UAB Blazers

Hello There, Guest! (LoginRegister)

Post Reply 
Part one in a one part ongoing series: Meet Your Trustee
Author Message
legalblazer Offline
1st String
*

Posts: 1,697
Joined: Sep 2004
Reputation: 29
I Root For: UAB
Location:
Post: #1
Part one in a one part ongoing series: Meet Your Trustee
http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20...rintpicart

Quote:Paul W. Bryant Jr.'s business success as entrenched as his family's name
By Tommy Deas
Executive Sports Editor | The Tuscaloosa News
Published: Sunday, November 17, 2013 at 4:00 a.m.

Dusty Compton / Tuscaloosa News
03-05-12 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Trustee Judge John England, second from left facing away, addresses the UA board of trustees including Paul Bryant, Jr., right, and Alabama Governor Robert Bentley, left, during a meeting of the University of Alabama board of trustees in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Monday, Mar. 5, 2012. UA president Robert Witt was voted as the Chancellor of the UA System.

Paul W. Bryant Jr. was running a minor league baseball team before he was 25 years old.

He started a bank before he turned 30.

The 68-year-old son of late football coaching legend “Bear” Bryant has had successful business ventures in everything from catfish farming to concrete, from dog tracks to casinos and from banks to reinsurance.

“I've had some different ones not work, too,” Bryant said recently in a rare and revealing interview.

Bryant, a member of the University of Alabama board of trustees since 2000 and president pro tempore of the board since 2011, said his business secret as president of Greene Group, a privately-held holding company, has more to do with being able to identify profitable enterprises.

“I'm probably better evaluating them than running them, I'll say that,” he said. “I'm a pretty good risk-taker, I guess. I'm not much better than other people, but the timing might have been good on some things.”

While his portfolio seems diverse, Bryant sees a common thread in some of his most successful undertakings: banking, gaming and reinsurance (basically insurance for insurance companies) are all highly regulated.

“If you've been in that, you get looked at close so it helps to do OK in one regulated business — you get another one,” he said. “They know you've been vetted pretty well.”

Bryant realizes his business career got off to a quick start, and that his family ties were an asset.

“I had a little head start on my friends because I didn't get put in the service when I graduated, and a lot of them did that and went on to law school and to graduate school,” he said. “I didn't do either of those. I had a four- or five- or six-year head start on them.

“Obviously, I had an advantage in that I had met a lot of business people through my parents when I was in high school and college, in the state and out of state. I had a lot of help starting out.”

Bryant, who was born in Birmingham when his mother was living there with her parents while his father was serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, is a 1966 graduate of UA with a degree in finance. His first job was as general manager of the Birmingham A's of the Southern League.

“He was working for Charlie Finley, who was a Birmingham native who had made a gazillion dollars in pharmaceuticals and became quite a character in baseball,” said Kirk McNair, who was a sports writer in Birmingham at the time, and who became a longtime Bryant family friend.

In his late 20s, Bryant helped organize Peoples Bank of Tuscaloosa, which was merged into AmSouth in the early 1980s, with AmSouth later merging with Regions Bank.

Bryant moved on to other business interests, keeping a close-knit group of partners in late attorney and civic leader Sam Phelps and his son, Scott, along with veterinarian Wayne May.

Bryant's net worth is not public knowledge, but he has amassed enough wealth to donate tens of millions of dollars to the UA. Neither his wealth nor his legacy as the son of the man who retired as college football's all-time winningest coach, however, has inclined him to lead a public life.

“He doesn't seek the limelight, that's for sure,” said McNair, who served as sports information director at UA under “Bear” Bryant and who now publishes Bama Magazine. “He's out having lunch and out doing business, so (to say he is a) recluse is maybe a little too strong, but he has certainly guarded his private life as well as anyone could with that name and with the things he has done.”

What makes Bryant so private?

“What I would suspect, and it's only a suspicion, but I think he wouldn't want people to think he was trading on his father's name. I think he wanted to be his own man,” McNair said.

Bryant's first high-profile public venture, joining the UA board of trustees, was controversial. When then-Gov. Don Siegelman moved in 2000 to have Bryant considered for the board, some legislators protested, saying the vacant seat had been promised to be filled by an alumnus of the UA system's Birmingham campus, UAB. Also, members of the 27-member Black Legislative Caucus unanimously passed a resolution in opposition to Bryant's appointment, saying he was insensitive to minorities because of comments attributed to him in a 1989 Esquire magazine profile.

