Tommy Ray 'Blessed' to Have Witnessed 50 Straight Alabama Football Seasons
Celebrating another Alabama football national championship would have been the cherry on the top of an amazing milestone for Tommy Ray.
The Crimson Tide didn’t bring home it’s 19th national title, falling to Georgia in Indianapolis, but it doesn’t take away from Ray’s accomplishment.
Ray’s trip to Indy to witness the 2021 finale capped his 50th straight season of attending Alabama football games. The loss to Georgia was game No. 633 in a row and No. 659 overall.
To put that number in perspective, Alabama has played 1,339 games since its inaugural season in 1892. Ray has witnessed almost 50% of them. If he attends the next 21, Ray will have seen exactly half of the program's football games.
Ray, from Huntsville and a lifelong Alabama fan, obviously, has logged more than 380,000 miles over the last 50 years, has been to 55 stadiums in 24 states and seen 86 opponents. Alabama's overall record with Ray in attendance is 510-145-4.
Season No. 50 didn’t end with a title, and the drive back home with his wife Sarah to Huntsville was somber. Despite the previous 10 national titles Ray was witnessed, seeing another one on his milestone season would have felt nice. But then he realized something.
Tommy Ray and his wife Sarah attend the Alabama-Auburn football game in 2021. Tommy has attended every Crimson Tide game since 1972.
Submitted Photo
“You have to stop and think that they have won so many in the past 11 or 12 years that it’s remarkable,” Ray said. “I just stop and count my blessings. The Lord has blessed me so much to be able to finish my 50th consecutive year."
Let’s back up a bit and get into how Ray first got started with this streak.
First, he didn’t plan it. It was just something that happened. He's not even an Alabama graduate. Ray was a fan and had seen 26 Crimson Tide games from 1963 to 1971. So it wasn’t anything special when he attended the season opener against Duke in 1972. He enjoyed it so much he wanted to attend the game against Kentucky the following week. He did. By the end of the ’72 season Ray attended all of them.
“We ended up in the Cotton Bowl and lost to Texas,” Ray said. “I stopped and thought, ‘I’ve been blessed to see every game this year.’ The furthest thing from my mind was to say, ‘I’m going to go 49 more years.’ That wasn’t my plan.”
One season turned into two, then three, four and so on, until Ray walked out of Lucas Oil Stadium on Jan. 10 to complete 50 straight seasons.
There have been some mighty fine highs during that run. There were the 10 national titles mentioned earlier and 19 SEC title seasons. He was there for the Goal Line Stand, Wrong Way Bo, The Kick, Antonio Langham’s interception in the first SEC title game, George Teague’s Strip of Lamar Thomas, Tyrone Prothro’s The Catch and Rocky Block. There are too many moments to count.
He’s seen Kenny Stabler, John Hannah, Ozzie Newsome, Dwight Stephenson, Cornelius Bennett, Derrick Thomas, Michael Palmer, Shaun Alexander, Julio Jones, Amari Cooper, Tua Tagovailoa, Jerry Jeudy, Najee Harris and Jaylen Waddle, among others. And of course, he’s seen all four Crimson Tide Heisman winners – Mark Ingram, Derrick Henry, DeVonta Smith and this year’s winner Bryce Young.
Tommy Ray poses with Emily Pickren in Indianapolis for the Crimson Tide's game with Georgia for the national title on Jan. 10, 2022. It was Pickren's first Alabama game, and Ray's 633rd straight and 659th overall.
Submitted photo
Of course, there were some low points, too. There was Punt Bama Punt, the 1972 Sugar Bowl loss to Notre Dame, Bo Over the Top and the Kick 6, to name a few. Ray doesn’t like to dwell on those moments.
Add the 2021 national title game to the list of low points. Still, despite the finish, Ray said he thinks Nick Saban did his best coaching job during his 15 seasons at Alabama.
“To get this team, with all the inadequacies, youth and injuries they went through was remarkable,” Ray said. “It’s amazing he got this team to the national championship. I’m very proud of them and they played very well.
“Nick did a wonderful job and it’s set up nicely for next year.”
He’s got a few favorite moments from the season. The semifinal against Cincinnati was fun to watch.
“It’s very nice to watch a team and know that when they snap the ball they can run it right at you,” Ray said of Alabama’s 301 rushing yards.
Ray was fond of the Auburn game, too. At least the ending.
“The last minute and a half of the Auburn game was very thrilling of course. It was agony for the other 59 minutes,” Ray said.
The top moment, Ray said, was the SEC title game win against Georgia.
"By far the best,” Ray said. “The line played very well, and the young kids stepped in and did their job. I was really proud of them.”
The plan is to keep the streak going. His wife Sarah joined him on this journey for the last 25 seasons, missing only a handful of games. Season No. 51 starts with Utah State on Sept. 3 and Ray plans to be there. If he isn’t, it will have been one wild ride.
“If I get to see one more game that will be great, and if I never saw another one I can look back and say how blessed I’ve been to be able to do something I’ve really enjoyed.
“It’s in the Lord’s hands and I think He’s been very kind to me so far.”
