| 1962Alabama Crimson Tide football | |
|---|---|
Orange Bowl champion | |
| Conference | Southeastern Conference |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 5 |
| AP | No. 5 |
| Record | 10–1 (6–1 SEC) |
| Head coach |
|
| Offensive coordinator | Howard Schnellenberger (2nd season) |
| Defensive coordinator | Gene Stallings (1st season) |
| Captains | |
| Home stadium | Denny Stadium Legion Field |
Seasons | |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 3Ole Miss $ | 6 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 10 | – | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 5Alabama | 6 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 10 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 7LSU | 5 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia Tech | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Florida | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Auburn | 4 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia | 2 | – | 3 | – | 1 | 3 | – | 4 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kentucky | 2 | – | 3 | – | 1 | 3 | – | 5 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mississippi State | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tennessee | 2 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vanderbilt | 1 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 1 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tulane | 0 | – | 7 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 10 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The1962 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented theUniversity of Alabama in the1962 NCAA University Division football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 68th overall and 29th season as a member of theSoutheastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coachBear Bryant, in his fifth year, and played their home games atDenny Stadium inTuscaloosa andLegion Field inBirmingham, Alabama. They finished season with ten wins and one loss (10–1 overall, 6–1 in the SEC) and with a victory overOklahoma in theOrange Bowl.
The Crimson Tide opened the season with a win overGeorgia at Legion Field in Birmingham in week one, and then defeatedTulane in their first road game at New Orleans in week two. Alabama then defeatedVanderbilt in the second Legion Field game of the season andHouston back at Denny Stadium before they defeatedTennessee atNeyland Stadium.
The Crimson Tide then defeatedTulsa,Mississippi State and thenMiami onhomecoming in Tuscaloosa that extended their winning streak to 19-games and their unbeaten streak to 26-games. The next week Alabama lost their first game since the1960 season when they were upset 7–6 byGeorgia Tech at Atlanta. They rebounded with wins overAuburn in theIron Bowl that closed the regular season and againstOklahoma in theOrange Bowl.
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 22 | Georgia | No. 3 | W 35–0 | 54,000 | [1] | ||
| September 28 | atTulane | No. 1 | W 44–6 | 40,000 | [2] | ||
| October 6 | Vanderbilt | No. 2 |
| W 17–7 | 40,000 | [3] | |
| October 13 | Houston* | No. 1 | W 14–3 | 30,000 | [4] | ||
| October 20 | atTennessee | No. 2 | ABC | W 27–7 | 44,600 | [5] | |
| October 27 | Tulsa* | No. 2 |
| W 35–6 | 25,000 | [6] | |
| November 3 | atMississippi State | No. 2 | W 20–0 | 26,000 | [7] | ||
| November 10 | Miami (FL)* | No. 3 |
| W 36–3 | 43,200 | [8] | |
| November 17 | atGeorgia Tech | No. 1 | L 6–7 | 52,971 | [9] | ||
| December 1 | vs.Auburn | No. 5 |
| W 38–0 | 54,000 | [10] | |
| January 1, 1963 | vs. No. 8Oklahoma* | No. 5 | NBC | W 17–0 | 72,880 | [11] | |
| |||||||
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| •#3 Alabama | 9 | 6 | 6 | 14 | 35 |
To open the 1962 season, the Crimson Tideshutout theGeorgiaBulldogs 35–0 in what was the first start forquarterbackJoe Namath with the Crimson Tide varsity squad.[13][14][15] Alabama scored their first points of the season in the opening four minutes of the game when Namath threw a 52-yard touchdown pass toRichard Williamson. They then extended their lead to 9–0 late in the quarter when Jake Saye was tackled for asafety by Larry Morten on a failedpunt attempt.[13][14] Namath further extended the Crimson Tide lead to 21–0 in the third quarter before he was sat by Coach Bryant late in the third. He threw a pair of touchdown passes to Cotton Clark, in the second on a ten-yard pass and in the third on a 12-yard pass.[13][14] Alabama then closed the game with fourth-quarter touchdown runs of four-yards by Clark and 25-yards by Hudson Harris that made the final score 35–0.[13][14] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Georgia to 26–18–4.[16]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| •#1 Alabama | 14 | 22 | 0 | 8 | 44 |