The magazine quoted Bryant, who owned GreeneTrack in Greene County at the time, as saying that the dog track was frequented by “low-class, welfare blacks.”

Bryant said that he never made the remarks and that the entire article was fabricated. He said he asked Esquire for a retraction, but William M. Adler, the freelance writer of the article, said he stood by the story.

Bryant said he was invited by the board members to fill the vacant seat.

“I wasn't really seeking it,” he said. “The history of it kind of came up with lobbyists who worked for UAB at the time, some other people opposing my being on the board and it got to be kind of, sort of, a fight.”

Bryant said he was urged by the UA alumni association, ex-presidents of the school, members of the A-Club (made up of former UA athletic letter winners) and alumni to seek the seat on the board. With the nomination tied up in the Legislature, trustee Frank Bromberg decided to resign, which allowed Bryant to fill the sixth district slot in April 2000.

“I didn't want it to be (a fight), but I felt some responsibility,” Bryant said.

The board elected Bryant president pro tempore in September 2011.

“It's been a good experience and I've made a lot of very close friends on the board,” he said.

Robert Witt has worked with Bryant for the last 10 years, first as UA president and more recently as chancellor of the UA system.

“Paul Bryant's dedicated service and leadership have been invaluable to the board of trustees and to the University of Alabama System,” Witt said. “Simply stated, Paul Bryant cares deeply for the university.”

Bryant also has a keen interest in the Civil War, and serves as chairman emeritus of the Civil War Preservation Trust, a national historic battlefield preservation organization.

“I think that's one reason,” McNair said, “that he has put so much money (in the form of donations) into museums at the university.”

In 2005, Bryant founded Bryant Bank, which he calls “my winding-down project.”

Bryant said that purpose in starting the bank was to create a community bank like the ones that existed in Tuscaloosa when he was younger.

“Our bank that we've got now,” he said, “we started to try to be in communities where my family lives and will live and have it kind of be a legacy thing to be involved in the community stuff that your community banks do.

“It's the only time we've put our name on anything. We thought we'd do that for the grandchildren and stuff, and there's some responsibility that goes with that, I guess.”

In 2012, Bryant Bank was awarded the Revitalizing Your Community Award by the American Bankers Association, in large part for the bank's work after the April 27, 2011, tornado that devastated the community.

“We probably don't pump that as much as we should,” Bryant said, “but we're real proud of that.

“Without sounding too hokey, that's why we started the bank.”

Bryant is a family man: He has been married to his wife, Cherry, since 1966, and they have three daughters — all UA graduates — and three grandchildren.

The extended family includes about a dozen hunting dogs, who are kept at Bryant's farm in Greene County. The farm spans hundreds of acres and has catfish farms, cattle and grounds for quail hunting.

“I spend virtually all my time in Greene County,” Bryant said. “That's what I like when I've got a chance to get away.”

The bird dogs are German shorthaired pointers and English pointers. Bryant has also had a couple of Labrador retrievers, but they passed away last year.

“My passion is the dogs, really,” he said. “I enjoy those, have a lot of them around the house. I'm not as big on killing stuff as I am finding it with the dogs.

“A lot of them we've got don't hunt because they're older. They are retired ones that mostly just get loving, pets.”
11-25-2013 03:37 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Advertisement


Smaug Offline
Happnin' Dude
*

Posts: 61,211
Joined: Mar 2005
Reputation: 842
I Root For: Dragons
Location: The Lonely Mountain

BlazerTalk AwardBlazerTalk AwardBlazerTalk AwardBlazerTalk Award
Post: #2
RE: Part one in a one part ongoing series: Meet Your Trustee
Explains a lot.
11-25-2013 03:47 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
the Dragon Offline
Heisman
*

Posts: 5,451
Joined: Feb 2004
Reputation: 85
I Root For: UAB
Location:
Post: #3
RE: Part one in a one part ongoing series: Meet Your Trustee
Quote:“Paul Bryant's dedicated service and leadership have been invaluable to the board of trustees and to the University of Alabama System,” Witt said. “Simply stated, Paul Bryant cares deeply for the university.”

