Coaches Select 10 Players Of Week

Each week the Alabama coaching staff selects players of the week for the previous game, and in most cases the average fan in section X would pick out roughly the same players. But coaches have the advantages of (a) knowing more about football, (b) knowing the assignments of the players, (c) having the videotape to grade, and (d) dozens of other advantages we can't even imagine.

It was no surprise to see some names on this week’s Alabama list following the Crimson Tide’s hard-fought 27-7 victory over Mississippi State last week. That doesn’t mean there weren’t some surprises, though, including a surprisingly large number.

Raise your hand if you expected to see Kelly Johnson’s name on the list.

Johnson, a 6-3, 230-pound senior from Bluffton, S.C., is listed as a back-up snapper for Bama, but his primary role is on punt return and kickoff coverage units. The Alabama announcement said that Johnson had a tackle on kickoff and blocked well on the punt return team.



As a result, Johnson was selected as one of 10 Crimson Tide players selected for players of the week.

Trent Richardson, Eddie Lacy, Chance Warmack, and Kevin Norwood were named players of the week on offense; Dont’a Hightower and Mark Barron represented the defense. On special teams, DeQuan Menzie, Will Lowery, and Marquis Maze were selected with Johnson.

Richardson rushed a career-high 32 times for 127 yards with one touchdown. This marked his seventh 100-yard game of the season and he has now scored 19 touchdowns on the season. Lacy just missed the century mark as he added 96 yards on 11 carries with a pair of scores. Norwood led all Alabama receivers with 60 yards on two catches and a long of 38. Warmack was credited with four pancakes and did not allow a pressure or a sack, and wasn’t called for any penalties.

Hightower and Barron led the defense with 11 total tackles each. Hightower, who was named the SEC’s Defensive Player of the Week, added 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks along with a pass break-up. Alabama recorded five sacks in the game and nine tackles for loss while limiting the Bulldogs to just 131 total yards and nine first downs. UA leads the country in all four major defensive categories and has not allowed an opponent to score more than 14 points in 11 straight games.

Menzie was credited for his outstanding play on special teams as a gunner on the punt team as well as a corner on punt return. Lowery was in on the stop when MSU failed to get the punt off in the first quarter and is also a member of the kickoff return and punt return teams. Maze returned two punts for 21 yards with a long of 18 and one kickoff return for 23 yards.

This week Alabama will host Georgia Southern at 1 p.m. CST in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Both teams are 9-1 and ranked third in the nation, Bama in Bowl Championship Series (BCS) football and Georgia Southern in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision.