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In This Issue

All content is the property of Touchdown Alabama Magazine. Touchdown Alabama Magazine reserves all rights to content in both the print and online (www.touchdownalabama.net) versions of the publication. No image or text may be reproduced without written consent from Touchdown Alabama Magazine.

8 Pregame Preview

10 Exclusive: Blast From the Past

12 Exclusive: The Team Behind the Scenes

14 JoePa and The Tide

16 Rosters

18 Pro Connections: Ozzie Newsome

21 Larry's Lowdown

22 Opposing Team

23 Player Spotlight: Robert Lester

26 SEC News

28 Tide Trivia

29 Recruit of the Week: Vinnie Sunseri

30 Tide Traditions

32 Quick Glance: Duke

34 Q & A:

36 My First Game

38 Tailgater of the Week

40 Catching Up with Billy Neighbors

42 Showing Pride in the Tide

September 9, 2010 | Volume 3, ISSue 2

StaffPresident/Publisher Bennie Bice

Editor-in-Chief Mike Lacy

Managing Editor Jessica TempleCopyeditor Micah Phillips

Photography BDL Matt Gaston Tim Bailey Rivals.com Flashlight Media Group

Creative Director Jenifer McCormickGraphic Design Cassandra Johnson Tramayne Wright Chief Information Officer Brian LaShombWebsite Designer Carey Landon

Public Relations Eric Hudson

Customer Relations Herb Neu National Sales Director George W. Garmon

Account Executives Rebecca Ashley Kimberly Carter Mike Long

Writers Jessica Brown Larry Burton Troy Farsoun Jennifer Gorham Mike Parker Coe Robbins Donald Staffo Chris Tubbs Thomas Watts

Reporters Johnathan McMath T.J. Paysinger

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6 | TOUCHDOWN ALABAMA September 9, 2010

Letter from the Editors:

Dear Readers: The Tide is on a roll for 2010 and we want to keep it going! This week is our first big game of the season. Even though it’s not an in-conference game, Penn State repre-sents a football legacy and presents a challenge as Alabama’s first ranked opponent this year. For those of you lucky enough to attend the opening game, we hope you felt at home in the expanded Bryant-Denny. We hope all of you enjoyed our expanded layout as well! As always, we need your feedback! Let us know what you love and what we need to work on. We are always up for new ideas from our readers, so let us know what you want to see in Touchdown Alabama! Next week the Tide travels to Duke, so subscribers can access our digital magazine at touchdownalabama.net.

Everyone is welcome to check out the site for the latest in Crimson Tide interviews, stories and photos. If you haven’t signed up for the 2010 season, it’s not too late! Subscribe today and have full access to all the away editions online, and get the home editions sent right to you! Roll Tide! Touchdown Alabama Magazine

Send Letters to:PO Box 3251Tuscaloosa, AL [email protected]: [email protected]

MISSION STATEMENT“Touchdown Alabama Magazine was created to bring Alabama football fans the coverage of their team that they crave and expect, as well as to bring them closer to the action on the field. The University of Alabama has a long college football history, rich with tradition. Each season has added more dynamic players and colorful stories to the Alabama family. It is only fitting that a program with 13 National Championships should have a weekly magazine dedicated to conveying the excitement of the game to its devoted fans. Touchdown Alabama Magazine strives to be the most up-to-date, relevant and exciting magazine covering University of Alabama football. Furthermore, we guarantee in-depth articles, exclusive interviews and quality content surrounding the Crimson Tide. We will never forget who we generate this magazine for... you, the fan. God bless.”

ON THE COVERTrent Richardson#3 So. RB 5-11/220 Trent Richardson racked up 751 yards rushing and eight touchdowns as a true freshman last season and is starting off strong again this time around. With Heisman winner Mark Ingram out with an injury, Richardson stated in the opening game. He amassed 146 all-purpose yards against San Jose State, including a 34-yard kick return, 3 receptions for 46 yards and 66 rushing yards. He scored two touch-downs. Richardson, from Pensacola, Fla., won the Johnny Musso Offensive Back Award following 2010 spring practice. Photography by Time Bailey.

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Website: Touchdownalabama.net

Pregame Preview

RETURN OF THE

RIVALS:Big Ten

vs.SEC

Pregame Preview

Two powerhouses will go head-to-head and only one will come out on top

touchdownalabama.net | 9

Two historical rivals meet again for a game to go down in the history books. On Sept. 11, Penn State ventures into Bryant-Denny Stadium to slug it out against the Tide for the first time in two decades. Although

most freshmen at the Capstone were not even born the year Penn State shut out Alabama 9-0 in a frustrating loss, they will witness a tradition come alive.

Penn State has a legend in their midst. Joe Paterno, also known as “JoePa,” is starting his 45th season with the Penn State Nittany Lions. He has surpassed Paul “Bear” Bryant for the most career wins in football history. This game will hold a special place for many Tide fans because Paterno coached against the legendary “Bear” Bryant and he is a link to an era that is unforgettable and close to the hearts of thousands.

The last time Penn State and Alabama duked it out was the 1990 homecoming game where the Tide faced a shut-out. The Nittany Lions didn’t even score a touchdown, but won by three field goals.

The Nittany Lions have several fresh faces on the field this season. One new face in particular, Rob Bolden, has fans on both sides taking a second look. Paterno reveals to gopsusports.com what makes Bolden shine.

“Let me put it this way,” Paterno said. “He got here in May, and when you come in and learn a new system at quarterback it's like learning a new language. We had to put that program together to help him learn. He learned Spanish this week. Next week, he has to learn Mandarin-Chinese, and be fluent in it on the road [against Bama].”

Bolden made a dazzling premier last week against Youngstown State. He threw for 239 yards and two touchdowns. He is the first true freshman to start for Paterno in a season opener. Another player to watch for is the one Bolden connected with, and that is 6-foot-6 wide receiver, Brett Brackett.

Brackett was recently named a captain of the Nittany Lions and had a career-best 22-yard touchdown reception

last week against Youngstown State. When asked about the Alabama game he had some insight into what the team needs to work on coming into this weekend.

“We have a lot to do this week: working on chemistry, working on timing, working on all that stuff,” Brackett told gopsusports.com. “It's going to be a tremendous challenge and we are excited for the opportunity, but we really have to work hard and focus on the little things and we'll see what happens.”

Senior kicker Collin Wagner hit a career-best kick at 49 yards during the season opener and told gopsusports.com the standards he has for himself.

“Anything inside 50 yards I expect myself to make; whether it is 25 yards or 48 yards,” Wagner admitted.

The Crimson Tide is coming off a win against San Jose State in which the Heisman-Trophy winner, Mark Ingram, had to sit out because of a knee problem. Sophomore running back Trent Richardson stepped in for Ingram and totaled 114 yards, 68 rushing and 46 through the air. While most expect Ingram to be back in full swing this week, the Nittany Lions have had their eye on Richardson and are prepared.

“They have Richardson back there,” senior linebacker Bani Gbadyu told gopsusports.com. “I think he is unbelievable. I have been watching him on film a lot. They are not going to miss a beat with Richardson in.”

Senior quarterback Greg McElroy didn’t disappoint when he completed 13-of-15 passes for 218 yards and one touchdown against the Spartans. Linebacker Dont’a Hightower revealed to rolltide.com that all the team needs is to get rest and treatment to get ready for Penn State.

This game is sure to meet fans’ expectations and live up to the

hype swirling around this battle. When his team clenched the national title of the 1978 season from the Nittany Lions, Bryant said, "There is only one team that could have stopped Penn State on the goal line and that team is Alabama.”

This week, we will see if the same holds true in 2010.

When his team clenched the national title of the 1978 season from the Nittany Lions, Bryant said, "There is only one team that could have stopped Penn State on the goal line and that team is Alabama."

Jennifer Gorham


Some Alabama football games are played every year, and every year, Tide fans look forward to playing

teams like Mississippi State, Tennessee, and Auburn. They can feel safe in knowing that next season, they will be playing them again. Some games, though, are fairly rare.

This Saturday is indeed one of those rare games, as the Nittany Lions have not squared off against the Crimson Tide since 1990, Coach Stallings’ first season as Alabama Head Coach. While that game was fairly disastrous for the Tide (a 9-0 loss in front of 70,000 fans at Bryant-Denny Stadium), Alabama has managed to fend off Penn State

with a 9-5 all-time record.

Visiting LegendWhile this winning record

officially started with Coach Xen C. Scott in 1922, Coach Paul Bryant was responsible for several early wins, despite an initial loss at the Liberty Bowl in 1959. The Tide had Coach Bryant, but the Nittany Lions still have their own prolific head coach in the shape of Joe Paterno.

Both coaches are in fact quite similar. Paterno, regu-larly referred to as JoePa, is as much an institution at Penn State as Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant is to Alabama. Bryant had a winning average of .78 with a 25-year career at Alabama, and Paterno

has managed to keep a .751 average and is now in his 45th year as head coach. That means every coach since Bryant who has led the Tide against the Lions has faced the same man: Joe Paterno. Coaches Bryant and Bill Curry were both able to fend off Paterno without a single loss, while Ray Perkins and Gene Stallings weren’t quite as lucky.

Bringing JoePa and his Nittany Lions back to Tuscaloosa is like importing a legend to challenge the champions. While the Nittany Lions aren’t the fiercest competitors in the league, they do consistently win games, and have been doing so for 45 years. The Crimson Tide, on the other hand, have just relearned to believe in their head coach after

Exclusive

Penn State: Blast from the Past

Chris Tubbs


years of mediocrity and vacated wins. It’s the expectation of a win versus the strength to earn a win.

The Crimson Tide is the reigning BCS Champion; however, Alabama had to pull itself from a period of stagnation into greatness, and that’s much easier said than done. The Tide is not yet convinced that they can sail by the success of the previous season. They know full well that it takes work to get to the national title game.

Reliving the PastFor many Alabama fans, the

Texas Longhorns will always be a team worth playing. Some-thing about playing a team for the national title leaves lasting effects on the fans. The same can be said for Penn State. In 1978, Alabama not only reached the National Championship game, but played, and beat,

Penn State for the title. For fans that remember that game, Penn State is that final obstacle, that last villain left to be conquered before greatness is attained. Every chance to replay the Lions is yet another time to relive that past glory.

