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Bryant With His Trademark Houndstooth Hat

What does this trademark black and white houndstooth or gingham cap worn by a head coach at the university of Alabama have to do with a New York Jets SnapBack or a Oakland Raiders SnapBack.  Coach Bryant was the head
Coach of two great collage and professional quarterback that lead their teams to championships.

Joe Namath lead the Alabama football team to a national championship and then went on to lead the New York Jets to a Superbowl championship.  Yet in the final game of the 1963 regular season Coach Bryant benched Namath for the game against The U and the Sugar Bowl.  Bryant quoted as saying ” I don’t guess anybody would think much of what Joe did wrong nowadays, including myself.  But he was supposed to be our leader, so he had to live by the rules.  It was the hardest thing I ever had to do and he was the greatest athlete I ever coached.  A tip of that New York Jets SnapBack Hat to you coach for standing by those principles.

After Namath was drafted a young left-handed southpaw named Kenny “The Snake” Stabler toke over at Alabama.  The Snake lead the Alabama football team to a 11-0 record his junior year but fell just short in leading his team to the national championship.  The following year Stabler got kicked off the football team during the season  for action detrimental to the football team.  Coach Bryant again showing it was his way or the highway to these young players.  Bryant and Stabler made up in time for Kenny to play in the final game of the season, one called the Iron Bowl against arch rival Auburn.  In a game deranged by thunderstorms and trailing 3-0 late in the game Stabler scampered 53 yards through the mud for the winning touchdown.  The play to these days is still called ” The run in the mud”

Stabler left Alabama and went to the Oakland Raiders were in 1977 he lead his team to their first Super Bowl  championship giving Stabler his chance to toss that Oakland Raiders SnapBack high into the air.

This is just two of the many greats that went through Alabama under Coach Bryant. Many of Alabama’s loyal fans still wear one of Coach Bryant houndstooth caps, so even though it’s not a SnapBack we honor it today as our SnapBack Picture of The Day.

Have your friend follow us on Facebook and check out the special custom brim snapbacks.

 Be sure and check back tomorrow for the next snapback picture of the day!