Gene Stallings
Encyclopedia
Eugene Clifton Stallings, Jr. (born March 2, 1935) is a former American football
player and coach. He played college football
at Texas A&M University
(1954–1956), where he was one of the "Junction Boys
", and later served as the head coach at his alma mater from 1965 to 1971. Stallings was also the head coach of the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals
of the NFL
(1986–1989) and at the University of Alabama
(1990–1996). Stalling's 1992 Alabama team
completed a 13–0 season with a win in the Sugar Bowl
over Miami
and was named the consensus national champion
. Stallings is currently a member of the Board of Regents
of the Texas A&M University System
. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
as a coach in 2010.
. He attended Paris High School, where he played end as a sophomore alongside future NFL
star, Raymond Berry
. During his senior year, Stallings was the captain of the football, baseball
, and golf
teams. He was recruited to Texas A&M University
to play college football
by assistant coach Raymond George
.
At Texas A&M, Stallings was a member of the famed Junction Boys
under head coach Bear Bryant
. In 1956, he helped the team finish 9–0–1 and capture its first Southwest Conference championship since 1939. Stallings received his bachelor of science
degree from Texas A&M in 1957.
's original staff at the University of Alabama
as a defensive assistant. He was on hand for two of Alabama
's national championship
seasons, in 1961 and 1964.
for seven seasons compiling a record of 27–45–1. Under his tenure, the Aggies won the Southwest Conference in 1967, Stallings' only winning season at A&M.
as Tom Landry
's secondary
coach. He remained with the Cowboys for 14 seasons, and helped them win Super Bowl XII
.
. In parts of four seasons, Stallings compiled a 23–34–1 record with the Cardinals and was the head coach during the franchise's move to Arizona
. He came closest to a winning season during the Cardinals' first two years in Arizona, in 1988
and 1989
. Both times, the Cardinals were doomed by late-season collapses. With five games remaining in the 1989 season, Stallings announced that he would resign at the end of the season. Instead, general manager Larry Wilson
ordered Stallings to leave immediately and named running backs coach Hank Kuhlmann
as his temporary replacement.
finished with a 7–5 record, including a 34–7 loss to Louisville
in the 1991 Fiesta Bowl
. Following Harold Drew
, Stallings became only the second Alabama head coach since the renewal of the Iron Bowl
in 1948 to defeat Auburn
in his first attempt; Dennis Franchione
became the third in 2001. Stalling's 1991 squad
finished the season with an 11–1 record, including a 30–25 victory over Colorado
in the 1991 Blockbuster Bowl
.
In 1992, Stallings experienced defensive unit led the team
to an undefeated regular season and a berth in the first SEC Championship Game
where Alabama defeated Florida, 28–21, giving Alabama its 20th SEC
title, and its first outright conference title since 1979. Following a 34–13 victory over heavily favored Miami
in the 1993 Sugar Bowl
to cap a perfect 13-0 season, Stallings' 1992 team
won the first Bowl Coalition
national championship.
In 1993, Stallings' squad
won a second straight SEC West Division title, compiling a 9–3–1 record. However, the Tide lost to Florida in the SEC Championship Game
. In 1994, Stallings' team
finished the regular season with a record of 11–0, an 8–0 record in the SEC, and captured its third straight SEC West Division title. However, they lost the SEC title game
for the second year in a row to Florida. Alabama finished the 1994 season with a 12–1 record, including a 24–17 victory over Ohio State
in the Citrus Bowl
.
After an investigation that ran from late 1993 to August 1995, the NCAA
found Alabama guilty of four major rules violations during the 1993 season. Stallings was implicated, along with athletic director Hootie Ingram
, in falsifying the eligibility of Alabama cornerback
Antonio Langham
during that season. Langham had signed with a sports agent and applied to enter the NFL Draft
following the 1993 Sugar Bowl, but was not subsequently declared ineligible per NCAA rules. Alabama officials only declared him ineligible the week before the 1993 SEC title game. As a result, Alabama's football program was placed on three years probation, and docked a total of 30 scholarships from 1995 to 1998. Alabama was also forced to forfeit eight wins and one tie from its 9–3–1 1993 season in which Langham participated, resulting in an official record of 1–12. The Crimson Tide were also barred from postseason competition, including the SEC Championship Game
and bowl game
s, during the 1995 season
.