While many students currently attending the Univer-sity of Alabama weren’t even alive the last time the Tide played Penn State, competition against the Lions was indeed a fact of life in the 80s, when the teams met on the gridiron for ten years straight. So, playing the Lions is a blast from the past for many Alabama fans. It means hearkening back to a decade of success, which does nothing if not instill trust and hope for the decade of college football to come.

Relating to the PresentA lot has changed since 1990.

The last time Penn State came to town, Bryant-Denny seated only 70,123 fans, and Alabama played many of its game at Legion Field in Birmingham. But Penn State’s return to Alabama marks a villain’s return to the fray. If this game can’t bring the past and the present together, nothing can.

This isn’t just any ordinary game. Just because it’s not Auburn, Florida or Tennessee, doesn’t mean it’s not one of the biggest games of the season. If any game deserves fans, it has to be this one.

Not pleasant, quiet fans who sit in their seat for the duration of game, but loud, dedicated, enthusiastic fans that can be heard from far outside the stadium, fans that scream so loud at their television that they can be heard down the street. Basi-cally, fans just itching to belt out “Rammer Jammer” at the end of the game.

AlAbAmA vs. Penn stAte All-time RecoRddate score Alabama Head coachNovember 4, 1922 W UA 9 - Penn 7 Xen C. ScottDecember 19, 1959 L UA 0 - Penn 7 Paul ‘Bear’ BryantDecember 31, 1975 W UA 13 - Penn 6 Paul ‘Bear’ BryantJanuary 1, 1979 W UA 14 - Penn 7 Paul ‘Bear’ BryantNovember 14, 1981 W UA 31 - Penn16 Paul ‘Bear’ BryantOctober 9, 1982 W UA 42 - Penn 21 Paul ‘Bear’ BryantOctober 8, 1983 L UA 28 - Penn 34 Ray PerkinsOctober 13, 1984 W UA 6 - Penn 0 Ray PerkinsOctober 12, 1985 L UA 17 - Penn 19 Ray PerkinsOctober 25, 1986 L UA 3 - Penn 23 Ray PerkinsSeptember 12, 1987 W UA 24 - Penn 13 Bill CurryOctober 22, 1988 W UA 8 - Penn 3 Bill CurryOctober 28, 1989 W UA 17 - Penn 16 Bill CurryOctober 27, 1990 L UA 0 - Penn 9 Gene Stallings


Exclusive

The Team Behind the Scenes

G etting a win is a team effort for the Crimson Tide. But it takes an even bigger team just to get that team on the field each week. Paul Wuebold joined the UA team as Executive Director

of Facilities and Grounds Operations a year and a half ago.

He can’t guarantee a win, but it is his job to make sure the game experience is an enjoyable one for fans. From making sure the lights come on for night games to having enough trash cans to handle the expanded stadium, he works to make game days go smoothly and allow campus to return to a normal by Monday morning.

According to their mission statement, the facilities department exists “to provide an attractive, clean, comfortable, safe and healthy environment that is well maintained and func-tional for use by the University of Alabama community as we work, learn and live.” Considering that the University has over 30,000 students and employees, and becomes home to four times that many on Saturdays in the fall, that’s a big job. Wuebold’s team coordinates facility maintenance, transportation, vendors, custodial services and grounds keeping to create a positive environment for the game day experi-ence. It’s a job he takes seriously.

“I would say we are the warm-up band for

game day,” he said.Wuebold said his department makes and

important contribution to the overall game day experience, and he is proud to be a pert of it.

“The dedication, spirit and excitement of the fans when they show up days before game day,” is one of his favorite things about Alabama. “But most of all on game day when the motorcade comes through University and sirens are blaring, and fans [are] cheering just gives me chills and a sense of pride to be apart of this university,” he said.

Wuebold said his team has to get an early start to preparing for each home game.

“It begins on Wednesday before game day, starting with restroom trailers being positioned and ready for use, power outlets connected and

PHOTO (ABOVE) BY BDL

Rebecca Ashley

touchdownalabama.net | 13PHOTO (RIGHT) BY REBECCA ASHLEY

placed in approved areas for tailgating, recycle and garbage receptacles are placed through out campus, reserved tailgating and vendor areas are marked [and] grounds are landscaped and refreshed.”

They work until the last minute, on Friday at 6 pm, when tailgaters flood the campus.

Wuebold said he can’t compare this year to past seasons at UA, since he is new in town, but compared to other university communities he’s lived in, “the fan base here is electrified with loyalty and enthusiasm I have not experi-

enced with any other university.”Wuebold says he is looking

forward to a good season, especially for junior running back and Heisman winner Mark Ingram. Ingram was one of the highlights for Wuebold last year.

“Anytime Mark Ingram got the football I knew something magical would happen that defied odds, laws of gravity and physics.”

Wuebold suggest that to make the most of the game day experience, fans should visit the University’s game day site at uagameday.com.

“The dedication, spirit and excitement of the fans when they show up days before game day,” is one of his favorite things about Alabama. “But most of all on game day when the motorcade comes through University and sirens are blaring, and fans [are] cheering just gives me chills and a sense of pride to be apart of this university.” -Paul Wuebold


Larry Burton

JoePa and the Tide:An in-depth look at the history between Alabama and Penn State

This week the Crimson Tide and Nittany Lions re-unite in a rivalry that hasn’t been played for over 20 years. It has always been a rivalry based on

respect and mutual admiration.That respect and mutual admiration has

been based mostly on the reputations of the coaches who have guided their teams into those contests.

Few men and fewer coaches are admired more than Joe Paterno and this sentiment extends to most of the Bama fans.

So let’s take a look at the series that is about to be renewed, along with the results during the Joe Paterno era that saw him face off with Alabama coaches from Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant on.

Dec. 31st, 1975 – Sugar Bowl – #4 Alabama met #8 Penn State

Alabama won the game 13-6 in a defensive struggle that marked the first meeting of JoePa and the Bear.

Penn State could never get the offense going and on the best chance they had to tie the game up, Penn State QB Jon Andress got picked off by Bama defensive back Mark Prudhomme on the Bama six yard line.

JoePa would comment later that Alabama had the better team and Penn State just needed a break they never got. Penn State wound up 9-3 and finished tenth while the Tide finished third that year.

Jan. 1st, 1979 – Sugar Bowl – National Championship Game

Prior to the game, both coaches spoke of what a great coach the other was and what a great team the other had. Coming

Larry Burton


continued on page 45

into that game, Penn State was number one and Alabama was number two.

It was a rare match up of number one and two meeting and it was another defensive struggle. It is a game that will be remembered as one of the best championship games ever played.

Alabama had played over the heads on defense the entire game and with the win on the line late in the fourth quarter and Penn State right on the goal line, the Tide players told the Lions, “You’d better pass because you aren’t going to run it in on us.”

Paterno wanted to throw the ball on fourth down and goal from the one, following three great run stops by the Tide, but was talked out of it by his assistants.

On fourth down Barry Kraus stopped PSU running back Matt Suhey at the one foot line in the famous goal line stand since immortalized in legend and paintings.

It gave Alabama the National Championship, but left Penn State with nothing to be ashamed of. It made Penn State a team revered by Alabama fans as full of class and one tough team and coach.

Later Paterno would say of the game that it was one of the most intense games he ever participated in and that neither team gave an inch without a fight. He said it was indeed a game between two champions.

Coach Bryant called it one of the most defining games of his life, and said it showed what heart and class are all about.

Nov. 14th, 1981 – Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pa.

By now coaches Bryant and Paterno were good friends, and both thought they should schedule another game to keep this rivalry alive. Neither knew at the time they scheduled it that the game would have such high-ranking teams meeting and such ramifications for the loser.

The Tide was ranked number six and

Penn State was 7-1 and ranked in the top 10, but the crushing 31-16 game killed any hope of Penn State making it to a title game.

After the game Paterno said that you have to find something good in every game to learn from and maybe his team has now learned they need to work a lot harder.

Oct. 9th, 1982 – Legion Field, Birmingham, Ala.

Stung by the lopsided loss the year before, the Nittany Lions did indeed go back to work. They entered the game ranked number three in the nation and the Tide was ranked number four.

It was just one more game with big national ramifications between these two.

This game was actually close for most of the game until Jeremiah Casteele intercepted a forth quarter pass from Todd Blackledge with the Tide ahead 24-21. They would pour on 18 fourth-quarter points and make the game look much worse than it really was.

In an ironic twist of football fate, the Tide would crush PSU 42-21 and drop State to eighth in the polls. However, the Lions regrouped to win six in a row, including a Sugar Bowl win over number

one Georgia and went on to take the National Championship. Meanwhile, Alabama fell apart and lost four of their next seven games, barely finishing in the top 20.

Oct. 8th, 1983 – Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pa.

This game saw Alabama come in as the nation’s fourth-rated team against an unranked PSU squad. Alabama fans had reason to feel confident the streak would continue against a Penn State team that had struggles earlier in the year.

It was also a game with a new Alabama coach, Ray Perkins.

Alabama had their chances to win the game and the game was mired in controversy. With eight seconds left to and trailing 28-34, Alabama tight end Preston Gothard was ruled out of the end zone with a catch that would have won the game with an extra point. The replay, however, showed that he was clearly in bounds and was robbed of a touchdown.

Then, in a game of true reversals of history, it was Alabama with just one second left on the two yard line and just one more chance to win it.

Just as Alabama had once defeated Penn State with a goal line stand, this time Alabama running back Kerry Goode was stopped at the one by Greg Gattuso and cornerback Mark Fruehan.

That loss spiraled Alabama down the polls and they would lose three more times to finish 8-4 and fifteenth in the final poll that year.


Alabama vowed revenge and got it with a 6-0 win in a defensive slugfest.

Penn State was eleventh in the nation and Bama was unranked. Just as the previous year’s loss caused Alabama to spiral down, this loss was the beginning of the end for Penn State, who went on to lose four of the final six games and barely have a winning season at 6-5.

