Bama Quote #032

"You know you hear a lot of talk now about education and players getting a degree. Buddy, let me tell you something: It was big to Coach Bryant back in 1958. I wasn't doing too well in school my freshman year, and my second semester, matter of fact, I wasn't doing anything. I was cutting classes. So Coach Bryant asked me to eat lunch with him, and man, I was scared to death because I knew I had a problem, but I didn't know why he was mad. To tell you the truth I didn't think he knew what kind of grades I was making! He had the dean of the school with him, and I went and sat down with them. He introduced me to the dean, and we started talking. He pulled out my IQ and pulled out how many classes I'd cut, and boy, I didn't look up – I just kept my head down. Coach Bryant said, 'Look up at me, boy, I'm talking to you!' So I looked up, and he said to the dean, 'Now this boy right here can help us win, but if he doesn't start getting better grades, he isn't going to be here! 'The dean started talking about the classes I'd taken, what I should take, and all this stuff, and Coach Bryant said, 'Well, I'm going to give him one more semester. I'm going to move him into my house with me, and I'm going to do him like I do Paul, Jr., when he comes home with a C, I'll beat him with a dictionary!' So, I got straightened out real fast!"
--Billy Neighbors (from Talk of the Tide)

Roll Tide!