Too bad he doesn't care deeply for all three universities to which he is entrusted. Actually, I don't mind him not caring deeply, but he should treat them all fairly, and he has not.
11-25-2013 04:08 PM
Visit this user's website Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
UAB Band Dad Offline
Occasionally Reasonable
*

Posts: 24,401
Joined: Dec 2004
Reputation: 277
I Root For: A Free UAB!
Location:

BlazerTalk AwardBlazerTalk AwardBlazerTalk Award
Post: #4
RE: Part one in a one part ongoing series: Meet Your Trustee
“What I would suspect, and it's only a suspicion, but I think he wouldn't want people to think he was trading on his father's name. I think he wanted to be his own man,” McNair said.

How could anyone possibly think something like that?
11-25-2013 08:39 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
the_blazerman Offline
Legend
*

Posts: 30,397
Joined: Nov 2004
Reputation: 95
I Root For: UAB
Location:
Post: #5
RE: Part one in a one part ongoing series: Meet Your Trustee
Concrete you say?
As used in building things?
Things that may be approved by a board of trustees?
11-25-2013 08:43 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
BandGrad Offline
Heisman
*

Posts: 7,417
Joined: Nov 2004
Reputation: 44
I Root For: UAB
Location: Hayden, AL
Post: #6
RE: Part one in a one part ongoing series: Meet Your Trustee
Holy crap!!! I hate the igit even more now!!!
11-25-2013 11:42 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Advertisement


BlazerPhil Offline
Administrator of Comedy
*

Posts: 15,852
Joined: Jul 2004
Reputation: 86
I Root For: Birmingham U.
Location:

Folding@NCAAbbs
Post: #7
RE: Part one in a one part ongoing series: Meet Your Trustee
(11-25-2013 08:43 PM)the_blazerman Wrote:  Concrete you say?
As used in building things?
Things that may be approved by a board of trustees?

Did someone say banking ?

Or insurance for businesses ?

03-puke
11-26-2013 12:39 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
BandGrad Offline
Heisman
*

Posts: 7,417
Joined: Nov 2004
Reputation: 44
I Root For: UAB
Location: Hayden, AL
Post: #8
RE: Part one in a one part ongoing series: Meet Your Trustee
He has given millions to the Tuscaloosa campus. When was the last time he EVER gave a thing (except for screwing) to the Huntsville or Birmingham campuses? What a complete POS!!!
11-26-2013 07:10 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Smaug Offline
Happnin' Dude
*

Posts: 61,211
Joined: Mar 2005
Reputation: 842
I Root For: Dragons
Location: The Lonely Mountain

BlazerTalk AwardBlazerTalk AwardBlazerTalk AwardBlazerTalk Award
Post: #9
RE: Part one in a one part ongoing series: Meet Your Trustee
(11-26-2013 07:10 AM)BandGrad Wrote:  He has given millions to the Tuscaloosa campus. When was the last time he EVER gave a thing (except for screwing) to the Huntsville or Birmingham campuses? What a complete POS!!!

He can do whatever the hell he wants with his own money (that he earned legally anyway).

I just want him to do his damn job.
11-26-2013 07:34 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
the_blazerman Offline
Legend
*

Posts: 30,397
Joined: Nov 2004
Reputation: 95
I Root For: UAB
Location:
Post: #10
RE: Part one in a one part ongoing series: Meet Your Trustee
Well, it would be very hard to determine what he earned legally & honestly.

If you come to power due to dishonesty, wouldn't everything you do after that be a result of that dishonesty?
11-26-2013 07:45 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Matrix Offline
Hall of Famer
*

Posts: 14,505
Joined: Oct 2009
Reputation: 197
I Root For: UAB, N'Western
Location:
Post: #11
RE: Part one in a one part ongoing series: Meet Your Trustee
(11-25-2013 04:08 PM)the Dragon Wrote:  
Quote:“Paul Bryant's dedicated service and leadership have been invaluable to the board of trustees and to the University of Alabama System,” Witt said. “Simply stated, Paul Bryant cares deeply for the university.”

Too bad he doesn't care deeply for all three universities to which he is entrusted. Actually, I don't mind him not caring deeply, but he should treat them all fairly, and he has not.