The win was a bright spot for Alabama,

PHOTO FROM THE PATRIOT-NEWS

NO NAME P CLS HT WT HOMETOWN LAST SCHOOL 82 Earl Alexander WR SR 6-4 207 Phenix City, Ala. Central 19 Jonathan Atchison LB FR 6-2 228 Atlanta, Ga. Douglass 31 John Baites TE JR 6-4 235 Hendersonville, Tenn. Beech 4 Mark Barron DE JR 6-2 210 Mobile, Ala. St. Paul’s 7 Kenny Bell WR FR 6-1 172 Rayville, La. Rayville 86 Undra Billingsley TE/DL SO 6-2 269 Birmingham, Ala. Woodlawn 69 David Blalock OL JR 6-5 255 Charlotte, N.C. Providence 93 Chris Bonds DL FR 6-4 263 Columbia, S.C. Richland Northeast 67 John Michael Boswell OL JR 6-5 291 Northport, Ala. Tuscaloosa County 88 Michael Bowman WR SO 6-4 225 Rossville, Ga. Ridgeland 37 Hardie Buck WR SO 5-9 184 Birmingham, Ala. Vestavia Hills 87 Drew Bullard LB JR 6-3 232 Florence, Ala. Florence 34 Hunter Bush DE SO 5-11 181 Wetumpka, Ala. Wetumpka 20 Nate Carlson RB JR 6-4 230 Birmingham, Ala. Air Force 77 James Carpenter OL SR 6-5 300 Augusta, Ga. Coffeyville CC 33 Caleb Castille DE FR 5-11 163 Birmingham, Ala. Briarwood Christian 99 Josh Chapman DL JR 6-1 310 Hoover, Ala. Hoover 57 Marcell Dareus DL JR 6-4 306 Huffman, Ala. Huffman 96 Luther Davis DL SR 6-3 279 West Monroe, La. West Monroe 51 Michael DeJohn LB SR 6-1 237 Hoover, Ala. Hoover 85 Preston Dial TE SR 6-3 237 Mobile, Ala. UMS-Wright 40 DeMarcus DuBose LB JR 6-1 240 Montgomery, Ala. Jefferson Davis 13 Rob Ezell WR SR 5-10 172 Athens, Ala. Athens 76 D.J. Fluker OL FR 6-6 340 Foley, Ala. Foley 43 Cade Foster PK FR 6-1 221 Southlake, Texas Southlake Carroll 45 Jalston Fowler RB/LB FR 6-1 236 HS Mobile, Ala. Vigor 10 John Fulton DE FR 6-0 179 Manning, S.C. Manning 95 Colin Gallagher PK SR 5-10 194 Atlanta, Ga. Marist 58 Nick Gentry DL JR 6-1 282 Prattville, Ala. Prattville 6 Demetrius Goode RB JR 5-10 191 LaGrange, Ga. Hargrave Academy 25 Corey Grant RB FR 5-9 186 Opelika, Ala. Opelika 23 Robby Green DE JR 6-0 181 New Orleans, La. John Curtis Christian 15 Darius Hanks WR JR 6-0 184 Norcross, Ga. Norcross 54 Glenn Harbin DL/LB SO 6-5 260 SQ Mobile, Ala. McGill-Toolen 48 Rowdy Harrell LB JR 6-0 213 Moundville, Ala. Hale County 5 Jerrell Harris LB JR 6-3 231 Gadsden, Ala. Gadsden City 30 Dont’a Hightower LB SO 6-4 260 Lewisburg, Tenn. Marshall County 15 Mark Holt DE SR 6-1 172 Muscle Shoals, Ala. Muscle Shoals 21 Ben Howell RB SO 5-9 193 Gordo, Ala. Gordo 42 Adrian Hubbard LB FR 6-6 227 Lawrenceville, Ga. Norcross 22 Mark Ingram RB JR 5-10 215 Flint, Mich. Southwestern Academy 62 Brandon Ivory DL FR 6-4 335 Memphis, Tenn. East 35 Nico Johnson LB SO 6-3 238 Andalusia, Ala. Andalusia 57 Aaron Joiner OL SO 6-2 258 Florence, Ala. Florence 75 Barrett Jones OL SO 6-5 301 Memphis, Tenn. Evangelical Christian 40 Harrison Jones TE FR 6-4 235 Germantown, Tenn. Evangelical Christian 8 Julio Jones WR JR 6-4 220 Foley, Ala. Foley 9 Phelon Jones DE JR 5-11 199 Moblie, Ala. LSU 36 Chris Jordan LB JR 6-3 232 Brentwood, Tenn. Brentwood Academy 43 Sam Kearns DE JR 5-6 156 Mobile, Ala. McGill-Toolen 26 Kendall Kelly WR FR 6-3 214 Gadsden, Ala. Gadsden City 10 J.B. Kern LB SR 6-1 232 Dove Canyon, Calif. Mission Viejo 21 Dre Kirkpatrick DE SO 6-3 190 Gadsden, Ala. Gadsden City 59 Arie Kouandjio OL FR 6-5 335 Beltsville, Md. DeMatha Catholic 42 Eddie Lacy RB FR 6-0 212 Geismar, La. Dutchtown 37 Robert Lester DE SO 6-2 206 Foley, Ala. Foley 95 Brandon Lewis DL JR 6-3 274 Pleasant Grove, Ala. East Mississippi CC 78 Chad Lindsay OL FR 6-2 277 The Woodlands, Texas The Woodlands72 Tyler Love OL SO 6-6 304 Mountain Brook, Ala. Mountain Brook

NO NAME P CLS HT WT HOMETOWN LAST SCHOOL 29 Will Lowery DE JR 5-9 188 Hoover, Ala. Hoover 7 Keiwone Malone WR FR 5-11 165 Memphis, Tenn. Mitchell 32 Cody Mandell P FR 6-4 201 Lafayette, La. Acadiana 33 Mike Marrow RB FR 6-2 235 Holland, Ohio Central Catholic 4 Marquis Maze WR JR 5-10 182 Birmingham, Ala. Tarrant 24 Nathan McAlister WR FR 5-11 165 Russellville, Ala. Russellville 10 A.J. McCarron QB FR 6-4 190 Mobile, Ala. St. Paul’s Episcopal School 52 Alfred McCullough OL JR 6-2 309 Athens, Ala. Athens 12 Greg McElroy QB SR 6-3 225 Southlake, Texas Southlake Carroll 24 DeQuan Menzie DE JR 6-0 195 Columbus, Ga. Copiah-Lincoln CC 28 DeMarcus Milliner DE FR 6-1 182 Millbrook, Ala. Stanhope Elmore 56 William Ming DL FR 6-3 263 Athens, Ala. Athens 97 Brandon Moore DL FR 6-5 305 Montgomery, Ala. Carver 32 C.J. Mosley LB FR 6-2 225 Theodore, Ala. Theodore 66 Brian Motley OL SR 6-3 289 Autaugaville, Ala. Autaugaville 64 Kerry Murphy DL SO 6-4 319 Hoover, Ala. Hargrave/Hoover 46 Wesley Neighbors DE SO 6-1 205 Huntsville, Ala. Huntsville 83 Kevin Norwood WR FR 6-2 187 D’Iberville, Miss. D’Iberville 18 Morgan Ogilvie QB FR 6-0 198 Mountain Brook, Ala. Mountain Brook 53 Anthony Orr DL FR 6-4 268 Madison, Ala. Sparkman 2 Tana Patrick LB FR 6-3 231 Bridgeport, Ala. North Jackson 39 Kyle Pennington DE JR 5-11 188 Chatom, Ala. Washington County 27 Nick Perry DE FR 6-1 193 Prattville, Ala. Prattville 3 Trent Richardson RB SO 5-11 220 Pensacola, Fla. Escambia 74 David Ross OL SR 6-3 302 Homewood, Ala. Homewood 1 B.J. Scott DE SO 5-11 193 Prichard, Ala. Vigor 94 Darrington Sentimore DL FR 6-3 261 Norco, La. Destrehan 90 Jeremy Shelley PK SO 5-10 165 Raleigh, N.C. Broughton 79 Austin Shepherd OL FR 6-5 307 Buford, Ga. North Gwinnett 18 Blake Sims A FR 6-0 195 Gainesville, Ga. Gainesville 14 Phillip Sims QB FR 6-2 214 Chesapeake, Va. Oscar Smith 71 Allen Skelton OL SO 6-1 261 Coker, Ala. Tuscaloosa County 17 Brad Smelley TE JR 6-3 227 Tuscaloosa, Ala. American Christian 38 Petey Smith LB FR 6-1 250 Tampa, Fla. Armwood 92 Damion Square DL SO 6-3 284 Houston, Texas Yates 61 Anthony Steen OL FR 6-3 292 Lambert, Miss. Lee Academy 47 Ed Stinson LB/DL FR 6-4 252 Homestead, Fla. South Dade 46 William Strickland WR JR 6-0 188 Tuscaloosa, Ala. Northridge 47 Logan Thomas WR SR 6-3 206 Houston, Texas Cyrpress Creek 51 Carson Tinker ST SO 6-1 220 Murfreesboro, Tenn. Riverdale 26 Nick Tinker RB FR 5-10 215 Ralph, Ala. Tuscaloosa County 87 Chris Underwood TE SO 6-4 238 Vestavia Hills, Ala. Vestavia Hills 41 Courtney Upshaw LB JR 6-2 263 Eufaula, Ala. Eufaula 73 William Vlachos OL JR 6-1 289 Birmingham, Ala. Mountain Brook 84 Brian Vogler TE FR 6-7 242 Columbus, Ga. Brookstone 65 Chance Warmack OL SO 6-3 300 Atlanta, Ga. Westlake 91 Alex Watkins LB JR 6-3 232 Brownsville, Tenn. Haywood 49 Ranzell Watkins DE FR 5-9 168 Charlotte, N.C. Independence 2 DeAndrew White WR FR 6-0 180 Houston, Texas North Shore 55 Chavis Williams LB SR 6-4 223 Dora, Ala. Dora 60 David Williams OL SO 6-3 267 Duncanville, Ala. Hillcrest 20 Jarrick Williams DE FR 6-1 203 Mobile, Ala. Blount 44 Jay Williams P FR 6-3 208 Thomasville, Ala. Thomasville 63 Kellen Williams OL FR 6-3 307 Lawrenceville, Ga. Brookwood 89 Michael Williams TE SO 6-6 270 Reform, Ala. Pickens County 9 Nick Williams WR FR 5-10 179 Fort Lauderdale, Fla. St. Thomas Aquinas

