More than 60,000 football fans were expected to pack Legion Field in Birmingham on Oct. 28 for the 72nd Magic City Classic. Every year the grounds surrounding the historic stadium fill with barbecue grills, vendors, entertainers and RVs as the city welcomes the nation’s largest football classic among historically black colleges and universities. Indeed, the Magic City Classic between the Alabama State University (ASU) Hornets and Alabama A&M University Bulldogs is an institution that continues to grow in size and economic impact. For days leading up to the clash on the field, and well after the final whistle blows, special events and festivities abound throughout the city. But when it’s all over and done, the memories linger for players and fans – many of whom never miss the annual event.

Eldridge O. Turner

Two legendary players – Steve Jefferson of Alabama State and Eldridge Turner of Alabama A&M – are among those who’ve accumulated years of memories about the Classic, going back decades. Here are some of their recollections:

Eldridge O. Turner, Fairfield, Ala.:

The A&M Bulldogs had not had much success in the 1952 football season, until they rolled into Birmingham for the annual October clash with ASU. Eldridge Turner of Fairfield was playing linebacker and guard on that team. Today the 82-year-old retired coach still relishes the victory in that Magic City Classic game.

“We had not had a good season. When we came to Birmingham to play Bama State, we got it together. We played above our heads, and we won,” Turner said.

In the years since he officially shed his Bulldog uniform, Turner has missed very few Classics, and he attends almost all of the A&M home games. “I get to see some of my former teammates and I see players I have coached over the years,” Turner said. As a high school coach and as a junior college coach, he sent many players on to A&M to play sports and earn a degree. “I went to A&M from Fairfield to play football,” Turner said. “It has afforded me a better life.”

A member of the Alabama A&M University Athletic Hall of Fame, Turner said he will continue supporting his alma mater and the Magic City Classic. “I’ll be right out there at Legion Field tailgating and enjoying the game,” he said.

Steven Jefferson

Steven Jefferson, Birmingham, Ala.:

Steven Jefferson left Atmore, Ala., for Montgomery in 1958 to play football at ASU. He played quarterback for three seasons.

He said the Classic is always exciting for Hornets fans, but the 1961 Classic stands out in his mind. “It was a close game, and we won. The final score was 22 -20,” he said. “I threw three touchdown passes, and I threw for an extra two points.” The receiver catching those passes was Andrew Sewell, father of U.S. Rep Terri Sewell, Jefferson said.

Both the Magic City Classic in Birmingham and the Turkey Day Classic in Montgomery, which pits ASU against the Tuskegee University Golden Tigers, are special for Hornets players and supporters, Jefferson said, although the popularity of both events have certainly grown over the years. “The crowds were not like they are now, but they were good,” he said.

Jefferson, 75, coached in the Birmingham school system for more than 30 years before going on to coach at Lawson State Community College. Now, Jefferson said, he mostly coaches from a chair while watching television – with a critical eye for the coaches on the screen.

But not when the Classic comes to town. Jefferson said his plan was to do just as he has for many years: tailgate and attend the game. “I’m a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, and we always have a tailgate,” Jefferson said. “I have friends who come in for the game every year. I can’t remember missing a Magic City Classic.”