Stalling's 1994 team
proved to be tremendously successful, as Alabama finished the regular season undefeated before losing to Florida in the SEC Championship Game
. The team concluded the season by defeating Ohio State
in the Citrus Bowl
to finish the season 12-1.
Alabama went 8–3 in 1995, the only season between 1992 and 1996 that Stallings didn't finish first in the SEC West. However, the Tide would have been ineligible for the SEC Championship Game or a bowl game in any event as a result of the NCAA sanctions.
In 1996, Stallings' team
won ten games and earned a berth in the SEC Championship Game
, where they lost to again to Florida
, which eventually won the national title that season. Stallings announced on November 23, 1996 that he would resign at the end of the season. He completed his tenure at Alabama with a 17–14 win over Michigan
in the 1997 Outback Bowl
on January 1, 1997. Stallings compiled an official record at Alabama of 62–25 (70–16–1 if the 1993 forfeits are disregarded). The lost scholarships as a result of the 1995 infractions case, however, would hobble the Tide for several years to come; they would only win eight or more games three times between Stallings' departure and Nick Saban
's arrival in 2007, and would also suffer three of its only four losing seasons since Bryant's arrival.
and a congenital heart defect, Stallings eventually became heavily involved in projects promoting better education and quality of life for the developmentally disabled; the two appeared in a 1987 NFL public service announcement for the United Way
. Following Stallings' retirement, he moved back to the Paris area with his wife and son to establish Hike-A-Way Ranch, a working cattle ranch in Powderly, Texas
.
’s Commission on Intellectual Disability, and he was formerly a member of the board of Abilene Christian University
. Other boards include Tandy Corporation
, People’s National Bank of Paris, Paris Regional Medical Center, Disability Resources, the Texas Rangers Law Enforcement Association
, the Great Southern Wood Corporation, and the Boys and Girls Club of Paris, Texas.
Stallings was appointed to the Texas A&M Board of Regents by Texas Governor Rick Perry
in 2005. He serves on the Committee on Audit and the Committee on Academic and Student Affairs. Stallings is chair of the Policy Review Committee and is a member of the Special Committee on Educational Access. His term expires on February 1, 2011.
journalist Sally Cook, which described his and his family's relationship with only son John Mark Stallings. John Mark, also known as "Johnny," was a dedicated follower of his father's career, a longtime Crimson Tide fan, and a tour guide in the Crimson Tide facilities. John Mark died on August 2, 2008, due to a congenital heart condition; in 2009, an updated paperback edition of the book was published with added material on the final years of John Mark's life.Two facilities at the University of Alabama were named for the younger Stallings: the Stallings Center that serves as home to the RISE Center for young children with disabilities, in 1994, and the equipment room in the University of Alabama football building in 2005. Most recently, Faulkner University
in Montgomery, Alabama, named its new football and soccer field after John Mark Stallings on October 8, 2010, an honor that had been planned prior to his death two years before:
Stallings has been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
, Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, Texas Sports Hall of Fame, Texas A&M Hall of Fame, Gator Bowl Hall of Fame and Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame. He also received an honorary doctoral degree from Harding University
.
Gene Stallings involvement in the disability community, has also been strong. His son, John Mark was born with Trisomy 21, Down syndrome, and Gene Stallings has a school for children with disabilities named after him on the University of Alabama Campus, for which he hosts a charity golf tournament every year. The playground at the school is called the John Mark Stallings Playground.
was ruled ineligible. Official record is 1–12 (0–8 SEC).
