Bear Bryant Believed in the QB Nobody Else Would

Alabama quarterback Steadman Shealy was dismissed by assistant coaches as someone the team could take but would never win a national championship with, and later, he was viewed as a locker-room filler who would never play. After spending two years behind Jeff Rutledge, Shealy tore his knee in spring 1978, underwent major surgery, suffered a staph infection, lost significant weight, and was largely written off by coaches except for Bear Bryant. Five months after surgery, Bryant put Shealy into the 1978 Missouri game despite Mal Moore’s objections; Shealy then played nearly every game as Alabama won the 1978 national title. The next year, Shealy led Alabama to a 12–0 season and the 1979 national championship, and he notes he never lost an SEC game in three years. 00:00 Doubted From Day One 00:21 Spring Breakthrough Turns Nightmare 00:59 Old School Surgery And Silence 01:49 The Brutal Recruiting Truth 03:14 Bear Bryant Takes The Chance 04:19 Playing On Faith Not Nerves 04:48 Championship QB Proves Them Wrong 05:02 Undefeated In The SEC 05:22 Wrap Up And Where To Watch More