Steel Bowl Classic

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This article is about the high school football classic. For the college bowl game see Steel Bowl.

The Steel Bowl Classic was an annual post-season high school football game organized by the Birmingham YMCA to benefit its programs for Black youth.

On December 30, 1939 a "Steel Bowl Classic" was held at Legion Field pitting an All-Star team made up of players from nine Black high schools in Jefferson County against Tuscaloosa Industrial High School. The game was organized by Edward Q. Adams, former head football coach at Southern Normal School in Brewton, Escambia County who was then coordinating boys' activities for the Titusville YMCA. The game was sponsored by the YMCA's "Colored Advisory Committee" and proceeds were set to benefit "the extension of colored work" by the organization. The game kicked off at 2:00 PM. The east stands were reserved for white spectators.

A. B. Collins of Parker High School coached the All-Star team with players invited from Dunbar, Parker, Brighton, Powderly, Immaculata, Irondale, Rosedale and Westfield. His squad handed Tuscaloosa Industrial their first loss in nearly seven years with a score of 12-0.

The second Steel Bowl Classic was held at Legion Field on December 14, 1940. The YMCA's Junior Hostesses Committee took over responsibility for organizing. For this game an "All-City" team of players fro Dunbar, Immaculata and Fairfield met an "All-County" team from Hooper City, Rosedale, Westfield, Irondale, Powderly, Brighton and Praco. Collins again coached the All-City team, holding practices at Smithfield Court.

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