The 1957 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...

in the

1957 NCAA University Division football season The 1957 NCAA University Division football season saw two different national champions. Auburn was ranked first in the AP writers' poll taken at season's end, while Ohio State was first in the UPI coaches' poll. Auburn was ineligible for a bowl ...

. It was the Crimson Tide's 63rd overall and 24th season as a member of the

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities of ...

(SEC). The team was led by head coach

Jennings B. Whitworth Jennings Bryan "Ears" Whitworth (September 17, 1908 – March 3, 1960) was an American football player and coach of football and baseball. He served as the head football coach at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College—now known as Okla ...

, in his third year, and played their home games at Denny Stadium in

Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa ( ) is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west-central Alabama, United States, on the Black Warrior River where the Gulf Coastal and Piedmont plains meet. Alabama's fifth-largest city, it had an estimated population of 1 ...

Legion Field Legion Field is an outdoor stadium in the southeastern United States in Birmingham, Alabama, primarily designed to be used as a venue for American football, but occasionally used for other large outdoor events. Opened in 1927, it is named in ho ...

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

and at

Ladd Stadium Ladd or Ladds may refer to: People * Ladd (surname) * Brent Ladds (born 1951), Canadian ice hockey administrator Places ;In the United States * Ladds, Georgia, an unincorporated community *Ladd, Illinois, village * Ladd, Missouri, an unincorporat ...

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population within the city limits was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 195,111 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 cens ...

. They finished with a record of two wins, seven losses and one tie (2–7–1 overall, 1–6–1 in the SEC). Alabama opened the season by going winless over their first five games. After a loss at

LSU Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...

, the Crimson Tide played Vanderbilt to a tie at Nashville. They then lost to TCU,

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

and

Mississippi State Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Univers ...

before they won their first game at

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

. The Crimson Tide then lost consecutive home games to

Tulane Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into a comprehensive pub ...

and

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

before they won their second game of the season against . Alabama then closed the season with a 40–0 loss in the

Iron Bowl The Alabama–Auburn football rivalry, better known as the Iron Bowl, is an American college football rivalry game between the Auburn University Tigers and University of Alabama Crimson Tide, both charter members of the Southeastern Conferenc ...

against eventual national champion

Auburn Auburn may refer to: Places Australia * Auburn, New South Wales * City of Auburn, the local government area *Electoral district of Auburn *Auburn, Queensland, a locality in the Western Downs Region *Auburn, South Australia *Auburn, Tasmania *Aub ...

. On October 24, University officials announced the contract of head coach Whitworth would not be renewed when it expired December 1 at the conclusion of the season. On December 3, former

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

and then

Texas A&M Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...

head coach and former Alabama player

Bear Bryant Paul William "Bear" Bryant (September 11, 1913 – January 26, 1983) was an American college football player and coach. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest college football coaches of all time, and best known as the head coach of ...

was hired as both the head coach of the football team and athletic director at Alabama.

Schedule

Game summaries

LSU

*Source: To open the 1957 season, Alabama was

shutout In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball. Shutouts are usuall ...

28–0 at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge.1957 Season Recap LSU took the opening

kickoff Kickoff or kick-off may refer to * Kick-off (association football) * Kickoff (gridiron football) * ''Kick Off'' (series), a series of computer association football games * ''Kick Off'' (album), a 1985 album by Onyanko Club * ''Kick Off'' (mag ...

and drove 67-yards for a one-yard Jim Taylor touchdown run that gave the Tigers a 7–0 lead at halftime after a scoreless second quarter. In the third quarter, Win Turner intercepted an Alabama pass that gave LSU possession at their 40-yard line. Six plays later, Turner then threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to J. W. Brodnax for a 14–0 lead.

Billy Cannon William Abb Cannon (August 2, 1937 – May 20, 2018) was an American football halfback, fullback and tight end who played professionally in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He attended Louisiana State Un ...

then scored the final two Tigers' touchdowns for the 28–0 victory. The first came on a 53-yard run in the third quarter and the second on a 73-yard run in the fourth quarter that followed a

fake punt A fake punt is a trick play in gridiron football. It involves a running or passing play run out of a punt formation.Examples include: A fake punt can take a number of different forms. The punter may simply take the snap and look to throw a f ...

. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against LSU to 15–7–4.

