Mom and Dad and my family have been huge fans of Rick Rush and his art since my playing days at Alabama. Rick has the ability to make sporting events come to life in his paintings. It was great to hear that he was partnering up with Caleb Pirtle to do a book on the great moments of Alabama football. I have been in the middle of some great competition while playing at the University of Alabama and with the Miami Dolphins. It is great to have a book that records some of these battles from the Alabama football tradition.

I spent a lot of time with Coach Bear Bryant, and his philosophy was always the same: “Don’t worry about winning. Just keep from losing.” This book, “The A Game,” takes us back to those years and those games when Alabama players and coaches kept winning because they refused to lose.

In more than a hundred years of Alabama football, there have been “great moments” in almost every game, and you can think of your own special great moments since you have been watching Bama football. Rick Rush and Caleb Pirtle have selected some of those moments for this book. You will be able to enjoy your own personal excitement and the emotion of the play all over again. “The A Game” is another winner for all Bama fans.

Rick Rush and Caleb Pirtle capture the spirit of the Crimson Tide in art and script in “The A Game.” The tradition of faithful, loyal, and true ring loud in this presentation about Alabama football.

 “In any man’s life he might meet some who are impressive.  He might meet someone who impacts his life.  Life changing meetings are when you meet a man who inspires.  Coach Bryant was such a man.  The art Rick Rush has created and the words Caleb Pirtle has written will help you rediscover some of these giants of Alabama football history.”

 “As a young athlete in high school I had seen a TV speech by President John Kennedy and he talked about putting man on the moon.  The USA decided to put man on the moon not because it would be easy, but because it would be hard!" I was being recruited by a number of colleges. Alabama was the best of the best, I decided I would go there not because it would be easy but because I knew it would be hard but if I could play at Alabama then hell I could play anywhere in America! And to this day, I am honored to have played for Coach Bryant and his great staff and all the fine players I have met! This book is rich with stories about young men like me who were honored to play for Coach Bryant and the players he brought to Alabama.

-- Tommy Wilcox