1967 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

Desegregation

Although the University was officially desegregated in summer 1963, full integration of the athletic teams did not occur at that time. By spring 1967, the athletic program was warned by the Office of Education that the lack of African Americans under athletic scholarship was a violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In February 1967, Dock Rone, an African American student enrolled at the University from Montgomery, met with coach Bryant about potentially trying to make the football team as a walk-on. At that time Bryant believed a non-scholarship, African American walk-on would help pave the way to complete integration of the football team.

On April 1, the football team opened their spring practice, and at that time Rone became the first African American to wear the Alabama uniform. At that time, an additional four African American students reported to practice, but were unable to participate at that time as they had not yet been academically cleared to play. These four other African American students that reported were Melvin Leverett of Prichard, Arthur Dunning of Mobile, Andrew Pernell of Bessemer and Jerome Tucker of Birmingham. By the second practice all except for Tucker were declared academically eligible to compete on the football squad and joined the team on April 3.

Throughout spring practice, Rone played as an offensive lineman and Leverett, Dunning and Pernell played as backs. On May 5, Rone and Pernell participated in the annual A-Day Game and became the first African American players to play at Denny Stadium as members of the Crimson Tide football team.

Schedule

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Game summaries

Florida State

Birmingham, Alabama

• Sources: To open the 1967 season, Alabama played the Florida State Seminoles to a 37–37 tie and ended a 17-game unbeaten and untied streak that stretched back to their 1965 season. The Seminoles opened with a pair of early touchdowns first on an 11-yard Kim Hammond pass to Ron Sellers and next on a 75-yard Walt Sumner punt return for a 14–0 lead. The Crimson Tide then responded with touchdowns on a two-yard Ken Stabler run and a 51-yard Stabler pass to Dennis Homan coupled with a successful two-point conversion for a 15–14 lead at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, Florida State scored first on a 27-yard Grant Guthrie field goal followed by Alabama with an 11-yard Ed Morgan touchdown run. The Seminoles then scored on a 13-yard Hammond touchdown pass to Larry Green for a 24–22 halftime lead.

After Florida State scored the only third quarter points in the third quarter on a 38-yard Guthrie field goal, both teams traded fourth quarter points for the 37–37 tie. After Stabler threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Homan, the Seminoles responded with a 23-yard Guthrie field goal. Then in the final minutes of the game, Alabama scored their final points on a three-yard Morgan run only to have Florida State tie the game at 37 with their eight-yard touchdown pass to Bill Moremen. The tie brought Alabama's all-time record against Florida State to 1–0–1.

Southern Miss

Mobile, Alabama

• Sources: After their tie against Florida State, Alabama dropped from the No. 2 to the No. 9 position in the AP Poll prior to their game against Southern Miss. In their annual game played at Mobile, Alabama defeated the Southerners 25–3 behind three Ken Stabler touchdown passes to Dennis Homan.

Ole Miss

Birmingham, Alabama

• Sources: In their conference opener against Ole Miss, Alabama defeated the Rebels 21–7 before a nationally televised audience at Birmingham.

Vanderbilt

Nashville, Tennessee

• Sources: After their victory over Ole Miss, Alabama moved up into the No. 7 position in the AP Poll prior to their game against Vanderbilt. In an offensive shootout against the Commodores, Alabama won 35–21 at Nashville. The Crimson Tide took an early 14–0 lead with a pair of Ken Stabler touchdowns in the first quarter. The first came on a 61-yard pass to Dennis Homan and the second on a one-yard run. Vanderbilt responded in the second quarter with a pair of David Strong touchdowns that tied the game 14–14. The first came on a seven-yard run and the second on a 13-yard pass from Roger May. The Crimson Tide then responded with a 59-yard drive, capped with a 21-yard Steve Davis field goal that gave them a 17–14 halftime lead.

After a 31-yard Davis field goal extended the Alabama lead to 20–14, Stabler threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Homan. A successful two-point conversion on a Pete Jilleba run followed, and the Crimson Tide extended their lead to 28–14 at the end of the third quarter. The game then closed with each squad scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Alabama scored first on a two-yard Joe Kelley run followed by a seven-yard May pass to Robert Goodridge by the Commodores that made the final score 35–21. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Vanderbilt to 25–16–4.

Tennessee

Birmingham, Alabama

• Sources: After their victory over Vanderbilt, Alabama moved into the No. 6 position in the AP Poll prior to their game against Tennessee. Against the Volunteers, the Crimson Tide lost their first game since the 1965 season and ended a 25-game unbeaten streak with this 24–13 loss. After Walter Chadwick scored on a one-yard touchdown run for the Vols, Alabama responded with an eight-yard Ken Stabler touchdown that tied the game 7–7 at the end of the first quarter. The score remained tied at the half after a scoreless second quarter.

