A Rivalry Born from the South’s Passion for Football The Iron Bowl — so named because it was initially played in Birmingham, a city known for its steel industry — originated in 1893 when Auburn and Alabama first faced off on the gridiron.

What does the Iron Bowl mean to Tim Keenan, Malachi Moore and Jah-Marien Latham, Alabama football players who have never lost to Auburn?

Malik Blocton, a freshmen defensive lineman from Pike Road, was one of those kids, growing up less than an hour from Auburn’s campus. When speaking to reporters on Monday, he claimed that he had watched every Iron Bowl since he was 5 years old, mentioning the Auburn wins in 2013 and 2019 as two of his best Iron Bowl memories.