+1...He's not even come close to treating them all fair(ly)...I was wondering why after reading that article, I suddenly started to get physically ill. He's not worth the effort it takes to flatulate.
(This post was last modified: 11-26-2013 07:49 AM by Matrix.)
11-26-2013 07:47 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Advertisement


TheGORILLA Offline
1st String
*

Posts: 2,073
Joined: Dec 2008
Reputation: 25
I Root For: UAB
Location: Alabama
Post: #12
RE: Part one in a one part ongoing series: Meet Your Trustee
Just as George Wallace "stood at the door", Paul Bryant Jr. will go down in history for proudly usurping his power to prevent UAB from creating their own "Football Dynasty", for the sake of The Crimson Tide.

[Image: uabstadium.jpg]
11-26-2013 08:42 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
blazers9911 Offline
Hall of Famer
*

Posts: 12,790
Joined: Jan 2011
Reputation: 224
I Root For: UAB
Location:

Survivor Runner-up
Post: #13
RE: Part one in a one part ongoing series: Meet Your Trustee
Whoever gave you access to that photo should be shot.
11-26-2013 08:55 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
iam4uab Offline
All American
*

Posts: 4,702
Joined: Jul 2007
Reputation: 45
I Root For: UAB
Location: Wilmington, NC
Post: #14
RE: Part one in a one part ongoing series: Meet Your Trustee
It's amazing that we went from #freeuab, never let up, expose them all and let's take our university back to "don't even mention it!"

At least Gorilla is doing what everyone said they were going to do when they shut it down. Our culture of losing goes way beyond the teams...we cowered down way too easily.
11-26-2013 10:52 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
the Dragon Offline
Heisman
*

Posts: 5,451
Joined: Feb 2004
Reputation: 85
I Root For: UAB
Location:
Post: #15
RE: Part one in a one part ongoing series: Meet Your Trustee
(11-26-2013 10:52 AM)iam4uab Wrote:  It's amazing that we went from #freeuab, never let up, expose them all and let's take our university back to "don't even mention it!"

At least Gorilla is doing what everyone said they were going to do when they shut it down. Our culture of losing goes way beyond the teams...we cowered down way too easily.

Gorilla is hammering us with stadium posts.

If he is mailing letters to the BOT every week asking for the stadium, then I will give him credit for keeping the fight. But posting a stadium in every thread on this board is like continuing to argue with everyone who agrees with you.
11-26-2013 10:55 AM
Visit this user's website Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Matrix Offline
Hall of Famer
*

Posts: 14,505
Joined: Oct 2009
Reputation: 197
I Root For: UAB, N'Western
Location:
Post: #16
RE: Part one in a one part ongoing series: Meet Your Trustee
(11-26-2013 10:52 AM)iam4uab Wrote:  It's amazing that we went from #freeuab, never let up, expose them all and let's take our university back to "don't even mention it!"

At least Gorilla is doing what everyone said they were going to do when they shut it down. Our culture of losing goes way beyond the teams...we cowered down way too easily.

Affirmative! Not with a bang, but with a whimper...
11-26-2013 10:59 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Advertisement


the Dragon Offline
Heisman
*

Posts: 5,451
Joined: Feb 2004
Reputation: 85
I Root For: UAB
Location:
Post: #17
RE: Part one in a one part ongoing series: Meet Your Trustee
(11-26-2013 10:59 AM)Matrix Wrote:  
(11-26-2013 10:52 AM)iam4uab Wrote:  It's amazing that we went from #freeuab, never let up, expose them all and let's take our university back to "don't even mention it!"

At least Gorilla is doing what everyone said they were going to do when they shut it down. Our culture of losing goes way beyond the teams...we cowered down way too easily.

Affirmative! Not with a bang, but with a whimper...

You can't sprint forever.

But we CAN do something in spurts.

What do you two suggest?
11-26-2013 11:14 AM
Visit this user's website Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
BAMANBLAZERFAN Offline
Hall of Famer
*

Posts: 17,221
Joined: Oct 2005
Reputation: 57
I Root For: UAB & Bama
Location: Cropwell, AL

BlazerTalk Award
Post: #18
RE: Part one in a one part ongoing series: Meet Your Trustee
If you are warned that the dice are "loaded" in favor of "the house (BOT)" but you have to play anyway, then you can appreciate the position of our UAB administration.
11-26-2013 11:19 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
blazers9911 Offline
Hall of Famer
*

