historic legion field
In 1926, construction began on an unpretentious facility that would seat 21,000 spectators. The sta- dium con¬sisted of the west stands, a press box, and a small seating area on the east side. In 1927, as a means of honoring and providing a memo- rial to the American Legion and those who gave service and their life to this country, the stadium became known as Legion Field. In the dedication game of the stadium, before 16, 800 fans, Howard College (now Samford University) defeated Bir- mingham-Southern College by a score of 9-0. Many prominent coaches, athletes and public figures have graced the sidelines of the stadium now affection- ately referred to as the “Old Gray Lady,” notably Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, Coach Eddie Robinson, John Stallworth, Joe Namath, Ken¬ny Stabler, Bo Jackson, Pat Sullivan and Terry Beasley, just to name a few.
Once famously known for playing host to the Iron Bowl, UAB Blazers and 1996 Olympic soccer matches, the stadium is the site for the Magic City Classic (the largest HBCU classic in the country), the Morehouse Tuskegee Classic, local high school games, music festivals and more. In July 2022, His- toric Legion Field hosted the World Games 2022, an international multi-sport event, that brought NFL Flag Football to the venue.
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