Turnaround: Bear Bryant's 1st Year at Alabama

Another reviewer highly recommended "The Junction Boys", a story of the nightmarish ten days that Bear Bryant ran his first Texas A&M team through. I agree that book was more interesting and more focused. "Turnaround", regrettably, does not have the same appeal and sense of being there that "The Junction Boys" did. True, Bear Bryant was not the sweetest coach in the world in 1958, but after what he put his first Aggie team through I could not be awed with what his first Crimson Tide team went through. Bear's first Aggie team appeared to have had it tougher -- which is why he considered that to be his favorite team in spite of the fact that was his only losing team (1-9) in his entire career.

There were a couple of interesting items about the book though. First, J. B. "Ears" Whitworth preceded the Bear to Tuscaloosa and won only four games in three years. I do not remember anything about "Ears" as I was too young and growing up in Alabama I never heard many references to those dark days in Crimson Tide history. About the only reference to those days was that a quarterback who was hurt much of the time while at Alabama later went on to a somewhat more successful career in the NFL -- some guy named Bart Starr. The book did devote the first chapter to the problems swirling around the Alabama football program during "Ears" less than successful three years.

The second item of interest is the description of the practice sessions. Bear later mellowed considerably -- especially in the 1970s and when he was 15 - 20 years older and more experienced. But he ran the program in a very controlled manner, attention to detail, well organized, mission oriented, stressing a strong conditioning program, never a wasted moment on the practice field, well motivated, and stressing academics. I have read several descriptions of the current coach, Dennis Franchione, and although Coach Franchione was not a deciple of the Bear, he runs things in a very similar manner. There are differences of course in that there are different rules and water breaks are no longer considered a sign of weakness. But the basic ideas remain the same. I hope Coach Franchione has similar success.


GOOD BUT NOT GREAT   June 27, 2002
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

This book is worthwhile for any hard-core fan of the Crimson Tide. But if you are not there would be little here to interest you.

Another reviewer highly recommended "The Junction Boys", a story of the nightmarish ten days that Bear Bryant ran his first Texas A&M team through. I agree that book was more interesting and more focused. "Turnaround", regrettably, does not have the same appeal and sense of being there that "The Junction Boys" did. True, Bear Bryant was not the sweetest coach in the world in 1958, but after what he put his first Aggie team through I could not be awed with what his first Crimson Tide team went through. Bear's first Aggie team appeared to have had it tougher -- which is why he considered that to be his favorite team in spite of the fact that was his only losing team (1-9) in his entire career.

There were a couple of interesting items about the book though. First, J. B. "Ears" Whitworth preceded the Bear to Tuscaloosa and won only four games in three years. I do not remember anything about "Ears" as I was too young and growing up in Alabama I never heard many references to those dark days in Crimson Tide history. About the only reference to those days was that a quarterback who was hurt much of the time while at Alabama later went on to a somewhat more successful career in the NFL -- some guy named Bart Starr. The book did devote the first chapter to the problems swirling around the Alabama football program during "Ears" less than successful three years.

The second item of interest is the description of the practice sessions. Bear later mellowed considerably -- especially in the 1970s and when he was 15 - 20 years older and more experienced. But he ran the program in a very controlled manner, attention to detail, well organized, mission oriented, stressing a strong conditioning program, never a wasted moment on the practice field, well motivated, and stressing academics. I have read several descriptions of the current coach, Dennis Franchione, and although Coach Franchione was not a deciple of the Bear, he runs things in a very similar manner. There are differences of course in that there are different rules and water breaks are no longer considered a sign of weakness. But the basic ideas remain the same. I hope Coach Franchione has similar success.