Hell yeah, look at all the Bama fans running for autographs again

Their passion and determination are still unmatched.

Before every college football season, Alabama has a fan event at Bryant-Denny Stadium that includes autograph signings on the field. The demand for Crimson Tide signatures is significant, and fans have been known to charge onto the field as soon as the autograph session begins. This year, they moved slowly at first. It appears staff members led them onto the field, and police officers were with them all the while.

But eventually, the Tide rolled as freely as it always does.

Fans were lining up at least five hours beforehand. Probably a lot more.

This has evolved into a full-on tradition.

Here’s the mad dash from 2016’s Alabama Fan Day:

Here’s 2015’s:

And 2014’s, which might’ve been the deadliest heat yet:

Tide fans are a devoted bunch, and they’ve demonstrated that they’ll go to pretty much any event that involves the team’s players and coaches. A horde of Bama fans takes over the lobby at SEC Media Days every year, where they look for autographs and any chance to say what’s up to Nick Saban and a few of his players. They also turn out in droves for Bama’s spring game and, of course, pack the place during the season.

In some internet circles, they call this annual sprint for autographs the Running of the Gumps, which isn’t nice. But it’s most certainly a running of deeply passionate SEC football fans. Nobody wants to be denied prime position to meet Jalen Hurts.