When I typed that title I had to laugh. “Making History over time”? Lunatic’s talk like this right? See what COVID has done to my mind Can you have history without time elapsing? Ok ok, I will stop. I’m talking to myself now. But that is the life of any blogger even those of us who do not do this for a living. But let’s get back to the topic at hand. The USC Trojan football team has been a major part of college football history. Many of their teams have been talked about as the greatest of all time. Some have been a part of integrating the races in one of the most amazing stories of all time with respect to Coach Paul Bear Bryant and Coach John McKay. As the story goes, Coach Bryant read the writing on the wall. Athletes were no longer one color one type. Multiple teams were starting to bring in all colors dominated by the African American athletes.
In a bold move, coach Bryant reached out to coach McKay and offered a home and away game offer. Coach McKay always looking for tough out of conference games never thought twice. He knew he was going in to a hostile area as it related to the tensions between the white and black races. He accepted and that game that moment in history will be the shot heard round the world of college football. The USC team was athletically faster and stronger and agility wise unmatched by the Tide. This was the door that Coach Bryant needed to open. Well as we all know, following the home field loss in Tuscaloosa the Tide came west and evened things up in Los Angeles.
I’m only scratching the service on that game as we all know but, it to my memory, was the game I believe ranks as the greatest of all time for all football and non-football reasons. It meant so much more than integrating the races in college football and sports in general. It was a statement that college athletics was able to make that shaped far more than a sport.
Comments