Tennessee then took a 17–7 lead in the third quarter on an 11-yard Chadwick touchdown pass to Ken DeLong and a 47-yard Karl Kremser field goal. Alabama responded with their final points early in the fourth quarter on a one-yard Ed Morgan touchdown run, but a Stabler pass was later intercepted by Albert Dorsey and returned 31-yards for a touchdown and a 24–13 Vols victory. The Tennessee win was also their first over the Crimson Tide since the 1960 season. In the game, Stabler threw five interceptions. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Tennessee to 23–20–7.

Clemson

Clemson, South Carolina

• Sources: As a result of their loss against Tennessee, Alabama dropped completely out of the AP Poll prior to their game against Clemson. In their only non-conference road game of the season, the Crimson Tide narrowly defeated the Tigers of the Atlantic Coast Conference 13–10 at Memorial Stadium.

Mississippi State

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

• Sources: On homecoming in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide shutout the Mississippi State Bulldogs 13–0 at Tuscaloosa.

LSU

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

• Sources: Although Steve Davis missed three field goals for Alabama in the game, the Crimson Tide defeated the LSU Tigers 7–6 at Tiger Stadium.

South Carolina

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

• Sources: In the final Tuscaloosa game of the season, Alabama shutout the South Carolina Gamecocks 17–0 at Denny Stadium.

Auburn

Birmingham, Alabama

• Sources: In the annual Iron Bowl game, Alabama defeated the Auburn Tigers 7–3 in rainy conditions at Legion Field behind Ken Stabler's 47-yard "Run in the Mud" for the game's only touchdown in the fourth quarter. The only other points in the game came in the third quarter on a 38-yard John Riley field goal for the Tigers. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Auburn to 17–14–1.

Texas A&M

Dallas

• Source: After Texas A&M upset Alabama 20–16 in the Cotton Bowl Classic, Bear Bryant carried the Aggies head coach Gene Stallings off the field to celebrate the victory as he was both a former player and assistant coach under him Bryant. After Alabama scored first on an eight-yard Ken Stabler touchdown run, A&M responded with a 13-yard Edd Hargett touchdown pass to Larry Stegent that tied the game 7–7 at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Crimson Tide scored first on a 34-yard Steve Davis field goal and the Aggies followed with a seven-yard Hargett touchdown pass to Tommy Maxwell that made the halftime score 13–10. Each team then scored their final points in the third quarter. A&M scored first on a 20-yard Wendell Housley touchdown run followed by Stabler on an eight-yard touchdown run that made the final score 20–16. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Texas A&M to 1–1.

NFL draft

Several players that were varsity lettermen from the 1967 squad were drafted into the National Football League (NFL) between the 1968 and 1969 drafts. These players included the following:

Freshman squad

Prior to the 1972 NCAA University Division football season, NCAA rules prohibited freshmen from participating on the varsity team, and as such many schools fielded freshmen teams. The Alabama freshmen squad was led by coach Clem Gryska for the 1967 season and finished with a record of three wins and one loss (3–1). The Baby Tide opened their season with a 34–14 victory over Mississippi State at Scott Field. On the first play of the game, Frank Mann threw a 63-yard touchdown pass to George Ranager for a 6–0 lead, and later in the first Roger Crowson scored on a 23-yard run that extended the Baby Tide lead to 13–0. State then scored their first touchdown in the final 0:30 of the quarter on a nine-yard Joe Joy touchdown catch that made the score 13–6. After a scoreless second, in the third Bill Ragle scored for Alabama on a 15-yard run followed by Cam Walker on a two-yard run that extended their lead to 27–6. The game came to a close with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns. First Tommy Weigand scored on a six-yard run for Alabama and this was followed with a 53-yard David Smith touchdown pass for State that made the final score 34–14.

In their second game, the Alabama freshmen lost their only game of the season at home against Ole Miss 21–2. After a scoreless first quarter, the Rebels took a 7–0 lead in the second on a 31-yard pass from Don Farrar to Floyd Franks. Ole Miss still led into the fourth quarter when Alabama scored their only points on a safety when Gene Gellerstedt blocked a Rebels punt out of the endzone. Randy Reed responded with the final two touchdowns of the game first on a recovered fumble and the second on a one-yard run for the 21–2 victory.

At Knoxville, Alabama defeated the Tennessee freshmen 7–3 for their third consecutive victory over the Volunteers. George Hunt scored for the Vols at the end of the second quarter on a 33-yard field goal and Alabama responded in the third on a 55-yard Benny Rippetoe touchdown pass to George Ranager for the 7–3 victory. At Cliff Hare Stadium, Alabama scored all of their points in a span of 1:34 of the first quarter and held on to win 14–6 at Auburn. The Baby Tide scored first on a 55-yard Benny Rippetoe touchdown pass to George Ranager and was followed with a block of a Roy Davis punt by Rod Steakley that was returned by Hal Willcutt for a 14–0 Alabama lead. Mac Crawford scored the only points for Auburn late in the fourth quarter on his one-yard run that made the final score 14–6.

