The 1981 season came in the twilight of what was then the greatest college football coaching career of all-time. Alabama’s Paul “Bear” Bryant had dominated the sport in the 60s and 70s, amassing six national championships over the two decades, and entered the ‘81 season needing nine wins to break the NCAA wins record of 314, held for 35 years by the legendary Amos Alonzo Stagg.
Ever focused on the task of hand, Bryant would hear none of it.
‘All this talk about Bryant closing in on this record or that record bores the hell out of me,’ said the Bear.