Vanderbilt

*Sources: In their second consecutive road game to open the 1957 season, the Crimson Tide played the Vanderbilt

Commodores Commodores are an American funk and soul band, which were at their peak in the late 1970s through the mid 1980s. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in 1968, and signed with Motown in ...

to a 6–6 tie at Dudley Field. Alabama took an early 6–0 lead on a short James Loftin touchdown run that capped their first offensive possession. The Commodores then tied the game 6–6 in the second quarter on a four-yard William Smith touchdown run. The Crimson Tide nearly pulled off the upset late in the fourth quarter after a 58-yard Jerry Daniel punt return gave Alabama possession at the Vandy eight-yard line. However, Alabama was unable to score as time expired just prior to a fourth down play from inside the five-yard line. The tie brought Alabama's all-time record against Vanderbilt to 18–16–2.

TCU

*Sources: For the third consecutive season, Alabama played the

Texas Christian University Texas Christian University (TCU) is a private research university in Fort Worth, Texas. It was established in 1873 by brothers Addison and Randolph Clark as the Add-Ran Male & Female College. It is affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples ...

(TCU) Horned Frogs of the

Southwest Conference The Southwest Conference (SWC) was an NCAA Division I college athletic conference in the United States that existed from 1914 to 1996. Composed primarily of schools from Texas, at various times the conference included schools from Oklahoma an ...

, and for the third time in as many years the Crimson Tide lost 28–0. After a scoreless first quarter, TCU took a 14–0 halftime lead after they scored a pair short second-quarter touchdown runs by Buddy Dike and Marvin Lasater. The Frogs then closed the game with a 49-yard Dick Finney quarterback sneak for a touchdown in the third and on a short

Jim Shofner James Bernard Shofner (December 18, 1935 – July 17, 2021) was an American football player and coach at both the collegiate and professional levels. He was twice a head coach: first at Texas Christian University (TCU) from 1974 to 1976, then i ...

touchdown run in the fourth to win 28–0. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against TCU to 0–3.

Tennessee

*Sources: In their annual rivalry game against

, the score was tied at zero as the teams entered the fourth quarter. However, a pair of touchdowns by the

Volunteers Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

in the final quarter gave Tennessee the 14–0 victory in Birmingham. The Vols touchdowns were scored on a nine-yard Bobby Gordon touchdown pass to Tommy Potts and then on a four-yard Gordon run in the win. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Tennessee to 18–17–5.

Mississippi State

*Sources: One year after the Crimson Tide defeated

to end their 17-game losing streak, the

Maroons Maroons are descendants of African diaspora in the Americas, Africans in the Americas who escaped from slavery and formed their own settlements. They often mixed with indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous peoples, eventually ethnogenesi ...

were victorious on

homecoming Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States, Canada and Liberia. ...

at Denny Stadium by a final score of 25–13. Alabama took a 6–0 lead on the second play of the game when Jim Loftin scored on a 65-yard touchdown run. The lead was short lived as on the Maroons possession that ensued, Billy Stacy threw a 57-yard touchdown pass to Charles Weatherly that tied the game 6–6. State then took a 12–6 halftime lead on a 21-yard Gil Peterson touchdown run in the second quarter. After a scoreless third quarter, the Maroons extended their lead to 25–6 in the fourth quarter on short touchdown runs by Molly Halbert and Robert Collins. The Crimson Tide then made the final score 25–13 on a 62-yard Bobby Jackson touchdown pass to Marlin Dyess late in the final period. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Mississippi State to 29–10–3.

Georgia

*Sources: Against the

Bulldogs The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose. The Bulldogs took a 6–0 first quarter lead after

Theron Sapp Theron Coleman Sapp, nicknamed Thundering Theron and the Drought-Breaker, (born June 15, 1935) is a former American football running back for the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He attended the Univer ...

scored on a one-yard touchstone run. The Crimson Tide responded with a pair of second-quarter touchdowns and took a 14–6 halftime lead. Both scores came on a pair of Bobby Smith touchdown passes, the first to Charles Gray from 46-yards and the second to Willie Beck from 16-yards out. Georgia was able to score a second touchdown in the third quarter on a six-yard Charles Britt pass to Donald Soberdash; however, the blocked

extra point The conversion, try (American football, also known as a point(s) after touchdown, PAT, or (depending on the number of points) extra point/2-point conversion), or convert (Canadian football) occurs immediately after a touchdown during which the sc ...

from their first score provided the final margin of defeat for the Bulldogs. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Georgia to 22–17–4.

Tulane

*Sources: In their annual home game played at

, the Crimson Tide were shutout 7–0 by the

Green Wave A green wave occurs when a series of traffic lights (usually three or more) are coordinated to allow continuous traffic flow over several intersections in one main direction. Any vehicle traveling along with the green wave (at an approximate spe ...