Alabama Football Roster


NO NAME P CLS HT WT HOMETOWN LAST SCHOOL 38 Tyler Ahrenhold SS JR 6-0 185 Blue Bell, Pa. Chestnut Hill Academy 73 Mark Arcidiacono G FR 6-4 279 Holland, Pa. St. Joseph’s Prep 28 Drew Astorino SS JR 5-10 193 Edinboro, Pa. General McLane 67 Quinn Barham T JR 6-3 298 Durham, N.C. Hillside 83 Brad Bars DE FR 6-3 223 Nashville, Tenn. Montgomery Bell Academy 84 Kyle Baublitz DE FR 6-5 248 York, Pa. Central York 3 Brandon Beachum RB JR 6-0 225 Struthers, Oh Cardinal Mooney 1 Robert Bolden QB FR 6-4 208 Orchard Lake, Mich. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 83 Brett Brackett WR SR 6-6 246 Lawrenceville, N.J. Lawrence 19 Justin Brown WR SO 6-3 216 Wilmington, Del. Concord 45 Alex Butterworth K FR 5-10 192 Indianapolis, Ind. Heritage Christian 76 Nate Cadogan T FR 6-5 297 Portsmouth, Ohio Portsmouth 40 Glenn Carson FB/LB FR 6-3 237 Manahawkin, N.J. Southern Regional 96 Cody Castor DE SO 6-3 261 Uniontown, Pa. Uniontown Area 51 Patrick Christie OL FR 6-5 255 Carlisle, Pa. Boiling Springs 48 Chris Colasanti LB SR 6-2 241 Leonard, Mich. Brother Rice 81 Jack Crawford DE JR 6-5 256 Longport, N.J. St. Augustine 13 Andrew Dailey SS JR 6-2 217 Massillon, Ohio Washington 24 Derek Day RB SO 5-9 196 Bellefonte, Pa. Central Dauphin 39 Jesse Della Valle CB FR 6-1 182 Pittsburgh, Pa. Shaler Area 31 Nick Delligatti LB FR 6-0 206 Grove City, Pa. Grove City 65 Miles Dieffenbach C FR 6-3 290 Pittsburgh, Pa. Fox Chapel 7 Curtis Drake WR SO 5-11 172 Philadelphia, Pa. West Philadelphia Catholic 24 Jonathan Duckett SS FR 6-1 193 Harrisburg, Pa. Bishop McDevitt 26 Curtis Dukes TB FR 6-1 237 Evans Mills, N.Y. Indian River 33 Andre Dupree FB FR 5-10 224 Waldorf, Md. North Point 77 Lou Eliades G/T SR 6-4 310 Ocean, N.J. Ocean Township 57 Emery Etter KS FR 6-1 230 Chambersburg, Pa. Chambersburg Area 27 Jacob Fagnano SS SO 6-0 203 Wiliamsport, Pa. Williamsport 78 Mike Farrell T SO 6-6 303 Pittsburgh, Pa. Shady Side Academy 30 Anthony Fera PK FR 6-2 210 Cypress, Texas St. Pius X 62 Frank Figueroa G FR 6-3 285 San Antonio, Texas Thomas Edison 49 A.J. Firestone FR 6-0 222 Mercersburg, Pa. Mercersburg Academy 11 Khairi Fortt LB FR 6-2 233 Stamford, Conn. Stamford 44 Michael Fuhrman KS SO 5-10 215 Pittsburgh, Pa. North Allegheny 15 Bani Gbadyu LB SR 6-1 241 Gaithersburg, Md. Quince Orchard 89 Garry Gilliam TE FR 6-6 263 Carlisle, Pa. Milton Hershey 18 Andrew Goodman WR SO 6-0 185 Philadelphia, Pa. George Washington 79 Luke Graham OL FR 6-4 278 Harrison City, Pa. Penn Trafford 21 Stephfon Green TB JR 5-10 197 Bronx, N.Y. John F. Kennedy 58 Adam Gress T FR 6-6 293 West Mifflin, Pa. West Mifflin 75 Evan Hailes DT FR 6-1 307 Chesapeake, Va. Oscar F. Smith 82 Kevin Haplea TE FR 6-4 243 Annandale, N.J. North Hunterdon 47 Jordan Hill DT SO 6-1 309 Steelton, Pa. Steelton-Highspire 6 Gerald Hodges LB SO 6-2 228 Paulsboro, NJ Paulsboro 60 Ty Howle C FR 290 Wake Forest, NC Bunn 43 Mike Hull LB FR 6-0 211 Canonsburg, Pa. Canon-McMillan 52 Brian Irvin DE SO 6-3 240 Orrtanna, Pa. Gettysburg 36 Kyle Johnson SS JR 6-0 192 Landenberg, Pa. Avon Grove 91 DaQuan Jones DT FR 6-3 309 Johnson City, N.Y. Johnson City Senior 10 Paul Jones QB FR 6-3 246 McKees Rocks, Pa. Sto-Rox 30 Ryan Keiser FR 6-1 191 Selinsgrove, Pa. Selinsgrove 15 Alex Kenney WR FR 6-0 190 State College, Pa. State College Area 4 Shawney Kersey WR FR 6-1 197 Woodbury, N.J. Woodbury 68 Doug Klopacz C SR 6-3 286 Hasbrouck Heights, N.J. St. Joseph Regional 72 Khamrone Kolb OL FR 6-5 335 Burke, Va. Lake Braddock Secondary 29 Kevin Kowalishen RB SO 5-10 187 Northampton, Pa. Northampton Area 17 Christian Kuntz WR FR 6-4 212 Camp Hill, Pa. Trinity44 Kevion Latham DE JR 6-2 252 Greensboro, N.C. Page

NO NAME P CLS HT WT HOMETOWN LAST SCHOOL 56 Eric Latimore DE JR 6-6 280 Middletown, Del. Middletown 14 Evan Lewis WR SO 5-10 182 Gettysburg, Pa. Gettysburg 8 D’ Anton Lynn CB JR 6-1 200 Celina, Texas Celina 88 J.D. Mason TE SO 6-4 208 Philipsburg, Pa. Philipsburg-Osceola 59 Pete Massaro DE SO 6-4 255 Newtown Square, Pa. Marple Newtown 63 Alex Mateas FR 6-3 310 Ottawa, Canada Ottawa Sooners 42 Michael Mauti LB SO 6-2 231 Mandeville, La. Mandeville 16 Shelton McCullough CB SR 6-0 193 Randallstown, Md. Randallstown 11 Matthew McGloin QB SO 6-1 209 Scranton, Pa. West Scranton 16 Shane McGregor QB SO 6-1 205 Ebensburg, Pa. Central Cambria 12 Stephon Morris CB SO 5-8 185 Greenbelt, Md. Eleanor Roosevelt 8 Brandon Moseby-Felder WR FR 6-2 176 Fort Washington, Md. Oxon Hill 6 Derek Moye WR JR 6-5 202 Rochester, Pa. Rochester 12 Kevin Newsome QB SO 6-2 225 Portsmouth, Va. Hargrave Military Academy 29 Russell Nye PK SO 6-0 170 State College, Pa. State College Area 23 Stephen Obeng-Agyapong SS FR 5-10 196 Bronx, N.Y. John F. Kennedy 85 Ollie Ogbu DT SR 6-1 285 Staten Island, N.Y. Milford Academy 52 Chimaeze Okoli T JR 6-4 293 Virginia Beach, Va. Salem 86 C.J. Olaniyan DE FR 6-3 229 Warren, Mich. Warren Mott 50 DeOn’tae Pannell G JR 6-5 317 Southfield, Mich. Groves 46 Ken Pollock LB SO 6-0 194 Dallas, Pa. Lake Lehman 2 Chaz Powell WR JR 6-1 196 New Freedom, Pa. Susquehannock 25 Silas Redd TB FR 200 Norwalk, Conn. King Low Heywood Thomas 41 J.R. Refice DL FR 6-0 265 Jessup, Pa. Valley View 55 Tom Ricketts OL FR 6-5 268 Wexford, Pa. North Allegheny 53 Jon Rohrbaugh KS JR 6-0 212 Ellicott City, Md. Howard 32 Dakota Royer LB FR 6-1 210 Lancaster, Pa. Manheim Central 22 Evan Royster TB SR 6-1 228 Fairfax, Va. Westfield 81 Ryan Scherer WR SO 5-8 167 Avon Lake, Ohio Avon Lake 75 Eric Shrive G FR 6-6 299 Scranton, Pa. West Scranton 20 Devon Smith WR SO 5-7 157 White Plains, Md. Westlake 28 David Soldner K SO 6-1 227 Lititz, Pa. Manheim Township 54 Matt Stankiewitch C SO 6-3 293 Orwigsburg, Pa. Blue Mountain 90 Sean Stanley DE SO 6-1 232 Rockville, Md. Gaithersburg 87 Jonathan Stewart TE JR 6-2 246 North Huntingdon, Pa Norwin 71 Devon Still DT JR 6-5 311 Wilmington, Del. Howard 34 Nathan Stupar LB JR 6-1 231 State College, Pa. State College Area 37 Joe Suhey RB JR 6-1 227 Deerfield, Ill. Loyola Academy 1 Nick Sukay SS JR 6-1 209 Mt. Pleasant, Pa. Greensburg Central Catholic 80 Andrew Szczerba TE JR 6-6 254 Wilmington, Del. Salesianum 93 James Terry DT SO 6-3 312 New Castle, Del. Brandywine 5 Derrick Thomas CB FR 6-0 178 Greenbelt, Md. Eleanor Roosevelt 27 Tariq Tongue WR FR 5-8 164 Flushing, N.Y. Holy Cross 70 Anthony Tortorelli G JR 6-0 261 State College, Pa. Haverford 74 Johnnie Troutman G JR 6-4 323 Brown Mills, N.J. Pemberton Township 64 John Urschel G FR 6-3 286 Williamsville, N.Y. Canisius 54 James Van Fleet LB SO 6-0 224 Williamsport, Pa. Loyalsock 19 Garrett Venuto QB FR 6-0 215 Ithaca, N.Y. Ithaca 36 Collin Wagner K SR 5-9 183 State College, Pa. State College Area 14 Mike Wallace CB FR 5-9 184 Silver Springs, Md. Good Counsel 99 Brandon Ware DT SO 6-3 337 Harrisburg, Pa. Harrisburg 13 Mark Wedderburn TE SO 6-6 226 Upper Darby Cardinal O’Hara 10 Malcolm Willis SS FR 5-1.5 217 Marbury, Md. Lackey 61 Stefen Wisniewski G/C SR 6-3 306 Bridgeville, Pa. Pittsburgh Central Catholic 33 Michael Yancich LB SO 6-2 236 Washington, Pa. Trinity 35 Pat Zerbe FB FR 6-1 236 West Lawn, Pa. Wilson 9 Michael Zordich LB SO 6-1 236 Canfield, Ohio Cardinal Mooney 5 Graham Zug WR SR 6-2 185 Manheim, Pa. Manheim Central 41 Zach Zwinak FB FR 6-1 227 Frederick, Md. Linganore

