Big game a huge deal in twister-battered city
One of the most eagerly-awaited college football games in years is set for saturday night, with top-ranked Louisiana State University facing No. 2 the University of Alabama. But for Tuscaloosa, Ala., a city still recovering from a massive April tornado, the game means much more than a shot at the national title, reports Cynthia Bowers.
The banners up and the excitement is building outside the stadium where nearly 100,000 fans will watch what some are calling the game of the century. But in Tuscaloosa, a special bond has formed this year between the University of Alabama and residents of the town after the killer storm that blew through the region.
The impact was staggering. The twister was as bad as it gets -- an F4 tornado with winds nearly 200 miles an hour.
Forty one people died in Tuscaloosa; hundreds more were injured. And in the shadow of the university, thousands of homes were completely destroyed.
Alabama football player Carson Tinker barely survived; his girlfriend, Ashley Harrison, was killed.
"I don't want anybody to think I'm the only person who is struggling. Because there's a lot people who have been struggling in Tuscaloosa," Tinker said.
Like their fans, Alabama's student-athletes were hurting and faced with an unlikely challenge: rebuilding the community that has been so supportive of them.
"The longest lines in this city the day after the tornado weren't people waiting in line to find a home. It was people waiting in line to volunteer," football player Barrett Jones remembered.
Jones is one of Alabama's top offensive linemen. For several weeks, football took a back seat while he cleared debris and help make repairs. He was also often surprised when fans took notice.
"People were walking up to me and they were like, 'Are you on the Alabama football team?' And I was like, 'Yeah I am'. And just to see the look on their face..." Jones remembered.
Amid a wasteland where a neighborhood once thrived, homes are rising again.
Charles and Felicia Taylor and their two children will soon move into their rebuilt home. They are still amazed so many of their heroes came to help.
"The whole team was out volunteering and cleaning, and it really gave us hope in this neighborhood. It really made a difference," Felicia Taylor said.
"How cool is that, that I can use being a football player to make somebody who's hurting so bad smile, and just by something as simple as giving them water and shaking their hand, and giving them a hug," Jones remembered.
Alabama basketball player Ericka Russell also helped in the aftermath. "I remember going out to help give clothes and this guy is like, 'Hey you're Ericka Russell, women's basketball.' I was like 'Wow, you know they really care about me, but I'm out here really trying to help them."'
The efforts of the community have been inspiring, but as Saturday's big game game approaches, the city of Tuscaloosa faces a sobering reality.
"People are desperately in need, and it's easy for people to forget, but this will be an opportunity to remind a lot of people across the country that what happened here was devastating," explained University of Alabama Athletic Director Mal Moore.
"We're still rebuilding, but do not give up on us," Tuscaloosa resident Charles Taylor said. "Don't forget us, because we're not where we need to be."
Even as Alabama's Carson Tinker deals with his personal grief, he says the focus is on something much bigger.
Asked if he thinks he takes a piece of the community with him, and if there's a sense he's still playing for Tuscaloosa as well as a title, Tinker replied, "Yes ma'am. We have, we have put the city on our backs this year."
And in a city filled with heavy hearts, spirits are soaring. On Saturday night, the Taylor family, like so many others in Tuscaloosa, will turn on the TV "to watch our tide roll over those Bengal Tigers," Taylor joked.
The LSU Tigers are the top team in the country; Alabama is No. 2, and the buildup has been unbelievable. It could be a game for the ages, but certainly, for this city, it's a welcome distraction. It's a reason for fans to cheer, and not just for players who give it their all on the field, but for those who gave so much to help them.