Alabama was in the national spotlight when it faced Ohio State in the 1986 Kickoff Classic at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., but the 16-10 victory was also an emotional one for the Crimson Tide. Following the high-profile season opener, the team dedicated the victory to former teammates George Scruggs and Willie Ryles, who both died during the offseason. Scruggs, a running back who had redshirted the previous season at Alabama, was killed and two other Crimson Tide players were injured when their car went out of control on a Huntsville, Ala., highway on April 26. Ryles collapsed during a practice and lapsed into a coma with a blood clot on the brain a week before the Kickoff Classic. He died five days later. Scruggs had won the Johnny Musso “Most Improved Offensive Back” award in the spring, while Ryles had earned a starting job on the Alabama defensive…
Continue Reading: Throwback Thursday: 1986 Kickoff Classic, Alabama vs. Ohio State