Personnel

Varsity letter winners

Coaching staff

References

General

Specific

References

1. Land, Charles. (March 28, 1967). "First Negro may try out for Tide football team". The Tuscaloosa News.
2. Dunnavant p. 275
3. Land, Charles. (April 2, 1967). "Tide turns up with a spring crowd". The Tuscaloosa News.
4. (April 6, 1967). "Bryant checks Negro hopefuls". The Tuscaloosa News.
5. Dunnavant p. 276
6. Bain, Roy. (April 4, 1967). "Tiders improving in spring drills". The Tuscaloosa News.
7. Marshall, Phillip. (July 23, 2006). "Jackson made history as first black Tide football player". The Gadsden Times.
8. "1967 Alabama football schedule". University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.
9. . ["Schedule/Results (1967 Alabama)"](https://stats.ncaa.org/teams/403845). *[[National Collegiate Athletic Association]]*.
10. Smothers, Jimmy. (September 24, 1967). "Tide washes out". The Gadsden Times.
11. (September 24, 1967). "Bama, FSU tie in 37–37 game". Ocala Star-Banner.
12. 1967 Season Recap
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14. (October 1, 1967). "Stabler-to-Homan sparks Tide, 25–3". Rome News-Tribune.
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18. Land, Charles. (October 8, 1967). "Tide's high again, Rebels fall, 21–7". The Tuscaloosa News.
19. (October 8, 1967). "Stabler, Bama dump Ole Miss". St. Joseph News-Press.
20. Land, Charles. (October 15, 1967). "Tide tops tough Vandy". The Tuscaloosa News.
21. (October 15, 1967). "Bama gets by Vandy in offensive show". The Gadsden Times.
22. (October 10, 1967). "Southern Cal maintains strong hold on first place". The Tuscaloosa News.
23. DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Vanderbilt". College Football Data Warehouse.
24. Land, Charles. (October 22, 1967). "Vols bag a 'Big One'". The Tuscaloosa News.
25. (October 22, 1967). "Tide dealt first loss as Vols end streak". Ocala Star-Banner.
26. Olan, Ben. (October 17, 1967). "Alabama climbs to 6th". The Tuscaloosa News.
27. DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Tennessee". College Football Data Warehouse.
28. Land, Charles. (October 29, 1967). "Tide escaped tiger trap in 'Death Valley,' 13–10". The Tuscaloosa News.
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30. . (1967). ["Clemson Football Media Guide - 1967"](https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/fball_media/68/). *[[Clemson University]]*.
31. Olan, Ben. (October 24, 1967). "Tide tumbles from top ten". The Tuscaloosa News.
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33. (November 5, 1967). "Underclassman sparks Alabama past punchless Mississippi State 13–0". Rome News-Tribune.
34. Land, Charles. (November 12, 1967). "Tiders grow up, win big one 7–6". The Tuscaloosa News.
35. Smothers, Jimmy. (November 12, 1967). "Red elephants grow tall". The Gadsden times.
36. Land, Charles. (November 19, 1967). "Cotton-pickin Tide bags Gamecocks". The Tuscaloosa News.
37. Granger, Gene. (November 19, 1967). "High tide washes out USC". Spartanburg Herald-Journal.
38. Land, Charles. (December 3, 1967). "Stabler scoot sinks Tigers". The Tuscaloosa News.
39. Thomas, Ronnie. (December 3, 1967). "Alabama whips Auburn in thriller, 7–3". The Florence Times.
40. DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Auburn". College Football Data Warehouse.
41. Land, Charles. (January 2, 1968). "Tide upstaged, upset 20–16". The Tuscaloosa News.
42. Thomas, Ronnie. (January 2, 1968). "Pupil teaches old coach lesson as Texas A&M upsets Alabama, 20–16". The Tuscaloosa News.
43. DeLassus, David. "Alabama vs Texas A&M". College Football Data Warehouse.
44. "Draft History by School–Alabama". National Football League.
45. Kersey, Jason. (August 27, 2012). "NCAA's decision to allow freshman eligibility changed football landscape". The Oklahoman.
46. Reed, Delbert. (January 21, 1972). "Unanimous vote makes SEC frosh eligible". The Tuscaloosa News.
47. Sims, Ben. (November 26, 1967). "Baby Tide trims Tiger cubs". The Tuscaloosa News.
48. Land, Charles. (October 7, 1967). "Baby Tide opens with 34–14 victory". The Tuscaloosa News.
49. Land, Charles. (October 21, 1967). "Baby Tide makes 21–2 mistake". The Tuscaloosa News.
50. (November 18, 1967). "Tide frosh bounce Vols". The Tuscaloosa News.
51. ''2012 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Record Book'', pp. 187–201
52. ''2012 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Record Book'', pp. 202–203