| Tulane | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
After their victory over Georgia to open the season, Alabama up two spots in theAP Poll to the No. 1 position.[19] On a Friday evening atNew Orleans, the Crimson Tide defeated theTulaneGreen Wave 44–6 in their first road game of the season.[15][17][18] Alabama took a 14–0 first quarter lead on Butch Wilson runs of seven and one-yard before Tulane scored their lone points on a six-yard Wilson Miller touchdown pass to Clement Dellenger that made the score 14–6 early in the second quarter.[17][18] The Green Wave touchdown was the first allowed by the Crimson Tide defense over a period that spanned 35 quarters back to theirwin over NC State in 1961.[17]
The Crimson Tide responded with 22 second quarter points and took a 36–6 halftime lead. Cotton Clark scored first on an 11-yard run,Joe Namath second on a one-yard run and then Clark scored again on a 23-yard pass from Namath.[17][18] After a scoreless third, Namath threw a two-yard touchdown pass to Clark in the fourth and made the final score 44–6.[17][18] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Tulane to 20–10–3.[20]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| •#2 Alabama | 7 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
Although they defeated Tulane on the road, Alabama dropped from the No. 1 to No. 2 position in the AP Poll prior to their game againstVanderbilt.[22] In the second Legion Field game of the season, the Crimson Tide defeated theCommodores 17–7 at Birmingham.[15][21] Vanderbilt scored their first points of the 1962 season when Terrell Dye recovered a Cotton Clarkfumbledpunt in the endzone for a 7–0 lead.[21] Alabama responded on the drive that ensued with a 19-yardJoe Namath touchdown pass to Butch Henry and tied the game 7–7.[21] The Crimson Tide then took a 14–7 lead early in the third quarter after Namath threw a 34-yard touchdown pass toRichard Williamson.[21] A 20-yard Tim Davisfield goal in the fourth quarter then made the final score 17–7.[21] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Vanderbilt to 21–16–4.[23]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| •#1 Alabama | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
With their victory over Vanderbilt, coupled with anOhio State loss toUCLA, the Crimson Tide moved back into the No. 1 position in the polls prior to their game againstHouston.[26] Against theCougars, the Alabama defense was dominant and allowed minus 49 yards rushing in this 14–3 victory at Denny Stadium.[15][24][25] Houston took an early 3–0 lead after a Gene Ritchinterception set up a 30-yard Bill McMillanfield goal in the first quarter.[24][25] The Crimson Tide responded in the second quarter and took a 7–3 halftime lead whenLee Roy Jordan recovered a Cougars'fumble in the endzone for a touchdown.[24][25] Cotton Clark then provided the final points of the game with his three-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that made the final score 14–3.[24] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Houston to 4–0.[27]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| •#2 Alabama | 6 | 6 | 0 | 15 | 27 |
| Tennessee | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Alabama dropped from the No. 1 position back into the No. 2 spot in the week leading into their game atTennessee.[30] Against theVolunteers, Alabama won 27–7 for Coach Bryant's first all-time victory at Neyland Stadium.[15][28][29] The Crimson Tide took a 12–0 halftime lead after Tim Davis converted a pair offield goals in the first andJoe Namath threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Benny Nelson in the second quarter.[28][29] The Vols responded in the third quarter with a six-yard Bobby Morton touchdown pass to Jerry Ensley that cut the Alabama lead to 12–7.[28][29] However, the Crimson Tide closed the game with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns. The first touchdown came on a three-yard Cotton Clark run and the second on a 20-yard Jack Hurlbut pass to Benny Nelson and made the final score 27–7.[28][29] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Tennessee to 20–19–6.[31]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tulsa | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| •#2 Alabama | 7 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 35 |
