When the bar was empty, the two men talked. A lot of them we've got don't hunt because they're older. [8], He has donated millions of dollars to the Alabama Crimson Tide football program. Photo by Dave Dieter HVT, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. "He never told me anything personal about Coach Bryant," she says. He died on Jan. 26, 1983, only a few weeks after his final game on the sideline, the '82 Liberty Bowl. "Don't tell me he's dead.". Kun kytt sivustojamme ja sovelluksiamme, kytmme, tarjotaksemme sivustomme ja sovelluksemme sinulle, todentaaksemme kyttjt, estksemme roskapostia ja vrinkytksi sek toteuttaaksemme tietoturvatoimia. They reached the end together, sitting in a 14th-floor suite of the Memphis Holiday Inn. To Bryant's right are his daughters Stella Gray and Anna Laurie. Former New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath -- Bryant's most famous player -- former Oklahoma Coach Bud Wilkinson and Georgia Coach Vince Dooley were among those at the graveside, bathed in bright sunshine. Joe Elmore said. Coach Bryant died Wednesday. "We knew he'd been offered a lot of money to write a book or help make a movie," says Linda Knowles, Bryant's longtime secretary, "and he would have none of that. City & town life -- Kentucky -- Lexington. Paul started reading a devotional in the final two years of his life that said, in part, "When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving something in its place I have traded for it.". Twenty-four? In 1996, 14 years after Bryant died, he retired from the University of Alabama Police Department. Sitting with Paul Murray was his cousin, Mary Harmon Hilburn, granddaughter of Bear. Missing in the houndstooth beach balls and paint jobs is a person. Some wore Alabama caps and others were . We made ice cream, one time. Missing? Some wore Alabama caps and others were seen in houndstoothcheck hats, which Bryant always wore on the sidelines on game day. They were traveling, and Billy said he needed to get home for supper. The sound gets louder. Paul William Bryant (1913 - 1983) - Genealogy - geni family tree Age: 68 Birthplace: Birmingham Education: Graduated in 1966 with a degree in finance from the University of Alabama Family: Wife, Cherry; three daughters and three grandchildren Career: President of Greene Group Inc., a privately-held holding company; chairman of Bryant Bank; president pro tempore of the UA board of trustees; chairman emeritus of the Civil War Preservation Trust, a national historic battlefield preservation organization, Tommy Deas Executive Sports Editor | The Tuscaloosa News. He drove him to Birmingham one year before Christmas because Bryant got a letter from a sick girl and he wanted to surprise her. Paul William Bryant Jr. Born: c. 1945: Alma mater: University of Alabama: Occupation: Banker, investor, philanthropist: Children: 3 daughters: Parent(s) Bear Bryant: See something missing? His voice might be what affects her most. They are retired ones that mostly just get loving, pets.. "I keep trying to call that the Indian Hills football team. The patrolman understood and backed off. coverage of "Bear" Bryant's service. Bryant said he was urged by the UA alumni association, ex-presidents of the school, members of the A-Club (made up of former UA athletic letter winners) and alumni to seek the seat on the board. "Because my wife's favorite movie is 'Sweet Home Alabama' and what's-his-name [Josh Lucas], his hound dog was named Bryant for Coach Bryant and our dog looked just like the dog from the movie. Your account has an invalid email address. (AP Photo). It was lowered into an underground vault later. After an hour and a half, Bryant, looking tired and old, walked into his bedroom. Please update it here. He's an honorary assistant coach for the 1975 season. All rights reserved (About Us). (AP Photo/Tannen Maury), Football star Joe Namath talks with the widow of Alabama coach Paul Bear Bryant at the Elmwood Cemetery in Birmingham on Friday, Jan. 28, 1983. You had more fun on that job. ", Paul 'Bear' Bryant's name persists in Alabama fans, Inside the big-money battle that could decide the ACC's future. "Oh, it goes so much deeper than that," Hilburn said, rolling her eyes and grinning. Later he started other tracks in Idaho and Texas and made millions in the process. She picks back up the conversation about Bryant, and Billy sits across the narrow room, listening. "I said, 'Why would you name him after the greatest coach of all time when he could be named after the two greatest coaches of all time? His voice loses its pitch and clarity, sort of like he's got a mouth full of pea gravel. Once, when a state trooper clocked Varner speeding, Bryant stuck his houndstooth