Paul W . Bryant Museum The Paul W . Bryant Museum is located on the campus of the University of Alabama , in Tuscaloosa , Alabama , USA . Founded in 1985 , the museum was opened in 1988 to " house the history of Alabama football , with special emphasis on the legendary coach , " Bear Bryant . History . On the suggestion of former head football coach Paul " Bear " Bryant , a planning committee was created in 1981 to establish a museum that would honor former coaches and players who helped Bryant set the intercollegiate coaching record for the most victories . The committee considered Bryant ' s suggestion and established that the museum would take on two missions : " inclusion of the entire football history from the first team in 1892 and creating a collections component establishing the foundation of our current institution . " Since its inception in 1985 , the museum has grown in staff , services , and exhibits . It has become a central source of information for both journalists and writers interested in the history of university athletics . In addition to building its collection , the museum has begun focusing on public programming such as informational and education services and tours for school groups . The University of Alabama campus and the local communities ' support have helped to establish the museum as one of the attractions to the region . Originally organized under the supervision of the University of Alabama Museums system , the Bryant Museum has recently become a freestanding unit reporting directly to the Vice President / Provost of the University in response to the growth in mission and function of the museum . On April 21 , 2007 , the museum posted its largest ever attendance at 4 , 367 . This was in connection with the school ' s annual A - Day football game which also saw a record 92 , 138 fans in the seats . The museum is part of the University of Alabama Museums , which also include the University of Alabama Arboretum , Alabama Museum of Natural History , Discovering Alabama , Gorgas House , Moundville Archaeological Museum and Office of Archaeological Research . Exhibits . Among the exhibits at the museum are a Waterford Crystal houndstooth hat which commemorates the Coach ' s head - wear and the Daniel Moore painting used to create the 32 - cent U . S . postage stamp which celebrated the life of Bryant . The museum also houses a research room where all of Alabama ' s games , both victories , defeats and even embarrassments can be viewed and studied . Officials claim over 1 , 000 such videos The museum also maintains a listing of people who were named for Bryant . Bryant ' s former players and fans have named their children Bryant , Paul , Bear and even Paula after Coach Bryant . Every September the Paul W . Bryant Museum hosts a namesake reunion and there are over 600 namesakes that have attended this annual event . The oldest namesake ( besides Coach Bryant ' s son Paul Bryant , Jr . ) is Bryant Darrell Brown , son of Junction Survivor Darrell Brown who , due to being academically ineligible to play in 1956 , surprised even Coach Bryant when he came back to play his last year of eligibility on Texas A & M ' s 1957 team which was ranked # 1 at the time Coach Bryant accepted Alabama ' s offer . Darrell was the only Junction Boy to also play in Coach Bryant ' s last season at Texas A & M . Darrell Brown ' s grandson , Bryant Andrew Brown is a second generation Bryant namesake . At over 600 names it is not definitive , but the list supports the idea that many Alabamians were enamored enough of the coach to name their children in his honor .