Touchdown Alabama Magazine Nov 2013

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Alabama's Premier College Football Magazine

November, Volume 6, Issue 2

PRESIDENT/C.E.O-Bennie Bice // [email protected]/C.O.O-Mike Lacy // [email protected]

CHIEF FINaNCIal OFFICER/C.F.O-Cedric Mason // [email protected]

maNagINg EDITOR-Coe Robbins // [email protected] wRITERS-Stephen Smith, Larry Burton,

Thomas Watts, Adam RobinsonREPORTERS-Joy Morris, Stephen Smith

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gRaPHIC DESIgN-Ricko Swink

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TOUCHDOWNALABAMA.NET

Touchdown Alabama Magazineis sold at all books a million and bama Fever/Tiger Pride locationsthroughout Alabama, and at over 500 newsstands in the Tuscaloosa,Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile, Anniston, and Gadsden metro areas.

TDAL NOV4

I am a graduate from the University of Alabama. In 2007, I decided to venture out and start “Touchdown Alabama”. That year, we released our first issue. It was an eight-page zine sold on campus and before football games.

In 2008 we decided to re-launch the publication under the title “Touchdown Alabama Magazine”. We put out three issues that year under the heading of Volume One and the magazine you enjoy each month was born.

From 2009 to the present, we have been the leader in all things Alabama Football. Our publication has had the pleasure of employing some of the best people in the industry. From graphic designers, to editorial and advertising, we have the best in the industry working for Touchdown Alabama Magazine.

This year we look forward to continuing our tradition of excellence and continuing to be the best Alabama Football Magazine.

Vinnie steps into the spotlight in 2013.

Touchdown Alabama Magazine was created to regularly provide Crimson Tide football fans a reasonably priced magazine featuring high quality in-depth sports journalism and photography that is often missed by other media. It also provides opportunities for businesses to effectively advertise to a targeted readership at moderate pricing.

FiRST WORD

LETTER FROM THE CEO

ON THE COVER

ViNNiE SUNSERi

MiSSiON STATMENTB Y B E N N i E B i C E

TOUCHDOWNALABAM

A.NET

TDAL NOV5

CONTENTSFEATURES

14Aj McCarron. Heisman Candidate. National Champion.

8Could Saban Leave Tuscaloosa for Texas?

Exsclusive

29Cameron RobinsonRecruit of the Month

26inside Alabama RecruitingThe Process

Alabama vs TennesseLarry's Lowdown

10

Trent RichardsonPro-Connections

31


1422

∙ Florida

∙ Georgia

∙ Kentucky

∙ Mizzou

∙ South Carolina

∙ Tennessee

∙ Vanderbilt

∙ Alabama

∙ Arkansas

∙ Auburn

∙ LSU

∙ MSU

∙ Ole Miss

∙ Texas A&M

SEC News

24

21Oj HowardPlayer Spotlight

27Tailgating Good EatsGridiron Grub10LSU Preview

Despite Record, 2013 LSU Brings Bite to Tuscaloosa

12SUNSERi Leader On and Off the FieldVinnie Sunseri

TDAL NOV6

Closer Look

Stable of Runners

Kenyan Drake runs over the Colorado State defenders.

Photography by Cedric Mason

TOUCHDOWNALABAMA.NET 7

TDAL NOV8

When your college football team has fallen on hard times, go after the best. That

is what the college football landscape learned a month ago when a top University of Texas booster arranged a telephone conversation with Alabama coach Nick Saban's agent Jimmy Sexton. That call was said to have lasted 45 minutes.

All this comes from a supporter of the Texas Longhorns who has seen his team come on hard times lately and he wants it revived by the winner of the last two national championship teams.

The report said that Tom Hicks, who also is a former University of

Texas System regent, said that in January, he talked with Sexton on the telephone. The report said that Hicks was checking to see if Saban would come to Austin and replace Mack Brown as the Texas head coach. No real details came from the phone conversation.

Two days later, Hicks had a sit-down lunch with Brown about the possibility of stepping down, but according to Hicks, Brown said he still had a "passion" in wanting to stay and coach.

Following the release of the "phone call", Texas fans had “Saban 2014” shirts at a game in late September.

"I'm just too damn old to start all over someplace else." That was the

response from Saban on his radio show following the surface of the report. Saban will be 62 on Oct. 31.

So while the news is out there, let’s take a look at some information about the two schools in Austin and Tuscaloosa.

Enrollment:The University of Texas in Austin

was founded in 1883 and is reported to have a current enrollment of 52,706.

Alabama was founded in 1831 and their said enrollment is 34,852.

Stadiums:Texas’ Darrell K. Royal-Texas

Memorial Stadium/Jamail Field

sits 100,119. Bryant-Denny holds 101,821.

Brown vs. Saban:Mack Brown is in his 16th season at

Texas and is currently 153-45. Texas claims four national championships all-time. The Longhorns won in 1963, 1969, 1970 and 2005.

Alabama football claims 15 national championships with Saban owning three and four including as the coach at LSU. He is 163-55-1 overall.

Other facilities:At Texas, they have “The Bubble”

as an indoor practice facility. A facility that cost $4 million dollars to

build and is 70,000 square foot. They have a 20,000 square foot strength and training center that features a 70-yard AstroTurf track.

At Alabama they have the Thomas-Drew practice fields. The complex has three 100-yard AstroTurf fields. They also have the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility and have a 130-yard field with a high-tech camera system and is 97,000 square feet. There is also a new $9 million dollar weight room facility with 21,000 square feet on the first floor and 16,000 on the second.

Football programs:At the end of 2012 season, Texas'

all-time record is 867–336–33 (.726), which ranks as the second most successful football team in NCAA history behind the University of Michigan Wolverines.

