Was at the R & B Expo on Saturday and I passed a booth with a man sitting down in a chair behind the table and no one was around him or at his booth (he was helping his son-in-law out who was exhibiting and was on his way). I looked at him for three seconds and I knew exactly who he was!!!!

I walked up to the man and asked his name, knowing full-well who he was. He stood up, reached out his hand with a smile and shook my hand and said: "Hello, my name is Steadman Shealy. None of you know this but I grew up an Alabama fan and I fondly remember SS with great enthusiasm (that's my enthusiasm, not SS's as it was my honor to meet this man). Anyway, SS and I talked for a very long time and what a gracious individual he was; CLASS ACT. I got my picture made with him and sent it to my good buddy who is an Alabama fan. Eat your heart out!!! Then, just to rub in my Bama fan's face, I went to Tommy Wilcox's booth and got a picture made with him and sent it to my buddy!!!

Two Bama greats and both were class act people and my Bama buddy was JEALous!!!

War Damn Eagle!!!!!

Well at least you explained it. You seemed nice and normal and I could not figure it out, til now. You are an Alabama fan, which makes perfect sense. Thanks for clearing up the mystery.

NO, NO, NO!!!!!!!!!!!! I bleed O and B. Proudly an Auburn Tiger!! WAR DAYAM EAGLE!!!!!!

But when I was a Bama fan, SS and TW were two ballers I watched play and I would have melted at meeting both these guys if I'd met them as a young man. They were my heros.

I tell ya who I did meet in Mobile (actually, it was the Eastern Shore) about ten to twelve years ago and my wife couldn't believe how goo-goo-eyed I was. I met The Italian Stallion, Johnny Musso #22. Leroy Jordan was with him but LJ was before my time and JM was the beginning of my Bama fan days. Not a big guy but he looked still in good shape. Nice men. Both LJ and JM were very gracious. I just was introduced and got my picture made with them and that's all.

I can admit being "in-awe" of some Bama greats.

But I'm a War Eagle, no doubt about it!!!

So what changed Buck?

I was playing racket ball (in Brewton, AL) and one of my good friends burst into the room (opened the door to the court) and I'll never forget the look in his eyes as he announced, "Bear Bryant died!!!" I remember tears welling up in my eyes and rushed to hear more about it on a local radio station. Jan 26, 1983.

Pat Dye was at Auburn and I took a trip to Auburn to see this "hated school" of mine and what it was about. I fell in love with Auburn and a beautiful blonde from Tallahassee, Florida who was attending Auburn and I've been an Auburn Tiger since the fall of '84. The blonde from Tallahassee didn't last but the blonde from Melbourne, Florida did (poor her) and I brought her back to Auburn from Atlanta where we were living and asked her to marry me at the base of Toomer's Corner.

There are a few more reasons why Auburn.

I met Becca at Osan AB in South Korea. Does that mean I am a South Korean fan? Just kidding Bucktrot!

Roll Tide!
War Eagle!

I'm an Auburn Fan as well but there are some Bama Greats I would love to meet, some Auburn Greats too!!

I think Steadman Shealy gave the eulogy at Coach Bryant's funeral.

x2 Im a Bama fan but meeting some of those old coaches would be great. When i was a kid we used to hunt in pickens county with OC Coach Jim Fuller from Alabama. He had to be one of the nicest people id ever met. Just a great person to be around.

What an Awesome Guy...

Nothing could make me switch and that means a woman either. im married to a big time auburn fan and i didnt or ever will consider changing sides.

I get to work wtih his firm from time to time. #10 could get around on the turf for sure.

Interesting story Bucktrot and it got me to thinking...As a young kid I used to play football in the yards of our neighborhood, pretending to be the Crimson Tide running the triple option out of the wishbone. #22 Johnny Musso was a hero of mine too.
My father was GT grad and mother UGA grad and later would get a masters at AU, so I really had no other influences toward Bama except for watching them play on t.v. and some of my friends. But, when I found my sweetheart on the first day of entering high school my fate was probably sealed to be born again in Orange and Blue. After all, her family were all Auburn grads and her father played on the '57 championship team. Of course she and I married after both graduating AU and now we have had one child graduate from AU and the other is a senior this fall.
There were some awfully hard years to be an Auburn football fan (Barfoot years) during my indocrtination, but in some ways I think I have always been a champion of the underdog. These things I've mentioned along with the discovery of Auburn traditions, history, and special moments spent in the shadows Jordan-Hare have made me the tried and true blue, WDE, AU fan I am today. That and I HATE any shade of the color red. Always have! I will not wear it, will not drive it, can't even look at it too long. I've never been a fan of houndstooth either. Even as a kid I always wondered why Bear Bryant wore that funny little hat.