Bleacher Report · Dec 28, 2016
Remembering When Alabama Football Was a Laughingstock
For even the oldest and most established players on this year's University of Alabama football roster, the history of the program boils down to two eras: before Nick Saban and after.
That's not a rub against any of the head coaches who preceded him, including Paul "Bear" Bryant, Gene Stallings, Frank Thomas and Wallace Wade, who all won at least one national championship, but more a reflection of how most college students view the world.
"As a kid, I'd probably say 2009 when they won the national championship," senior defensive end Jonathan Allen said about when he started paying attention to the Crimson Tide.