The instant you meet Kermit Kendrick, you know he's a former football player. The solid build and heavy jaw mark him as one who would probably look just as natural now in a Crimson Tide uniform as he did 30 years ago, when he wore No. 27 as a defensive back.

That love of football started at an early age. Enthralled by the televised Dec. 31, 1973, matchup between Alabama and Notre Dame, 6-year-old Kendrick announced to his mother that he was going to play football for Alabama under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. He remembers that game to this day.

"Most Alabama fans remember that third-and-18 play when Notre Dame's quarterback completed that first down pass that sealed the game for Notre Dame. Back then, the national championship was decided in the regular season, and Alabama had already won it. But this bowl game win made them, you might say, co-national champions. I was emotional over that loss, but I made up my mind then, and there I was going to play for Alabama."