Touchdown Alabama Magazine Nov 2013 by Touchdown Alabama Magazine

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PRESIDENT/C.E.O-Bennie Bice // bbice@tdalabama.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/C.O.o-Mike Lacy // mlacy@tdalabama.com Chief Financial Officer/C.F.O-cedric Mason // cmason@tdalabama.com

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Bulldogs Look To Alabama's Premier College Football Magazine Georgia Southern Catching Up With:

1992

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first word ON THE COVER VINNIE sunseri Vinnie steps into the spotlight in 2013.

Letter from the ceo BY BENNIE BICE

Mission Statment 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.

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.

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aj McCarron. Heisman Candidate. National Champion. 142142

Contents Features

Exsclusive 8

The Process 26

LSU Preview 10

Gridiron Grub 27

Could Saban Leave Tuscaloosa for Texas?

Inside Alabama Recruiting

Tailgating Good Eats

Despite Record, 2013 LSU Brings Bite to Tuscaloosa

Vinnie sunseri 12 Larry's Lowdown21 Player Spotlight SUNSERI Leader On and Off the Field

Recruit of the Month 29 Cameron Robinson

Alabama vs Tennesse OJ Howard

31 24

Pro-Connections Trent Richardson

SEC News

∙ Florida

∙ Alabama

∙ Georgia

∙ Arkansas

∙ Kentucky

∙ Auburn

∙ Mizzou

∙ LSU

∙ South Carolina

∙ MSU

∙ Tennessee

∙ Ole Miss

∙ Vanderbilt

∙ Texas A&M

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TOUCHDOWNALABAMA.NET

Closer

Look Stable of Runners Kenyan Drake runs over the Colorado State defenders.

P h o to g ra p hy by

Ce d r i c M a s o n

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TOUCHDOWNALABAMA.NET 7

Could Saban Leave Tuscaloosa for Texas? By: Adam Robinson

hen 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

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.

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 sitdown 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

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

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.

Photo by Cedric Mason

Stadiums: Texas’ Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium/Jamail Field

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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 70yard AstroTurf track. At Alabama they have the ThomasDrew 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.

G A L L E R Y

lots of autographed memorabilia!

Despite Record, 2013 LSU Brings Bite to Tuscaloosa

By: Coe Robbins

his 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.

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P h o to by Ce d r i c M a s o n

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.

TIDE PRIDE

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TOUCHDOWNALABAMA.NET

SUNSERI Leader On and Off the Field By: Coe Robbins

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, 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 excitement 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 muchneeded 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. 12

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P h o to g ra p hy by Ce d r i c M a s o n

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."

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ROSTER

93 7 28 94 87

Jonathan Allen Ryan Anderson Anthony Averett Dakota Ball Parker Barrineau

Linebacker/Defensive Line Linebacker Defensive Back Defensive Line Wide Receiver

FR FR FR FR SO

6-3/264 6-2/255 6-0/170 6-2/270 6-0/183

HS RS HS RS SQ

35 18 31 7 13 31 5 75 72 6 26 15 9 14 33 30 55 47 17 85 80 44 43 2 8 45 41 10 89

Tyler Bass Cooper Bateman Spencer Baumhower Kenny Bell Deion Belue Jerrod Bierbower Chris Black Bradley Bozeman Leon Brown Ha Ha Clinton-Dix Landon Collins Jonathan Cook Amari Cooper Luke Del Rio Trey DePriest Denzel Devall Josh Dickerson Xzavier Dickson Kenyan Drake Malcolm Faciane Raheem Falkins LaMichael Fanning Cade Foster Reuben Foster Robert Foster Jalston Fowler Kurt Freitag John Fulton Brandon Greene

Wide Receiver Quarterback Wide Receiver Wide Receiver Defensive Back Defensive Back Wide Receiver Offensive Line Offensive Line Defensive Back Defensive Back Defensive Back Wide Receiver Quarterback Linebacker Linebacker Linebacker Linebacker Running Back Tight End Wide Receiver Defensive Line Place-kicker Linebacker Wide Receiver Running Back Tight End Defensive Back Tight End

5-10/175 6-3/208 6-1/202 6-1/180 5-11/183 6-1/190 5-11/182 6-5/310 6-6/313 6-1/208 6-0/215 6-0/186 6-1/202 6-2/203 6-2/245 6-2/250 6-1/244 6-3/265 6-1/201 6-5/267 6-4/203 6-7/270 6-1/224 6-1/244 6-3/187 6-1/250 6-4/235 6-0/186 6-5/307

