GameDay Edition of All Things CW: Mississippi State at Alabama
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — If there was one possession that best demonstrated the Alabama Crimson Tide’s frustration during the 52-49 loss at Tennessee on Saturday, it came late in the first quarter after falling behind 14-7. It was the series that went backward.
Here's the quick rundown:
• Kick return: Linebacker Dallas Turner was flagged for holding after driving the player he was blocking down to the ground. The Volunteers probably should have been called for retaliation, and three flags were thrown on the play, but only Alabama was penalized.
• First down at the Tennessee 14, with 6:39 on the clock: Alabama was called for holding, nullifying a 28-yard gain off a busted play. The Volunteers blitzed, and even though running back Jase McClellan picked up his man, he had no leverage and grabbed on.
• First-and-17, and the crowd going nuts: Running back Jahmyr Gibbs shifted to the far right and then leaned and stepped when he thought the ball would be snapped. The call, false start.
• First-and-20, with Bryce Young standing in his end zone in shotgun formation: Tennessee blitzed again. Wide receiver Traeshon Holden was open over the middle, but dropped the ball. There was the potential for a big gain on the play.
• Second-and-20: Young couldn't handle the shotgun snap, grabbed the ball while narrowly avoiding a safety and threw a sideline attempt to Ja'Corey Brooks that was batted down short of the first down.
• Third-and-20: Alabama was called for delay of game before Young could complete a quick pass to freshman Isaiah Bonds that might have at least gotten the Crimson Tide some breathing room.
• Third-and-22 from the Alabama 2: Tennessee blitzed yet again. Young took a brutal hit as Gibbs went out for a pass over middle behind the blitzer. However, the ball fell to the ground for an incompletion.
• Fourth down: With no room to spare, James Burnip punted from the back of the end zone and his quick kick went just 33 yards, giving Tennessee first down at the 35. The Volunteers needed just four plays to score, in 1 minute and 2 seconds, to go ahead 21-7.
It may have been as bad of a series as any of Nick Saban's teams at Alabama, and put the Crimson Tide in a huge hole. Crowd noise was obviously a factor. So were some other things.
Yes, Alabama fans have some serious gripes about the way the Third Saturday in October was called, and about things that weren't flagged against the home team. But no team should expect to win any game when it has 17 penalties.
This was a historically bad game in that respect as it set a Crimson Tide record, however the problems go beyond what happened in Knoxville. All Things CW is going to take a long look at Alabama's penalty issues this week, beginning with these eye-opening numbers:
Alabama is dead last in the FBS level in fewest penalties committed, with 66 flags for 559 yards. Only Utah State, the team the Crimson Tide opened the season against, has been flagged for more yards, 590, with one fewer infraction.
The Crimson Tide's 79.86 penalty yards per game is 128th out of 131 teams.
"Too many pre-snap penalties, false starts on offense," Saban said Monday. "I think we had three in the game. And two of them were guys that they're looking at the ball. They're not even thinking about the clap or the snap count or whatever. Jumping offsides on defense, we had a couple of those.
"Those are the kind of penalties that are undisciplined, not focused, not looking at what you're supposed to look at so we don't have those issues. But they all put you behind the eight-ball. When guys are out there competing, sometimes we drive a guy to the ground and end up getting a holding call. You like that kind of aggressiveness. You don't want guys to hold. We're certainly not coaching that, but there are penalties sort of of omission and then there are penalties that guys are just playing hard and trying to do the best they can and every now and then something bad happens. Easier to live with those than the others."
Here's the specific breakdown:
- Opening kickoff, block in the back (Kristian Story), 7 yards
- Holding (Tyler Steen), 10 yards
- Pass interference (Terrion Arnold), 15 yards; illegal substitution declined
- Holding on kick return (Dallas Turner)
- Holding (Jase McCellan), 7 yards
- False start (Jahmyr Gibbs), 3 yards
- Delay of game (offense), 2 yards
- Pass interference (Brian Branch) 12 yards
- Offside (Byron Young), 5 yards
- False start (JC Latham), 5 yards
- False start (Latham), 5 yards
- Holding (Steen) 10 yards
- Delay of game (offense), 5 yards
- False start (Cameron Latu), 5 yards
- Pass interference (Branch) 9 yards
- Pass interference (Malachi Moore) 5 yards
- False start (Traeshon Holden) 5 yards
"There was too many things that we did in the game," Saban said. "I mean, 17 penalties is, you know, just 130 yards of field position. Probably lost about 70 yards in field position on special teams, whether it was poor execution by a specialist or the mistake we made in trying to pick the ball up when it wasn't a live ball.
