College football is widely known as the sport of the South. Most southerners pledge their loyalty to college teams, rather than professional; some, because they are alumni, and some because that's just the way they were raised. Whatever reason, most college football fans choose their team at a young age. The sad part is, most fans don't even know their team's history: Where'd they come from, and what are they all about? The University of Alabama's football program; in particular, has some of the richest history in the SEC. The Alabama Crimson Tide isn't just about winning and losing a game; it's about the traditions that made the team what it is today.
W.G. Littletone introduced the sport of football to the University of Alabama in 1892. A native of Livingston, Alabama, Littletone first learned of the "new rugby," football, while attending Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. He transferred to Alabama in the fall of 1892. The University of Alabama played its first official football game on November 11, 1892 at Lakeview Park. They came out of the first game with a phenomenal win of 56-0. (Alabama Crimson Tide)
The football program at Alabama grew and became a fancy of many students at Alabama, until 1896. The University of Alabama's Board of Trustees passed a rule forbidding all athletes to go off campus. The team played only one game in the 1897 season because of the ban. Football was abandoned at The University of Alabama the following year. The Board of Trustees lifted the ban in 1899, and football resumed at Alabama. (Alabama Crimson Tide) The team continued to make progress winning their first national title in 1922. (History of Alabama Football)
The team now proudly claims twelve national championships, nineteen hall of famers, 92 All Amer ...