Mobile Mobile may refer to: Places * Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city * Mobile County, Alabama * Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S. * Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Mobile ( ...

. The only points of the game came on a four-yard

Richie Petitbon Richard Alvin Petitbon (born April 18, 1938) is am American former professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). Petitbon first attended Loyola University New Orleans on a track and field scholarship and left afte ...

touchdown run in the first quarter. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Tulane to 17–9–2.

Georgia Tech

*Sources: Against

, Alabama lost 10–7 to the

Yellow Jackets Yellowjacket or yellowjacket is the common name in North America for predatory social wasps of the genera '' Vespula'' and '' Dolichovespula''. Members of these genera are known simply as "wasps" in other English-speaking countries. Most of th ...

at Legion Field. The Crimson Tide took a 7–0 first quarter lead after Danny Wilbanks scored on a one-yard touchdown run that capped an 80-yard drive. Alabama held the lead through the fourth quarter, but Tech scored ten points to win in the final period. Freddie Braselton tied the game 7–7 with his one-yard touchdown run and then Urban Henry scored the game-winning

field goal A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ba ...

late in the fourth that made the final score 10–7. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Georgia Tech to 18–18–3.

Mississippi Southern

*Sources: In their final non-conference game of the season, Alabama won their second game of the season against the Mississippi Southern

Golden Eagles The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known birds of ...

29–2 at Denny Stadium. After a scoreless first quarter, Alabama took a 7–0 halftime lead on a one-yard Danny Wilbanks touchdown run in the second quarter. After Wilbanks scored his second touchdown in the third quarter, Southern gave up a

safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are ...

on a bad snap on a punt attempt. On the

free kick A free kick is an action used in several codes of football to restart play with the kicking of a ball into the field of play. Association football In association football, the free kick is a method of restarting the game following an offence ...

that ensued, Clay Walls returned it 66-yards for a touchdown and a 22–0 lead. After the Crimson Tide took a 29–0 lead in the fourth quarter on a 14-yard Bobby Skelton touchdown pass to Marlin Dyess before the Southerners ended the shutout attempt when Skelton was sacked for a safety. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Mississippi Southern to 7–2–1.

Auburn

*Sources: Against the rival

, the

Tigers The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on un ...

scored 34 first half points en route to a 40–0 shutout victory at Legion Field in the season finale. After the Tigers recovered an Alabama

fumble A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful ...

on their first possession, Auburn took a 7–0 lead on a one-yard Bill Atkins touchdown run. Atkins then extended their lead to 14–0 with a six-yard touchdown run later in the first that capped a six-play, 62-yard drive. Up by 14, three second-quarter touchdowns resulted in a 34–0 halftime lead for Auburn. Points were scored on a two-yard Lloyd Nix run and on

interception In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team b ...

returns of 21-yards by Tommy Lorino and 66-yards by

Jackie Burkett Walter Jackson Burkett (December 16, 1936 – September 1, 2017) was an American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Baltimore Colts, New Orleans Saints, and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Auburn Unive ...

. The final Auburn touchdown was scored in the third on a 27-yard Nix pass to Jim Phillips that made the final score 40–0. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Auburn to 9–12–1. Three days after their victory over the Crimson Tide, Auburn was recognized as the 1957

national champions National champions are corporations which are technically private businesses but due to governmental policy are ceded a dominant position in a national economy. In this system, these large organizations are expected not only to seek profit but als ...

by the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

in their final poll of the season.

After the season

In the week that followed their loss to Tennessee, the University of Alabama Faculty Committee on Physical Education and Athletics announced the University would not renew coach Whitworth's contract effective December 1 at the conclusion of the season. On December 3, the University formally introduced then

head coach and former Crimson Tide player

as the new head coach of the Crimson Tide. At the time of the announcement, Bryant also became

athletic director An athletic director (commonly "athletics director" or "AD") is an administrator at many American clubs or institutions, such as colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and ...

as the replacement for

Hank Crisp Henry Gorham Crisp (December 10, 1896 – January 23, 1970) was an American football, basketball, baseball and track coach and college athletics administrator. In spite of an accident when he was 13 years old that resulted in the loss of hi ...

and signed a ten-year contract to serve as Alabama's head coach.

Personnel

Varsity letter winners

Coaching staff

References

General * Specific {{Alabama Crimson Tide football navbox

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

Alabama Crimson Tide football seasons

Alabama Crimson Tide football The Alabama Crimson Tide football program represents the University of Alabama (variously Alabama, UA, or Bama) in the sport of American football. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Asso ...