"I mean, that's 200 yards in the game, so that's like two touchdowns, probably."
Of note, take a look at that list and note the number of players who were starters on last year's team. Very few. So yes, experience and turnover are factors.
But here's a glimpse at the bigger picture: During the early Saban years Alabama was known as a disciplined team that was almost never flagged. The reputation started to slip around 2015.
The Crimson Tide's been downright awful over the last four seasons.
Fewest Penalties Per Game
Year: Average per game, Rank
- 2007: 4.54 5
- 2008: 4.07 5
- 2009: 4.93 T17
- 2010: 5.08; 24
- 2011: 3.77; 3
- 2012: 3.86; 6
- 2013: 4.85; T34
- 2014: 4.93; T25
- 2015: 5.93; 60
- 2016: 5.73; 52
- 2017: 5.00; 31
- 2018: 5.89; 57
- 2019: 7.31; T114
- 2020: 7.13; 106
- 2021: 6.00; T62
- 2022: 9.43; 129*
*Through seven games
Which Alabama Players are Getting the Most Penalties?
So what gives with all the yellow flags for the Alabama Crimson Tide this season?
A lot of them can be explained by one thing especially, playing a pair of brutally tough road games. Alabama nearly tied the school record for penalty minutes in a single game at Texas, where it didn’t get called for anything by the Big 12 officials in the fourth quarter (and Texas didn’t have a penalty during the entire second half), and then topped it at Tennessee.
Those two venues were as tough as can be, and probably the two craziest atmospheres in college football this season. That’s not an excuse, but there are a lot of newcomers for the Crimson Tide who had never played or started in that kind of setting before.
Of Alabama’s 66 penalties, 32, or 48 percent were in those two games.
False starts were a problem at both. Alabama had three at Texas, and four at Tennessee. The defense got better, though, as it went from being called four times for offside at Texas, but just once at Tennessee.
The Crimson Tide was also flagged 10 times at Arkansas. That's 42 times in the three road games, or 64 percent of Alabama's penalties.
So which penalties have the Crimson Tide been called for the most this season? We added them up:
- Holding 13
- Pass interference 9
- False start 9
- Offside 8
- Face mask 7
- Block to the back 4
- Delay of game 4
It’s important to note that while holding is often associated with offensive linemen, it’s actually something that nearly anyone on the field can be called for. Roughly half of Alabama’s holding calls have been by an offensive lineman.
Steen, a at left tackle has had the most holding calls with three after twice being flagged for it at Tennessee, followed by guard Javion Cohen with two. They’re the only Alabama players who have been called for holding more than once this season.
As for pass interference, cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry and Branch have both been called three times. McKinstry was flagged twice at Texas, and Branch twice at Tennessee, as the Volunteers successfully went after Alabama’s safeties.
The biggest offender in false starts is sophomore right tackle JC Latham with five. Again, coaches would say that’s too many, but at least it makes sense because of his position.
The penalties that get to Saban the most are the undisciplined ones, and there have been a lot of them across the board. He knows only one way to get rid of those.
“I think you’ve gotta do it in practice,” Saban said.
"We can’t go hang ‘em up for doing this. They’re our players. We need to get them to understand what they need to do not to allow these things to happen and understand the consequences of what happens when you do it, and I think if you continue to do it consistently, maybe we need to play somebody else. There’s always a little fear that goes with respect and respecting what it takes to win. You also should know that, hey, my job could be in jeopardy if I don’t respect the things I need to do to win.”
He later reinforced that with: “Nobody is entitled to a position."
Are Penalties the First Real Crack in the Alabama Dynasty?
Alabama has already had more penalties in seven games than the 2011 or 2012 national champions had during their entire seasons.
It’s already been flagged more than Nick Saban’s 2007, 2008 and 2013 teams as well. The 2022 Crimson Tide needs just three more to equal the 2009 and 2017 national champions, and 12 more to match the 2020 title team.
Only one Alabama team under Paul "Bear" Bryant at Alabama had more flags, 70 in 1961. Chances are, though, the Crimson Tide will exceed that total Saturday against Mississippi State.