As of the completion of the 2012 season, Alabama has 827 official victories has won 27 conference championships (four Southern Conference and 23 SEC championships) and has made an NCAA-record 59 postseason bowl appearances.

So, as one can see, the two schools boast of some impressive incentives. One would only feel that Saban is telling the truth and that his age is against him to start over somewhere new.

Saban is in his seventh season as head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide, which is already three years longer than any other tenure in his 41 year coaching career. Advantage Alabama. Saban has stated many times before he and his family love Tuscaloosa. Fans of Alabama can only hope he stays put in Tuscaloosa and continues his winning ways.

Brown, who is under contract until 2020 and will be paid $5.4 million this year, won the 2005 national title and lost to Saban's Alabama team in the 2010 championship game. The Longhorns are 23-19 since that defeat.

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Could Saban Leave Tuscaloosa for Texas? B y : A d a m R o b i n s o n

G A L L E R Y

lots ofautographed memorabilia!

TDAL NOV10

This year’s LSU team is a little more behind the eight ball than a lot of LSU fans wanted to be heading into the

Alabama game. The Tigers were upset by Ole Miss 27-24 despite a valiant comeback from the boys in Baton Rouge. LSU’s 7-2 record includes the loss to Ole Miss, a loss to Georgia in a 44-41 shootout in Athens and a strong second half to lead LSU over Furman 48-16.

Quarterback Zach Mettenberger is in his second year as starting quarterback and has brought some much-needed production the Tigers have lacked since Matt Flynn. The former Georgia quarterback has thrown for 2,492 yards and 19 touchdowns. Over the past two games however, Mettenberger has thrown five interceptions, three against Ole Miss and two against Furman. The Ole Miss interceptions proved costly as two of the three picks were in the end zone and one of the two interceptions thrown against Furman was ran back for a touchdown.

Like Alabama, it seems LSU brings a strong running game year after year.

LSU is led by running back Jeremy Hill who has 128 carries for 922 yards and 12 touchdowns. Statistically, junior Terrence Magee is second on the team with 50 carries for 376 and five touchdowns, but Kenny Hilliard and Alfred Blue are also rotated quite frequently. None of these four running backs average less than 4.5 yards per carry.

The surprise has been the tandem in wide receivers Odell Beckham, Jr. and Jarvis Landry. Mettenberger has relied on Beckham who has been their homerun threat, hauling in 48 passes for 1,009 yards and eight touchdowns. Landry follows closely behind with 58 completions for 882 yards and eight touchdowns. Beckham is coming off a career performance against Furman with 204 yards and two touchdowns and is carrying big momentum heading into the Alabama game.

Looking for a weak point in this year’s LSU team, one could look into the defense and see some uncharacteristic numbers. LSU has given up 350 total yards on defense and almost 22 points a game. Despite the large numbers, sophomore linebacker and Alabama-

native Kwon Alexander says they will be ready for the Tide.“We need to come out playing hard, great intensity, playing physical, just do everything we can do,” Alexander said. “We are going to play LSU football.”

The games in Tuscaloosa have been nail-biters since Saban arrived in 2007. LSU is 2-1 against Alabama in Tuscaloosa gaining victories in 2007 and 2011. Average margin of victory is a little over five points in those three contests, including the 9-6 overtime thriller in 2011.

The Tigers will be coming off a bye week like Alabama and will have the 2012 game fresh in their minds. LSU players feel that they let that game get away and will have all the motivation to avenge that loss. Mathematically, LSU is still in the divisional race, but will need a little help. LSU will have to essentially win out and hope Alabama loses to both Mississippi State and Auburn. A loss to Alabama will eliminate LSU from any chance of competing for the SEC championship.

Despite Record, 2013 LSU Brings Bite to Tuscaloosa

B y : C o e R o b b i n sPhoto by Cedr ic Mason

TDAL NOV11 TOUCHDOWNALABAMA.NET

TIDE PRIDE

TDAL NOV12

It’s hard to replace a veteran that has so much in-game experience that is a valuable asset to your team. It’s even

harder when that veteran was your vocal leader who made sure everyone was lined up properly in the secondary. That’s what Alabama loses in junior safety Vinnie Sunseri who suffered a knee injury during the Arkansas game that will sideline him the rest of the year.

Sunseri had 20 tackles through six games and two interceptions against Virginia Tech and Texas A&M, both ran back for touchdowns. Nothing can measure the intangibles Sunseri brought to the field including his infectious enthusiasm for the game and the tenacity he is known for among Alabama fans."Vinnie, from a character standpoint as a person, is one of the best guys I've ever had the opportunity to coach," head coach Nick Saban said. "Great person that tries to do everything right. Hard worker, great example, has really good leadership skills that affects other people in a positive way. The guy is just a great competitor."

Sunseri, the son of former assistant coach Sal Sunseri, made an impact early in his career on special teams that made fans in the stands cringe in excite-ment with the hits he brought to opposing returners. Sunseri later made his way onto the defense in the “star” position and was very effective in pressuring the quarterback on blitzes and adding that much-needed protection in the secondary. This year, Vinnie found himself starting on defense with the loss of Robert Lester to graduation.

Sophomore Landon Collins has replaced Sunseri in the strong safety position following the injury and says Sunseri is going to do whatever he can on the sidelines to help the team in some kind of way. Players, coaches and fans alike will miss what Sunseri brings on the field and hoping for a strong return in 2014.

