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Bryant received his nickname when he was 13 years old and had agreed to wrestle a captive bear for a carnival promotion. While his mother wanted him to be a minister, he knew he wanted to be a coach.
Bryant went to the University of Alabama on a scholarship in 1931 and played end for their team, the Crimson Tide. In 1934, the team won the national championship. The following year Bryant played with a partially broken leg. In 1936 the Brooklyn Dodgers selected him in the fourth round of the NFL Draft, but he didn’t end up joining the team because he wanted a career as a coach.
In 1941, Bryant was offered the head-coaching job at the University of Arkansas, but Pearl Harbor was bombed shortly after and he declined the offer so he could join the Navy. During World War II, he served off North Africa but never saw combat action. However, when his ship was hit by an oil tanker and he was ordered to abandon it, he refused, saving the lives of his men. Bryant was then discharged and hired to train and coach recruits at the North Carolina Navy Pre-Flight football team.
In 1954 Bryant moved to Texas A&M University where he served as head coach and athletic director. During his time there, Bryant had an overall record of 25-14-2. Then in 1958, Bryant returned home to coach the Alabama Crimson Tide in 1958. It was here that Bryant achieved his greatest success. Coaching there for 25 years he built an impressive record, winning six national titles and 13 SEC championships.
Bryant had smoked and drank heavily for much of his life, leading his health to decline in the late 1970s. He then opted to retire after a rough season in 1982, stating, “This is my school, my alma mater. I love it and I love my players. But in my opinion, they deserved better coaching than they have been getting from me this year.” After his final game, he was asked what he was going to do in retirement, and he replied, “Probably croak in a week.” Four weeks later, he died of a heart attack on January 25, 1983. The Super Bowl held four days later included a moment of silence in his honor.