He’s 96 years old, and the zingers keep on coming. Right there on the Crimson Tide football practice field, Eddie Conyers keeps them laughing.
Eddie has been a light in the lives of thousands for decades, and he’s not done yet. “I’m thinking of retiring when I reach 100,” Eddie chuckled. I reminded him that is only four years away. I joked that he will be working well past then.
About 10 days ago, Coach Kalen DeBoer began his first football season at the University of Alabama with his first fall practice. Eddie started his 62nd.
The Crimson Tide practice official can tell you more stories about more Bama legends than you can imagine, as the last six decades have brought the Tuscaloosa native a magical life. “I was worried that my time as a practice official would come to an end when Coach (Nick) Saban retired,” Eddie said. “Coach DeBoer welcomed me with open arms.
“I’m back for another year,” Eddie added, sounding excited and proud.
It was 1962 when Eddie Conyers looked up at the Alabama football coach. Eddie was in his early 30′s — he had officiated one high school football game.
“Coach Bryant was looking for someone to be an official at practices and scrimmages,” Eddie told me. “He looked at me and mumbled something. I said, ‘Yes sir’, only to find that he had asked me if I could call penalties during drills. Coach Bryant looked at me and said, ‘Ten dollars.’ I thought he meant that I had to pay him 10 dollars to work for him.”
That’s how Eddie Conyers began a six-decade, backstage pass to Alabama football and access to some of the greatest college football stars of their time.
“There was this scraggly-looking player that a lot of people were talking about as I began my job,” said Eddie. “He had slumped-over shoulders and was very confident. The kid’s name was Namath. He turned out to be pretty good,’ Eddie chuckled.
Through the years, Eddie blew his whistle with authority and kept them straight. For years he was the unseen and unknown man who was a key cog in all of those national championship teams. He befriended the mentally toughest player he ever met — a young man named Ozzie Newsome. He worked alongside Kenny Stabler and Jalen Hurts, Derrick Thomas and Derrick Henry, Shaun Alexander and Mark Ingram, Bryce Young and DeVonta Smith. And he earned the respect of coaches Bear Bryant, Ray Perkins, Gene Stallings, Mike Dubose, Mike Shula and Saban.
“Coach Saban always thought highly of my work,” Eddie gleamed. “He once told me I was the second-best official in the world — he said everyone else was tied for first.” Eddie let out a belly laugh, happy to hear me chuckling.
“A few years back, Coach Saban was kind enough to present me with a Bama jersey on my birthday with the number 90 on it. I wasn’t sure if I should wear it in public, because I told a girl at a bar that I was 21.”
Through the years, Eddie Conyers has paid the price for working in close proximity to very large men. Back in the ’70′s he cracked some vertebrae when he was accidentally hit by linebacker Barry Krauss. In 2018 he tore some ligaments when he ran into a fellow practice official. And in 2009, he was flattened by quarterback Greg McElroy. That time, Eddie fell backwards and hit his head on the turf.
“I was woozy, my eyesight was blurry,” said Eddie. When I opened my eyes, I saw Coach Saban’s face looking down at me. He asked me if I was dead, and I said, ‘No’. He said, ‘Good. Get up and get back to work’.”
Eddie Conyers grew to love and respect Coach Saban. “His practices were like a machine,” Eddie told me. “There was not one wasted minute. In fact, on his first day of practice back in 2007, he told me he wanted documented notes given to him after every practice about who was penalized.”
And the few practices Eddie has witnessed under Coach DeBoer? “The players really seem to love practice,” Eddie said. “They seem to be very close.”
While Eddie Conyers has lived a crimson dream, the real love of his life makes his red heart swoon. Eddie became smitten with the Tuscaloosa High School majorette back in the mid-40′s. They were married in 1949. Eddie was 21, Peggy was 16.
Their beautiful marriage has always been full of love and respect. “The secret to our marriage is we go out twice a week,” Eddie told me. “I go out on Tuesdays, and Peggy goes out on Fridays.”
And those 75 years of wedded bliss? “We’ve been married so long we’re on our second bottle of Tabasco,” Eddie chuckled.
Eddie is looking forward to seeing how the hard work by the new coaching staff and players pays off, but he won’t be attending the season opener at Bryant-Denny Stadium. “I get too uptight,” said Eddie. “Peggy will go to a relative’s house while I will sit alone in front of my TV with a Budweiser. Depending on how the game goes, I may have two of them,” Eddie smiled.
And the following day, after the big win?
Eddie might just go all out and take Peggy to McDonald’s to celebrate.
“Peggy sure is thrilled she married me,” Eddie chuckled. “I’m telling you — she really hit the jackpot.”
