A letter from legendary University of Alabama head football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant to former Crimson Tide offensive lineman Mike McQueen was shared on social media Thursday.
McQueen, who played for Bryant during his final years as UA’s head coach, is an uncle of Republican U.S. Senate nominee Katie Britt. The letter, which was shared via Twitter by McQueen’s daughter, provides insight into Bryant’s expectations for the fall camp of 1982.
What a leader! I can’t stop reading this letter from Coach Bryant to my “Uncle Mike” (who we were honored to have open our election night celebration in prayer on June 21).
“There are no easy ways but there are ways to enjoy the journey and we must find them.” #RollTide https://t.co/CkvfksJT4t
— Katie Britt for AL (@KatieBrittforAL) August 19, 2022
“I am expecting you to report in top physical condition, clean-cut, smiling, bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and raring to go,” Bryant wrote McQueen. “Also, I am expecting you to be prepared to run, hit, pitch, kick, catch, sweat, smell and enjoy it. There are no easy ways but there are always ways to enjoy the journey and we must find them.”
The tough-minded Bryant also shared with McQueen his desire for his players to confide in him regarding on and off the field issues.
“I hope you will share your problems with me whether it be at home, at the dorm, in your schoolwork, with your teammates, with coaches, with training regulations, self-discipline or even flying a kite,” the six-time national championship winning coach wrote.”
The 1982 season, which concluded with a 21-15 Liberty Bowl victory over the University of Illinois, would conclude Bryant’s historic run with the Crimson Tide. The legendary head coach passed nearly a month later.
McQueen, an Enterprise ENT (ear, nose and throat) doctor, formerly touched on the knowledge he obtained from Bryant during his playing days at The Capstone.
“[I]f you’re willing to work to achieve what you want, then you’ll be successful. Coach Bryant used to say, ‘If this were easy, we couldn’t get enough helmets.’ His point was that if you want to achieve something, you’re going to have to pay a price for it,” he told the Crimson Tide Foundation in May 2020. “You just want to make sure that you remember the price you paid for it, so you live each day accordingly.
Dylan Smith is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
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