As they entered their game againstTulsa, the Crimson Tide retained the No. 2 spot in the polls behindTexas.[34] In their non-conference matchup against theGolden Hurricane, Alabama only allowed Tulsa to cross midfield once in the first half en route to a 35–6 victory.[15][32]Richard Williamson opened the game with a recovered Tulsafumble on the first offensive play of the game, and four plays later Alabama led 7–0 on a one-yardJoe Namath touchdown run.[32][33] After a second, one-yard Namath touchdown run, Cotton Clark made what was then the third longest touchdown score in Alabama history with his 91-yard run that made the halftime score 21–0.[32][33] The Crimson Tide extended their lead further to 35–0 in the fourth quarter with touchdown runs of two-yards by Clark and eight-yards by Gary Martin. However, theshutout bid ended late in the fourth after the Golden Hurricane scored their only points on a one-yard Jerry Swanson touchdown run that made the final score 35–6.[32][33] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Tulsa to 3–0.[35]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| •#2 Alabama | 7 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 20 |
| Mississippi State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
After their victory over Tulsa, Alabama retained their No. 2 ranking as they prepared to playMississippi State.[38] On homecoming at Starkville, the Crimson Tide shutout theBulldogs 20–0.[15][36][37] Alabama took an early lead when Cotton Clark scored on a four-yard touchdown run in the first quarter for a 7–0 lead.[36][37]Joe Namath was then responsible for the final pair of touchdowns on passes of 27 and three-yards toBill Battle in the second and third quarters for the 20–0 victory.[36][37] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Mississippi State to 34–10–3.[39]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| •#3 Alabama | 0 | 0 | 23 | 13 | 36 |
Although they shutout Mississippi State one the road, Alabama dropped into the No. 3 ranking as they prepared to playMiami.[42] On homecoming in Tuscaloosa, Alabama trailed theHurricanes 3–0 at halftime but rallied with 36 unanswered points in the second half for the 36–3 victory.[15][40][41] The first half was dominated by both defenses with the only points scored by Miami in the second quarter on a 40-yard Bob Wilsonfield goal.[40][41] The Crimson Tide then scored three third-quarter touchdowns and took a 23–3 lead into the fourth quarter. Points were scored by Cotton Clark on runs of one and six-yards and on a 12-yardJoe Namath pass toBill Battle.[40][41] A pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns on one-yard runs by Namath and Jack Hurlbut made the finals score 36–3.[40][41] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Miami to 4–2.[43]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 Alabama | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| •Georgia Tech | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
For their game at Grant Field againstGeorgia Tech, the Crimson Tide moved back into the No. 1 position in the national polls.[46] In the game, theYellow Jackets ended Alabama's 19-game winning and 26-game unbeaten streak that dated back to the Crimson Tide's1960 season, with their 7–6 upset in Atlanta.[15][44][45] After a scoreless first quarter, Georgia Tech scored their only touchdown on a nine-yard Patrick McNames run for a 7–0 lead.[44][45] The Yellow Jackets continued to hold the Crimson Tide scoreless until the fourth quarter when Cotton Clark scored on a two-yard run. However instead of playing for the tie with anextra point attempt, Bryant decided to go for atwo-point conversion that failed and resulted in the eventual 7–6 Tech win.[44][45] In defeat,Joe Namath threw fourinterceptions.[44] The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Georgia Tech to 22–19–3.[47]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| •#5 Alabama | 7 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 38 |
| Q1 | ALA | Wilson 92 yard kickoff return (Davis kick) | ALA 7–0 | |
| Q2 | ALA | Namath 17 yard run (Davis kick) | ALA 14–0 | |
| Q2 | ALA | Battle recovered blocked punt in end zone (Davis kick) | ALA 21–0 | |
| Q3 | ALA | Clark 15 yard pass from Namath (Davis kick) | ALA 28–0 | |
| Q3 | ALA | Davis 39 yard field goal | ALA 31–0 | |
| Q4 | ALA | Williamson 16 yard pass from Namath (Davis kick) | ALA 38–0 | |