SQ HS SQ 3L 1L SQ RS HS JC 2L 1L HS 1L HS 2L 1L SQ 2L 1L 1L HS 1L 3L HS HS 2L RS 3L RS

99 1 21 73 64 37 88 42 99 4 22 5 82 20 35 26 39 70

Adam Griffith Dee Hart Derrick Henry Brandon Hill Grant Hill Zach Houston O.J. Howard Adrian Hubbard Brandon Ivory Eddie Jackson Christion Jones Cyrus Jones Harrison Jones Tyren Jones Walker Jones Alvin Kamara Kyle Kazakevicius Ryan Kelly

Place-kicker Running Back Running Back Offensive Line Offensive Line Defensive Back Tight End Linebacker Defensive Line Defensive Back Wide Receiver Wide Receiver Tight End Running Back Linebacker Running Back Wide Receiver Offensive Line

SR FR JR SR SR JR FR FR JR JR SO FR SO FR SO SO JR JR SO SO FR SO SR FR FR JR FR SR RS FR FR SO FR FR FR SO FR JR JR FR JR SO JR FR FR FR JR SO

Leesburg, Va. (Stone Bridge) Daphne, Ala. (Daphne) Woodbury, N.J. (Woodbury) Lindale, Ga. (Pepperell) Northport, Ala. (American Christian Academy) Birmingham, Ala. (Vestavia Hills) Murray, Utah (Cottonwood) Fairhope, Ala. (Fairhope) Rayville, La. (Rayville) Tuscambia, Ala. (Northeast Mississippi CC) Dublin, Ohio (Coffman) Jacksonville, Fla. (First Coast) Roanoke, Ala. (Handley) Riverdale, Md. (ASA College) Orlando, Fla. (Dr. Phillips) Geismar, La. (Dutchtown) Daphne, Ala. (Spanish Fort) Miami, Fla. (Northwestern) Highlands Ranch, Colo. (Valor Christian) Springfield, Ohio (Springfield) Bastrop, La. (Bastrop) Evans, Ga. (Lakeside) Griffin, Ga. (Griffin) Powder Spring, Ga. (Hillgrove) Picayune, Miss. (Picayune Memorial) New Orleans, La. (G.W. Carver) Hamilton, Ga. (Harris County) Southlake, Texas (Southlake Carroll) Auburn, Ala. (Auburn) Monaca, Pa. (Central Valley) Mobile, Ala. (Vigor) Buford, Ga. (Buford) Manning, S.C. (Manning) Ellenwood, Ga. (Cedar Grove)

5-10/187 5-9/187 6-3/238 6-6/385 6-6/301 6-1/183 6-6/237 6-6/252 6-4/310 6-0/175 5-11/185 5-10/196 6-4/241 5-9/215 6-2/234 5-10/195 6-0/185 6-5/290

RS 1L HS HS HS SQ HS 2L 2L HS 2L 1L 2L HS HS HS SQ 1L

Calhoun, Ga. (Calhoun) Orlando, Fla. (Dr. Phillips) Yulee, Fla. (Yulee) Collierville, Tenn. (St. Georgeﾃ不/Hargrave) Huntsville, Ala. (Huntsville) Daphne, Ala. (Daphne) Prattville, Ala. (Autauga Academy) Lawrenceville, Ga. (Norcross) Memphis, Tenn. (East) Lauderdale Lakes, Fla. (Boyd Anderson) Adamsville, Ala. (Minor) Baltimore, Md. (Gilman) Germantown, Tenn. (Evangelical Christian) Marietta, Ga. (Walton) Germantown, Tenn. (Evangelical Christian) Norcross, Ga. (Norcross) Ocala, Fla. (Trinity Catholic) West Chester, Ohio (Lakota West)

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85 77 71 95 25 40 78 52 51 68 29 55 10 47 15 19 60

Korren Kirven Arie Kouandjio Cyrus Kouandjio Darren Lake Dillon Lee Issac Leon Chad Lindsay Dee Liner Wilson Love Isaac Luatua Cody Mandell Cole Mazza AJ McCarron Corey McCarron Parker McLeod Jai Miller Brandon Moore

