Meet Tommy Ray, the 76 YO Alabama super fan set to continue his ‘record’ 51-year streak in 2024

The Alabama Crimson Tide is one of college football's biggest teams and has a good share of loyal supporters. One of them is Tommy Ray, who is turning 76 years old later this month.

Ray has been a Crimson Tide fan for most of his life and has had a fascination with the team since he was 12.

During the 1963 season, he attended his first game. It was against the Mississippi State Bulldogs, a game that Bear Bryant's side won 20-19. On his experience of this game, Tommy Ray told AL.com:

“The Alabama-Mississippi State game was the first Bama game I saw in person. Before the game started, I saw Joe Namath walking into Denny Stadium wearing his bright crimson jersey. Namath walked right by me, and my dream became colorized. I was struck by the excitement and the crowd, and I marvel at the colors and the atmosphere at every game I attend today," Ray said.

Ray sporadically attended games after, but in 1972, something happened that has not stopped to this day.

Tommy Ray's Streak

On September 9, 1972, Tommy Ray attended Alabama's game against the Duke Blue Devils. It was the first game of the Crimson Tide's 1972 season and the first game of Ray's streak.

It has not ended, as since then, he has never missed attending Crimson Tide games. It's a streak of 660 straight games.

The most interesting thing about this (apart from its length) is that Tommy Ray is not even a season ticket holder. He buys all of his tickets individually.

“I didn’t plan on attending every Bama game for 51 years — it just turned out that way,” Ray shared.

With all of those games under his belt, Ray has a lifetime's worth of memories of his beloved Alabama, both wins and losses. His dedication meant that sometimes he had to go to games even when he was not feeling well. Back in the 2000 Orange Bowl, Ray was fighting chemical pneumonia and still made it to the game.

“I was in Miami the entire week, and I was very sick. I ate little nibbles of crackers so my stomach would cooperate. I made it to the game, only to see Tom Brady lead Michigan to a 35-34 overtime win. At least I can say I saw Tom Brady," Ray said.

He is a prime example of a superfan who is dedicated to his team. In 2024, while the Alabama Crimson Tide will be without Nick Saban, it will still have Tommy Ray in the stands, just like what he has done for the past 51 years.