After their loss against Georgia Tech, Alabama dropped to No. 6 in the AP Poll, but in the week prior to their game againstAuburn, they moved into the No. 5 position.[50][51] Against theTigers in the annualIron Bowl game at Legion Field, Alabama shutout Auburn for the fourth consecutive season, this time by a score of 38–0.[15][48][49] On the first offensive play of the game, Alabama took a 7–0 lead when George Wilson scored on a 92-yard touchdown run.[48][49] They then extended their lead to 21–0 at halftime after touchdowns were scored on a 17-yardJoe Namath run and whenBill Battle recovered a blockedpunt in the endzone in the second quarter.[48][49] The Crimson Tide then closed the game with 17 second half points and won 38–0. Points were scored in the third on a 15-yard Namath touchdown pass to Cotton Clark and on a 39-yard Tim Davisfield goal in the third and on a 16-yard Namath pass toRichard Williamson in the fourth quarter.[48][49] The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Auburn to 13–13–1.[52]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #8 Oklahoma | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| •#5 Alabama | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
After their victory over Auburn, the Crimson Tide formally accepted an invitation to playBig Eight Conference championOklahoma in the 1963 edition of theOrange Bowl.[55] In what was the first all-time meeting between the schools, Alabama shutout theSooners 17–0 behind a dominant performance bylinebackerLee Roy Jordan who set a school bowl record with his 31tackles.[53][54][56][57] Alabama took a 14–0 halftime lead after touchdowns were scored on a 25-yardJoe Namath pass toRichard Williamson in the first and on a 15-yard Cotton Clark run in the second quarter.[53][54] A 19-yard Tim Davisfield goal in the third quarter provided for the final 17–0 margin of victory.[53][54]
Several players that werevarsity lettermen from the 1962 squad were drafted into theNational Football League (NFL) and theAmerican Football League (AFL) between the 1963 and 1965 drafts. These players included the following:
| Year | Round | Overall | Player name | Position | NFL/AFL team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 NFL draft [58] | 1 | 6 | Lee Roy Jordan | Linebacker | Dallas Cowboys |
| 2 | 24 | Butch Wilson | Back | Baltimore Colts | |
| 3 | 33 | Mike Fracchia | Back | St. Louis Cardinals | |
| 1963 AFL draft [59] | 2 | 14 | Lee Roy Jordan | Linebacker | Boston Patriots |
| 6 | 41 | Butch Wilson | Tight end | Oakland Raiders | |
| 7 | 55 | Richard Williamson | End | Boston Patriots | |
| 1964 NFL draft [58] | 5 | 61 | Benny Nelson | Halfback | Detroit Lions |
| 11 | 151 | Eddie Versprille | Running back | Cleveland Browns | |
| 1964 AFL draft [60] | 8 | 59 | Steve Wright | Offensive tackle | New York Jets |
| 12 | 94 | Benny Nelson | Defensive back | Houston Oilers | |
| 1965 NFL draft [58] | 1 | 12 | Joe Namath | Quarterback | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 3 | 40 | Ray Ogden | End | St. Louis Cardinals | |
| 9 | 120 | Frank McClendon | Tackle | Minnesota Vikings | |
| 10 | 131 | Gaylon McCullough | Center | Dallas Cowboys | |
| 1965 AFL draft [61] | 1 | 1 | Joe Namath | Quarterback | New York Jets |
| 8 | 58 | Ray Ogden | Tight end | Houston Oilers | |
| 19 | 147 | Frank McClendon | Tackle | Oakland Raiders |
Prior to the1972 NCAA University Division football season, NCAA rules prohibitedfreshmen from participating on the varsity team, and as such many schools fielded freshmen teams.[62][63] For the 1962 season, the Alabama freshmen squad was coached by Sam Bailey and finished their season with a record of two wins and one loss (2–1).[64] In their first game of the season, Alabama defeated Mississippi State 20–2 at Denny Stadium.[65] Alabama took a 6–0 first quarter lead on a one-yard Dickie Bean touchdown run that was set up by a 69-yard Vernon Newbillinterception return. They extended their lead further to 13–0 later in the quarter whenSteve Sloan scored on a 28-yard touchdown run.[65] State then scored their only points in the second quarter when Mike Childssacked Sloan in the endzone for asafety that made the halftime score 13–2.[65] After a scoreless third, Alabama made the final score 20–2 after Jimmy Mitchell scored on a seven-yard touchdown run.[65]
In their second game, the Baby Tide defeated Tulane 27–16 at Tulane Stadium, but then lost to Auburn in their season finale at Denny Stadium 14–13.[64] Alabama took an early 7–0 lead when Dickie Bean scored on a one-yard touchdown run. Auburn then responded and took a 14–7 halftime lead with a pair of second-quarter touchdowns. The first came on a 96-yard Gerald Grosskickoff return and the second on a 62-yard Joe Campbell pass to Gross.[64] Late in the fourth, Alabama scored on a 27-yardSteve Sloan touchdown pass to Jerry Duncan; however, Sloan'stwo-point conversion attempt was intercepted byBill Cody and the Tigers won 14–13.[64]
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