The story of how the elephant became the mascot for The University of Alabama dates back to 1930. On October 8 of that year, a sportswriter wrote, "At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow. Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity."
Big Al's debut as UA's mascot came at the 1979 Sugar Bowl, where the Crimson Tide turned back Penn State at the goal line to earn a 14-7 victory and a national championship.
Today, the elephant is synonymous with the Crimson Tide and Big Al is one of the nation's most popular collegiate mascots.