Roos are hanging tough with Birmingham Southern today in Alabama. The BSC campus sits just down the road from the huge Legion Field, also known as the “Football Capital of the South.”
Legion Field no longer has the prominence it once did, when it hosted numerous Alabama home games and 40 Iron Bowls in the post WW2 period. Today, the Crimson Tide are faithful to Bryant-Denny stadium in Tuscaloosa and the Tigers stay home at Jordan-Hare stadium in Auburn.
Bryant? Denny? Jordan? Hare? There are Roo ties to all four.
The fact that AC is playing right down the road from Legion Field reminds me of my favorite story in “100 Years of Austin College football.” The story takes place in Jackson, Mississippi in 1979.
“Ole Miss was playing Alabama across the street from the Austin College-Millsaps game. Amid the crowd noise overflowing into the smaller stadium from the SEC clash, freshman linebacker Randy Sims was having his problems. He was assigned to cover the curl pattern on his side, either the tight end or the wide receiver. However, when he covered the tight end the quarterback threw to the wideout, and when he covered the wideout, the tight end would make a catch.”
“As Sims came off the field after a defensive series, [Coach Larry] Kramer jerked his headset off and bellowed, “Sims, get on the curl!”
“I’m trying, coach.” “Sims, GET ON THE CURL!” “I would if I could, coach.” “Sims, at least be an athlete!”
Someone on the bench cracked:
“If he was an athlete, coach, he’d be playing across the street.”
The 1979 Roos beat Millsaps 27-6 and won a TIAA championship. Randy Sims is not only a Roo, he’s a Bryan Viking with ties to the family of Tommy Connell. Man, now I’m an even bigger fan.
The 2018 Roos are within a score in the second half. The 2018 Roos are always within a score in the second half. Way to keep it close fellas, and finish strong.
