Coaches No. 5 1962 record 10–1 (6–1 SEC) Captain Lee Roy Jordan | AP No. 5 Head coach Bear Bryant (5th year) | |
Conference Southeastern Conference | ||
The 1962 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented the University of Alabama in the 1962 college football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 68th overall and 29th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coach Bear Bryant, in his fifth year, and played their home games at Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa and Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. They finished season with ten wins and one loss (10–1 overall, 6–1 in the SEC) and with a victory over Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl.
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The Crimson Tide opened the season with a win over Georgia at Tuscaloosa in week one, and then defeated Tulane in their first road game at New Orleans in week two. Alabama then defeated Vanderbilt in the first Legion Field game of the season and Houston back at Denny Stadium before they defeated Tennessee at Neyland Stadium.
The Crimson Tide then defeated Tulsa, Mississippi State and then Miami on homecoming in Tuscaloosa that extended their winning streak to 19-games and their unbeaten streak to 26-games. The next week Alabama lost their first game since the 1960 season when they were upset 7–6 by Georgia Tech at Atlanta. They rebounded with wins over Auburn in the Iron Bowl that closed the regular season and against Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl.
Schedule
NFL/AFL Draft
Several players that were varsity lettermen from the 1962 squad were drafted into the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL) between the 1963 and 1965 drafts. These players included the following:
Freshman squad
Prior to the 1972 college football season, NCAA rules prohibited freshmen from participating on the varsity team, and as such many schools fielded freshmen teams. For the 1962 season, the Alabama freshmen squad was coached by Sam Bailey and finished their season with a record of two wins and one loss (2–1). In their first game of the season, Alabama defeated Mississippi State 20–2 at Denny Stadium. Alabama took a 6–0 first quarter lead on a one-yard Dickie Bean touchdown run that was set up by a 69-yard Vernon Newbill interception return. They extended their lead further to 13–0 later in the quarter when Steve Sloan scored on a 28-yard touchdown run. State then scored their only points in the second quarter when Mike Childs sacked Sloan in the endzone for a safety that made the halftime score 13–2. After a scoreless third, Alabama made the final score 20–2 after Jimmy Mitchell scored on a seven-yard touchdown run.
In their second game, the Baby Tide defeated Tulane 27–16 at Tulane Stadium, but then lost to Auburn in their season finale at Denny Stadium 14–13. Alabama took an early 7–0 lead when Dickie Bean scored on a one-yard touchdown run. Auburn then responded and took a 14–7 halftime lead with a pair of second-quarter touchdowns. The first came on a 96-yard Gerald Gross kickoff return and the second on a 62-yard Joe Campbell pass to Gross. Late in the fourth, Alabama scored on a 27-yard Steve Sloan touchdown pass to Jerry Duncan; however, Sloan's two-point conversion attempt was intercepted by Bill Cody and the Tigers won 14–13.