Here is a good article about a couple of UA players from the past, and a UA coaching legend. I believe I recall reading an article back in the mid 70s or so that UA graduated a higher percentage of the athletes that they recruited than most any other school. I am not a UA fan, except when they are playing bowl games against non-SEC schools, but I have to respect their success, and I was always a Bear Bryant admirer.
Thankful brothers: Eddie, Woodrow say parents, 'Bear' Bryant helped mold them into strong Phenix City leaders | Richard Hyatt | Columbus Ledger Enquirer
Two of my favorite football jokes involve UA and Bear Bryant:
1) At one point in his career, Bryant broke a leg or hip. Official reports were that Bryant had slipped getting out of the shower. His detractors snickered that he was drunk and had fallen. True Tide believers knew that the real story was that The Bear was out on the lake early one Sunday morning walking his ducks and a motor boat ran over him.
2) In the 1984 Iron Bowl (UA v Auburn) Auburn trailed by one late in the game. Auburn was fourth and one on Alabama's one yard line. Instead of taking the Chip shot field goal and letting the defense take over, Pat Dye chose to go for it. The story is that Dye, a religious man, whispered a little prayer, "What to do?" A voice immediately came back . . . "Run Brent Fullwood off right tackle, Jackson blocking." Dye sent in the play, Fullwood was thrown for a loss when "wrong way Bo" blocked to the left rather than the right. Alabama ran the clock out, winning 17-15. As Dye ran off the field, he whispered another prayer . . . "Lord, why did you tell me to run that play?" A voice came back, "Pat, I just don't know. Bear, why did we tell him to do that?"