On April 27th the city of Tuscaloosa was hit by an EF4 tornado. As the twister wrapped its wind around the city, acting as a large set of hands, dismantling buildings and lives throughout a seemly quiet town the rest of the state stood in shock as the largest outbreak of tornados ravaged the rest of our state as the rest of the nation watched in amazement as the pure devastation ripped a hole in our city and our hearts.

It was a quiet day, as warm summer air for the first time in what seemed like forever swept across the state. Little did those on the campus and surrounding areas of The University of Alabama and Tuscaloosa know that, for the first time for something other than their beloved Crimson Tide their city would become known world wide just a few hours later. Students walked the quad, a large area in the center of campus as if it was just another normal day. Dogs ran and chased toys, while the rest of the city moved as normal, unaware of the destruction they would soon be in the center of. 

Tuscaloosa, which had been warned of tornados in what seemed every few days for the past month, hadn’t been touched in years. Most brushed off the warnings as they had become so usual on the news. On the day of April 27th those warnings were no longer warnings, it was real and it was big. News reports littered every channel much like the debris that would litter their streets just a few hours later. Every radio station played the same warning, every airwave was covered up in reports as a large F4 formed above the heads of one of the most sports obsessed cities in America. It began as a joke, students hoping it wouldn’t hit the stadium. That shows you the love this city has for the University of Alabama. Soon those jokes were the least of their worries, the twister made it’s way through the surrounding cities of downtown Tuscaloosa destroying everything in its path. Working its way through their beloved city its path was headed straight for the most busy street in Tuscaloosa, 15th street. What was once littered with buildings, houses, apartments and stores was now littered with pure destruction. Wood, brick, paper and utter sadness flooded the street that was once a hot spot not even 10 minutes before.

Like a runaway train, the twister had left a clear path through the city, leaving families torn apart, houses destroyed and loved ones lost. In the moments after it had past residents who were unharmed or slightly injured scattered to begin to pick the pieces up of what was once a beautiful college town. In this city, losing is not an option. Your brought up with the voice of Bear Bryant pressed into your brain “The same thing win today that’s always won, you just got a bunch of excuses if you lose” and on April 27th we had a gut check but we won’t lose. That is the one thing about the “Tide”, they refuse to fold, they refuse to lose and when the going gets tough their football team will always be there to pick them back up, this season will be no different. 

107 days away from football season the Crimson Tide have already begun to realize the importance of this season. 107 days from now, Bryant Denny Stadium, which remained unharmed on that historic day will be the north star, lighting up a battered Tuscaloosa skyline. Twisted metal lying around the city will serve as reminder of what the 2011 team will be playing for, it’s not for a national title, which the Crimson Tide are heavy favorites to be in contention for, it’s not for an SEC title which Alabama has played for 2 out of the last 3 seasons. It’s for their city, it’s for their community. For Carson Tinker, it’s for his girlfriend who was ripped from his hands on the day of April 27th. It’s for the former players who gave all they had during their time at the University and most of all, it’s for redemption, pride, grit, and the satisfaction of knowing that for 3 hours, they can remove the horror that has plagued this city since the storms from their minds. 

In Tuscaloosa they have a saying, “T-Town Never Down” and in the weeks since these powerful storms, that slogan has never been more true. As many celebrities have come to help and raise money for the rebuilding project that will likely last for years to come. In my drive around my second home I was at a loss for words. I was lost on city streets which I had driven hundreds of times. I was amazed at the pure destruction and power of these storms that had spared myself, my family and my friends. Concrete blocks that had been submerged not three weeks ago where uprooted with ease. While walking through the city of Alberta, which is a smaller city on the outskirts of Tuscaloosa, I was completely lost in the metal and wood that laid across the streets. While talking with a friend, I realized after five minutes of talking that we were standing in a living room, all that was left was the foundation, walls and doors had been ripped away like sheets of paper. While standing on that concrete slab it became obvious, this was real, this was a war zone, this was, for lack of better words, pure devastation.

The anticipation of the upcoming seasons looms heavy on the minds and hearts of all Alabama fans. We are excited at the opportunity to begin a quest for the universities 14th national title, but that’s no different than we wish for every season. This season, it’s for the 36 people that lost their lives on that day in Tuscaloosa. For families, for friends, for brothers and sisters, for mothers and fathers. 14-0, a perfect season, it’s what every collegiate football hopes for in the weeks leading up to game one, but 14-0 isn’t just a perfect season for the Crimson Tide, 14-0 means roughly 42 hours of normal-se, 14-0 means 14 days of pride, 14-0 means a perfect season and a perfect escape from reality. 

This season the football players at the University of Alabama get to do something that has never been done, not by the previous 13 national title teams. They get a chance to be the one bright spot in a dark, harsh world. Nick Saban said in the aftermath “We’ve also got to support the community. We can’t just be a team for them on Saturdays. The fans are with us in the best of times, and we have to be with them in the worst of times.” That’s the power of Alabama football. In the pre-game video that plays before every game it reads “At some places they play football, at Alabama we live it”. It’s never been as true as it will be during the upcoming season. These players realize the chance they have to make a difference. Carson Tinker, who, like mentioned before, had his girlfriend taken from him at their home in Tuscaloosa on April 27th realizes the chance he has to make a difference. 

In a city where “Roll Tide” is said as a form of “hello” it will mean much more this season. It will mean family, it will mean heart and it will mean desire. The desire that is in the hearts of every single Alabama fan to help our Alabama brethren. To help those who have lost loved ones. To escape. For a city that will be rebuilt, it will be rebuilt on a crimson foundation, there is little question of that. The tornado took much of Tuscaloosa, but it left Bryant Denny Stadium for a reason, and that reason is our heart beat. It’s our light in the dark. It is, our Crimson Tide.