SUNSERILeader On and Off the Field B y : C o e R o b b i n s

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TDAL NOV13

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93 Jonathan Allen Linebacker/Defensive Line FR 6-3/264 HS Leesburg, Va. (Stone Bridge)7 Ryan Anderson Linebacker FR 6-2/255 RS Daphne, Ala. (Daphne)28 Anthony Averett Defensive Back FR 6-0/170 HS Woodbury, N.J. (Woodbury)94 Dakota Ball Defensive Line FR 6-2/270 RS Lindale, Ga. (Pepperell)87 Parker Barrineau Wide Receiver SO 6-0/183 SQ Northport, Ala. (American Christian

Academy)35 Tyler Bass Wide Receiver SR 5-10/175 SQ Birmingham, Ala. (Vestavia Hills)18 Cooper Bateman Quarterback FR 6-3/208 HS Murray, Utah (Cottonwood)31 Spencer Baumhower Wide Receiver JR 6-1/202 SQ Fairhope, Ala. (Fairhope)7 Kenny Bell Wide Receiver SR 6-1/180 3L Rayville, La. (Rayville)13 Deion Belue Defensive Back SR 5-11/183 1L Tuscambia, Ala. (Northeast Mississippi CC)31 Jerrod Bierbower Defensive Back JR 6-1/190 SQ Dublin, Ohio (Coffman)5 Chris Black Wide Receiver FR 5-11/182 RS Jacksonville, Fla. (First Coast)75 Bradley Bozeman Offensive Line FR 6-5/310 HS Roanoke, Ala. (Handley)72 Leon Brown Offensive Line JR 6-6/313 JC Riverdale, Md. (ASA College)6 Ha Ha Clinton-Dix Defensive Back JR 6-1/208 2L Orlando, Fla. (Dr. Phillips)26 Landon Collins Defensive Back SO 6-0/215 1L Geismar, La. (Dutchtown)15 Jonathan Cook Defensive Back FR 6-0/186 HS Daphne, Ala. (Spanish Fort)9 Amari Cooper Wide Receiver SO 6-1/202 1L Miami, Fla. (Northwestern)14 Luke Del Rio Quarterback FR 6-2/203 HS Highlands Ranch, Colo. (Valor Christian)33 Trey DePriest Linebacker SO 6-2/245 2L Springfield, Ohio (Springfield)30 Denzel Devall Linebacker SO 6-2/250 1L Bastrop, La. (Bastrop)55 Josh Dickerson Linebacker JR 6-1/244 SQ Evans, Ga. (Lakeside)47 Xzavier Dickson Linebacker JR 6-3/265 2L Griffin, Ga. (Griffin)17 Kenyan Drake Running Back SO 6-1/201 1L Powder Spring, Ga. (Hillgrove)85 Malcolm Faciane Tight End SO 6-5/267 1L Picayune, Miss. (Picayune Memorial)80 Raheem Falkins Wide Receiver FR 6-4/203 HS New Orleans, La. (G.W. Carver)44 LaMichael Fanning Defensive Line SO 6-7/270 1L Hamilton, Ga. (Harris County)43 Cade Foster Place-kicker SR 6-1/224 3L Southlake, Texas (Southlake Carroll)2 Reuben Foster Linebacker FR 6-1/244 HS Auburn, Ala. (Auburn)8 Robert Foster Wide Receiver FR 6-3/187 HS Monaca, Pa. (Central Valley)45 Jalston Fowler Running Back JR 6-1/250 2L Mobile, Ala. (Vigor)41 Kurt Freitag Tight End FR 6-4/235 RS Buford, Ga. (Buford)10 John Fulton Defensive Back SR 6-0/186 3L Manning, S.C. (Manning)89 Brandon Greene Tight End RS

FR6-5/307 RS Ellenwood, Ga. (Cedar Grove)

99 Adam Griffith Place-kicker FR 5-10/187 RS Calhoun, Ga. (Calhoun)1 Dee Hart Running Back SO 5-9/187 1L Orlando, Fla. (Dr. Phillips)21 Derrick Henry Running Back FR 6-3/238 HS Yulee, Fla. (Yulee)73 Brandon Hill Offensive Line FR 6-6/385 HS Collierville, Tenn. (St. GeorgeÕs/Hargrave)64 Grant Hill Offensive Line FR 6-6/301 HS Huntsville, Ala. (Huntsville)37 Zach Houston Defensive Back SO 6-1/183 SQ Daphne, Ala. (Daphne)88 O.J. Howard Tight End FR 6-6/237 HS Prattville, Ala. (Autauga Academy)42 Adrian Hubbard Linebacker JR 6-6/252 2L Lawrenceville, Ga. (Norcross)99 Brandon Ivory Defensive Line JR 6-4/310 2L Memphis, Tenn. (East)4 Eddie Jackson Defensive Back FR 6-0/175 HS Lauderdale Lakes, Fla. (Boyd Anderson)22 Christion Jones Wide Receiver JR 5-11/185 2L Adamsville, Ala. (Minor)5 Cyrus Jones Wide Receiver SO 5-10/196 1L Baltimore, Md. (Gilman)82 Harrison Jones Tight End JR 6-4/241 2L Germantown, Tenn. (Evangelical Christian)20 Tyren Jones Running Back FR 5-9/215 HS Marietta, Ga. (Walton)35 Walker Jones Linebacker FR 6-2/234 HS Germantown, Tenn. (Evangelical Christian)26 Alvin Kamara Running Back FR 5-10/195 HS Norcross, Ga. (Norcross)39 Kyle Kazakevicius Wide Receiver JR 6-0/185 SQ Ocala, Fla. (Trinity Catholic)70 Ryan Kelly Offensive Line SO 6-5/290 1L West Chester, Ohio (Lakota West)

