Former Tide WR Brandon Gibson Remembers April 27 Tornado [Audio]

Today is a day of reflection, thinking back on the devastating tornado that passed through Tuscaloosa five years ago. Brandon Gibson, former Alabama wide receiver, joined Ryan Fowler to talk about that fateful day and how it has affected him to this day.

As we all think back on that terrible day, it's nice to find that many good things have come from such a travesty, and Gibson explained to Ryan that even disasters like the one that happened five years ago can bring together an entire community.

"I think with the success of the university, not just the football team, but the university as a whole... It's so homey, it's such a family-oriented type of city... But I think what happened with the tornado on April 27, five years ago, it brought us even closer."

Of course, in the aftermath of the storm, the Alabama Crimson Tide had to play a football season, and Gibson was an integral part of that 2011 team. We all know what happened next: the Tide went 11-1 in the regular season and defeated the LSU Tigers by a score of 21-0 in the BCS National Championship Game. Gibson said that the pressure of giving back to the Tuscaloosa community was a huge part of motivating that team to the program's 14th national championship.

"I definitely felt the pressure, we felt the pressure. With great respect comes great responsibility. We felt responsible as a team to bring the morale, to bring back the excitement to this community, because of the tragic event."

You can listen to the entire conversation with Gibson below as he looks back on that day five years ago.