This is one of our favorite stories at WFG. How many people can say they turned down the chance to play football for Bear Bryant? That’s exactly what happened with one of our founders, Billy Wood. We are thrilled that he agreed to share this story of an afternoon of golf with Coach Bryant. Here is the story in his own words:
My Afternoon with Bear Bryant
Having been offered scholarships to play football by a number of other schools, I had narrowed my choices down to, of course, Auburn and Alabama. Former Heisman winner John David Crowe was the Alabama assistant coach recruiting me. He was a terrific guy, and I later became friends with his son, John David, who played at Alabama. The golf outing was arranged by Mr. Floyd Tayloe, who was a good friend of Coach Bryant’s and whose son, Graham, was a fellow running back at Mountain Brook High School. I don’t remember too much about the day, except that Coach Bryant shot an 82—that stood out to me!
Although my heart steered me to the Auburn sideline (literally), it was a great honor to have been offered the opportunity to play for “the Bear.” That opportunity is one of the greatest moments of my life. It gave me the confidence in myself that would serve me well in the years to come. I developed a respect for the man as well as many of the men he coached, many of whom would later become my friends and clients. – Billy Wood
