I was the head coach at the University of Alabama for about 25 years, I reckon, starting in 1958. During that whole time, I’d have to say that Colgan Toomey was the best in-state player I didn’t sign. If I could change that, I would, even though he blew out his knee at Texas, and we ended up winning two national championships with the players we actually did get around the same time. I’d change it not because of the football player he was, but because of the kind of kid he was and the way his recruitment happened.

I think it was sometime right after the end of the regular season in ’76 or ‘77. A couple of my assistants came in chirping about some kid from one of the little paper-mill towns sou...

Please subscribe to keep reading.