2000 Paul "Bear" Bryant

Paul "Bear" Bryant, the coach who made the houndstooth hat famous, shared many exciting moments in the Cotton Bowl. In five appearances, he was one of only three coaches to lead more than one university to the Classic. His first trip to Dallas came in 1952 when he guided Kentucky to a 20-7 victory over TCU. Then, with his move to Alabama, he and the Crimson Tide made four more Cotton Bowl appearances. However, The Bear may be remembered more for a game he lost than for his two victories. In the 1968 Classic, Gene Stallings, one of his former players, directed Texas A&M to a 20-16 upset. After the game, Bryant gave his former pupil a congratulatory bear hug...a moment frozen in time in the lore of the Cotton Bowl.