In 1926, the University of Alabama’s All-American halfback Johnny Mack Brown led the Tide to a 20-19 victory over the University of Washington in the Rose Bowl. However, by 1927 he had opted to trade his stardom on the football field for stardom on the movie screen. Eventually, Brown, known as the "Dothan antelope," became one of the most popular Western entertainers of his era: the "heyday of the Hollywood cowboy." He eventually appeared in more than 168 films. "In contrast to an array of jolly, happy-go-lucky singing cowpokes," writes UA English professor Philip Beidler, "Mack Brown’s character image was always one of a rough, tough, no-nonsense hero, eager to bring about justice with a quick fist or trigger finger."