‡ The 1995 Alabama team was on probation and ineligible to win the conference title, to be selected to a bowl, or to be selected in the coaches poll.
& Record at Alabama is 62–25 (38–16 SEC) including forfeited games.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and coach. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
(1954–1956), where he was one of the "Junction Boys
Junction Boys
The Junction Boys is the name given to the “survivors” of Paul “Bear” Bryant’s 10 day summer football camp in Junction, Texas beginning September 1, 1954...
", and later served as the head coach at his alma mater from 1965 to 1971. Stallings was also the head coach of the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(1986–1989) and at the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
(1990–1996). Stalling's 1992 Alabama team
1992 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 1992 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 1992 college football season. This was the team's third season under head coach Gene Stallings. They played their home games at both Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and Legion Field in Birmingham,...
completed a 13–0 season with a win in the Sugar Bowl
1993 Sugar Bowl
The 1993 Sugar Bowl took place on January 1, 1993, in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. It served as the final game and the National Championship of the 1992–93 college football season. The game featured two unbeaten teams in the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Miami Hurricanes...
over Miami
1992 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 1992 Miami Hurricanes represented the University of Miami in the 1992 NCAA College Football season.-Schedule:-Awards and honors:*Gino Torretta, Davey O'Brien Award*Gino Torretta, Heisman Trophy *Gino Torretta, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award...
and was named the consensus national champion
NCAA Division I FBS National Football Championship
A college football national championship in the highest level of collegiate play in the United States, currently the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , is a designation awarded annually by various third-party organizations to their selection of the best...
. Stallings is currently a member of the Board of Regents
Board of Regents
In the United States, a board often governs public institutions of higher education, which include both state universities and community colleges. In each US state, such boards may govern either the state university system, individual colleges and universities, or both. In general they operate as...
of the Texas A&M University System
Texas A&M University System
The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the United States. Through a statewide network of eleven universities, eight state agencies and a comprehensive health science center, the Texas A&M System educates over 100,000 students, conducts more than $600...
. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
as a coach in 2010.
Early years and playing career
Stalling was born in Paris, TexasParis, Texas
Paris, Texas is a city located northeast of the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex in Lamar County, Texas, in the United States. It is situated in Northeast Texas at the western edge of the Piney Woods. Physiographically, these regions are part of the West Gulf Coastal Plain. In 1900, 9,358 people lived...
. He attended Paris High School, where he played end as a sophomore alongside future NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
star, Raymond Berry
Raymond Berry
Raymond Emmett Berry is a former football wide receiver. He played for the Baltimore Colts during their two NFL championship wins. He later had a career in coaching, highlighted by his trip to Super Bowl XX as head coach of the New England Patriots...
. During his senior year, Stallings was the captain of the football, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, and golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
teams. He was recruited to Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
to play college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
by assistant coach Raymond George
Raymond George
-Texas A&M:George was the 17th head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies in College Station, Texas. He was head coach from 1951 until the completion of the 1953 season, where his teams produced a total record of 12 wins, 14 losses, and 4 ties...
.
At Texas A&M, Stallings was a member of the famed Junction Boys
Junction Boys
The Junction Boys is the name given to the “survivors” of Paul “Bear” Bryant’s 10 day summer football camp in Junction, Texas beginning September 1, 1954...
under head coach Bear Bryant
Bear Bryant
Paul William "Bear" Bryant was an American college football player and coach. He was best known as the longtime head coach of the University of Alabama football team. During his 25-year tenure as Alabama's head coach, he amassed six national championships and thirteen conference championships...
. In 1956, he helped the team finish 9–0–1 and capture its first Southwest Conference championship since 1939. Stallings received his bachelor of science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree from Texas A&M in 1957.
University of Alabama
In 1958, Stallings joined Bear BryantBear Bryant
Paul William "Bear" Bryant was an American college football player and coach. He was best known as the longtime head coach of the University of Alabama football team. During his 25-year tenure as Alabama's head coach, he amassed six national championships and thirteen conference championships...