Defensive Line Offensive Line Offensive Line Defensive Line Linebacker Tight End Offensive Line Defensive Line Defensive Line Offensive Line Punter Long Snapper Quarterback Tight End Quarterback Defensive Back Offensive Line

FR JR JR SO SO FR JR FR SO SO SR FR SR SO FR FR SO

6-5/281 6-5/315 6-6/310 6-3/324 6-4/242 6-6/214 6-2/302 6-3/281 6-3/286 6-2/313 6-4/213 6-1/246 6-4/214 6-2/238 6-3/193 6-3/213 6-0/313

RS 1L 1L 1L 1L HS 2L HS SQ SQ 3L HS 3L TR HS HS SQ

11 32 64 59 83 46 53 34 8 11 67 27 18 81 86 79 6 29 24 21 61 13 49 3 16 50 23 43 54 84 69 23 2 20 63 56 36 4

Alec Morris C.J. Mosley Michael Newsome Harold Nicholson Kevin Norwood Michael Nysewander Anthony Orr Tyler Owens Jeoffrey Pagan Tana Patrick Austin Peavler Nick Perry Reggie Ragland Ty Reed AÕShawn Robinson Austin Shepherd Blake Sims Caleb Sims Geno Smith Maurice Smith Anthony Steen ArDarius Stewart Ed Stinson Vinnie Sunseri Bradley Sylve Alphonse Taylor Altee Tenpenny Matt Tinney Dalvin Tomlinson Brian Vogler Paul Waldrop Jabriel Washington DeAndrew White Jarrick Williams Kellen Williams Tim Williams Brandon Wilson T.J. Yeldon

Quarterback Linebacker Defensive Line Offensive Linemen Wide Receiver Tight End Defensive Line Linebacker Defensive Line Linebacker Offensive Line Defensive Back Linebacker Wide Receiver/Quarterback Defensive Line Offensive Line Quarterback Wide Receiver Defensive Back Defensive Back Offensive Line Wide Receiver Defensive Line Defensive Back Defensive Back Offensive Lineman Running Back Linebacker Defensive Line Tight End Offensive Line Defensive Back Wide Receiver Defensive Back Offensive Line Linebacker Defensive Back Running Back

FR SR JR JR SR JR JR JR JR SR SO SR SO SR FR JR JR FR SO FR SR FR SR JR SO FR FR SR FR JR SO SO JR JR SR FR FR SO

6-3/230 6-2/232 6-2/250 6-5/283 6-2/195 6-1/235 6-4/282 6-0/220 6-4/290 6-3/238 6-3/290 6-1/212 6-2/259 6-1/190 6-4/320 6-5/315 6-0/202 5-9/181 6-0/186 6-0/180 6-3/309 /190 6-4/292 6-0/210 5-11/180 6-5/335 6-0/207 6-1/247 6-2/287 6-7/260 6-4/276 5-11/185 6-0/190 6-1/210 6-3/302 6-3/235 5-10/203 6-2/218