hat in the back window. Trustees blocked the hiring of good coaches, limited spending on facilities and opposed a new on-campus stadium for the football team, critics contend. Sometimes they talked. Paul W. Bryant, Jr. - The Alabama Business Hall of Fame Paul Bryant Obituary (2006) - Phoenix, AZ - The Arizona Republic People contact us all the time, and we ask them to fill out a form with their birthdate, a little family history and a specific section to fill out that starts with, 'This is the story of me or my child being named for Coach Bryant ' That allows us to do a little research and verify it. Thereafter, he has been chairman of the Crimson Tide Foundation since its inception. Half a dozen helicopters carrying news photographers hovered near the cemetery, which lies at the end of a black community in southwest Birmingham. They sat in the kitchen down the hall and ate and laughed. Four loud slaps. She was accompanied by her son, Paul Bryant Jr., and daughter, Mae Martin Tyson. Often, Coach read the paper aloud. To his left, surrounded by the small frames, is a large photograph of Bear Bryant at the 1982 Liberty Bowl, sicker than anyone but Billy and a few others knew, bundled tight against the cold. His voice ticks up a few notches. He spends a long minute staring at the remote control, trying to figure out how to turn up the volume. It's a deification. [1] Paul Bryant Jr: His famous father casts a long shadow, one seemingly It grows smaller all the time. Bryant's inner circle, those who knew the man, is surrounded by reminders of this. The funeral service at the First Methodist Church in Tuscaloosa was deeply religious, with little reference to Bryant's career or character. Alabama-Fans climb tree to watch "Bear" Bryant's funeral. Facebook gives people the power. mitataksemme sivustojemme ja sovellustemme kyttsi. Kobe Bryant's Widow Vanessa Bryant Settles Crash Photos Lawsuit at In 1937, the owner of the Leader, John G. Stoll, bought the Herald, and both daily papers were published concurrently (the Herald in the morning and the Leader in the afternoon) for the next 46 years. She laughs some, with only a little bitterness, about what was gained, what was spent and what remains. Thirty years after Bear Bryant's final season, the man who knew him He was working for Charlie Finley, who was a Birmingham native who had made a gazillion dollars in pharmaceuticals and became quite a character in baseball, said Kirk McNair, who was a sports writer in Birmingham at the time, and who became a longtime Bryant family friend. His eyes get wide, bulging, like they do when he's confused. Bryant is survived by his wife, Mary Harmon Bryant; a son, Paul Bryant Jr.; a daughter, Mae Martin Bryant Tyson; three sisters, Bessie Goolsby of Nashville, Tenn., Carrie Hatcher of. He doesn't seek the limelight, that's for sure, said McNair, who served as sports information director at UA under Bear Bryant and who now publishes Bama Magazine. The Birmingham News. "That's him up there," he says. At home, she keeps the microcassette of the last letter he dictated, the day before he died. By 1977, he established GreeneTrack, dog racing track located in Greene County, Alabama,[1] with A. Wayne May, a veterinarian, and Sam Phelps, a lawyer. Bryant's son, Paul Bryant Jr., remembers his father's birthday more than the anniversary of his death, but for most Alabama fans, everything changed "the day Bear Bryant died." There's even a song . He was born in Birmingham while his father served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Varner drove over, helped get Bryant to the hospital. The newspapers had a combined Sunday edition, but their editorial policies remained quite different. Our bank that we've got now, he said, we started to try to be in communities where my family lives and will live and have it kind of be a legacy thing to be involved in the community stuff that your community banks do. Arrangements by Crocker Funeral Home. Horns' Robinson: Versatility worthy of early pick, QB Young 5-10 1/8, 204 pounds at NFL combine, Wolverines' Turner wows with 4.26 40 at combine, Smart backs UGA culture after fatal crash, arrests, Kelly inks contract extension at UCLA through '27, Top QB prospect Levis eager to unleash 'cannon', Smith-Njigba feels 100% after injury-marred '22. [2] He went on to establish more tracks in Texas (for example in La Marque, Texas), Idaho, and Iowa. Bryant also has a keen interest in the Civil War, and serves as chairman emeritus of the Civil War Preservation Trust, a national historic battlefield preservation organization. "It's crazy. Always, Coach Bryant, just like Mary Wilkes or Sarah Catherine: Coachbryant. "Billy had a stroke in 1996," she says, "right after