's original staff at the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
as a defensive assistant. He was on hand for two of Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
's national championship
NCAA Division I FBS National Football Championship
A college football national championship in the highest level of collegiate play in the United States, currently the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , is a designation awarded annually by various third-party organizations to their selection of the best...
seasons, in 1961 and 1964.
Texas A&M University
Shortly after helping Alabama win the 1964 national title, Stallings was named the head coach of his alma mater, Texas A&M, at the age of 29. He coached the AggiesTexas A&M Aggies football
The Texas A&M Aggies football team represents Texas A&M University in college football. The Aggies have competed in the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996. They will join the Southeastern Conference in July 2012. Texas A&M football has earned one national title and 18...
for seven seasons compiling a record of 27–45–1. Under his tenure, the Aggies won the Southwest Conference in 1967, Stallings' only winning season at A&M.
Dallas Cowboys
In 1972, Stallings joined the staff of the Dallas CowboysDallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
as Tom Landry
Tom Landry
Thomas Wade "Tom" Landry was an American football player and coach. He is ranked as one of the greatest and most innovative coaches in National Football League history, creating many new formations and methods...
's secondary
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
coach. He remained with the Cowboys for 14 seasons, and helped them win Super Bowl XII
Super Bowl XII
Super Bowl XII was an American football game played on January 15, 1978 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1977 regular season...
.
St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals
In 1986, Stallings was named the head coach of the St. Louis CardinalsArizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In parts of four seasons, Stallings compiled a 23–34–1 record with the Cardinals and was the head coach during the franchise's move to Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. He came closest to a winning season during the Cardinals' first two years in Arizona, in 1988
1988 Phoenix Cardinals season
-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-References:**...
and 1989
1989 Phoenix Cardinals season
The 1989 Phoenix Cardinals season was the team's 70th year with the National Football League and the 2nd season in Phoenix.-NFL Draft:-Regular season:In week 10, Tim McDonald returned an interception 53 yards for a touchdown to beat the Dallas Cowboys...
. Both times, the Cardinals were doomed by late-season collapses. With five games remaining in the 1989 season, Stallings announced that he would resign at the end of the season. Instead, general manager Larry Wilson
Larry Wilson
Larry Frank Wilson is a former American football free safety who played for the St. Louis Cardinals.Wilson attended Rigby High School, where a plaque now hangs noting his accomplishments...
ordered Stallings to leave immediately and named running backs coach Hank Kuhlmann
Hank Kuhlmann
Hank Kuhlmann was an American football coach, and was the head coach for the National Football League's Phoenix Cardinals for part of the 1989 season. He assumed the position after Gene Stallings resigned in November. Kuhlmann finished with an 0-5 record, and was replaced by Joe Bugel before the...
as his temporary replacement.
University of Alabama
Stallings returned to Alabama as head coach in 1990. His first team1990 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 1990 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama for the 1990 college football season. The Crimson Tide was led by first-year head coach Gene Stallings, replacing Bill Curry who left for the University of Kentucky....
finished with a 7–5 record, including a 34–7 loss to Louisville
1990 Louisville Cardinals football team
The 1990 Louisville Cardinals football team represented the University of Louisville in the 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team played their home games in Cardinal Stadium and were Fiesta Bowl champions.-Schedule:-Team Players in the NFL:...
in the 1991 Fiesta Bowl
1991 Fiesta Bowl
The 1991 Sunkist Fiesta Bowl, part of the 1990 bowl game season, took place on January 1, 1991, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference , and the Louisville Cardinals, competing as a football independent...
. Following Harold Drew
Harold Drew
-External links:*...