Penn State Football Roster



Pro Connections

Home Field Advantage

Ozzie Newsome’s Career from Tuscaloosa to Cleveland to Baltimore

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE BRYANT MUSEUM


Interview

Walking through the Ravens’ team facilities in Maryland might allow a fan to see such great players as Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. The walk would also

bring one past the office of Ozzie Newsome, the Ravens’ general manager. Originally from Muscle Shoals, Ala., he played tight end for the Crimson Tide under Bear Bryant from 1974-1977.

Newsome was an All-American selection after the 1977 season. He left the Capstone with 102 receptions for 2,070 receiving yards. His 20.3-yard average per catch was a Southeastern Conference record until the late 90s. Newsome also was enshrined in the College Hall of Fame in 1994.

Newsome’s prolific college career caught the eye of the Cleveland Browns, who drafted him in the first round of the 1978 draft. He made an immediate impact with the Browns, being named their Offensive Player of the Year as a rookie. He made it to the Pro Bowl in 1981, 1984 and 1985. The only pro team he ever suited up for was the Browns, and Newsome finished his career in 1990 with franchise records in receptions and yards. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.

Ozzie Newsome’s playing days ended in 1990, but he did not stay away from the game long. The Browns hired him as an executive in 1991, and he worked throughout the organization until 1996 when the team moved from Cleveland to Baltimore and became the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens named him their general manager in November of 2002. The move made Newsome the first African-American general manager in the NFL.

With Newsome at the helm, the team has been a perennial playoff contender with Super Bowl aspirations. The 2010 season is no exception. The Ravens added offensive talent with a trade for Anquan Boldin from the Cardinals and reinforced their powerful defensive line by drafting Terrence Cody in the third round of the draft. ESPN the Magazine recently picked the Ravens to win their division and go to the playoffs. The maga-zine also believes the Ravens will win the Super Bowl this year.

Newsome has always praised the University of Alabama. There has been rampant speculation that Newsome is inter-ested in returning to Alabama as athletics director after Mal Moore retires. During a speech at a luncheon for the Boy Scouts of America, Newsome said, “I am coming back at some point. I have a lot of work to do in Baltimore, but I am coming back.” When he was pressed about what job he might be interested in, he reiterated, “I am just coming back home.”

Ozzie Newsome’s life has been defined by his work on and around the gridiron. Whether it is with the Ravens, or back home with the Tide, his excellence will be shown through the teams he helps put on the field.

Thomas Watts

Collectible PhotographySigned Untitled Photo by Michael E. Palmer

In his days some thought of him as a giant walking the earth. Some thought of him as God incarnate, according to light-hearted

jokes of his time. But no doubt many revered “The Bear” as a great coach and motivator full of truth and wisdom. This is what comes to mind when viewing the original photograph called “Striking from Above” by the photogra-pher Michael E. Palmer. At dusk on a dark and stormy day Palmer captured a bolt of lightning piercing the clouds above Bryant-Denny Stadium. “As the clouds and wind swirled and the lightning flashed, it’s as if I could hear the old Bear growl ‘I ain’t ever been nothing but a winner,’” Palmer said.

Request your piece of history TODAY! Please send me Signed Untitled Photo by Michael Palmer for the low price of $95.00 + $7.95 postage & handling (total $102.95).

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The Lowdown

There is one undeniable fact that should send shivers of fear throughout the college foot-ball spine this upcoming year.

It's not that Alabama is a great team, everybody has accepted that. It's not that

the team landed yet another top recruiting class or has opened up the passing game either.

The one cold, brutal and undeniable fact is that this team will continue to mow down national powerhouses left and right with only one senior starter of any significance on it, and it will only be better the following year.

It's hard to play catch up when the team you're chasing has a stat like that.

The freshmen and sophomores who will play this year, and will continue to win, should almost all be back for 2011. Except next year, they'll be bigger, stronger and smarter.

If you can't beat them this year, what hope do you have next year?

It will be hard for many to comprehend the fact that Alabama, despite being the reigning National Champions, is still far from achieving the top of its potential.

This team that goes out every week and mauls other schools is still a work in progress, a team that has yet to reach the limits of its capabilities.

For those wise enough to understand that, it's just downright scary, unless you're a Crimson Tide fan.

As thrilled as coaches are with Greg McElroy, they are even more excited to see what the other two great backup quarterbacks can do after another year of schooling.

So for anyone thinking that Alabama will be doomed

to have a "rookie" starting quarterback, all they have to do is remember that McElroy himself went 12-0 as a "rookie" starting QB, and the coaches all feel the next could do the same.

Despite returning almost the entire offense and a large portion of the defense from last year, Alabama is one of the youngest teams in the South Eastern Conference and may be losing the fewest number of seniors.

If they beat you with their "babies," then can you imagine the beating they'll dish out once they've peaked?

Yes, Alabama may lose some juniors to the NFL draft. That happens when you have the top talent on your team, but there are youngsters there with just as great a talent factor just waiting for the chance to show it off.

These are heady days to be a Crimson Tide fan right now, and as you watch this team proceed through the season this year, get used to them.

You'll see them again next year.

LOWDOWN

Larry’s

LOWDOWN

Something That Should SCArE the rest of College Football for This Year and Next...


Larry Burton

22 | TOUCHDOWN ALABAMA September 9, 2010 PHOTO (LEFT) FROM THE PATRIOT-NEWS, 2009PHOTO (RIGHT) FROM WWW.NITTANYWHITEOUT.COM

Opponents

Views From the Other SideJennifer Gorham

The quarterback controversy at Penn State is over.

True freshman Robert Bolden will start under center for Nittany Lions, becoming the first freshman QB to do so since Wally Richardson in 1992. Beating out Matt McGloin, Kevin Newsome, and Paul Jones, he will now be faced with the task of replacing the wayward Daryll Clark, who remains the all-time leader in touchdowns for the Lions.

After naming his starting quarterback, head coach Joe Paterno elaborated on his decision: "Based on what we have seen to this point, Bolden has a slight edge right now, but we are confident all three quarter-backs are ready to go and hope to give them an opportunity to play until we settle on the one that gives us the best chance to win.”

A former four-star recruit out of Michigan, Bolden's play is consistent with the emerging dual-threat style, which should fit in perfectly with Paterno's spread offense. At 6' 3”, 221 pounds, Rivals.com tagged him as the second best dual-threat recruit in the nation, totaling over 1,000 yards rushing and over 2,000 yards passing in his high school career.

Though the Tide is familiar with stopping rushing quarterbacks, the young defense will have to learn quickly to deal with a player who is just as deadly with his legs as he is with his arm.

Among the first to test the strength of Alabama's returning offensive line will be the experienced front seven of the Penn State

Nittany Lions. With the play of defensive end Jack Crawford, Alabama running backs could be in for a world of hurt coming off the edge.

Crawford was just behind senior Ollie Ogbu with 5.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for a loss in 2009. The junior from Longport, N.J., has played in every game for the Lions since he arrived as a freshman. Ranked as the #15 defensive end by Scouts.com, Crawford was expected to play tight end due simply to his outstanding athleticism and versatility. After packing on another fifteen pounds to his 6' 5” frame, the 256-pound junior looks to display his offseason progression.

With Alabama returning nine starters on offense, Penn State will try their mettle against the reigning national champions. Both Ogbu and Crawford are capable pass-rushers in their own right, but should either draw double-teams from the Tide's offensive line, quarterback Greg McElroy could be in for a long day. Crawford seems to possess the extra quickness, and if he's not given the kind of attention a player of his level deserves he could be playing most of the game in Alabama's own backfield.

Robert Bolden, #1, QBJack Crawford, #81, DE

Freshman QB Robert Bolden: A Double Threat

Jack Crawford Demands Attention

Player Spotlight

Coe Robbins

Lester Looks to Make an ImpactHead Coach Nick Saban had been preaching all

throughout the offseason about the secondary and one thing they all have in common: inexperience.

In Robert Lester’s mind, it will be a learning process. He knows he will make some mistakes and Saban says that is the best way to grow. That growth needs to be fast, though, and Lester says it is very important when tougher oppo-nents come along the way. “That’s what we lack right now in the secondary is experience,” Lester said. “Once we start getting in, feeling more comfortable, I think it’ll all come together.”With the young backfield only having one person coming back from last year’s starting squad, namely Mark Barron, redshirt sophomore Lester’s opportunity to contribute heavily this year became all that much greater. The defensive back from Foley High School, who graduated and signed along with teammate Julio Jones, sat out his first year in 2008 and became a heavy special team contributor in 2009. Now the 6’2” safety is replacing a veteran in Justin Woodall and he knows his time is now. In his debut Saturday against San Jose State, Lester recorded one tackle that ended up being a sack and an interception for 15 yards. Lester understands the mental toughness of being prepared to play in a Saban-oriented defense and he thinks they all are doing a good job. “I really think it’s at where it needs to be,” Lester said of the defensive. “Everybody out there is making their calls and their checks so I feel comfortable with everything going

on out there in the game plan so I think our mental toughness is pretty high right now.” When it was time to put on that Alabama uniform for the first time as a starter, Lester admitted there were some uncertainties going into the game. “At first, I didn't really know what to expect,” Lester said. “Coach Saban had his game plan, and I was comfortable in what I needed to do. I went out there and knew that anything they were going to do, I already knew my assignment.” In his senior year at Foley, Lester was a return guy alongside Jones on kickoff returns and averaged 53.3 yards a return on four possessions. He blocked two punts, recorded 86 yards on six punt returns and led the team in intercep-tions with six for 82 return yards. He was a four-star recruit on Rivals.com and was listed as the No. 33 safety prospect in the country. Of the progression from starting in the spring, going through offseason workouts and summer drills, to game week preparation and the first game of the season in the bag, Lester said that the defense is starting to learn about each other as a group. “I think we are all starting to understand each other and understand communicating with each other,” Lester said. “I think we can be a great unit. Now we have to get ready for a good Penn State team.”