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85 Korren Kirven Defensive Line FR 6-5/281 RS Lynchburg, Va. (Brookville)77 Arie Kouandjio Offensive Line JR 6-5/315 1L Hyattsville, Md. (DeMatha Catholic)71 Cyrus Kouandjio Offensive Line JR 6-6/310 1L Hyattsville, Md. (DeMatha Catholic)95 Darren Lake Defensive Line SO 6-3/324 1L York, Ala. (Sumter County)25 Dillon Lee Linebacker SO 6-4/242 1L Buford, Ga. (Buford)40 Issac Leon Tight End FR 6-6/214 HS Boynton Beach, Fla. (American Heritage)78 Chad Lindsay Offensive Line JR 6-2/302 2L The Woodlands, Texas (The Woodlands)52 Dee Liner Defensive Line FR 6-3/281 HS Muscle Shoals, Ala. (Muscle Shoals)51 Wilson Love Defensive Line SO 6-3/286 SQ Mountain Brook, Ala. (Mountain Brook)68 Isaac Luatua Offensive Line SO 6-2/313 SQ La Mirada, Calif. (La Mirada)29 Cody Mandell Punter SR 6-4/213 3L Lafayette, La. (Acadiana)55 Cole Mazza Long Snapper FR 6-1/246 HS Bakersfield, Calif. (Liberty)10 AJ McCarron Quarterback SR 6-4/214 3L Mobile, Ala. (Saint PaulÕs Episcopal School)47 Corey McCarron Tight End SO 6-2/238 TR Mobile, Ala. (Spanish Fort)15 Parker McLeod Quarterback FR 6-3/193 HS Marietta, Ga. (Walton)19 Jai Miller Defensive Back FR 6-3/213 HS Valley Grande, Ala. (Selma)60 Brandon Moore Offensive Line SO 6-0/313 SQ Cincinnati, Ohio (Cincinnati Hills Christian

Academy)11 Alec Morris Quarterback FR 6-3/230 RS Allen, Texas (Allen)32 C.J. Mosley Linebacker SR 6-2/232 3L Theodore, Ala. (Theodore)64 Michael Newsome Defensive Line JR 6-2/250 SQ Cockeysville, Md. (BoysÕ Latin)59 Harold Nicholson Offensive Linemen JR 6-5/283 SQ Columbus, Ohio (St. Francis DeSales)83 Kevin Norwood Wide Receiver SR 6-2/195 3L DÕIberville, Miss. (DÕIberville)46 Michael Nysewander Tight End JR 6-1/235 SQ Hoover, Ala. (Hoover)53 Anthony Orr Defensive Line JR 6-4/282 SQ Madison, Ala. (Sparkman)34 Tyler Owens Linebacker JR 6-0/220 SQ Columbiana, Ala. (Clay-Chalkville)8 Jeoffrey Pagan Defensive Line JR 6-4/290 2L Asheville, N.C. (Asheville)11 Tana Patrick Linebacker SR 6-3/238 3L Bridgeport, Ala. (North Jackson)67 Austin Peavler Offensive Line SO 6-3/290 SQ Weldington, Fla. (Wellington Community)27 Nick Perry Defensive Back SR 6-1/212 3L Prattville, Ala. (Prattville)18 Reggie Ragland Linebacker SO 6-2/259 1L Madison, Ala. (Bob Jones)81 Ty Reed Wide Receiver/Quarterback SR 6-1/190 SQ Rocky Hill, Conn. (Rocky Hill)86 AÕShawn Robinson Defensive Line FR 6-4/320 HS Fort Worth, Texas (Arlington Heights)79 Austin Shepherd Offensive Line JR 6-5/315 2L Buford, Ga. (North Gwinnett)6 Blake Sims Quarterback JR 6-0/202 2L Gainesville, Ga. (Gainesville)29 Caleb Sims Wide Receiver FR 5-9/181 HS Hoover, Ala. (Hoover)24 Geno Smith Defensive Back SO 6-0/186 1L Atlanta, Ga. (St. Pius X)21 Maurice Smith Defensive Back FR 6-0/180 HS Sugar Land, Texas (Fort Bend Dulles)61 Anthony Steen Offensive Line SR 6-3/309 3L Clarksdale, Miss. (Lee Academy)13 ArDarius Stewart Wide Receiver FR /190 HS Fultondale, Ala. (Fultondale)49 Ed Stinson Defensive Line SR 6-4/292 3L Homestead, Fla. (South Dade)3 Vinnie Sunseri Defensive Back JR 6-0/210 2L Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Northridge)16 Bradley Sylve Defensive Back SO 5-11/180 1L Port Sulphur, La. (South Palquemines)50 Alphonse Taylor Offensive Lineman FR 6-5/335 RS Mobile, Ala. (Davidson)23 Altee Tenpenny Running Back FR 6-0/207 HS North Little Rock, Ark. (North Little Rock)43 Matt Tinney Linebacker SR 6-1/247 SQ Hoover, Ala. (Spain Park)54 Dalvin Tomlinson Defensive Line FR 6-2/287 RS McDonaugh, Ga. (Henry County)84 Brian Vogler Tight End JR 6-7/260 2L Columbus, Ga. (Brookstone)69 Paul Waldrop Offensive Line SO 6-4/276 SQ Phenix City, Ala. (Central)23 Jabriel Washington Defensive Back SO 5-11/185 1L Jackson, Tenn. (Trinity Christian Academy)2 DeAndrew White Wide Receiver JR 6-0/190 2L Houston, Texas (North Shore)20 Jarrick Williams Defensive Back JR 6-1/210 2L Mobile, Ala. (Blount)63 Kellen Williams Offensive Line SR 6-3/302 2L Lawrenceville, Ga. (Brookwood)56 Tim Williams Linebacker FR 6-3/235 HS Baton Rouge, La. (University Lab)36 Brandon Wilson Defensive Back FR 5-10/203 HS Elmore, Ala. (Stanhope Elmore)4 T.J. Yeldon Running Back SO 6-2/218 1L Daphne, Ala. (Daphne)

TDAL NOV16

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P h o t o g r a p h y b y C e d r i c M a s o n

TDAL NOV21

OJ Howard is a 6-foot-5 221-pound freshman tight end from Autauga Academy in Prattville,

Ala. He generated plenty of buzz as part of Alabama's 2013 recruiting class. Howard is arguably the most athletic player in that recruiting class judging from his extremely quick 4.42 40-yard dash time. 6-foot-5 guys that run so fast are exceedingly rare. The athleticism has created a ton of stir among fans, and Howard's raw skill has drawn favorable comparisons to Alabama great Ozzie Newsome.