, Stallings became only the second Alabama head coach since the renewal of the Iron Bowl
Iron Bowl
The Iron Bowl is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Alabama Crimson Tide football team of the University of Alabama and the Auburn Tigers football team of Auburn University. The series is considered one of the best and most hard-fought rivalries in all of sports...
in 1948 to defeat Auburn
Auburn Tigers football
Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the...
in his first attempt; Dennis Franchione
Dennis Franchione
Dennis Wayne Franchione , also known as Coach Fran, is an American football coach. He is currently the head football coach at Texas State University, a position he held from 1990 to 1991, when the school was known as Southwest Texas State University, and resumed in 2011...
became the third in 2001. Stalling's 1991 squad
1991 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 1991 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 1991 college football season. The team was led by head coach Gene Stallings who was in his second season at Alabama. The team played their home games at Bryant-Denny Stadium, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and at...
finished the season with an 11–1 record, including a 30–25 victory over Colorado
Colorado Buffaloes football
The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,...
in the 1991 Blockbuster Bowl
1991 Blockbuster Bowl
The 1991 Blockbuster Bowl, part of the 1991 bowl game season, took place on December 28, 1991, at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference , and the , representing the Big Eight Conference . Alabama won...
.
In 1992, Stallings experienced defensive unit led the team
1992 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 1992 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 1992 college football season. This was the team's third season under head coach Gene Stallings. They played their home games at both Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and Legion Field in Birmingham,...
to an undefeated regular season and a berth in the first SEC Championship Game
1992 SEC Championship Game
The 1992 SEC Championship Game was played on December 5, 1992 at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. The game was the inaugural championship game and determined the 1992 football champion of the Southeastern Conference . The Alabama Crimson Tide, winners of the Western division of the SEC,...
where Alabama defeated Florida, 28–21, giving Alabama its 20th SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
title, and its first outright conference title since 1979. Following a 34–13 victory over heavily favored Miami
1992 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 1992 Miami Hurricanes represented the University of Miami in the 1992 NCAA College Football season.-Schedule:-Awards and honors:*Gino Torretta, Davey O'Brien Award*Gino Torretta, Heisman Trophy *Gino Torretta, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award...
in the 1993 Sugar Bowl
1993 Sugar Bowl
The 1993 Sugar Bowl took place on January 1, 1993, in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. It served as the final game and the National Championship of the 1992–93 college football season. The game featured two unbeaten teams in the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Miami Hurricanes...
to cap a perfect 13-0 season, Stallings' 1992 team
1992 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 1992 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 1992 college football season. This was the team's third season under head coach Gene Stallings. They played their home games at both Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and Legion Field in Birmingham,...
won the first Bowl Coalition
Bowl Coalition
The Bowl Coalition was a predecessor of the Bowl Championship Series that was formed through an agreement among college football bowl games and conferences for the purpose of forcing a national championship game between the top two teams and to provide quality bowl game matchups for the champions...
national championship.
In 1993, Stallings' squad
1993 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 1993 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama for the 1993–94 college football season, competing in the Southeastern Conference Western Division...
won a second straight SEC West Division title, compiling a 9–3–1 record. However, the Tide lost to Florida in the SEC Championship Game
1993 SEC Championship Game
The 1993 SEC Championship Game was won by the Florida Gators 28-13 over the Alabama Crimson Tide. The game was played at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama on December 4, 1993 and was televised to a national audience on ABC....
. In 1994, Stallings' team
1994 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 1994 Alabama Crimson Tide football team was one of a long line of Alabama Crimson Tide football teams; it represented the University of Alabama for the 1994–95 college football season, competing in the Western Division in the Southeastern Conference...
finished the regular season with a record of 11–0, an 8–0 record in the SEC, and captured its third straight SEC West Division title. However, they lost the SEC title game
1994 SEC Championship Game
The 1994 SEC Championship Game was won by the Florida Gators 24-23 over the Alabama Crimson Tide. The game was played in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia on December 3, 1994 and was televised to a national audience on ABC.-External links:*...
for the second year in a row to Florida. Alabama finished the 1994 season with a 12–1 record, including a 24–17 victory over Ohio State
1994 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1994 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1994-1995. The Buckeyes compiled a 9–4 record, including the in Orlando, Florida, where they lost 24–17 to the Alabama Crimson Tide, a team one point away from playing in...
in the Citrus Bowl
1995 Florida Citrus Bowl
The 1995 CompUSA Florida Citrus Bowl, part of the 1994 bowl game season, took place on January 2, 1995, at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference , and the Ohio State Buckeyes of the Big Ten Conference...
