Paul "Bear" Bryant made college football history in the Iron Bowl 35 years ago, and Joey Jones got to share in the experience.
Jones — now South Alabama's head football coach — was a sophomore wide receiver at Alabama back then, when Bryant set the all-time major college record for coaching victories. As fate would have it, Bryant's record-setting 315th victory came against Auburn, a 28-17 win at Legion Field on Nov. 28, 1981.
"All the guys coach Bryant had coached over the years came back for that game," Jones said. "It was really getting to meet those guys and see what they meant to coach Bryant and what coach Bryant meant to them, that's really what I remember more than the game.