By Darin Hayes Beyond the Brawl: Unearthing the Thrilling History of the First Iron Bowl (1893)
One of the most anticipated matchups in college football every year is the showdown between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Auburn Tigers: the legendary Iron Bowl. But to truly appreciate this rivalry, we must go all the way back to the beginning.
In a recent conversation with Pigskin Daily History Dispatch host Darin Hayes, Timothy P. Brown of FootballArchaeology.com shared the fascinating, verified history behind the very first Iron Bowl, played in 1893, and highlighted some incredible photographic evidence. This conversation is based upon Tim’s recent Tidbit titled: The First Iron Bowl and 1892-1893 Auburn Football Images
The Mystery of the Ancient Images
Tim Brown’s work often involves connecting the dots between written records and extremely rare visual artifacts. In this case, football historian and collector John Genantonio provided Brown with images dating back to 1892 and 1893, primarily focusing on Auburn football in its earliest years. Among them was a true gem: a game-action photograph of Auburn facing Alabama in the first-ever Iron Bowl.
However, the images presented a mystery that required Brown’s deep knowledge of early football rules and tactics.
The Flying Wedge and the Northeastern Connection
One photo showed the Auburn team lining up in a “flying wedge” formation. This was perplexing because the flying wedge—a massed formation run by an offensive team—was an innovation first used by Harvard against Yale at the very end of the 1892 season.
“How did Auburn run the flying wedge shortly after Harvard ran it?” Brown pondered.
The answer lay in the intense desire of both Southern teams to win the historic rivalry game, which was set for February 1893. Both Auburn and Alabama solicited help from the football powerhouses of the Northeast:
- Auburn secured coaching from David Balliet, a player from Princeton.
- Alabama got help from Lewis Vail, who played for Penn.
These temporary coaches brought the latest tactical innovations down South. The images confirmed that Auburn (and game reports confirmed Alabama) were among the first teams in the nation to use the devastating flying wedge in actual gameplay.
The Kickoff That Didn’t Go Deep
Another photograph showed the Auburn team in an oddball defensive alignment: players standing closely together, concentrated near the line of scrimmage, with no one positioned deep for a return. What were they doing?
Brown explained that the formation perfectly illustrates a tactic prevalent at the time called the “dribble kick.”
“Most teams that kicked off dribble-kicked, meaning they kick the ball a tiny little bit, and then they pass it to a teammate,” Brown said.
In essence, the kicking team would tap the ball forward and immediately recover it to retain possession and run with the ball (often using the flying wedge). This meant the opposing team’s “return team” was actually just a defensive team, lining up close to stop the inevitable run after the recovery—a complete reversal of modern kickoff strategy. The photograph, therefore, was not an alien formation, but a logical defensive setup against the dribble kick.
The Silver Cup and the Legacy
Brown also detailed a small, personal element captured in a team photo: a player holding a small silver cup. Newspaper accounts verified that after the game (which Auburn won), a young woman from Tuscaloosa presented the cup to the victorious Auburn team. This tiny detail in the image connects a piece of physical history to the written accounts of the Iron Bowl’s inception.
The photographs and historical context collectively provide an invaluable look at the roots of modern football—a game where rules and tactics were constantly evolving, and where the fierce Alabama-Auburn rivalry began by embracing Northeastern innovation.
To see the incredible images discussed, visit Tim Brown’s original article on FootballArchaeology.com.