Ladd Peebles Stadium

The Bear, Bo, the Snake and Joe Willie, 42 Pro Football Hall of Famers, college football's highest scoring bowl game in history, Classic excitement, Friday Night heroes, Elvis and much, much more.

They've all been a part of the storied history of Ladd-Peebles Stadium - Mobile's centerpiece for sports for over 60 years.

Since its inaugural event on October 2, 1948, when the University of Alabama battled Vanderbilt to a 14-14 tie, Ladd-Peebles Stadium can claim host to one of the most unique histories of any sports facility in the nation.

Originally known and dedicated as Ernest F. Ladd Memorial Stadium, in honor of the former president of Merchants National Bank in Mobile, the stadium was officially renamed Ladd-Peebles Stadium in 1997 to also honor longtime Mobile business and community leader and Senior Bowl chairman E.B. Peebles, Jr.

Since that Alabama-Vanderbilt game 60 years ago, Ladd-Peebles Stadium has been home to many of Mobile's major outdoor events. National celebrities such as Elvis Presley, Jimmy Buffet and Ed Sullivan have held shows there, and the facility has also hosted various festivals, high school graduations, boxing matches and numerous other sporting and non-sports events over the years.

But the one constant at Ladd-Peebles Stadium has been football. Following that Alabama-Vanderbilt contest in 1948, the Crimson Tide would go on to play 18 more games at the stadium over the next 20 years posting an 10-7-2 mark.

Most notable among the Tide's games in Mobile was the 1958 season-opener against LSU, a contest that holds the distinction of being the first game that legendary head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant ever coached at Alabama. While LSU pulled away late on a touchdown run by Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon, the night was made even more unforgettable for the sellout crowd in attendance when a section of the stadium's end zone stands collapsed during the game. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured.

But Alabama was certainly not alone among major college teams who made appearances at Ladd Stadium over the years. The Auburn Tigers played eight games at Ladd from 1948-55, playing marquee opponents such as Clemson, Florida and Ole Miss. The Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles have played 19 times at the stadium beginning in 1950 and, most recently, when they defeated Ohio University in the 2007 GMAC Bowl.

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