he retired. That led to jobs, bartending at parties and running errands, and by the late 1960s, around the same time the coach traded his brown fedora for a hat with black-and-white checks, Billy began working for Bryant full time. Breaking down the latest in 2024 football recruiting, from top commits to March visits, The Turnover Luck Index: Rating every 2022 team, from USC to Rutgers, Kiper's updated NFL mock draft: Who's moving up for a QB? And no one knew Coach Bryant better than Billy. For many years, Bryant has been accused of running the Alabama board of trustees like a family business, "holding secret meetings, shrugging off public records requests, ignoring or sidestepping the law. They watched the moon landing together, hung out with Bob Hope together. "Paul Bryant Jr: His famous father casts a long shadow, one seemingly comfortable to the son", "Paul Bryant Jr.'s bank is tie that binds UA trustees", "Alabama Booster Paul Bryant Jr. Has Ties to Insurance Fraud Scheme", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paul_W._Bryant_Jr.&oldid=1127610045, This page was last edited on 15 December 2022, at 18:09. Paul Bryant Jr., at this time 38 and an established businessman with concerns in real estate, agriculture and dog racing tracks as well as a new reinsurance company, which insures insurance. They put him on night traffic, and that first winter, he caught pneumonia. He was there with his daughter, Carlin Bryant Parker, who was obsessed with those carnival games. Stewart. ", You think Paul "Bear" Bryant is dead? "It's exactly like that," Hilburn added. I walked in front of him. The family had asked that cameras be barred from the services. He earned his degree in finance from The University of Alabama in 1966. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. They have three daughters: Stella Gray Bryant Sykes, Mae Martin Bryant Murray, and Anna Laurie Bryant McKibbens, all graduates of The University of Alabama, and three grandchildren. 'I think Coach Bryant was the greatest leader this country ever had,' said his former All-America and Dallas Cowboy linebacker Lee Roy Jordan. Miss Mae Martin Bryant, daughter of Couch and Mrs. Paul Bryant, gives Paul W. Bryant, Jr. is the son of the late Paul W. Bryant and Mary Harmon Black Bryant. announced that the 2014 football season would be the last for UAB, Our view: We don't trust the process that ended UAB football, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. For his philanthropic efforts, Bryant became the inaugural recipient of the Racing Commissioners Humanitarian of the Year Award by the organization of State and Canadian Racing Regulatory Commissions. Knowles began canceling the next two weeks of Coach's schedule. Knowles and Varner cleaned out the real version of this office after Coach died. All his memories are still in there, somewhere, only much of the time he can't translate them into words. They have three daughters: Stella Gray Bryant Sykes, Mae Martin Bryant Murray, and Anna Laurie Bryant McKibbens, all graduates of The University of Alabama, and three grandchildren. 'And not just the leader of Alabama football players, but of the whole nation.'. Bryant is a family man: He has been married to his wife, Cherry, since 1966, and they have three daughters all UA graduates and three grandchildren. Any William needs to be prepared to really make his or her case to be included, but many have successfully done so. Paul Bryant Jr., the son of the late Hall of Fame coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, has clear ties to a federal insurance-fraud case that netted a 15-year prison sentence for a Philadelphia lawyer . Former Data Analyst - Consultant at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida - Jacksonville. S Alabama-Air view of cemetery at "Bear" Bryant's funeral. Research Account set-up and use instructions can be found at: http://libguides.uky.edu/SCRCaccount, Wyatt, John C.Lexington Leader (Lexington, Ky. : Daily)Lexington Herald-LeaderLexington Herald (Firm). Paul W. Bryant Jr. Wiki, Biography, Age, Career, Relationship, Net Bryant moved on to other business interests, keeping a close-knit group of partners in late attorney and civic leader Sam Phelps and his son, Scott, along with veterinarian Wayne May. Earlier this month, a retired Alabama assistant coach sat at his kitchen table and gauged how much he could reveal. Obviously, I had an advantage in that I had met a lot of business people through my parents when I was in high school and college, in the state and out of state. At the end, when Bryant was sicker than anyone knew, Billy heard the private coughs. "[1] In 1995, Bryant acquired Reynolds Ready Mix, a cement company later renamed Ready Mix USA. That's where he met Alabama's new football coach, and when Varner took the same job at the Indian Hills Country Club, where Bryant lived off the third fairway, they became close. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. "It's really important to the state that we have a successful football program. For all his business success, Bryant said in the interview that as a young man he had wanted to follow his father into coaching. Last week, after 23 years of mostly losing seasons, UAB President Ray Watts announced that the 2014 football season would be the last for UAB. 1983 Press Photo Alabama-Fans watching T.V. The price for memories is regret, and somewhere in the middle of all this, Billy considers how he spent his life. He'd get out. Having football competitive and doing well, and so much more than that is (when) we're maintaining at a championship level every year, it makes it easier on businesses around the state, I promise you. There is certainly regret in Bryant's choice of devotional. As she talks, there's a noise down the hall, a rattle of movement and the thump-thump of a cane on the floor. Perhaps more interesting, calls, emails and text messages to other trustees, senior UA system officials, and business associates seeking conversations about Bryant also went unanswered. The database includes around 700 names, and the museum manages to track most of their whereabouts via both old-school correspondence and newfangled social media. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. I have evidence to the contrary, from @bryantmuseum today. Because this is my wife and it's her middle name! I think that's one reason, McNair said, that he has put so much money (in the form of donations) into museums at the university., In 2005, Bryant founded Bryant Bank, which he calls my winding-down project.. [2] By 2011, he sold it to Cemex, a Mexican construction corporation, for US$350 million. Welcome to the 23rd annual Paul W. Bryant Namesake Reunion, where the only requirement to attend is that you or a member of your immediate family is willingly and lovingly -- sometimes strategically -- named for the coach known as "Bear." Associations, institutions, etc. Behind the University of Alabama's football resurgence is a Little Bear The young people in the photo above waited at a tombstone, while those in the photo below watched television coverage of the funeral at Tuscaloosa. "I always did want me the old-timey ice cream freezer," she says. SUFFOLK - Paul Bryant Jr., 67, retired employee of Perry Lumber Co., died Saturday, Dec. 14, 1996. Bryant entered Druid City Hospital in Tuscaloosa on January 25, 1983, after feeling chest discomfort. Knowles has walked through the museum about 10 times. The Birmingham News. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 1983 Press Photo Alabama-Fans climb tree to watch "Bear" Bryant's funeral. To his right, in the corner of the room, there's the pencil-and-ink drawing, a fresh-faced Bryant, without the deep lines in his face. That's just Alabama.". In addition, he chaired the committee that hired Dr. Robert Witt, past President of The University of Alabama and retired Chancellor of The University of Alabama System. Without sounding too hokey, that's why we started the bank.. Bryant said that purpose in starting the bank was to create a community bank like the ones that existed in Tuscaloosa when he was younger. Nobody ever has a plan. Robert Witt has worked with Bryant for the last 10 years, first as UA president and more recently as chancellor of the UA system. I wasn't really seeking it, he said. Bryant got the name right; "Susie" was scrawled on the outside. Jack Rutledge asked carefully. 2/28/2023 6:52 PM PT. Twenty-eight days later, on a Tuesday night, Billy's phone rang. Varner never felt comfortable enough to strike up conversations with Bryant, but he could poke at the Legend of The Bear. Alabama Media Group, University of Alabama head football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant is lifted onto the shoulders of his players after Alabama defeated Illinois 21-15 in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tenn., Wednesday night, Dec. 30, 1982. Alabama-Funeral-Woman and child mourn the death of Coach "Bear" Bryant. He poured a drink and chatted with guests. Varner went home to rest, and that's where he was when the phone rang again. Throughout his time on the board, he was a member of the Physical Properties Committee including nine years as chairman, during which more than 360 physical properties projects were completed with a total value exceeding $2 billion. TUSCALOOSA, Ala. Paul Bryant Jr., a native of Tuscaloosa, current trustee of The University of Alabama and graduate