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Player Spotlight

News

Auburn at Mississippi State Thurs, Sept. 9 - 6:30 pm - ESPNWeek 2 kicks off with a great SEC matchup on Thursday night. The Auburn Tigers travel to Starkville to take on Mississippi State. Both teams are coming off a win and are looking to make the first move towards an SEC West title. MSU’s backup quarterback Tyler Russell tied a school record with four touchdown passes in his debut game and led the Bulldogs to a 49-7 win over Memphis on Saturday night. It was the most points they've scored since 2002. With the legal return of cowbells to Davis Wade Stadium, the ‘Dawgs are looking to make some noise this year. Auburn defeated Arkansas State 52-26 in last week’s opener. Junior transfer QB Cameron Newton had five touchdowns and 357 yards of total offense and set a school record with 171 rushing yards in his first game with the Tigers.

Georgia at South Carolina 11:00 am - ESPN2/ESPN ClassicSaturday play kicks off with the Bulldogs and the Gamecocks. Like most other SEC teams, these two are coming off of big wins. This game will be the first conference matchup for these two programs and will be the first step on the path to repre-senting the SEC West at the conference championship. Georgia QB Aaron Murray passed for three touchdowns and ran for another in the 55-7 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette last week. The team managed the win without top receiver A. J. Green. Murray was16 for 24 in the air in his first college game. South Carolina won their opener 41-13 over Southern Miss. QB Stephen Garcia and freshman tailback Marcus Lattimore ran for two touchdowns each in the win. Sophomore Alshon Jeffery had 106 receiving yards and freshman Ace Sanders had a 53-yard rush - the longest in four years for USC. The team played week one without standout tight end Weslye Saunders, who was out on team suspension, and two starters, left tackle Jarriel King and corner-back Chris Culliver, who were kept out of the game without an explanation from the athletics department.

LSU at Vanderbilt 6:00 pm - ESPNULSU had a close call for the Chic-Fil-A College Kickoff in the Georgia Dome, but managed to hold on to the win, coming out 30-24 over North Carolina. LSU started strong, with an 87-yard touchdown as part of 23-point run in less than six minutes, and victory looked likely for the Tigers, with a 30-10 lead at the half. Neither team scored in the third quarter, but, in the final 11 minutes of the game, LSU’s luck began to run out. The Tar Heels scored back-to-back touchdowns, but could not manage a third to tie up the game in the final seconds. Vanderbilt lost to Northwestern 23-21 last week in a heart breaking debut for Head Coach Robbie Caldwell. The Commodores led in total offense 432-365, and managed two sacks and a blocked field goal in the loss. Once Caldwell has settled in, they may prove to be a team to contend with.

Other SEC Games:Game Time Station Louisiana-Monroe at Arkansas 6:00 pm FSNSouth Florida at Florida 11:21 am SEC networkWestern Kentucky at Kentucky 6:30 pm CSSOregon at Tennessee 6:00 pm ESPN2 Ole Miss at Tulane 8:00 pm ESPN2/ESPN Classic

Arkansas senior FB Van Stumon is questionable for the Louisiana-Monroe game after his suspension following drunken driving and other offenses in June. Stumon was expected to man the bulk of the FB duties this season. He also missed the season opener against Tennessee Tech.


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AP TOP 251. Alabama2. Ohio State3. Boise State4. Florida5. Texas6. TCU7. Oklahoma8. Nebraska9. Iowa10. Virginia Tech11. Oregon12. Wisconsin13. Miami (FL)14. USC15. Pittsburgh16. Georgia Tech17. Arkansas18. North Carolina 19. Penn State20. Florida State21. LSU22. Auburn23. Georgia24. Oregon State25. West Virginia

USA Today1. Alabama2. Ohio State3. Florida4. Texas5. Boise State6. Virginia Tech7. TCU8. Oklahoma9. Nebraska10. Iowa11. Oregon12. Wisconsin13. Miami (FL)14. Penn State15. Pittsburgh16. LSU17. Georgia Tech18. North Carolina19. Arkansas20. Florida State21. Georgia22. Oregon State23. Auburn24. Utah24. West Virginia

09/04/10 vs. San Jose State W 48-3 09/11/10 vs. Penn State 09/18/10 at Duke 09/25/10 at Arkansas 10/02/10 vs. Florida10/09/10 at South Carolina10/16/10 vs. Mississippi (HC)10/23/10 at Tennessee11/06/10 at LSU11/13/10 vs. Mississippi State 11/18/10 vs. Georgia State11/26/10 vs. Auburn

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1 Who was the first African-American player to play in a game for Alabama?

2 Which player returned a punt for an 86-yard touchdown during the 2006 Independence Bowl?a. Kenneth Darbyb. Keith Brown

c. D.J. Halld. Javier Arenas

a. John Mitchellb. Ozzie Newsomec. Wilbur Jacksond. Nat Northington

3 Alabama has played in more bowl games than___________________.a. any other program in the SECb. any other program in the countryc. the rest of the schools in the SEC combinedd. every Div. I program but USC

4 When Thomas stopped coaching in 1946, he remained Alabama's_____________.a. presidentb. athletic directorc. offensive coordinatord. band director

5 Who was NOT an early Alabama head coach?a. D.V. Gravesb. Xen C. Scott

c. J.W.H. Pollardd. J.B. Whitmore

Answers to the 5 questions above: 1 A, 2.D, 3.B, 4.B, 5.D

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The love of the game runs in the family for Vinnie Sunseri. His father, Sal Sunseri, is a former

University of Pittsburgh All-American linebacker and is currently the assistant-head coach of the linebackers for the Crimson Tide. His brother, Tito Sunseri, continued the tradition and is a quarter-back for the University of Pittsburgh.

Having his father on the coaching staff will be good thing for both of them, as Sunseri revealed to BamaOnline.com.

"It has always been his dream to coach me,” Sunseri said. “He can be hard on me and won't treat me any differently than anyone else, but at the end of the day he is still my dad and it is going to be awesome to have him as my coach.”

Sunseri had an offer from the University of Pittsburgh but decided the University of Alabama was his best bet. He is a fan of SEC football and lets it be known.

“I went with Alabama over Pitt because, in the end, Alabama has one of the top defenses in the country and they play in the best conference in the country,” he told BamaOnline.com. “It was too good of a situation to pass up."

Sunseri is a linebacker for Northridge High School in Tuscaloosa and verbally committed to Bama on June 14 by Joe Pendry. Rivals.com has ranked him as 32nd in the state, giving him a 5.6 rating

and three stars. According to ESPN.com, he weighs in

at 202 pounds and is 5-foot-11. Sunseri can get 40 in 4.6 seconds, his shuttle is 4.16 and his vertical is 29 inches as profiled on Rivals.com.

In 2009 Sunseri told AthleteVault.com that he wanted to find a team with tradition before his senior season. Little did Sunseri know that he would find a school with not only rich tradition, but a football obsession.

“Before my senior football season, I would like to make a decision,” Sunseri said to AthleteVault.com. “That way I would know where I want to go and I would be able to relax during my last season of high school football. I'm looking for good coaches, a good academic program and just great tradition."

Even though he seems to be describing the Crimson Tide, at the time he didn’t expect offers from UA. But, since his father is a coach for the Tide he wanted a chance to live his dream at the Capstone.

"It plays a big

part in my decision because I've always dreamed about playing with my dad," Sunseri said. "With Coach [Nick] Saban though, he's always looking for that 6-4, big body so I don't know if I fit that criteria. I would just love to go anywhere."

Fortunately for Sunseri, he ended up with an offer from Saban despite his size and took him up on it.

He spent the 2009 season in North Carolina, and now that the decision is behind him, he plans to enjoy his last high school season, being in Tuscaloosa and his senior year.

“I just want to have fun this year,” Sunseri admitted to BamaOnline.com. “I mean I want to play good, I want to play hard, but I just want to have fun and get ready for the next year.”

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Traditions

Days of OldFrom the sizzling of barbeques to the rumble of

excited chatter and the banter between opposing teams, tailgaters have a multitude of ways in which they celebrate Saturdays at the University

of Alabama. Many have televisions set up, with satellites carefully balanced as they observe the other games of the day, keeping a close watch on rivals and any that might oppose Bama’s rise to another national championship. But for some, a high-tech satellite dish is replaced with a

dusty VCR, their media guides thrown away in favor of faded cassette tapes. Some tailgaters claim the right to be the purest of fans, and they pay special tribute to the past by reliving the Crimson Tide’s proudest moments.

“The Quad is hallowed ground,” says UA junior Philip Cantrell. “These people represent a different generation of tradition and prove that the University of Alabama legacy will never be forgotten.”

Pocketed throughout the maze of tents and canopies,

TIDE TRADITION • TIDE TRADITION • TIDE TRADITION • TIDE TRADITION • TIDE TRADITION • TIDE TRADITION • TIDE TRADITION • TIDE TRADITION

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touchdownalabama.net | 31PHOTOs ABOVE BY JENIFER MCCORMICK

TIDE TRADITION • TIDE TRADITION • TIDE TRADITION • TIDE TRADITION • TIDE TRADITION • TIDE TRADITION • TIDE TRADITION • TIDE TRADITION

the sound of a Paul “Bear” Bryant halftime speech or post-game press conference captivates a curious passer-by. The bone-crushing collisions of an era with minimal protective padding can be observed through a grainy screen, and iconic quarterback Joe Namath’s signa-ture passes and scrambles are revisited as if they had happened just moments ago. While these fans choose to revel in history before departing for a stadium filled with people, they are just as anxious to see what new traditions the future can hold.


