SYNOPSIS:
Turning the Tide tells the amazing true tale of Jimmy Jones and Sam Cunningham, who, along with their teammates, unwittingly altered the attitudes of one of our nation’s most racist regions and busted open doors for generations to come. And it may all have been the master plan of Dixie’s most beloved white head coach, Paul “Bear” Bryant.
In 1970, the University of Southern California Trojans’ head coach, John McKay, relied on black quarterback Jimmy Jones to lead his squad. Even in the racially diverse region of Los Angeles, a black quarterback was unusual, and Jones felt pressure to succeed. But his was nothing compared to the pressure and indignity felt by blacks in the deep south, especially in the Gov. George Wallace-led state of Alabama.
The Alabama Crimson Tide football team had no blacks on its team. It never had, and in fact the university had only recently allowed blacks to enroll as students. Coach Bear Bryant felt pressure of his own. He was a hero to the multitudes of racist southerners who worshiped Tide football and yet he was uneasy with the understood policy of the region that blacks just weren’t accepted as equals.
On integrated college football fields, however, black players were more than equals; they had become stars, and above all Bear Bryant felt pressure to succeed on the gridiron. To do that, he had to be able to recruit black players.
He decided this was the year to force the issue. USC was one of the elite programs in the country, and Bryant had a friendly relationship with John McKay. He invited the Trojans to Birmingham to fill an open date on the schedule in the first week of the 1970 season. No black players had ever played football on Alabama’s Legion Field. It was just not done. Bryant had to fight with the government, with local activists, and with his own coaching staff to make the game happen.
McKay liked the idea of taking his team into a hostile environment. It would be a good opportunity to build character and chemistry. But his players—especially his black players—were not sure. QB Jones’ confidence was already shaky, and now he had to lead a group of nervous teammates into Alabama, America’s hotbed of racism. It was impossible during this time to ignore the frequent news reports of lynching and burnings that happened down south. For young black men largely shielded from such atrocities, Alabama was a very frightening place to be.
What Jones and his Trojans didn’t know was that news of their visit had stirred a groundswell of hope and pride within the local black community of Birmingham. Blacks there always had been at a disadvantage in every aspect of their lives, but they knew that on the field of play, every man—black and white—was on equal footing. This football game was a metaphor for what Black Birmingham wanted so desperately; a fair shake.
The Trojans, with their all-black backfield, dominated the contest. Fullback Sam “Bam” Cunningham, in his first college game, was unstoppable. Jimmy Jones was strong and steady. The Trojan defense was impenetrable. Alabama had no answer for USC’s speed, strength or heart. And the Alabama fans took notice. By the end of the night, they were applauding the Trojans with respect for a game well played. Meanwhile, the black locals—who were not allowed inside the stadium—had gathered outside the gates to celebrate with abandon.
After the final whistle, Bear Bryant asked Sam Cunningham to go with him into the Alabama locker room. With his Crimson Tide players assembled there in silence, The Bear announced: “Boys, this is what a football player looks like.” Each man then came up to shake the young black running back’s hand.
The next year, Bear was allowed to recruit his first black player, John “Train” Mitchell. Mitchell had been a ‘Bama fan his whole life, but never had dreamed he would be able to play for his hometown team. He was outside Legion Field the night USC beat his beloved Tide, and for the first time, he felt that there might be hope. |
