The team was led by head coach Frank Thomas, in his fifth year, and played their home games at Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa and Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama.
In February 1936 Smith, Bear Bryant and Kavanaugh Francis became the first Crimson Tide players selected in the NFL Draft.
[11] To open the 1935 season Alabama was almost upset by Howard College (now Samford University), but escaped with a 7–7 tie at Denny Stadium.
[13][16] Riley Smith scored the first Crimson Tide touchdown in the first quarter on a four-yard run to cap a 92-yard drive.
Joe Riley scored later in the quarter on a 70-yard punt return to give Alabama a 13–0 lead at the end of the first.
[13][18] The Maroons took a 13–0 lead in the first quarter after a pair of Charles Armstrong touchdown passes, first to Ike Pickle and then to Robert Thames.
[19] Against rival Tennessee, Alabama defeated the Volunteers, 25–0 at Shields-Watkins Field and scored one touchdown in each of the four quarters in their victory.
[27] On homecoming at Denny Stadium, Alabama defeated the Clemson Tigers of the Southern Conference 33–0 in Tuscaloosa.
[30] In the second quarter, both teams traded touchdowns on a Riley Smith quarterback sneak and a Clarence Rohrdanz run for Alabama and on a 37-yard E. H. Gibson reception and lateral pass to E. R.
[31] In the season finale on Thanksgiving Day, Alabama lost to the Vanderbilt Commodores for the first time since 1929 with their 14–6 defeat at Dudley Field.
[32] Alabama responded in the third with a 51-yard Riley Smith touchdown pass to James Walker, however a failed extra point kept the Commodores in the lead 7–6.
[32] Byron Beard scored the final points of the game after he recovered a fumbled punt by Joe Riley in the endzone for a touchdown.