Alabama/Duke Matchup

Quick Glance

Although a meeting on the field between the Crimson Tide and the Blue Devils is rare, the teams do share a history, and a

fondness for the same former coach."The first thing that comes to my mind

about the Alabama game is the Coach Wade connection," Duke Head Coach David Cutcliffe said. "The history of the two programs - I like that."

The same Wallace Wade who has a statue alongside Bear Bryant and Gene Stallings outside Bryant-Denny also has a bronze bust and a stadium that bares his name in Durham.

In eight years as coach of the Crimson Tide, Wade won three national champion-ships and turned the Tide from an unknown team into the program to beat. In 1931, Wade made the shocking decision to leave the team he had just built for another unknown team – the Duke Blue Devils.

"Duke football was basically a joke and then Wallace Wade took hold of it and changed it for decades," Cutcliffe said.

This season’s game will bring a first to the stadium named after the former UA coach. Mark Ingram will be the first reigning Heisman winner to play in Wallace Wade. Also, should Alabama retain the top ranking, it will be just the

third time the No. 1 team has played in Durham.

The schools share another strong connection – Cutcliffe is a UA alum and grew up watching Bama play.

"Alabama football was always important to me," he said. "I like the history and tradition of football and I think it's great that Duke and Alabama get together in Wallace Wade Stadium."

Cutcliffe also admires the current Alabama program and what Nick Saban has done with it. The two have a long-standing relationship.

"I have had great rival relationship with Nick Saban, a great respect for what he's done," he said. "He was at LSU when I was the head coach at Ole Miss. Boy, we had tremendous games."

Cutcliffe coached at both Ole Miss and Tennessee before taking the Duke position. He knows the level of play expected by SEC schools, but he also values the

importance of in-conference games.

"Obviously, the week before we've got a conference game," Cutcliffe said. "The conference games are a whole lot more important to us than any non-conference game we'll ever play. I think there

is a perspective the players will have."Although it’s not a conference matchup,

Cutcliffe has indicated that Wallace Wade should reach its capacity of 33,941 fans for the Alabama game. Although many Bama fans are expected to make the trip, Cutcliffe plans to use the game to demon-strate the progress that Duke is making.

"We need a big game in here - a really big game," he said. "We've had some good crowds and some exciting atmospheres since we've been here. This gives us a chance to play on ABC national television. That's pretty cool."

He is excited about the coverage his team is receiving, but he is concerned that his young players don’t have enough experience to handle the atmosphere of such a high-profile game.

"I don't think we'll have time to think about Alabama until the game week," he said. "I think probably a little bit more of the challenge is afterwards - regardless of the result. Getting our focus back and realizing that's our third game and we've got nine regular season contests left. As a coach, that's how you think about it."

The matchup between Crimson and Blue should be an easy win for the Tide, but the Devils are sure to benefit as well, once again uniting two teams that both owe their histories, in part, to the same legendary coach.

Although it’s not a conference matchup, Cutcliffe has indicated that Wallace Wade should reach its capacity of 33,941 fans for the Alabama game. Although many Bama fans are expected to make the trip, Cutcliffe plans to use the game to demonstrate the progress that Duke is making.

PHOTO FROM WWW.SPORTSILLUSTRATED.COM

Jessica Temple

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Q & A

&Q’sQ’s A’sA’sKerry Goode was the star running back on Hazelwood’s

1982 high school state championship team. Goode was picked by Ray Perkins first recruiting

class and by midseason broke through as a starting running back for the Crimson Tide as a freshman. In 1984 Goode was a Heisman candidate. During the game against Boston College, he amassed three catches for 32 yards and a TD reception for 18 yards in the first half. He also had a second-half kickoff return for 99 yards. His total for kickoff returns for the game was 199 yards. The Crimson Tide was leading 31-14 when Goode went down with a torn ACL. It was a season-ending injury. Goode’s best playing days were behind him. Goode did get a shot at the NFL with Tampa Bay, but another knee injury ended his career as a football player. I got a chance to reflect with Kerry Goode about his playing days as a student-athlete at the Capstone.

TAM: Touted as a high recruit in high school, why did you choose University of Alabama? I chose Alabama, because of the tradition, the history of winning, and I could remain at home… the best of all situations.

TAM: How has playing for Alabama made who you are today? Playing football teaches you so much about life. You win some you lose some. It’s the same in life. One day you’re winning the next day you’re getting you but handed to you. Playing at Bama takes it a step further… you’re expected to win and everyone’s gunning for you. Therefore you’ve got to have the little bit extra in the tank. It taught me how to fight hard when times get tough.

TAM: Are you still close to your teammates? When you go thru some of the things we did, you can’t help but be close. Even when you don’t see them in years, you can pick up like it was yesterday. Playing at Bama gives you a special bond with guys that never played with you. Maybe before or after but you still share the closeness.

TAM: In five words, what was your experience at University of Alabama? Fabulous, Exciting, Tough, Educational, Unforgettable!

TAM: As a running back from your formidable years through your young adult years, can you shed some insight into why Glenn Coffee retired from the NFL just after one season? When I was in training camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, I came to the point where I said to myself, “If I don’t make the squad, I’m okay with it.” Meaning, I’d given 110% of me and football had taken a lot from me, I could look in the mirror and be okay with the decision.Football is a game, if you don’t absolutely love it, you will not survive it. At the professional level it’s more than a game. It’s your job and most of the fun doing it is on game day. The other six days can be brutal. You have to love it to stay in it. People see Sunday’s and think it’s the best thing in the world, but I’m here to tell you there are six other days that are not as glamorous.

TAM: In all of your days of playing football, what coach taught you more about life than football? Al Miller was and is my favorite. He taught me how to work and stay focus on the task. He preached all the things that Coach Bryant taught. Always tying football to life and giving examples.

TAM: Name one fear that you have overcame since your


Kerry Goode


college days, how and why? I overcame not being able to play football… I either played or coached for 35 seasons of my life. Moving on without football was tough because of the bonds you make and share in the game. That’s what most guys miss when you’re no longer in the locker room.

TAM: Before and after, can you reflect what your emotions were when you played Boston College. That was a dream and a nightmare all in one game. It’s made me the person I am today. It taught me to enjoy the moment because you never know what’s coming up next.

TAM: What college pranks were you involved in that still makes you and your friends laugh today? The good stuff I can tell…I never pulled pranks…wink wink… Shooting bottle rockets under doors, pennying people in their rooms, leaning water filled trash cans against team mates door.

TAM: As a family, how was it to have a pipeline of siblings play at Alabama? We played football from the age of six all the way through High school together. Moving on to Alabama seemed at the time, like a natural thing. At that time, it didn’t seem like a big deal, because we didn’t know any other way. As we’ve gotten older, it’s become very special to us.

TAM: Looking back, what has been the biggest change in College Football, from your playing days? Size and speed seem to continue to improve each year. We were bigger than the guys that played before us and players after my time, seems to be much bigger.

TAM: What do you think Alabama’s chances are to repeat as the BCS National Champions? When you have the talent level that Alabama has…the chance to repeat become a little more favorable.

TAM: Last book you read? The Missing Ring by Keith Dunnavant, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man by Steve Harvey.

TAM: Bucket list? To visit every state in the U.S. and attend every major College Football Stadium. Next up, is Texas stadium… Jerry’s world.

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Northern Transplant Embraces Traditions

Dedicated fans, explosive plays, and a winning tradition make it hard not to fall in love with Alabama football. The

University of Alabama’s students eat, breathe, and live Crimson Tide football. Many students grew up coming to the Capstone for games while others have had to wait and experience their first game after arriving to the university.

Ileana Tapanes, a sophomore from Chicago, never got the opportunity to attend a football game until the first home game against Florida International in 2009. She did not know what to expect or how to react to the passion on campus during game days.

“It was a game that I will never forget,” said Tapanes. “There were so many people. It amazed me that a

crowd that large was there to see a college football team play. I was actually torn between two universities my senior year of high school and those two schools were Florida International University and the University of Alabama. After attending the first game, I realized that I made the right decision in becoming a part of the Crimson Tide.”

Tapanes came to the university on academic scholarship, not knowing what she was getting into on Saturdays during the fall. Tailgating on the Quad, wearing dresses to the game, and southern hospitality were things to which she had to adjust.

“Being from the North, I had no idea that girls at Alabama dressed up for the games,” stated Tapanes. “I thought I could wear some shorts with a UA

football shirt and I would be set to go, but that was not the case. I also couldn’t believe how much food there was on the Quad on game days! All the people were always very welcoming to their tailgating tents. “

With the many traditions Alabama has on game days, one stood out the most to Tapanes.

“Singing ‘Rammer Jammer’ after each win is something that is really cool and to hear the whole stadium unify and sing that together is awesome,” Tapanes said.

Many students, like Tapanes, come to Alabama clueless about the simple things such as a clothing pattern worn by a much-respected national champi-onship coach.

“I had no knowledge of Alabama football,” Tapanes said. “I remember

My First Game


Jessica Brown

the first week of school I had to ask someone why there was so much houndstooth around. I got weird looks and was quickly educated on Coach Bear Bryant and all his glory years.”

Tapanes immediately found out in her first game that it is not about the NFL in the state of Alabama. College football is the heart of Tuscaloosa and the center of Bama fans’ lives. 101,000 supporters inside Bryant-Denny all share a common interest and that is the great love they share for the team.

“I love Alabama football,” said Tapanes. “I have grown to dislike Auburn and I have embraced every tradition here at Alabama. No one back home understands how serious people are down here about football. It’s something you have to experience for yourself to understand.”


“Yea, Alabama”Yea, Alabama! Drown ‘em Tide!

Every ‘Bama man’s behind you,

Hit your stride.

Go teach the Bulldogs to behave,

Send the Yellow Jackets to a watery grave.

And if a man starts to weaken,

That’s a shame!

For Bama’s pluck and grit have

Writ her name in Crimson flame.

