“Bryant could take his’n and beat your’n and take your’n and beat his’n” (“Paul”). This quote shows how Paul “Bear” Bryant was such a great coach that he could take his team and beat another team, then take the other team and beat his own. Bear Bryant also had a major effect on Southern voice. Southern voice is the culture, way of life, and the personality of the people of the South. By coaching at four colleges in the South, Bryant has made football a major part of Southern life (Barra).
Born on September 11, 1913 in New Edinburg, Arkansas, Paul Bryant was one of twelve children. Raised on a poor family farm, he was taught to work hard and became tough. When he was thirteen years old, Bryant got his nickname “Bear” by wrestling a carnival bear. A man made a bet that he would pay Bryant a dollar for every minute that he lasted against the bear. Bryant wrestled the bear for an extended period of time, but the man left town before paying Bryant (Smallwood).
As a senior on the Fordyce High School football team, Bear Bryant made the all-state team. He was recruited by Alabama University and played right end. While at Alabama, Bryant married Mary Harmon Black in 1934 and later had two kids (Smallwood). That next year in 1935, Alabama beat Stanford to win the Rose Bowl. Bryant first showed his actual toughness and his determined will to win in the Tennessee game. He played the whole game with a broken fibula from the game before (“Bryant”).
After college, Bryant joined the US Navy during World War II. While in the Navy he started his coaching career. Bryant became the football coach of the preflight training school of aviators at the University of North Carolina (“Bryant”). After leaving the Navy, Bryant made a big name for himself at Maryland, Kentucky, Texas A&M, and Alabama (Barra).
At Maryland, Bryant had a winning season, but after a dispute with the University of Maryland president, he left and went to Kentucky. At Kentucky, Bryant had a...