I am in the UK and I was going to buy an Elephant charm on the net and it said "if you are an Alabama football fan, you'll love this charm."
Is the Elephant their mascot, or their nick-name, or something else?

The Elephant
The elephant's association with Alabama dates back to the 1930 football season when the Crimson Tide was led by Coach Wallace Wade. There are two stories about how Alabama became associated with the elephant.

Officially, following the 1930 game versus Ole Miss, Atlanta Journal sports writer Everett Strupper wrote:

"At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow. Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity. It was the first time that I had seen it and the size of the entire eleven nearly knocked me cold, men that I had seen play last year looking like they had nearly doubled in size."

Sports writers continued to refer to Alabama as the "Red Elephants" afterwards, referring to their crimson jerseys. The 1930 team shut out eight of ten opponents, allowing a total of only 13 points all season. The "Red Elephants" rolled up 217 points that season, including a 24-0 victory over Washington State in the Rose Bowl.

Another account attributes the Rosenberger's Birmingham Trunk Company for the elephant association. Alabama used the Birmingham Trunk Company's luggage to travel to the 1930 Rose Bowl. The luggage company's trademark was a red elephant standing on a trunk. When the football team arrived in Pasadena, the reporters greeting them associated their large size with the elephants on their luggage.

Despite these early associations of the elephant to the University of Alabama, the university did not officially accept the elephant as university mascot until 1979.

The elephant is used because Alabama's nickname is the "Crimson Tide." A stampede of elephants is also known as a "tide." Where the "crimson" came from, that's from their school color.

Elephants are slow, and so are they, which makes them GATOR BAIT!!!!!!!!!!!

the crimson tide is known from the civil war when the black river was filled with blood from fallen soldiers. the elephant has a cooler meaning. back in the early sixtys alabama had an offensive line that the announcer said looked like a heard of elephants there will very big. and it kinda stuck. but thats why we are the crimson tide and an elephant is our mascot. have a great day. and ROLL TIDE ROLL.

Elephants take humongous shits. That is what the University of Alabama is, one great big pile of shitt. Geaux TIGERS.

Roll Tide An elephant is there mascot.

Maybe they're akin to Auburn that can't decide if they're Tigers or Whore Eagles.

Mascot: Elephant Nickname: Crimson Tide
School historians verify that the red elephants have been associated with 'Bama football since 1930, however, theories on the tradition's origin have varied over the years.

One account of the mascot's derivation began in 1930, when Rosenberger's Birmingham Trunk Company, whose trademark is a red elephant standing on a trunk to signify the luggage's durability, presented red elephant good luck charms to members of Rose Bowl-bound Alabama.

When the team, composed of predominantly large men, emerged from the train in Pasadena with red elephant trinkets suspending from their luggage, reporters were awed by the players' mass and quickly seized upon the insignias on their baggage. Thus, the connection was born.

I agree with LSUBalls....all elephants are good for is eatimg and shitting. The last big turd the mascot laid was Saban. Geaux Tigers!!!!