Fight on, fight on, fight on men!

Remember the Rose Bowl, we’ll win then.

So roll on to victory,

Hit your stride,

You’re Dixie’s football pride,

Crimson Tide, Roll Tide, Roll Tide!!


Tailgater of the Week

Tailgating on the quad is almost as big a tradi-tion as watching the Tide play. There is a myriad of crimson

when Friday night winds down and Saturday morning shines its rays of light on the Capstone.

Whether it’s UA students hanging out under a tree or some of the most prominent figures in Alabama lingering under elaborate canopies, tailgating is a blast.

The Sons of Saban is an “Ultimate Tailgating Club.” The club creators, DJ-KDuv and Legend, created the group to

celebrate Bama football to the max. They have made an appear-ance on the Paul Finebaum Show and tailgate each weekend on the corner of 8th Street and University.

The S.O.S’s mission is to: “Create a diverse social and family environment while enjoying our beloved Alabama Crimson Tide perform on the field. We will lead by example while displaying character, class and respect for ourselves, our Crimson Tide football team as well as others while supporting local charities and communities,” as stated on the group’s website.

The S.O.S will kick off October with a Breast Cancer Awareness Drive during the Alabama vs. Florida game on Oct. 2. All kids eat for free. The Sons of Saban will be tailgating at every home game, along with the LSU game at Baton Rouge, La. Additionaly, the group will attend any championship game that Bama may play in Atlanta. The group creates a family-friendly atmosphere and fans are encour-aged to stop by to meet and greet.

To become a member and to get more information on The Sons of Saban you can contact the group at [email protected].

Tailgating is Half the FunThe Sons of Saban

PHOTO FROM TIM BAILEY

Jennifer Gorham


Visit us online at TouchdownAlabama.net


Catching Up

Billy Neighbors was a two-way tackle and co-captain on Paul “Bear” Bryant’s first national championship team

in 1961. An all-conference performer who was named the top lineman in the SEC and the Most Valuable Player in the Senior Bowl, Neighbors was a consensus All-American who would later be named to Alabama’s All-Decade Team of the 1960s, the Crimson Tide’s All-Century Team, and in 2003 capped an outstanding collegiate career by being elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.

Neighbors reflects on his days growing up a country boy hitch-hiking everywhere he went, to his days playing for Bryant, and his eight year career in the NFL with the Boston Patriots and Miami Dolphins.

“I had scholarship (offers) from Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Texas, from everybody, but the only place I wanted to go was Alabama,” stated Neighbors, who was recruited by Crimson Tide coach Red Drew and

arrived at the Capstone in 1959, a year before Bryant returned to his alma mater.

“I’d never heard of Paul Bryant (before he became coach), but it didn’t take me long to figure out who he was,” stated Neighbors. “The first thing he said to me was, ‘you’ve got to lose weight.’ Then he sent me a letter that said that I had to come back at 220 pounds and be able to run a six-minute mile. I came back at 217 pounds and ran a 5:55 mile.

“Coach Bryant used all kinds of ways to motivate us, and one of them was fear,” related Neighbors. “There were 118 freshmen (football players) when I came here. Two and a half years later there were only eight of us left. Coach Bryant worked us to death. It was Junction (the brutal pre-season training camp that Bryant made famous when he was at Texas A&M), but it was Junction here,” stated Neighbors, who said that he played every play on offense, on defense and on special teams.

“I didn’t have to many conversa-tions with (Coach Bryant) all the while I was there, to tell you the truth. Whenever I saw him coming, I went the other way.”

Neighbors not only survived Bryant’s grueling training methods, he thrived on them, going on to make the AFL All-Star Team in 1962 and become a three-time All-Pro while playing in the NFL from 1962 to 1969. “Playing here changed my life,” stated Neighbors, who pointed out that when he played, Alabama shut-out Auburn three straight times (10-0, 3-0, and 34-0).

“Auburn never scored a point on us,” he stated proudly. “The turning point to us winning the national championship was when we beat Auburn 34-0. Then we beat Arkansas 10-3 in the Sugar Bowl. The best thing that ever happened to me was when we won the national champion-ship. I’ve got the University of Alabama to thank for that,” Neighbors said.

Billy Neighbors reminisces about growing up in Taylorsville, playing for Alabama and in the NFL Dr. Donald F. Staffo

Catching Up WithBILLY NEIGHBORS


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Neighbors recalled the journey he took from growing up in Taylorsville, graduating from Tuscaloosa County High School, and going on to play professional football. “I went from Taylorsville to New York City, where I was on the Ed Sullivan Show and the Bob Hope Show,” he said. “Being from Taylorsville I had never been on an airplane before, I’d never seen an escalator before, I’d never seen doors that opened by themselves before,” he said. “I was just a country boy playing in New York City, in Boston, in San Francisco, and in those other big cities. But those were just Sunday afternoons. Except for that, I’d rather been right here [in Tuscaloosa],” he said.

Neighbors is one of several in his family who have played for the Crimson Tide. His older brother Sid played in the 1950s. His son Wes played center for Ray Perkins, and son Keith was a linebacker on Gene Stallings’ national championship team in 1992. The latest Neighbors to play for the Tide is grandson Wesley, who is currently a sophomore defensive back.

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JoPa and The Tidecontinued from page 45which finished the season with a 5-6 record.


Both teams regrouped the following year and entered the game in the top ten - Penn State number eight and Alabama number ten. A win could help either team get into a title game.

In typical Alabama – Penn State fashion, the game was nip and tuck until the end, with Penn State winning a close one 19-17 over Ray Perkins and the Tide.

The win did propel Penn State into the title game, which they lost to Oklahoma. Alabama lost the next week to Tennessee and finished the season ranked thirteenth.


Again this year, just like many of the games between the two, the winner would have an inside shot at a national championship matchup, with Penn State rated number six and Alabama coming in at number two.

Not only did Penn State win the game, but the 23-3 was the worst home loss for the Tide in ten years.

The Tide would wind up losing two more and finish the year ranked ninth. Penn State won them all, including a National Championship over top-rated Miami.

Sept. 12th, 1987 – Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pa.

This game marked a change of coaches, with this game pitting Joe Pa against newcomer Bill Curry for Alabama.

As it had done in the past, the loser of this game spiraled downward. After losing this game 24-13, Penn State dropped three more spots and out of contention.

But winning this game did little to help Alabama’s miserable 7-5 season.

October 22th, 1988 – Legion Field, Birmingham, Ala.

This was just not Penn State’s year. They lost the low-scoring game 8-3 and

finished the year unranked with a dismal 5-6 season.

Alabama used the game to help them to a 9-3 season and a seventeenth ranking in the final poll.


In what would be Bill Curry’s swan song season with the Tide, Alabama squeaked out a 17-16 win and went on play in the National Championship game, which they would lose to Miami.

Bama entered the game at number six and Penn State was fourteenth at the time.

Like so many games before between these two teams, with eleven seconds on the clock Penn State was lined up to kick what was essentially an extra-point-length field goal for the win.

Alabama called the “Desperation Block”, a play that covered no one and sent everyone after the ball. Had Penn State faked it, anyone would have been open for a catch.

But six-foot-seven Thomas Rayam of Alabama got his big mitt on the ball and saved the day for the Tide.

After the game one Penn State player lamented that when you play Alabama, you just expect these kinds of games.

The last meeting – October 27th,

1990 – Legion Field, Birmingham, Ala.

Enter Gene Stallings. This game was yet another low-scoring defensive struggle and this time Alabama lost.

Some say the loss was mostly due to a newspaper article out of Birmingham that called this particular Penn State team one of the worst that Joe Paterno had ever coached.

Alabama came in averaging over 200 yards of rushing offense a game. In this game, however, the Lions dug in to show the world that they were not a bad team. When the final whistle blew, Alabama had only six yards total rushing.

Bama would finish the year 7-5 and unranked, while Penn State would finish 9-3 and in the top ten in the coaches poll.

Overall, that left Joe Paterno 4-8 against Alabama, with all four wins coming over Bryant’s successors.

This week’s game and next year’s at Penn State, could very well be the final two games in which Alabama faces the aging Paterno.

No coach, other that ones who have worn the crimson and white themselves, have ever been so revered among Bama fans. Alabama should be proud to finally host Joe Paterno at Bryant-Denny Stadium for his first, and perhaps only, visit.

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NORTHPORT2003 32nd Street(205) 339-0387

Since 1889, Carhartt has been the leader in durable, premium quality workwear. Whether you are looking for a garment in our signature brown duck fabric or one of our innovative, technically advanced fabrics like Waterproof Breathable, we have the most com-plete line of workwear available.

TUSCALOOSA1625 Skyland Blvd. E.

(205) 764-0719

Since 1889, Carhartt

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1215 University Blvd. • Tuscaloosa, AL [email protected]

Ph: 205-345-4848

Come & watch the game on NINE 42” FLATSCREENS& a 100” HD SCREEN!!

PLUS!Try our signature RTR drink in the souvenir cup!!!

Help Protect Yourself Today.A Serious and Growing Problem.Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the nation. Over 11 million Americans fell victim to the crime in 2009, at a cost of over $54 billion. (Source: Javelin Strategy & Research. “2010 Identity Fraud Survey Report.” February 2010.)

As thieves employ more sophisticated and high-tech methods, the number of identities exposed in a single theft increases dramatically, as does a consumer’s level of risk. Every week, retail companies, financial institutions, and national organizations are breached, and the personal and financial information of hard working Americans is stolen.

LifeLock, the leader in proactive identity theft protection, helps protect your identity – even if your personal information falls into the wrong hands. As a LifeLock member, if you become a victim of identity theft because of a failure in our service, we’ll help you fix it at our expense, up to $1,000,000. (Restrictions apply. Due to New York State law restrictions, the LifeLock$1 Million Total Service Guarantee cannot be offered to the residentsof New York.)

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“I’ve been in law enforcement all my life... If my identity was stolen, anybody’s identity could be stolen... that’s where LifeLock stepped in.”

- Matthew Daubert, LifeLock Member

Over $54 Billion.In 2009, Identity Theft Cost Americans

Source: Javelin Strategy & Research. “2010 Identity Fraud Survey Report.” February 2010.

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