As a senior in high school, the University of Alabama recruited Sylvester Croom out of Tuscaloosa High where he starred as a linebacker and tight end. Croom was born and raised in Tuscaloosa, but never had gone to an Alabama football game until that year in 1971 when he decided he wanted to become part of a football legacy that eventually helped him get his first head coaching job.
“I grew up in the segregated South,” Croom said. “I went to one Alabama game before I was a freshman there. They were recruiting me my senior year, and they gave me tickets and I went to a game as a prospect,” Croom said. “I can’t even remember who they played. I just went out there for a while and watched. I knew I was going (to Alabama).”
“But I knew about Alabama football. You can’t grow up in Alabama and not know about it. (Joe) Namath was my hero,” Croom said with a smile spread across his face.
When Croom walks onto the sidelines of Bryant-Denny Stadium for the first time in 18 years, it will be interesting to see the look on his face. The emotions will be flowing at that time and the memories will be roaring back at a rapid pace. He will be walking into the same stadium where he witnessed his first Alabama game 34 years ago.
“It’s exciting for me personally to go back to play the University of Alabama where I played and also be in my hometown as well,” Croom said. “The University of Alabama is a team of great tradition.”
Croom played a big role in building that tradition at Alabama. He was a three-year letterman (1972-74) for the legendary Paul “Bear” Bryant.
He started at the center position in his last two seasons and helped lead Bama to a 22-2 overall record, two SEC championships and the 1973 UPI National Championship. He returned to Bama as the centers coach after a year in the NFL and went on to assist the Tide for 11 seasons. In those 11 years, Alabama amassed a 102-28-2 record and captured back-to-back National Championships (1978-79).
As a player at Bama, Croom never lost a game to Mississippi State, but as an assistant coach he lost once to the Bulldogs. From 1958 to 1995 Mississippi State beat Alabama only once. In a hard-fought battle in Jackson in 1980 Mississippi State won 6-3 over the heavily favored Tide, costing Bama the national championship. Croom was in his fifth season as an assistant at Alabama that year.
“They were always tough, probably one of our tougher games,” Croom said of Mississippi State. “Coach Bryant was always concerned about the game. It was usually a battle and we usually won because we just had more people than they did. That changed in the late ’70s and ’80s, particularly that year after they beat us.”
The next season, Mississippi State traveled to Tuscaloosa and gave the Tide all it could handle, but lost 13-10 in what Croom said was one of the most emotional games he has ever been involved in.
“The game that we played over there in ’81 was one of the tougher games I have ever been around. It was just one of those dogfights that went down to the end,” Croom said. “Even though Alabama won, there wasn’t much of a celebration-it was just total exhaustion. I think on both sides everybody had given everything they had.”
Alabama won the Southeastern Conference that year and finished with a 9-2-1 record.
Prior to Croom’s hiring at MSU he applied for another head coaching position…Alabama.
In May 2003 Mike Price was fired at Alabama for off-the-field shenanigans before he even coached a game. Croom applied but Mike Shula got the job.
Croom’s eyes were set on the job and many people thought he had it, but Shula was chosen instead. Croom was asked if there was any temptation inside him this Saturday to show Alabama what they missed by not hiring him.
“If I could play I could do that,” Croom replied in a joking manner. “That’s history.”
And history is what will be made tomorrow night under the lights of Bryant-Denny Stadium when Sylvester Croom makes his return to a place he once called home and paces the sideline clad in Maroon and White instead of Crimson and White.