of the class of 1966, has given another $10 million gift to The University of Alabama, this time to the recently announced Crimson Tradition Fund Campaign for Athletics. Paul Bryant was the 11th of 12 children who were born to William Monroe and Ida Kilgore Bryant in Fordyce, Arkansas. He was 18. ", As high school student Cameron Bryant Collier mingled with incoming Alabama freshman Bryant Edward Rich (as you've likely figured out, the reunion crowds skew very young), Leonard Bryant Jackson joked that he was going to yell out "Hey, Bryant!" Barra found himself attacked for describing one bender at the 21 Club in New York City. That's the man I'll always remember.". It's certainly not too serious of a process by any stretch, but we really want to know people's stories and give them a chance to share those stories.". Bryant established two dozen operating companies and over 50 real estate ventures and syndicates. Which non-quarterback group will define each top-25 team's season? Hilburn's mother was Mae Martin Bryant, and Paul Murray's mother is Mae Martin Murray, the daughter of Paul "Bear" Bryant Jr. and, like Mary Harmon Hilburn, the granddaughter of Paul "Bear" Bryant Sr. and Mary Harmon Bryant. Like his boss before him, Billy Varner has come to the place where he must consider what he did with his time. Paul William "Bear" Bryant would have turned 100 on Wednesday, and the grandson made famous by photos of him walking off the field with the man he calls "Papa" is now 50. Bryant said that he never made the remarks and that the entire article was fabricated. All rights reserved (About Us). Behind the casket is present Alabama coach Ray Perkins, his wife Carolyn and son Mike. Sometimes it cloud up and rain.". Bryant has been married for 50 years to UA classmate Cherry Handley Hicks Bryant. Over 10 years, Bryant Bank has grown to over $1.5 billion in assets, becoming the largest family-owned bank in the state of Alabama. TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- There is a scene in the 1985 comedy "Spies Like Us" in which Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd, posing as doctors, enter a tent full of actual doctors. Hilburn's mother was Mae Martin Bryant, and Paul Murray's mother is Mae Martin Murray, the daughter of Paul "Bear" Bryant Jr. and, like Mary Harmon Hilburn, the granddaughter of Paul "Bear" Bryant . Which non-quarterback group will define each top-25 team's season? Sometimes they didn't. Simply stated, Paul Bryant cares deeply for the university.. PAUL BRYANT OBITUARY Paul Dean Bryant Jr., 47, of El Mirage, Arizona, passed away on April 15, 2006. Whatever order was brought on by the photographs disappears. Connelly's C-USA preview, part 2: Which returning teams could rule new-look league? He was appointed to the University of Alabama Board of Trustees in 2000 . Bryant is Chairman Emeritus and the longest-serving member of the organizations Board of Trustees. Since then, Moore says, daughters of Joe Namath and Ken Stabler have attended Alabama on . Edit Now. We'd go to the stadium. Fans stand and cheer. "I host the family holidays here at my house in Tuscaloosa, and we have so many Pauls and Marys and Mays that I have to draw up place cards for everyone and I have to use a very sophisticated system of last initials. Jos haluat muokata valintojasi, napsauta Hallitse tietosuoja-asetuksia. [1] [2] Who makes up the University of Alabama Board of Trustees? Tobacco industry -- Kentucky -- Lexington. These ties received national press attention when the board of trustees made the shocking decision to kill UAB football. ", There were also no Sabans at the reunion. The lights are low, and the house sits in cool darkness. Bryant, a member of the University of Alabama board of trustees since 2000 and president pro tempore of the board since 2011, said his business secret as president of Greene Group, a privately-held holding company, has more to do with being able to identify profitable enterprises. She liked Bryant, thought he had a good heart, even if he did almost always call her Sally. He forms his right hand into a pistol and Susie laughs, but then he starts to get lost again. His nickname stemmed from his having agreed to wrestle a captive bear during a theater promotion when he was 13 years old. The university had been spending about $20 million a year on football and the years ahead would only see that number grow and Watts pulled the plug causing a firestorm of protests from players and fans. Alabama-Funeral-Young man gives final salute to Coach "Bear" Bryant. Despite his famous name, business success and longtime influential role at the University of Alabama, Paul Bryant Jr. has stayed out of the spotlight. Bryant, who won 323 games in his 38 seasons -- more than any other college coach -- died Wednesday of a heart attack only 28 days after retiring. The house--a classic Tudor-style--was owned by Harmon's family. 