Posts: 12,790
Joined: Jan 2011
Reputation: 224
I Root For: UAB
Location:

Survivor Runner-up
Post: #19
RE: Part one in a one part ongoing series: Meet Your Trustee
We had 5800 people show up to a game. UNA has had better attendance then that. If we want to make some noise, we better have some stuff to back it up with.
11-26-2013 11:56 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Matrix Offline
Hall of Famer
*

Posts: 14,505
Joined: Oct 2009
Reputation: 197
I Root For: UAB, N'Western
Location:
Post: #20
RE: Part one in a one part ongoing series: Meet Your Trustee
(11-26-2013 11:14 AM)the Dragon Wrote:  
(11-26-2013 10:59 AM)Matrix Wrote:  
(11-26-2013 10:52 AM)iam4uab Wrote:  It's amazing that we went from #freeuab, never let up, expose them all and let's take our university back to "don't even mention it!"

At least Gorilla is doing what everyone said they were going to do when they shut it down. Our culture of losing goes way beyond the teams...we cowered down way too easily.

Affirmative! Not with a bang, but with a whimper...

You can't sprint forever.

But we CAN do something in spurts.

What do you two suggest?

What I'd like to see is a collaborative effort similar to what the student body, business community, regular fan base and Board (in this case, Regents) did in Charlotte to get their stadium constructed (see Charlotte Football Initiative), but when you have a bunch of tyrants saying basically, "know your place, shut your mouth and don't bring it up anymore", the only alternative afforded to this fan base and city now is to just assume the position and accept our subservient, substandard status.

But, what "spurts" do you have in mind? The usual items that are often brought up here? (Fieldhouse, practice field, etc.?)...I have no issue with "Gorilla" expressing what he feels is a primary significant item of concern and possible solution to some if not all of the football program's woes (IMO, winning would help but not when it comes to all that's needed in UAB's case)...I personally, am glad that he posts the photo of that stadium, as a constant reminder of our shortcomings as a fan base, an institution & a city(because let's face it, Birmingham's not a very pro-active populace), although I know some of you out there want to 04-chairshot him for it, I 04-clap2 his steadfastness.

I had that same image printed up on a T-Shirt, one that I'll be wearing to the game against Southern Miss this weekend. "Gorilla" inspired me to have that done.

For the sake of your inquiry, one thing I'd like to do is have a greater line of communication with those in the know with the athletic department, up to and including the AD himself (or herself in some cases, don't want to leave the ladies out)...I want to hear from the representatives out of their own mouths what "playing our part" is actually going to translate into instead of soundbytes, lip service & other forms of political bull 01-scout.

Buying season tickets , showing up at games and yelling until I get laryngitis is all fine and dandy, but, isn't enough for me anymore...I will be more than happy to contribute what I can and then some within reason if I know that it's going to bear fruit in the near future. The effort has to be collective, but sincere, again I point out the Charlotte situation, a handful of people, just student and fans, started something, saw it thru and look how it all turned out for them.

One thing I personally plan on doing is to contact the Athletic Department to learn more about this billion-dollar initiative and how it is going to benefit UAB athletics, especially in football, if for nothing else, to see if they'll just give me the time of day. From that point, I'll know what to do from there as a patron. Now, back to the "spurts" of which you speak, do you have a list in mind? Is your list prioritized in order of importance(from your perspective, of course)?

If so, please share them here or by PM to me, I'm curious as to what you have in mind.
(This post was last modified: 11-26-2013 12:09 PM by Matrix.)
11-26-2013 12:06 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Post Reply 




User(s) browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)


Copyright © 2002-2024 Collegiate Sports Nation Bulletin Board System (CSNbbs), All Rights Reserved.
CSNbbs is an independent fan site and is in no way affiliated to the NCAA or any of the schools and conferences it represents.
This site monetizes links. FTC Disclosure.
We allow third-party companies to serve ads and/or collect certain anonymous information when you visit our web site. These companies may use non-personally identifiable information (e.g., click stream information, browser type, time and date, subject of advertisements clicked or scrolled over) during your visits to this and other Web sites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services likely to be of greater interest to you. These companies typically use a cookie or third party web beacon to collect this information. To learn more about this behavioral advertising practice or to opt-out of this type of advertising, you can visit http://www.networkadvertising.org.
Powered By MyBB, © 2002-2024 MyBB Group.