Howard enrolled in the spring of 2013 after having a senior year truncated by leg injuries. When he was healthy, he was able to post almost 800 total yards for Autauga to go with 43 solo tackles and three sacks. Even with a somewhat pedestrian showing as a senior, he still earned an invite to the Under-Armor All-America Game.

In order to grasp how valuable Howard can be to Alabama, consider how the tight end position has evolved in the grand scheme of football. Football teams are throwing more and more skill players on the field in four and five wide-receiver sets. Defenses have to follow suit by putting more smaller corners and safeties on the field to compensate. How does a defense deal with a tight end that has been flexed out in the slot, or out wide? It creates a match up nightmare.

A great example would be the New Orleans Saints' tight end Jimmy Graham. Widely regarded as the best pass catching tight end in football, Graham is a monster at 6-foot-7, but he can run. How does any team defend that? A corner or safety simply cannot do it. Graham can shield them away with his body, or jump over them for anything that is thrown high. A linebacker has a chance, but Graham's speed means he can potentially just run away from the 'backer.

B y T h o m a s W a t t s

Parallel that to Howard. Howard isn't quite as tall and is still very raw overall, but the potential is still there. One of the biggest assets for Howard at Alabama is all the skill that surrounds him. Bama wide receivers, particularly Amari Cooper, will draw heavy emphasis from opposing defenses. It leaves a linebacker or safety to try and handle Howard across the middle. Howard ate Texas A&M's secondary up on crossing routes in the middle of the field. Expect more of that, particularly as he continues to physically mature under the tutelage of Alabama's strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran.

If there is one weakness in Howard's game, it is his blocking ability. Autauga rarely used him as a blocker and he has to be able to do that for the Tide. Wide receivers and tight ends simply don't see the field for Nick Saban if they can't block. Developing the blocking ability will come right along with continued physical maturation in Tuscaloosa. If there is a comfort here, the athleticism that OJ Howard possesses will only help speed up the process.

The most encouraging sign surrounding Howard was how well he performed against Texas A&M. In only his second college game, he had three catches for 68 yards. Two of the catches were solid 25-yard receptions at crucial points of the game.

The maturation of Howard will be enjoyable for fans to watch throughout the 2013 football season. The quicker he learns to block, the more he plays. The size and speed of the young man have already made him such a nightmare to cover for opposing defenses and that problem will only be exacerbated as he gains more understanding of the offense and chemistry with starting quarterback AJ McCarron.

PLAYERS SPOTLiGHT

TDAL NOV22

B y : T h o m a s W a t t s

P h o t o b y C e d r i c M a s o n

AJ McCarron is in the running for the most decorated college football player ever. If Alabama goes unde-feated and wins a third consecutive

BCS championship, he will have won more national titles than lost games in his tenure as Alabama's starting quarterback. He'll also have enough rings to sink the Titanic. In an ironic twist, there is a decent possibility that McCarron won't even head to New York as a Heisman finalist, and will almost surely never reach the College Football Hall of Fame.

The Heisman Trophy has changed markedly in the past few years. Previously, the award went to the best player on the best team more often than not. Riding a wave of nouveau thinking, it has started going to the perceived "best" player. The move has devalued more steady players in favor of the spectacular. Unfor-tunately for McCarron, he is the antithesis of spec-tacular. He doesn't have that insane play that mere mortals couldn't pull off that gets replayed 1,000 times a day for years. Instead, he shows sublime control of a very complex offense.

What has made NFL quarterback Peyton Manning great for over a decade? He has absolute control over whatever offense he is in. In Indianapolis, fans figured

out that he needed silence to check in and out of plays and when the Colts were on offense you could hear a pin drop in that stadium. McCarron displays a lot of the same ability. To illustrate, look at the 2013 Texas A&M game in College Station.

The final touchdown play, a bootleg to a leaking Jalston Fowler was a McCarron call all the way, but that was only the tip of the iceberg. A&M wasn't doing very much defensive checking against Alabama so McCarron was constantly changing plays against whatever the defense was showing. It was very rare that the Aggies backed out of a seven or eight-man front during the game, but whenever they did, the offense quickly checked into a run and ripped off a solid gain. The check was all on McCarron. Fans that are curious as to why Alabama did not run more in the first half of that game have their answer here as well. McCarron threw so much because that was what the defense gave him.

Even if he didn't check against A&M, he recog-nized coverages with eerie regularity. The touchdown pass on a screen to Kenny Bell illustrates McCar-ron's knowledge of the game itself. Alabama lined up with two receivers on the left side, Kenny Bell and Christion Jones. A&M's inside corner briefly showed

AJ McCarron. Heisman Candidate. National Champion.


blitz, and the A&M safety appeared to be bailing out into a cover 1 look. The corner would be blocked and trapped on the inside if Alabama threw the ball quickly and Bell would only have to beat the safety for a touchdown. That is exactly what happened. McCarron knew all of that from the alignment of the defense. It is those kind of plays, that put McCarron in rare air among college quarterbacks. Sadly, casual fans and members of the media completely whiff on this aspect of the game.