.
After an investigation that ran from late 1993 to August 1995, the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
found Alabama guilty of four major rules violations during the 1993 season. Stallings was implicated, along with athletic director Hootie Ingram
Hootie Ingram
Cecil W. "Hootie" Ingram is a former American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator in the United States. He played for the University of Alabama from 1952 to 1954 and was selected as an All-SEC defensive back in 1952...
, in falsifying the eligibility of Alabama cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
Antonio Langham
Antonio Langham
Collie Antonio Langham , is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 1994 NFL Draft. A 6'0", 187 lb cornerback from the University of Alabama, Langham played in seven NFL seasons from 1994-2000...
during that season. Langham had signed with a sports agent and applied to enter the NFL Draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
following the 1993 Sugar Bowl, but was not subsequently declared ineligible per NCAA rules. Alabama officials only declared him ineligible the week before the 1993 SEC title game. As a result, Alabama's football program was placed on three years probation, and docked a total of 30 scholarships from 1995 to 1998. Alabama was also forced to forfeit eight wins and one tie from its 9–3–1 1993 season in which Langham participated, resulting in an official record of 1–12. The Crimson Tide were also barred from postseason competition, including the SEC Championship Game
SEC Championship Game
The SEC Championship Game refers to the game determining the Southeastern Conference's football season champion. The championship game pits the SEC Western Division representative against the Eastern Division representative in a game held after the regular season has been completed. Thus far, nine...
and bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
s, during the 1995 season
1995 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 1995 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama for the 1995–96 college football season, competing in the Western Division in the Southeastern Conference. The team played their home games at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and Legion Field in...
.
Stalling's 1994 team
1994 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 1994 Alabama Crimson Tide football team was one of a long line of Alabama Crimson Tide football teams; it represented the University of Alabama for the 1994–95 college football season, competing in the Western Division in the Southeastern Conference...
proved to be tremendously successful, as Alabama finished the regular season undefeated before losing to Florida in the SEC Championship Game
1994 SEC Championship Game
The 1994 SEC Championship Game was won by the Florida Gators 24-23 over the Alabama Crimson Tide. The game was played in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia on December 3, 1994 and was televised to a national audience on ABC.-External links:*...
. The team concluded the season by defeating Ohio State
1994 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1994 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1994-1995. The Buckeyes compiled a 9–4 record, including the in Orlando, Florida, where they lost 24–17 to the Alabama Crimson Tide, a team one point away from playing in...
in the Citrus Bowl
1995 Florida Citrus Bowl
The 1995 CompUSA Florida Citrus Bowl, part of the 1994 bowl game season, took place on January 2, 1995, at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference , and the Ohio State Buckeyes of the Big Ten Conference...
to finish the season 12-1.
Alabama went 8–3 in 1995, the only season between 1992 and 1996 that Stallings didn't finish first in the SEC West. However, the Tide would have been ineligible for the SEC Championship Game or a bowl game in any event as a result of the NCAA sanctions.
In 1996, Stallings' team
1996 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 1996 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama for the 1996–97 college football season, competing in the Western Division in the Southeastern Conference. Gene Stallings led the Crimson Tide to a 10–3 record in his final year with the program...
won ten games and earned a berth in the SEC Championship Game
1996 SEC Championship Game
The 1996 SEC Championship Game was won by the Florida Gators 45-30 over the Alabama Crimson Tide. The game was played in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia on December 7, 1996 and was televised to a national audience on ABC.-External links:**...
