For Alabama football fans, a photo with Paul "Bear" Bryant may be one of their most cherished possessions. It might be tucked in a scrapbook or framed in a trophy room, but the stories of the time they met the legendary coach are with them always.

Wednesday marks what would have been Bryant's 100th birthday, and the kickoff of another football season with the Crimson Tide on top has brought those memories to the forefront.



As part of AL.com’s online tribute to Bryant, we’d like to include your photos and recollections.

[ SEE ALSO: 20 Paul 'Bear' Bryant photos you've probably never seen ]

Over the course of a 37-year career as a head coach, Bryant had his picture taken by countless fans at games, banquets and civic events. But long before cell phone "selfies," Instagram and Facebook, photos were not as easily shared.

A search of the archives of The Birmingham News, Press-Register and Huntsville Times has turned up many images of Bryant unseen for decades. Some prints tucked away in filing cabinets are yellowed with age or cut in unusual crops. Before Photoshop made digital touch-ups and cropping easy, newspapers used paint, ink and grease pencils to retouch, enhance and trim black-and-white images for publication. And identifying information on archived photos is often sparse.

Some of those photos are shared in the gallery above. But we'd love to see yours.

Were you lucky enough to meet "Bear"? Did you get a picture?

Find those photos, scan them in and email to Tuscaloosa@al.com. We'll include them in our gallery here.

Share your recollections in the comments below.