Speaking of whiffs: As it stands, McCarron will not be in the College Football Hall of Fame. He is ineli-gible. Process the fact that the (arguably) most deco-rated quarterback in the history of the college game won't ever make the Hall. To be considered, he has to be named a First Team All-American by a recog-nized outlet. The loaded quarterback group this year, his final year of eligibility for that honor, includes a returning Heisman winner in Johnny Manziel as well as Louisville's Teddy Bridgewater, whose name is

being bandied about as a No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, makes it difficult to believe he will earn first-team honors when All-America voting happens at the end of the regular season.

Luckily, McCarron has some company on the sidelines of the Hall of Fame that leaves Alabama fans flabbergasted. Derrick Thomas has yet to make it either even though he only set every sack record imaginable in his time at the Capstone. Excluding McCarron, particularly if he wins an unprecedented third national title as a starter, as well as continually leaving Thomas out of the College Football Hall of Fame is a major knock to the credibility of the institu-tion itself.

AJ McCarron himself would admit he doesn't care about individual awards, just titles. Still, some of these things defy explanation. Statistics aren't everything. McCarron's absolute control of an offense is almost unparalleled in college.

TDAL NOV24

There are several key SEC matchups coming in the month of November that should play an important role in possibly deciding who will end

up playing for the conference championship in December.On Saturday, November 9, Alabama will host LSU while Auburn is at Tennessee. On November 16, Florida travels to South Carolina. Also on the 16th, Georgia goes to Auburn.On November 23, Texas A&M goes to LSU.Another key November game is the Iron Bowl-Alabama at Auburn on Nov. 30. But we will look at that game a little more in depth in a later issue.Let’s take a look at some of these games: LSU at Alabama:Other than Alabama's 21-0 beat down and shutout of the Tigers in New Orleans in the championship game a couple of years ago, these two teams have played some pretty close games. There was 9-6 overtime game earlier that year in Tuscaloosa. Then there was Alabama's rally from behind win in Death Valley last year. This game has usually decided the winner of the West in recent years. Many have pointed to this game as Alabama's only test post Manziel and the Aggies. Should be another good one.

Auburn at Tennessee:This game will be only Auburn's fourth away game this season and final road game of the year. So far, the Tigers have surprised many with only suffering one loss this year. With that, Auburn is in the thick of the SEC West race. Going to Volunteer country is not the easiest of things to do. In a sea of orange, this game could be vital for Auburn staying in the thick of things while Tennessee looks to get back to their days of old.

Florida at South Carolina:How crazy has the SEC East been this year? Look for things to stay that way as Will Muschamp brings his Florida Gators to South Carolina to take on former Gator player and coach in the old head ball coach Steve Spurrier. Missouri has taken control of the East this year but was shocked by Spurrier and USC on Oct. 26 with a loss in two overtimes. Florida has struggled on offense this year but their defense has played well. South Carolina has been up and down at times, but with a lot at stake for both of these teams, anything can happen.

Georgia at Auburn:This game is one of the oldest SEC rivalry games there is. Georgia from the East meets Auburn from the West. Injuries have got the best of Georgia this season, but as they say in rivalry games, anything can happen. As mentioned earlier, both of these teams would like wins and need wins to help their chances to win their division and play for the

By Adam Robinson

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Texas A&M at LSU:As of the writing of this story, both these teams are chasing Alabama and Auburn for the SEC West.Last year, LSU beat Texas A&M 24–19 at Kyle Field in the first ever SEC matchup. LSU leads the series 28-20-3.For the Tigers to have a chance in this game, they have to contain Johnny Manziel. LSU usually has a good defense and with it being a home game, look for an LSU win.

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TDAL NOV26

THE PROCESS

B y A d a m R o b i n s o n

So far for the class of 2014, Alabama has commitments from 20 players:

• ATH Bo Scarbrough

• DB Kalvaraz Bessent

• DB Chris Williams

• LB Shaun Hamilton

• DB Stephen Roberts

• LB Zach Whitley

• DT O.J. Smith

• OL Viane Talamaivo

• DT Johnny Dwight

• K JK Scott

• QB David Cornwell

• WR Derek Kief

• OL J.C. Hassenauer

• OL Dominick Jackson

• OL Montel McBride

• LB Christian Miller

• LB Keith Holcombe

• OL Ross Pierschbacher

• OL Cameron Robinson

• WR Cameron Sims

As the days and months get closer and closer to National Signing Day 2014—Wednesday, Feb. 5—recruiting battles are starting to heat up as we are now less than five months away from the annual event. One of the recent biggest news to happen in the last few

weeks in the recruiting news for the Alabama Crimson Tide is the announce-ment from prize recruit Cameron Robinson announced he has committed to play for the Crimson Tide. Robinson’s announcement was carried live on television during a ceremony at his high school of West Monroe in Louisiana. The 6-foot-5, 330-pound offensive tackle is a five-star prospect and chose Alabama over the LSU Tigers—a team in his own home state.

“My key factors (for choosing a school) were most importantly where I feel most comfortable and what school I felt like set me up to be the most successful for the next four years,” Robinson said on ESPN before the announcement. “Those were the main two factors.”

Many suspected Robinson might choose Alabama and head coach Nick Saban as his college team after a friend of his also chose the Tide. Robinson and fellow West Monroe recruit and childhood friend Cameron Sims both chose the Tide as their college of choice. Robinson is expected to graduate high school in December and play in the 2014 Under Armour All-American Game in January.

In other Alabama recruiting news, defensive end Da'Shawn Hand of Wood-bridge (Va.) has changed his plans on visiting Tuscaloosa. Hand was said to be visiting Alabama for their Nov. 9 game against LSU, but instead will not be making the trip. Hand, a 6-foot-4, 254-pound prospect, was forced to change his plans in order to take the SAT on Oct. 5, according to a report at Rivals.com. He had planned to visit Florida that day for its game against Arkansas. Instead, he'll go to Florida on Nov. 9 for the Vanderbilt game and visit Tuscaloosa on Oct. 26, when Alabama plays Tennessee.

