TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — With posters, footballs, hats, and dozens of other memorabilia items in hand, University of Alabama football fans packed the playing surface at Bryant-Denny Stadium for the program’s annual fan day.
“Any program is only successful with fan support,” Alabama junior defensive back Ha Ha Clinton-Dix said. “This is our chance to give back. To see so many people come out to show support at a practice means a lot.”
A crowd of about 20,000 watched the Crimson Tide go through a two-hour long scrimmage. The scrimmage, the squad’s only one that is open to the public, was just part of a busy day. Players and coaches met the media prior to the scrimmage, while Fan Day activities took part on the field after the scrimmage.
While thousands watched the scrimmage, thousands more stood patiently at a pair of stadium gates waiting to enter the stadium when the action concluded.
Lowndes County resident Mark Wilson and his sons, Caleb and Trent, took in the scrimmage and waited nearly an hour in line to get autographs of favorite players, such as quarterback AJ McCarron and defensive back Nick Perry. It also was a chance to get the coveted signature of coach Nick Saban.
Outside the stadium the line was organized, lawful and straight. It wound past gates and concession stands from one side to the other, with everyone silently waiting their turn. Once inside the stadium, however, things became a free-for-all. Dozens of,”Where’s Saban’s line?” and,”Which one’s AJ’s?” could be heard as the fans scurried left and right to find their lines.
A majority of players had only a few people waiting on their signature, while others had dozens. Senior linebacker C.J. Mosley and a handful of other All-Southeastern Conference performers always seemed to have at least 30 people working their way through their line. McCarron was a hot ticket. His line started on the sideline, backed 30 yards into the middle of the field, and wound another 30 yards back from there.
But Saban wasn’t outdone. Seated in the stadium’s north end zone, dedicated fans lined up beyond the 20-yard line on the south side of the field. It stayed this way deep into the autograph session, and with 15 minutes remaining fans surged forward, expressing fading hopes of meeting him.
“I don’t believe we’re gonna make this one,” said Meridian’s Larry Ainsworth, while shaking his head and looking at the long line. “They’ll get us just close enough for our feelings to be hurt about it when he leaves.”
Sure enough, the clock on the stadium scoreboard hit zero, a buzzer sounded and the autograph session ended and police escorted the coaches and players out. Several fans gathered to relish the fresh ink on their new prizes. One man even held up a Nick Saban autographed stadium seat cushion.
Others weren’t so fortunate. The lucky ones held up posters and questioned whose name was scribbled sloppily in the corner, only finding the answer by looking up the number accompanied by the name. Dozens headed slowly for the exits with nothing to show from their stay but a few minutes on the grass at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Despite the disappointment some experienced, all of the fans could take comfort in the fact that the two-time defending national champion and preseason No. 1 team is back in business and the countdown has begun for the Aug. 31 season opener against Virginia Tech University in Atlanta.
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