Where’s the Bear? Right over there — commemorated at UA’s Paul W. Bryant Museum. Here’s what you need to know.
1. Bryant Museum is not just about Bear Bryant. Or football.
In fact, there is plenty in the museum about UA’s legendary coaches, like a clay maquette of Nick Saban that would become the iconic sculpture at Bryant-Denny Stadium. And the museum elevates stories in sports besides football, including the first 25 years of UA softball and a celebration of men’s basketball.
2. But the Bear is still very much there.
A bust of a hatless Bear Bryant greets visitors. Why no hat? Because Coach Bryant believed wearing hats indoors is bad manners. The museum also displays Bear-related memorabilia like one of his signature houndstooth hats, his reading glasses, a full-sized reproduction of his office and even the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, awarded to him posthumously, in 1983, by President Ronald Reagan.
3. The Bryant Museum maintains the largest collection of football footage in the SEC.
The museum’s expansive archives are a treasured resource both on and off campus. In the final days of the space shuttle program, NASA reached out to the Bryant Museum with a request for footage. The idea was to correlate great fourth-quarter football performances with the “fourth quarter” of the shuttle program, which was phased out in 2011. The Museum has also provided footage to “Dancing with the Stars,” “The Biggest Loser,” the Country Music Awards and multiple sports documentaries.
4. Every year, Bryant Museum hosts a namesake reunion.
The Museum keeps a database of people who report being named for the legendary coach — men, women and children of all ages named William, Paul, Bear, Bryant or other variations. And every year since 1996, the museum hosts a reunion party for them. It starts three hours before kickoff of the first home football game.
5. A national championship exhibit is coming.
A forthcoming exhibit will feature recaps of the national championship seasons, photos and information about a few players and coaches from each season, Nick Saban’s Gatorade-soaked polo, national championship rings, tickets and other memorabilia from the games.