In other news: Opelika's Stephen Roberts, a cornerback recruit for Alabama, said he is “90 percent” on going to Alabama. Since Saban was hired at Alabama, the Crimson Tide has gone 68-13 in Saban’s six seasons in Tuscaloosa. In his first season, Alabama went 7-6 in 2007 followed by a 12-2 record in 2008, a 14-0 record in 2009, a 10-3 record in 2010, a 12-1 record in 2011 and a 13-1 record in 2012.

Simple math shows six seasons and three national championships. While the records are good and the championships are better, it all starts with getting the players to Tuscaloosa and that means winning the recruiting battles.

Since 2008, Alabama’s recruiting classes have been ranked in the top-three rankings by ESPN.

In 2008, Alabama was No. 3 behind Miami and Clemson. In 2009, Alabama moved up a spot to No. 2 behind LSU. In the 2010 rankings, Alabama fell back to No. 3 behind Florida and Texas. The 2011 class pushed Alabama back to the No. 2 spot just behind Florida State.

Since then, it has been all Alabama as the Crimson Tide has held the No. 1 spot in 2012 and this past year in 2013.

As of right now, the Crimson Tide’s class of 2014 is holding the No. 1 spot ahead of Florida State, Texas, Miami and Georgia.

TDAL NOV27

Ph

oto

by C

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c M

ason


TiDE TRiViA

GRiDiRON GRUB

1. What state was Derrick Lassic from?a. New York, NY b. New jersey, Nj c. Mobile, AL d. Dothan, AL

2. The late Derrick Thomas was from what City and State?a. Athens, GA b. Lexington, KY c. Miami, FL d. Detroit, Mi

3. joey jones was a great receiver for Alabama, what number did he wear?

a. 88 b. 83 c.22 d. 4

4. What was significant about the 1918 season at Alabama?A. Alabama was just one of many schools to cancel all non-Academic activitie during WWi.B. The city of Tuscaloosa built a football stadium for the University.C. The entire football team took a train to Washington to protest the War.D. Two Student/Athletes were held as prisoners.

5. Shawn Alexander and joe Namath were record breakers for the University of Alabama football team. Which one or each of them received All-American status as players while at University of Alabama?

A. Alexander and Namath were All-AmericansB. Only Namath was named All-AmericanC. Only Alexander was named All-AmericanD. Neither was ever named All-American

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TDAL NOV28

TDAL NOV29

From Andre Smith and Antoine Caldwell to Barrett Jones and Chance Warmack, Alabama has had its history of bringing in talented offensive lineman. Like

quarterbacks, running backs and receivers, offensive linemen have a role to play in order for the team to blossom.

To be successful in the trenches, one would need more than just size and strength. In being an offensive lineman in Nick Saban’s system, you have to communicate well with your teammates, be focused on every play, follow your assignments, consistently block for the running back and protect the quarterback. The main reason behind Alabama’s successful dynasty thus far is the offensive line’s ability to play well together, impose their will on the opposing defense and not get rattled at the line scrimmage each game.

On Sept. 4, Alabama got a verbal commitment from a talented offensive lineman prospect for the 2014 recruiting class. Cameron Robinson attended and played football for Ouchita High School before transferring to West Monroe High School in Monroe, La.

He is a consensus five-star recruit at the left tackle

position. He is rated among the top overall prospects in the nation and is rated as the top overall prospect by 247Sports. He is the No. 3 overall prospect and No. 1 offensive tackle prospect according to ESPN 300. At 6-foot-8, 350 pounds, Robinson has the physicality, athleticism, a nasty lineman’s demeanor and is a load for any defensive lineman to handle. He committed to Alabama via ESPN.

Outside of Alabama, Robinson had offers from LSU, Arkansas, Auburn, Michigan, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, TCU, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and more. One month before he committed to Alabama, Robinson’s decision came down to the two SEC West foes, Alabama and LSU.

If you watch film, two things should jump out at you where Robinson is concerned. The first thing is his ability to get off the ball quickly. In the 40-yard dash, Robinson was clocked at a 5.27. This is great speed for offensive lineman because it allows him to block his man at the point of attack first and then get to the second level of the defense.

The second thing is his blocking technique. In the running game, his strengths lie in blocking face up in space (pulling around) and pinning inside to allow the back to get up and down the field. As far


B y S t e p h e n S m i t h

RECRUiT OF THE MONTH

Cameron Robinson Recruit of the Month

TDAL NOV30

as pass blocking goes, he has a tendency to lock up on a defensive lineman and drive them away from the play. Being at left tackle. this aspect will be key since he will be protecting the back side of the quarterback.

Alabama has been very successful recruiting out of Louisiana. Along with Kenny Bell, Eddie Lacy, Landon Collins, Raheem Falkins, Cameron Sims and O.J. Smith, Robinson becomes the sixth player that Alabama has recruited from Louisiana and the third verbal commitment for the Tide’s 2014 class.

According to Robinson, he told ESPN reporters that his key factors for choosing a school came down to where he felt most comfortable and what school would help set him up to be successful in four years.

“Alabama’s a great program and every time I was able to get down to Tuscaloosa, I was able to sit down and talk with Coach Saban, Coach Napier and Coach Cristobal,” Robinson said. “I just developed a strong relationship with them.”

Robinson has high expectations for himself saying that he plans on coming in, working hard and try to compete for a starting spot as a freshman.

