A Message from Coach Rutledge

We are trying to gather information and we need your help. We would like for you to send in your favorite speech Coach Bryant gave, particularly speeches from Monday morning, Wednesday night, and his pre-game speech. We would also like for you to send in any pictures that you would like put on this website. We have just added pictures of Lou Green and we will do the same for you. Don't let Lou be the only one with his picture on here. Just click on my name to email me.

Jack Rutledge

A Message from Norma Rutledge

Dear Former Residents of Bryant Hall,

I remember each of you in many special ways and I would like for us to communicate these memories. When my family and I moved to Bryant Hall, Coach Rutledge and I were 34 years of age, (many of you thought we were real old), and our sons Tim and David were 12 and 9 years of age. This was in 1972 and the freshmen class was arriving about the same time that we moved into our apartment. We were all nervous together as this was a new experience for us all. For a mother of just two sons, to suddenly get 132 sons was quite a change.

We lived in Bryant Hall with so many of you and I was proud to be treated as a second mom to some of you that gave me that name. We lived there from 1972-1984 and that covers our first period there. I shall never forget those times we shared. You could bring your dates to Sunday lunch and I watched as many of you chose your dates and some of those dates later became your wives. Coach Rutledge particularly enjoyed seeing your dates each Sunday and you thought he was old! It is still my joy to see you at football games and in the A-Club room and hearing about your lives, children and now grandchildren for some of you.

We moved back to Bryant Hall in 1990 when Coach Stallings came to the University of Alabama and stayed for six more years until Coach Rutledge retired in 1996. These too were very meaningful years. By this time Tim and David were no longer living with us and we had grandchildren. I will never forget my Jeopardy group who met after lunch to play Jeopardy and so many others that I came into contact with each day.

As many of you know, Bryant Hall is being renovated and turned into an academic center. Jack and I drove by the other day and all walls, windows, and doors are out and it is just a shell. We were the last occupants there and if the walls they tore out could talk, what stories they could tell.

As you can see, eighteen years of my life was spent with all the wonderful young men and those were the best years of my life. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. That is the reason I want you to share you memories with me. We had so many wonderful things to happen and you can even tell those that weren’t so wonderful. Coach Rutledge has promised that he won’t get mad at us. I look forward to hearing from as many of you that will take the time to do this and I thank you in advance. We can’t let those years die!

Jack and I will celebrate our 66th birthday in May 2004. Jack has battled cancer since 1999, but is doing well now. I am older and grayer, but my health is good. None of us are getting any younger. It would be such a privilege if we could hear from you. We want to know about your lives, your children, your occupation, and all the things that have happened in your lives. We share at least four years with each of you and more with some. We haven’t forgotten any of you.

Norma Rutledge or Bryant Hall Mom

Click here to send a story to Bryant Hall Mom or to Coach Rutledge.

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Bryant Hall 1963

Bryant Hall 2004

Bryant Hall Rules