It was 10 a.m. Bryant's headstone was already littered with crimson and white flowers, Alabama shakers, a Coke bottle, an Alabama alumni magazine with the number 100 attached to it, and an American flag inside a megaphone with words commemorating his 100th birthday..
"We miss you, Bear," Cathryn said aloud while wearing houndstooth sandals as her brother, Billy Cole, stood nearby. "You were a wonderful person.".
Mind you, Cathryn and Billy each only met Bryant once in his 69 years on Earth. Billy met him outside a hotel for 15 minutes and enjoyed how Bryant bantered freely and heavily smoked a cigarette. Cathryn knows the exact date of her meeting -- March 17, 1981 -- after arranging an appointment at Bryant's office for a picture and autograph. "He was a pleasant person," said Cathryn, who lives 35 minutes away and visits Bryant in death once or twice a year since 1983. "I really feel like I know him.".
"You probably do," Billy said, laughing.
Elmwood Cemetery is the site of Alabama fans' pilgrimage. They don't flock all at once, but rather periodically as it fits their schedules. They privately pay respects to a man whose success winning football games captivated the state. .
Fans appear every day and more frequently around big events, such as Bryant's birthday or the lead-up to last season's national championship game against Notre Dame, said Marsha Tsekhanovsky, the cemetery's sales manager. "Continuing your tradition -- you would be proud," a person named Patti wrote on Aug. 29, 2013. "Hope you and my Dad are having fun talking ALABAMA football.".
BooMama52 cautioned to Bryant on Feb. 18, 2011: "Hey, Coach, don't worry about the Auburn National Championship...they will probably end up like USC and lose it. We miss you, but still remember the lessons you taught us. Roll Tide." .
A person identified as Bama sought help on Nov. 19, 2007 by writing: "Coach Bryant, Alabama and John Parker Wilson need help this weekend (11/24/07). Bama really needs this win. We can't lose to the cow college agian (sic)."
At Elmwood Cemetery, Bryant's headstone simply states "Paul William Bryant" with his birthdate and date of death. If not for all of the gifts bestowed by fans, there would be no identifying Alabama marks..
"The family didn't want anything big, even though we are proud for him to be here," Tsekhanovsky said.
A driver can usually follow crimson lines along the cemetery's road directly to Bryant's grave in Block 30. Today, however, the line stopped at a newly-paved road so a visitor had to guess at the correct turn to go the final couple hundred feet..
"I almost didn't find it," said Steve Wolff, wearing an Alabama 2011 national championship T-shirt. "But most Alabama fans know how to get here."
Steve came with his sister, who asked not to be identified. They usually visit Bryant once or twice a year whenever they come to their parents' graves at Elmwood..
The sister brought a crimson and white shaker and placed it by the grave. She wore a plastic glove on one hand and dusted away an inkling of dirt and grass from the headstone. She discovered three pennies buried in the ground -- a byproduct of the pennies she and Steve have seen on Bryant's headstone for many years.
"You're the first person we've ever run into at his grave site," Steve told a reporter..
Why visit so frequently the grave of a man he doesn't truly know? Steve thought for a moment and chuckled.
"Why do they go to the Lincoln Memorial or Washington Monument?"
And whenever they lose an Iron Bowl, a lot of the fans bring shovels and jumper cables.
I had a band director who was an Alabama alumnus, and he had a picture of him with Bear Bryant, in his office. It’s just insane.
My husband coached Bear Bryant’s grandson in soccer. He and his parents were some of the nicest most humble people we have ever had the pleasure of meeting.
Bear Bryant’s version of the wishbone, with a passing game keyed to the action of the wishbone, was the only situation I ever saw in which an amateur version of a sport outgrew the pro version. If Paul Bryant had been allowed to coach a college all-star team against whoever won the super bowl in 1978 or 79, the NFL could have been seriously embarrassed.
Cool story. When Jerry Sandusky dies I may make an annual pilgrimage to his grave also. On the way there I’ll be sure to drink a gallon of water.
Weird; sounds like cult behavior. People should get a life.
A somewhat outdated joke in these parts since the onset of the Saban era in T-town ... Why are Alabama fans like buzzards? Because they can feed off a dead Bear for years.
I have no "dawg" in this fight since I am an UGA alumnus, but as others have observed, the best humor always contains more than a kernel of truth.