1983 Press Photo Alabama-Woman and child mourn the death of Coach "Bear" Bryant. "Paul 'Bear' Bryant was my great-grandfather," the eighth-grader said with pride as he sat in his great-grandfather's museum, in a conference room decorated with oil paintings, bronze busts and even a marionette of the man behind his name. [2] He serves as its chairman.[6]. A man looks up and he's 76 years old, with memories he can't touch and not much else. Lexington (Ky.) -- History -- 20th century. That's what he called him, like it was a Southern debutante's double name. Roll Tide!" Bryant said he was invited by the board members to fill the vacant seat. Business districts -- Kentucky -- Lexington. He laughs and claps his hands. John C. Wyatt Lexington Herald-Leader photographs. Another large circulating newspaper during this time was the Kentucky Leader (formed by a group of Fayette County Republicans in 1888) which eventually became known as the Lexington Leader in 1901. The farm spans hundreds of acres and has catfish farms, cattle and grounds for quail hunting. Bryant. Kentucky football coach Paul 'Bear' Bryant poses with his family, Paul Jr. at center with their pet dachshund, and his wife Mary, right, at their home in Lexington, Kent., Feb. 5, 1954. A diamond of belly shows through the puckered front of his shirt. PAUL BRYANT OBITUARY Paul Dean Bryant Jr., 47, of El Mirage, Arizona, passed away on April 15, 2006. "His life is as concealed as Coach Bryant's life. There's the framed photograph of Bryant on a football field for the final time, with a "Thanks for the Memories" sign in the background. Billy sits in his big brown chair and looks at an oddly familiar man. During these years, he served three successive terms as President Pro Tempore. His voice is deep and trails off when he's unsure. She sits down and tells the story her husband can no longer tell. "That's him," she says, standing so he can sit. Bryant served as the chairman of the Civil War Trust. I spend virtually all my time in Greene County, Bryant said. another $13 mil or so, in fact, which now . [3][7] He also served on the boards of trustees of the Alabama Heritage Foundation and the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, Virginia. Mr. Bryant was Chairman of the Crimson Tide Tradition Fund, the organization that preceded the Crimson Tide Foundation. All he has to show for two decades of service are his memories, and even those often hang just out of reach. Cities and towns -- Growth -- Kentucky -- Lexington. To shoot him, they had to get me first.". Miss Mae Martin Bryant, daughter of Couch and Mrs. Paul Bryant, gives holiday tea. "We hear about people really almost exclusively through word of mouth," explained Ken Gaddy, director of the Paul W. Bryant Museum, located in the heart of the University of Alabama's campus. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Eight husky players carried Paul 'Bear' Bryant to his grave under a bare hickory tree and more than 8,000 mourners in two cities said goodbye Friday to the man they called the greatest football coach who ever lived. Did Paul Bryant Jr. really kill football at UAB? - Saturday Down South Bryant has been called by critics "Little Bear" or "cub," terms which seemed aimed at diminishing him compared to his legendary father, who Bryant calls "Papa. Help me understand the power of Paul Bryant, Jr. | SEC Rant Mrs. Bryant was dressed in a simple black dress and veil. Thirty years after his last season, Bryant's humanity lives only in his family and a few aging friends, in former employees such as Knowles, in 72-year-old assistant coach-turned-athletic director Mal Moore, and, perhaps most of all, in Billy Varner. Take a look inside former Bear Bryant home up for sale "Bryant." He's out having lunch and out doing business, so (to say he is a) recluse is maybe a little too strong, but he has certainly guarded his private life as well as anyone could with that name and with the things he has done.. ", She stands still, surrounded by the strangers who've come to genuflect, and she thinks, "If they only knew." [2] He was also the co-founder of Alabama Reassurance Co., later known as Alabama Life Reinsurance Co., a reinsurance company. This photograph was published on Feb 24th, 1948 (1948-02-24) Photograph Number: 1.03-1497.01 The pallbearers were defensive backs Jeremiah Castille, Jerrill Sprinkle and Tommy Wilcox; quarterbacks Paul Fields and Walter Lewis; linebacker Eddie Lowe; offensive tackle Mike McQueen, offensive tackle, and split end Darryl White.