RS 3L SQ SQ 3L SQ SQ SQ 2L 3L SQ 3L 1L SQ HS 2L 2L HS 1L HS 3L HS 3L 2L 1L RS HS SQ RS 2L SQ 1L 2L 2L 2L HS HS 1L

Lynchburg, Va. (Brookville) Hyattsville, Md. (DeMatha Catholic) Hyattsville, Md. (DeMatha Catholic) York, Ala. (Sumter County) Buford, Ga. (Buford) Boynton Beach, Fla. (American Heritage) The Woodlands, Texas (The Woodlands) Muscle Shoals, Ala. (Muscle Shoals) Mountain Brook, Ala. (Mountain Brook) La Mirada, Calif. (La Mirada) Lafayette, La. (Acadiana) Bakersfield, Calif. (Liberty) Mobile, Ala. (Saint PaulÕs Episcopal School) Mobile, Ala. (Spanish Fort) Marietta, Ga. (Walton) Valley Grande, Ala. (Selma) Cincinnati, Ohio (Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy) Allen, Texas (Allen) Theodore, Ala. (Theodore) Cockeysville, Md. (BoysÕ Latin) Columbus, Ohio (St. Francis DeSales) DÕIberville, Miss. (DÕIberville) Hoover, Ala. (Hoover) Madison, Ala. (Sparkman) Columbiana, Ala. (Clay-Chalkville) Asheville, N.C. (Asheville) Bridgeport, Ala. (North Jackson) Weldington, Fla. (Wellington Community) Prattville, Ala. (Prattville) Madison, Ala. (Bob Jones) Rocky Hill, Conn. (Rocky Hill) Fort Worth, Texas (Arlington Heights) Buford, Ga. (North Gwinnett) Gainesville, Ga. (Gainesville) Hoover, Ala. (Hoover) Atlanta, Ga. (St. Pius X) Sugar Land, Texas (Fort Bend Dulles) Clarksdale, Miss. (Lee Academy) Fultondale, Ala. (Fultondale) Homestead, Fla. (South Dade) Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Northridge) Port Sulphur, La. (South Palquemines) Mobile, Ala. (Davidson) North Little Rock, Ark. (North Little Rock) Hoover, Ala. (Spain Park) McDonaugh, Ga. (Henry County) Columbus, Ga. (Brookstone) Phenix City, Ala. (Central) Jackson, Tenn. (Trinity Christian Academy) Houston, Texas (North Shore) Mobile, Ala. (Blount) Lawrenceville, Ga. (Brookwood) Baton Rouge, La. (University Lab) Elmore, Ala. (Stanhope Elmore) Daphne, Ala. (Daphne)

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Photography by Cedric Mason 20

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PLAYERS SPOTLIGHT By Thomas Watts

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 40yard 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 AllAmerica 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.

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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.

AJ McCarron. Heisman Candidate. National Champion.

Photo by Cedric Mason

AJ By: Thomas Watts

McCarron is in the running for the most decorated college football player ever. If Alabama goes undefeated 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. Unfortunately for McCarron, he is the antithesis of spectacular. 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 22

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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 recognized coverages with eerie regularity. The touchdown pass on a screen to Kenny Bell illustrates McCarron'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

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 ineligible. Process the fact that the (arguably) most decorated 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 recognized 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 institution 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.

TOUCHDOWNALABAMA.NET

NEWS A monthly look at all 14 sec teams

Around the

How does your team rank among the best in college Football

By Adam Robinson

here 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. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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. 24

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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

championship. Look for a rowdy home crowd for the Tigers to be a difference in this game. 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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TOUCHDOWNALABAMA.NET

The Process By Adam Robinson

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

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s 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 announcement 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 Woodbridge (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.

Tide Trivia 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-Americans B. Only Namath was named All-American C. Only Alexander was named All-American D. Neither was ever named All-American 1. a 2. c 3. d 4. a 5. d

Answers:

Gridiron Grub Baked Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients:

3 cups diced cooked rotisserie chicken 2 (8 once) packaged cream cheese Softened 3/4 cup hot pepper sauce (such as Frankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s RedHot) 1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese 1/2 cup blue cheese dressing

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese 1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay) 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste 2 tablespoons shredded pepper jack cheese 1 pinch cayenne pepper, for garnish

Photo by Cedric Mason

Directions:

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1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 2. Combine chicken, cream cheese, hot pepper sauce, cup pepper jack cheese, blue cheese dressing, crumbled blue cheese, seafood seasoning, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. 3. Transfer chicken mixture to a 9-inch round baking dish and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons pepper jack cheese 4. Bake until lightly browned, 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and garnish with cayenne Pepper. Servings: 8 This is a quick and easy appetizer that will be a crowd pleaser! Serve with celery and crackers. ROLL TIDE!! TOUCHDOWNALABAMA.NET

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Recruit of the Month

Cameron Robinson

Recruit of the Month

By Stephen Smith

rom 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 29

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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 TOUCHDOWNALABAMA.NET

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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2013 SCHEDULE Date Opponet Aug 31 Virginia Tech Sep 14 @Texas A&M Sep 21 Colorado St. Sep 28 Ole Miss Oct 5 Georgia State Oct 12 @Kentucky Oct 19 Arkansas Oct 26 Tennessee Nov 9 LSU Nov 16 @Mississippi St. Nov 23 Chattanooga Nov 30 @Auburn

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Trent Richardson NFL'S NEWEST TOP 10 TALENT

Photography by Cedric Mason 32

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By Stephen Smith

verything 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 33

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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 100yard 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 jawdropping 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 AllAmerican, 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. TOUCHDOWNALABAMA.NET

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