The funeral procession from Tuscaloosa to Birmingham included 400 cars and was viewed by thousands of mourners who stopped along I-20/59 and stood on freeway overpasses to bid the coach farewell.
Today marks the anniversary of a watershed day in not only the history of Alabama football, but in the state of Alabama.
Bryant’s death came just four weeks after he’d coached his final game at Alabama, a 22-15 victory over Illinois in the 1982 Liberty Bowl. He’d announced his retirement from coaching on Dec. 15, 1982, but remained on board as the school’s athletics director. Then-Alabama Gov. George Wallace said Bryant “brought great fame and honor to Alabama. No amount of words will permit to describe the loss we have suffered with Coach Bryant’s passing. He was widely loved and respected by all.”
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