Just as the Alabama Crimson Tide prepares to turn the page to a fresh season, the program was hit with a heavy loss. Longtime practice referee Eddie Conyers passed away on January 27 at 97. For decades, he was part of the program’s heartbeat. The city wept, the team mourned, and this painful loss drew an emotional response from Nick Saban’s daughter, Kristen.

“A literal angel,” wrote Kristen in the comment section on the Alabama Football Instagram page’s post. “Love this man so much. Rest peacefully ❤️ an honor to know him.”

Conyers logged an incredible 63-year run as an Alabama practice official. He first picked up the whistle in 1962 under the iconic Alabama head football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. When Nick stepped into Tuscaloosa in 2007, he was 79 years old. At the time of his retirement from Alabama in 2023, Conyers was 95 years old. 

“Remembering a Crimson Tide legend. ❤️” wrote Alabama Football on Instagram. “Eddie Conyers embodied the spirit of Alabama football. We honor a legend whose impact goes far beyond the game.”

Born on April 5, 1928, in Montgomery, Conyers graduated from Tuscaloosa County High School in 1946. He subsequently responded to the call of duty and enlisted in the United States Navy from 1946 to 1948. He was again called to service during the Korean War from 1952 to 54 and later emerged as one of the most enduring icons in Alabama football history.

Over a career spanning eras, Conyers served as an Alabama practice official for 10 different head coaches. He is survived by his wife Peggy, with whom he was married for 76 years.

In recent years, under Nick, Conyers shared responsibilities with up to three other officials, and full crews participated in scrimmages. Nonetheless, no one embodied that role as distinctly as he did. Across six decades in Alabama, he was a constant presence on the practice field. In his early 90s, he transitioned into a practice official coordinator role.

Conyers was well known for his sharp wit and constant humor. His spirit made him a sought-after speaker at clubs and events across the South. But his passion for Alabama football remained.

“Let me say this about Eddie,” joked Saban in a radio interview in 2013. “He’s been doing this for 53 years. But this guy is a double agent. You have to take the flag out and throw it if it’s against the offense. Now he’ll throw them against the defense. I’ve had to threaten him ever since I’ve been here.”

Conyers officiated legends across generations, throwing flags on stars from Joe Namath and Kenny “Snake” Stabler to Jalen Hurts and Derrick Henry. He witnessed Bryant’s secretive shift to the wishbone offense and stood on the sideline as Alabama recruited its first Black players.

Beyond Alabama, too, tributes poured in.

Paul Finebaum paid tribute as the Alabama Crimson Tide lost its legend

Even though Paul Finebaum is an SEC analyst, he never safeguards the faults of any program. For instance, he called Alabama’s loss to Indiana in the Rose Bowl ‘a historically humiliating performance.’ However, when he received the news of Conyers’ demise, he paid a touching tribute on the Paul Finebaum Show.

“I met him about 15, 16, 17 years ago at the Paul Bryant Awards in Houston, where a group of people went out expecting Nick Saban to win in his second season at Alabama,” Finebaum recalled.

After leaving his day job at the local hardware store early, Conyers would change into his officiating stripes in a service-station restroom and head to Alabama camp. He then checked in with Bryant about his assignment.

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As recently as the 2025 season, Eddie Conyers could still be found patrolling the Tuscaloosa sidelines. He traveled by golf cart and leaned on a walker. Yet his love for the game never wavered. Conyers will forever live in the hearts of the college football community.