Recruiting guru Andrew Bone pens book on Alabama football
If you follow college football in Alabama, chances are you’ve heard Andrew Bone speaking on a local or regional sports talk radio show. A recruiting expert for the website BamaInsider.com, Bone recently wrote a book that chronicles the recruiting stories of University of Alabama players like Trent Richardson and Tua Tagovailoa.
In The Road to Bama: Incredible Twists and Improbable Turns Along the Crimson Tide Recruiting Trail, Bone explores the history of some of Alabama’s biggest stars and how they wound up in Tuscaloosa.
Much of Alabama’s rich tradition is due to the program’s success on the recruiting trail, but many of these tales are yet to be told.
Enter The Road to Bama.
Bone says his goal in writing the book was to interview several former Alabama greats, not just the ones who played for the Crimson Tide’s present coach, Nick Saban. Because he has built relationships with modern players through recruiting dialogues over the last 15 years, however, he felt that getting interviews from players from the Bear Bryant era would be much more of a challenge. “I wanted to go as far back as possible to learn more about the history of some of the all-time legends who played for the Crimson Tide,” Bone said. “I decided to make a list of the best players to ever wear the Alabama jersey (pre-Saban). I wrote down about 60-70 names. I thought if I can get 10-12 of these this book has a chance to really be something special.”
Published by Triumph Books, The Road to Bama provides inside access on the recruiting trail for even the most diehard Alabama fan. Bone’s wealth of knowledge makes him a perfect conduit for sharing these stories. Highlights include:
A heartfelt foreword from former Crimson Tide quarterback Jay Barker discussing how it feels for hometown recruits to step onto Bryant-Denny Stadium
How the Tuscaloosa community (and Dreamland BBQ) have played a role in winning over visiting recruits, including Heisman finalist David Palmer
Breaking down the recruiting styles of Bear Bryant and Saban, and how they adapted their strategy over time
How Emmitt Smith mentored Trent Richardson during his recruitment, and memories of the game that solidified the running back as a five-star player
Interviews and anecdotes from generations of fan favorites
Bone weaves his narrative through individual players’ stories, and in the process covers over five decades of Alabama football recruiting. The following is a chapter list from the book:
Chapter 1: Lee Roy Jordan
Chapter 2: David Palmer
Chapter 3: Johnny Musso
Chapter 4: John Hannah
Chapter 5: Dwight Stephenson
Chapter 6: Marty Lyons
Chapter 7: Cornelius Bennett
Chapter 8: Bobby Humphrey
Chapter 9: Antonio Langham
Chapter 10: Jay Barker
Chapter 11: Chris Samuels
Chapter 12: Brodie Croyle
Chapter 13: DeMeco Ryans
Chapter 14: Barrett Jones
Chapter 15: Trent Richardson
Chapter 16: T.J. Yeldon
Chapter 17: Rashaan Evans
Chapter 18: Tua Tagovailoa
While covering college football, Bone has seen recruiting undergo an enormous evolution in the Internet Age. Today, prospects enter the spotlight as early as their freshman year of high school. But before social media, these engaging and entertaining recruiting stories didn’t always come to light. Thanks to Bone and The Road to Bama, fans will discover what it was about the University of Alabama that convinced the greatest players in school history to call Tuscaloosa home.
No Crimson Tide fan’s library is complete without this must-read title. 78
The book is available for purchase online at Amazon, Walmart, Target, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million. Pick up a copy locally at Little Professor Bookstore in Homewood.