Photo courtesy Erik Overbey Collection, The Doy Leale McCall Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of South Alabama.
The first Senior Bowl in Mobile happened in 1951. The Senior Bowl had held its inaugural game the year prior, taking place in Jacksonville, Florida, for the first (and only) time in its history. Due to underwhelming attendance in Jacksonville, the game transferred to Mobile, where it has remained for the past seven decades. The below photo shows an onfield display by the band at one of the 50s-era games, presumably during the halftime show. During that decade’s games, the North team won four times while the South team won six times. Except for the first game, which was in then-Gator Bowl Stadium in Jacksonville, every Senior Bowl game was played at Ladd-Peebles Stadium until 2021 when it moved to Hancock Whitney Stadium.
“Confidence in Mobile was shown by the fact the Senior Bowl was handed to us for a guaranteed five years before one ticket to this one had even been printed. As a final point, success of this Senior Bowl by a huge crowd showing will practically assure that within two years, not more than three, we’ll have a full schedule of first-class, top-name teams and games…”
– an excerpt from the Friday, January 5, 1951 issue of “Mobile Labor Journal,” published the day before the first Senior Bowl in Mobile.
By the Numbers
75
The number of years the Senior Bowl celebrates this year. The first stage of the NFL draft process, the Senior Bowl is the longest continual-running all-star game.
6 years
The number of years that Mobile-based supermarket chain Delchamps held the title sponsorship for the Senior Bowl. They were a title sponsor from 1994 to 2000.Â
$3 – $5
The range of prices for tickets to the 1953 Senior Bowl. According to articles, Ladd-Peebles Stadium (then Ernest F. Ladd Memorial Stadium) offered reduced prices for schoolchildren and service men.
1952 – 1954
The years CBS had Senior Bowl national TV coverage rights. Despite this, the game was first televised nationally in 1958 by NBC. That year, Governor James Folsom named the players as honorary admirals in the Alabama State Navy.
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