, where they lost to again to Florida
1996 Florida Gators football team
The 1996 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. This was the team's seventh season under head coach Steve Spurrier...
, which eventually won the national title that season. Stallings announced on November 23, 1996 that he would resign at the end of the season. He completed his tenure at Alabama with a 17–14 win over Michigan
1996 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1996 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1996 college football season. The team's head coach was Lloyd Carr. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium. That year Michigan Wolverines football competed in the Big Ten Conference in...
in the 1997 Outback Bowl
1997 Outback Bowl
The 1997 Outback Bowl, part of the 1996 bowl game season, took place on January 1, 1997, at Houlihan's Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference , and the Michigan Wolverines of the Big Ten Conference...
on January 1, 1997. Stallings compiled an official record at Alabama of 62–25 (70–16–1 if the 1993 forfeits are disregarded). The lost scholarships as a result of the 1995 infractions case, however, would hobble the Tide for several years to come; they would only win eight or more games three times between Stallings' departure and Nick Saban
Nick Saban
Nicholas Lou "Nick" Saban is the head coach of the University of Alabama's Crimson Tide football team. Saban has previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins and three other NCAA universities: LSU, Michigan State and Toledo...
's arrival in 2007, and would also suffer three of its only four losing seasons since Bryant's arrival.
Family
Stallings married Ruth Ann Jack after his graduation from Texas A & M. The couple went on to have five children: Anna Lee, Laurie, John Mark, Jackie, and Martha Kate. As a result of John Mark's being born with Down syndromeDown syndrome
Down syndrome, or Down's syndrome, trisomy 21, is a chromosomal condition caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome. It is named after John Langdon Down, the British physician who described the syndrome in 1866. The condition was clinically described earlier in the 19th...
and a congenital heart defect, Stallings eventually became heavily involved in projects promoting better education and quality of life for the developmentally disabled; the two appeared in a 1987 NFL public service announcement for the United Way
United Way
The United Way of America, based in Alexandria, Virginia, is a non-profit organization that works with nearly 1,300 local United Way offices throughout the country in a coalition of charitable organizations to pool efforts in fundraising and support...
. Following Stallings' retirement, he moved back to the Paris area with his wife and son to establish Hike-A-Way Ranch, a working cattle ranch in Powderly, Texas
Powderly, Texas
Powderly is an unincorporated community in Lamar County, Texas, United States.-History:Powderly is located on U.S. Highway 271 nine miles north of Paris in north central Lamar County. It was settled around the time of the Civil War and was originally known as Lenoir. When the St...
.
Board leadership
Stallings serves on many boards, including President George W. BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
’s Commission on Intellectual Disability, and he was formerly a member of the board of Abilene Christian University
Abilene Christian University
Abilene Christian University is a private university located in Abilene, Texas, affiliated with Churches of Christ. ACU was founded in 1906, as Childers Classical Institute...
. Other boards include Tandy Corporation
Tandy Corporation
Tandy Corporation was a family-owned leather goods company based in Fort Worth, Texas. Tandy was founded in 1919 as a leather supply store, and acquired RadioShack in 1963. The Tandy name was dropped in May 2000, when RadioShack Corporation was made the official name.-History:Tandy began in 1919...
, People’s National Bank of Paris, Paris Regional Medical Center, Disability Resources, the Texas Rangers Law Enforcement Association
Texas Ranger Division
The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction in Texas, and is based in Austin, Texas...
, the Great Southern Wood Corporation, and the Boys and Girls Club of Paris, Texas.
Stallings was appointed to the Texas A&M Board of Regents by Texas Governor Rick Perry
Rick Perry
James Richard "Rick" Perry is the 47th and current Governor of Texas. A Republican, Perry was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor George W. Bush resigned to become President of the United States. Perry was elected to full...
in 2005. He serves on the Committee on Audit and the Committee on Academic and Student Affairs. Stallings is chair of the Policy Review Committee and is a member of the Special Committee on Educational Access. His term expires on February 1, 2011.
