hole in my heart. RIP you guys."

Photographic Memories - Who Are They?

Each week I plan to share a group of photos from the 1960 "The General" yearbook without disclosing the names of the individuals. You may stop and try to identify them here, and when you are through you may scroll to the bottom of this page to see the identities of your classmates in the photos.

Slow Song Selections

You Picked in the Past

It's All in the Game - Tommy Edwards

"It's All in the Game" is a pop song whose most successful version was recorded by Tommy Edwards in 1958.  Carl Sigman composed the lyrics in 1951 to a wordless 1911 composition titled "Melody in A Major", written by Charles G. Dawes, who was later Vice President of the United States under Calvin Coolidge. It is the only No. 1 single in the U.S. to have been co-written by a U.S. Vice President. 

In 1958, Edwards had only one session left on his MGM contract. Stereophonic sound recording was becoming viable and it was decided to cut a stereo version of "Game" with a rock and roll arrangement. The single was a hit, reaching number one for six weeks beginning September 29, 1958, becoming the first African-American to chart number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It would also be the last song to hit number 1 on the R&B Best Seller list. Edwards's song ranked at No. 47 on the 2018 list of The Hot 100's All-Time Top 600 Songs.

The Identites of the Classmates in the Pictures Above