The 1949 Tuscaloosa Black Bears were led by head coach Frank Swede Kendall. Coach Kendall arrived at Tuscaloosa as the head man in 1939 but took off three seasons for war-time service before returning to lead the Black Bears on the gridiron. He had played end on the undefeated 1928 team. His assistants were Wheeler Leeth and Billy Henderson who would later win a title coaching the Black Bears in 1964. Coach Kendalls previous stints at Brookwood, Pell City and Tuscaloosa County would give him the experience needed to guide the Black Bears. With a storied history of titles the expectations were high each and every season. In 1949 the Tuscaloosa school system had changed their format for the school allowing a twelfth grade for the first time in the schools history. Had that not been the case 17 senior would have been ineligible for football practice come the fall of 1949. These 17 seniors were the heart of this team and made the difference between a great team and just another team. Seven of these seniors were offered scholarships at seasons end. They outscores their opponents 233 -57 in completing a perfect 9-0 season. Decatur and Tuscaloosa fought back and forth in the Alabama Journal polls all season. Decatur suffered a tie early with Gadsden but actually led in the next to final poll. In the final poll Tuscaloosa squeaked out a narrow lead and claimed the championship. Millard Hardin a standout guard was the team captain in 1949. The team consisted of a total of 70 players with 35 on the traveling squad.
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