Robinson said that the recent commitment of high school teammate, fellow Monroe recruit and childhood

friend Cameron Sims to Alabama was influential on his decision as well. For a recruiting class that is already ranked No. 1 in the nation according to 247Sports, ESPN, and Rivals, Robinson becomes the 20th commitment (sixth offensive line prospect) for the Crimson Tide and the 14th in the ESPN 300 for the class of 2014.

With All-Americans like Jones, Warmack and DJ Fluker, Saban has had success thus far with preparing offensive lineman for the NFL. Last season, Cyrus Kouandjio started at left tackle. He played all 14 games in 2012 and was huge in the BCS title game against Notre Dame. Alabama constantly ran to the left side behind Kouandijo and gained 265 yards rushing off 5.9 yards per carry.

With Kouandjio being projected as first-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, it was vital for the Tide to have Robinson commit to them. Robinson will graduate high school in December and play in the 2014 Under Armour All-American Game in January, along with a number of other Alabama commits and targets, before enrolling at Alabama for the spring semester. The future is bright for Robinson. It’s just all a part of the process.

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TDAL NOV33

Everything good in life comes in pairs. Whether it's peanut butter and jelly, pizza and hot wings, steak and potatoes or Batman and Robin, there is no argument about it that

two things are better than one. For football, the pair is quarterback and running back.

Though at times it seems like the quarterback receives all the credit, having a durable running back to take pressure off the passing game is a luxury. A running back that can generate 5 or more yards per carry is a nightmare for defenses because it forces them to respect the run game. This causes defensive backs to come down and play the run, which allows the quarterback to scan the field and find mismatches to take advantage of.

As a native of Pensacola, Fla., Richardson attended and played football for Escambia High School. After sitting out his sophomore year due to injury, Richardson returned his junior year healthy and ready to play. As a junior, he played in eight games and recorded 1,390 yards rushing with 13 touchdowns. In his senior year, Richardson had 228 carries for 2,090 yards and 25 touchdowns.

For his style of play which consisted of power, speed and quickness, Richardson was frequently compared to Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith (Escambia-1987 graduate). He was also compared to Michael Turner, O.J. Simpson and physique wise Earl Campbell.

Upon graduating high school, Richardson collected numerous awards including FSWA All-State 5A second team honors, FSWA 5A All-State First Team, 5A Florida Player of the Year, consensus All-American and Mr. Football finalist (2008).

Richardson decided to take his talents to the Capstone in 2009 after receiving an athletic scholarship. He chose Alabama over Florida, Florida State and LSU.

As a freshman, Richardson made an immediate impact, stepping in for the departing Glen Coffee. He shared time at the running back position with Mark Ingram (2009 Heisman winner) and Roy Upchurch. In 2009, he finished his freshman year recording 145 carries for 751 yards and eight touchdowns. He was a key cog in the 2010 BCS Championship game, in which he had 109 rushing, two touchdowns and helped the Crimson Tide secure a 37-21 victory against the Texas Longhorns.

Due to Ingram’s injury, Richardson started the first two games of the 2010 season. Though Alabama did not achieve a national title, Richardson still had a productive year. He totaled 700 yards rushing and six touchdowns off 112 carries. He was huge on the receiving end and the special teams aspect as well, recording 266 receiving yards and four touchdowns along with 634 kick return yards and a touchdown. Richardson helped guide the team to a 10-3 record and 49-7 victory over Michigan

State in the Capital One Bowl.In 2011, the New Orleans Saints drafted Ingram

and Richardson became the starting running back for the Crimson Tide. Not only was Richardson able to hold his own as the starter, he took on a leadership role in helping Eddie Lacy and Dee Hart. As a junior, Richardson became a household name for the Tide. He had nine games in which he ran for over 100 yards and tied Shaun Alexander’s record with six consecutive 100-yard rushing performances.

In the 2012 BCS title game against LSU, Richardson had 96 yards rushing and a touchdown that secured a 21-0 victory for Alabama, giving him his second national title and the team’s 14th. To end the season, Richardson totaled 1,679 yards rushing and 21 touchdowns. His 1,679 rushing yards broke Ingram’s record for most rushing yards in a season and his 21 touchdowns was an SEC running back record. He had 338 yards receiving with three touchdowns, improving his season touchdown total to 24, which tied Alexander’s SEC record.

For his career at Alabama, Richardson put up jaw-dropping statistics. As a running back, he had 540 carries for 3,130 yards and 35 touchdowns. At receiver, he recorded 64 receptions for 730 yards and seven touchdowns. On special teams, he totaled 28 returns for 720 yards and a touchdown.

When an individual is able to put up numbers like these and guide their team to an SEC title and two national titles, they should be rewarded, right? Well, in Richardson’s case they should. He amassed quite a few awards in his tenure at Alabama including SEC Offensive Player of the Year, First-team All-SEC, Unanimous All-American, Doak Walker Award, SEC Champion (2009) and a two-time BCS National Champion (2009 and 2011 seasons).

Richardson decided to forgo his senior year at Alabama and go into the 2012 NFL Draft. He was selected in the first-round (third overall pick) by the Cleveland Browns. He became the highest running back selected since Reggie Bush in 2006 and the first running back that the Browns selected in the first-round since William Green in 2002.

On July 23, 2012, Richardson and the Browns agreed to a four-year, $20.4 million contract with a $13.6 million signing bonus. Though he missed the preseason because of knee surgery, Richardson had a phenomenal rookie season. In 15 games, Richardson had 267 carries for 950 yards and 11 touchdowns.

On Sept. 18, it was announced that the Browns made a deal with the Indianapolis Colts that would send Richardson to the Colts in exchange for a first-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft.

B y S t e p h e n S m i t h


TDAL NOV34

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Touchdown Alabama Magazine Nov 2013