BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - Butch Baldone needed only one glance to identify the piece of history coming through the front door of his shop.
He had not seen the California-styled suit in nearly half a century, but the sight of the jacket and two pairs of pants sent a jolt of nostalgia through Baldone’s body. The longtime Birmingham tailor knew immediately this style and size — with two front pockets and blue stitching — was constructed for only one man on this planet.
Before he untucked the inner pocket on the right side to search for the “Baldone” tag buried deep in the fabric, Baldone uttered the former owner’s name.
Paul “Bear” Bryant.
Forty-three years earlier, the Alabama coach added this suit to his spring and summer wardrobe. It was one of hundreds of suits tailored specifically for the legendary coach — wide, slumped shoulders and no backside, says Baldone — inside the Birmingham shop. Bryant kept some suits for years, while others were mistakenly left behind in hotel rooms across the country.
Baldone didn’t have many questions about the suit or its whereabouts, but he certainly was curious about the stranger in glasses.
How did this Auburn fan come into possession of this piece of Alabama history?
Danny Coleman was a mainstay in Dothan. His business machine shop (typewriters and more) served the community for years, and the Pennsylvania transplant quickly became acclimated to life in the football-crazed state.
An 0-10 season for Alabama in 1955 was somehow the hook that made him a fan. Years later, with Bryant as the coach, he traveled to Canada for a fishing trip with Alabama’s assistant coaches. The trip was exciting and, more importantly, relaxing. That next year Coleman invited the staff to Panama City Beach for a deep-sea fishing excursion. The tradition carried on for more than a decade. Bryant never traveled with his assistants on the excursion, but that was just fine for assistants Clem Gryska, Bill Oliver and Mal Moore.
“All of the coaches said they were more comfortable without him being there,” said Ted Bridges, Coleman’s stepson. “The way they all talked, they couldn’t relax around him. He was the boss. It seemed like everyone was afraid of him.”
Bryant often invited Coleman to Tuscaloosa to watch practices and enjoy dinner with the staff, according to letters viewed by AL.com.
One day, Coleman walked into Bryant’s office on his way back home to Dothan. He noticed a blue suit hanging on the doorknob and he couldn’t keep his eyes off it.
Bryant noticed Coleman’s unmistakable interest. He asked Coleman if he would like to have the suit as a token of the coach’s appreciation. Coleman agreed and took it home to Dothan that day. He hung it inside his shop as a memento for all to see.
The years passed, but the memories never faded. Coleman sold his business to an Auburn fan and moved the suit to a more public space, Ray’s Restaurant along the main drag in south Dothan.
The years in the diner were not kind to the suit. The lining inside the right side faded from a light blue to a colorless gray. The suit’s fabric absorbed the smoke, grease and dust inside the restaurant, too.
Bridges’ stepfather died in 2014, leaving his estate — and the suit — behind. Bridges had no need for the suit and a bundle of correspondences Coleman conducted with Alabama’s staff, so he put the suit up for grabs at an estate sale in July.
“It’s right up there at the top as far as unusual and rare things,” said Jane Anne Shannon, who led the estate sale.
Little did Barber know two Auburn fans and business partners were aware of Bryant’s suit. The collectors thought the opportunity to own a piece of Alabama history was too sweet to pass up. Photos of the suit revealed Bryant’s name, the tailor’s name and a date stitched inside the jacket: May 10, 1972.
Minimum bids of $500 were required, so on the morning of July 24 they formulated a plan.
“You know, 1972 brings to mind one thing for an Auburn fan,” said Adam Thomas, one of the two business partners. “Punt ’Bama Punt.”
Auburn entered the 1972 Iron Bowl a 16-point underdog to rival Alabama. History, however, was on Auburn’s side that day at Legion Field as David Langner returned two blocked punts for touchdowns in the fourth quarter to secure an improbable 17-16 victory. The 10-1 group of Tigers labeled affectionately as the “Amazins” remains a favorite among Auburn fans.
Thomas turned to his friend, David Sconyers, with an idea.
“Think how funny it would be if we bid $1,716 for that suit,” he said. “Let’s split it.”
No bid came close to the Iron Bowl-infused offer from the two Auburn fans in late July.
“We probably overpaid for it,” Thomas said.
Bridges didn’t think twice about the large bid, but his son immediately realized the historic relevance of the offer.
“I bet you that’s an Auburn fan that turned in that bid and when you call him to say you got the bid, he’s gonna say, ’Ha ha! Sucker, we got you now,’” Bridges’ son said.
Bridges’ reluctance quickly morphed into acceptance later that day, however. He learned of Thomas and Sconyers’ collecting habits, and they explained the bid was nothing more than a slight poke at history and not a precursor to devious plans.
“I’m an Auburn guy, he’s an Auburn guy, but we know the value of coach Bryant’s contribution,” Sconyers said. “I’ve often said if there was a Mount Rushmore of college football there would be three images of Bear Bryant and some other guy. That’s how I feel about it.”
Sconyers owns several Alabama collectibles and is married to an Alabama fan.
“It was a little bit odd at first because Alabama people were concerned Auburn people would have something like this and were afraid we’d desecrate or wouldn’t respect it, which is the furthest thing from our mind,” Sconyers said. “This is too important. It’s an artifact that really belongs in the hands of an Alabama fan or a collection.”
Baldone signed a letter authenticating the suit’s existence in August.
Now, Thomas wants Bryant’s suit in the hands of an Alabama fan.
Baldone’s imagination runs wild every time he sees the suit. He says he can imagine Bryant wearing the light-colored fabric while reciting famous lines in front of a Kiwanis Club in smalltown, Alabama. Friends and family are enthralled with it, too.
“We certainly have enjoyed putting it together and learning the story behind it,” Sconyers said. “Not only is it important to the University of Alabama, it’s important to our state and it’s important, really, to the country.”
Thanks to two Auburn fans, at least one piece of Alabama history is still alive.
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