Jan. 4 is a Big Day in UA Athletics History

Jan. 4 is a HUGE day in the history of University of Alabama Athletics. Here are two reasons:

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On this day in 2007, Nick Saban stepped to the podium at the Mal Moore building and was introduced by AD Moore himself as the new football coach at Alabama. As you all know, Saban has made history at the Capstone with 206 on-field wins, six national titles and nine SEC crowns  come to mind.

But there's more about Jan. 4 you need to know about.

Any of us who have ever played intramural or pickup basketball at Foster Auditorium on the UA campus have seen it: X marks the spot where Alabama player George Linn launched the the longest made shot in Tide program history when he nailed a full court shot measuring 84 feet 11 inches in Foster Auditorium at the end of the first half vs. North Carolina on Jan. 4, 1955.

As recapped in Nov. 2019 by Bama Central editor Christopher Walsh, "The shot, which still remains the longest shot made in a sanctioned NCAA basketball game, was featured in Sports Illustrated and is commemorated at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

"A brass marker was placed on the gym floor to indicate the location of the shot.

"Following his collegiate career, Linn earned a spot as an alternate on the 1956 Olympic Team that won the gold medal in Melbourne, Australia. Linn was drafted by the Boston Celtics with the sixth pick in the third round of the 1956 NBA Draft.

"He still ranks among Alabama's all-time leaders in scoring (1,444 career points) and rebounding (722)."

https://www.si.com/college/alabama/football/george-linn-north-carolina-at-alabama-rocket-8

Linn was a member of the Famed 'Rocket 8' team coached by Johnny Dee.

Oh, and Alabama won that game over North Carolina, 77-55.