Writing
Stallings co-wrote the book Another Season: A Coach's Story of Raising an Exceptional Son (ISBN 0-316-81196-3) with APAssociated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
journalist Sally Cook, which described his and his family's relationship with only son John Mark Stallings. John Mark, also known as "Johnny," was a dedicated follower of his father's career, a longtime Crimson Tide fan, and a tour guide in the Crimson Tide facilities. John Mark died on August 2, 2008, due to a congenital heart condition; in 2009, an updated paperback edition of the book was published with added material on the final years of John Mark's life.Two facilities at the University of Alabama were named for the younger Stallings: the Stallings Center that serves as home to the RISE Center for young children with disabilities, in 1994, and the equipment room in the University of Alabama football building in 2005. Most recently, Faulkner University
Faulkner University
Faulkner University is a private Christian university, located in Montgomery, Alabama, USA, and affiliated with the Church of Christ. The University was founded in 1942 as Montgomery Bible School. In 1953 the school's name was changed to Alabama Christian College . In 1965, the college was moved to...
in Montgomery, Alabama, named its new football and soccer field after John Mark Stallings on October 8, 2010, an honor that had been planned prior to his death two years before:
The sports world lost a legend on Aug. 2 in Paris, Texas.
He's the son of a Junction Boy, which makes him a grandson of Bear Bryant. At the same time, he's
both a son of Aggieland and a son of Alabama.
Gene Stallings' son, John Mark "Johnny" Stallings, touched a lot of lives in his 46 years, melting
even the hardest hearts of the toughest athletes to play for Gene in college at Texas A&M, Alabama or in the NFL with the Cowboys and Cardinals.
And Johnny never strapped on the pads for a single play. ... Johnny made his difference by showing everyone he met, and even those he didn't, that someone with Down syndrome or a disability could make a difference in this world. ... With help from four sisters, the Stallings family raised a man who has become a legend in Alabama for his smile and his positive outlook on life. ...
The outpouring of love given to the Stallings family over the past week is a direct reflection of the love one man had for life and everyone he met. We should all be so lucky to live like that.
Awards and honors
Stallings received a number of national coaching awards in 1992 and was the SEC Coach of the Year twice, in 1992 and 1994. In 2000, Stallings was awarded Distinguished Alumnus of Texas A&M University. He was awarded the Legends Award from the All Sports Association in Dallas in 2001. Stallings has also received many humanitarian awards, including the Arthritis Humanitarian Award of Alabama, National Boys Club Alumni of the Year, Dallas Father of the Year, Humanitarian Award of the Lion’s Club of Alabama, and Paris Boys Club Wall of Honor.Stallings has been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
, Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, Texas Sports Hall of Fame, Texas A&M Hall of Fame, Gator Bowl Hall of Fame and Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame. He also received an honorary doctoral degree from Harding University
Harding University
Harding University is located in Searcy, Arkansas, in the United States, about north-east of Little Rock. It is a private liberal arts Christian university associated with the Churches of Christ. The university takes its name from James A...
.
Gene Stallings involvement in the disability community, has also been strong. His son, John Mark was born with Trisomy 21, Down syndrome, and Gene Stallings has a school for children with disabilities named after him on the University of Alabama Campus, for which he hosts a charity golf tournament every year. The playground at the school is called the John Mark Stallings Playground.
College
*Alabama forfeited eight wins and one tie, as well as the 1993 SEC West title, after Antonio LanghamAntonio Langham
Collie Antonio Langham , is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 1994 NFL Draft. A 6'0", 187 lb cornerback from the University of Alabama, Langham played in seven NFL seasons from 1994-2000...
was ruled ineligible. Official record is 1–12 (0–8 SEC).
‡ The 1995 Alabama team was on probation and ineligible to win the conference title, to be selected to a bowl, or to be selected in the coaches poll.
& Record at Alabama is 62–25 (38–16 SEC) including forfeited games.