Discipline is the key topic this week in Tuscaloosa, and combined with Alabama looking into wide receiver Jermaine Burton apparently smacking Tennessee fans while leaving the field after the 52-49 loss on Saturday, and its almost the only thing Saban is being asked about.
Last week's single-game record, and the team's season-record pace aside, only twice this season has Alabama's opponent had more penalties than the Crimson Tide:
Alabama Penalties by Game
Game, UA Penalties, Opponent
Utah State 6-40; 13-110
at Texas 15-100; 5-30
ULM 6-60; 3-25
Vanderbilt 6-55; 6-36
at Arkansas 10-101; 6-31
Texas A&M 6-73; 8-59
at Tennessee 17-130; 6-39
How important can avoiding penalties be?
Consider the Minnesota Vikings, one of the biggest surprise teams in the NFL this season. A key to the 5-1 start is the Vikings have been called for just 25 penalties so far, the second-fewest in the league. The 185 penalty yards are the fewest, overall.
Meanwhile, Minnesota's third in opponent penalties (43) and second in opponent penalty yards (368) per Inside the Vikings.
A year ago, the Vikings had the fourth-most penalty yardage against and the fourth-lowest opponent penalty yardage.
Alabama used to set the standard for avoiding penalties, and forcing opponents into making mistakes. It wasn't that long ago that the biggest discussion regarding flags in Crimson Tide games was "What's it going to take for the officials to call holding on the other team?"
Nevertheless, one factor that can't be ignored is the Alabama offense morphing into a tempo-based, high-paced scheme to take advantage of NCAA rules. It made things harder on both the offense, trying to be more relentless in the way it attacks, and the Crimson Tide defense as opponents have more opportunities as well.
In short, the numbers started to jump up when Lane Kiffin was the offensive coordinator, and got worse after his departure.
During the 2016 season, when Jalen Hurts was a true freshman, Alabama’s most egregious foul was false starts. The Crimson Tide had a lot of them with 28, led by left tackle Cam Robinson with eight. Next on the list were 10 pass-interference calls and eight holds (and not all were made by the offense).
Meanwhile, opponents were flagged just 58 times that season. Not only was that the fewest during the Saban era, but according to teamrankings.com Alabama’s opponents had the fewest penalties called against them of any team in college football.
If they had been flagged the same as their season averages, they should have totaled 86.8 penalties.
With Alabama called for just 10 false starts, the 2017 season saw the numbers get a little closer to normal.
Specifically, the Crimson Tide was flagged 69 times for 569 yards. According to the NCAA it was tied for 48th in the nation for fewest penalties, and 31st for fewest penalties per game.
However, it hasn't been in the top 50 since then, and during most years hasn't even been close. The last time Alabama's opponents were flagged more than the Crimson Tide was 2015.
Saban's ability to adapt and adjust to changes in college football have been remarkable, if not extraordinary.
The question now is did Alabama hit rock bottom in this area at Tennessee, and things will start to improve, or is this the first real crack in the Crimson Tide's incredible dynasty?
Alabama Penalties, Saban Era
Year Alabama Opponents
2007: 59-463; 99-863
2008: 57-520; 87-666
2009: 69-598; 86-729
2010: 66-490; 72-575
2011: 49-409; 59-453
2012: 54-467; 67-565
2013: 63-520; 71-560
2014: 69-562; 61-516
2015: 89-835; 90-696
2016: 86-660; 58-471
2017: 69-569; 61-455
2018: 97-796; 92-776
2019: 95-855; 75-628
2020: 78-625; 76-592
2021: 107-1005; 101-736
2022: 66-559; 45-330*
*Through seven games
Everyone, Not Just Alabama, Should Be Upset About Non-Targeting Call
It's been a few days since Alabama lost at Tennessee, and as far as we know it still hasn't received an explanation on why the brutal hit on Young wasn't considered targeting.
Saban has only said that the team turned the play into the league office for consideration. That was on Monday. Granted, he's had some other things on his mind this week, but as far as anyone knows the SEC has not gotten back to him or Alabama.
"There’s two things that are an issue here: targeting, but you’re also not supposed to hit the quarterback in the head," the Crimson Tide coach said. "Last year against Texas A&M, Malachi [Moore] got thrown out of the game. The guy was out of the pocket, jumped up to block the ball and ended up, almost accidentally, hitting him in the head and got ejected from the game.
"So there’s really two things that should be looked at.”
On the play in question, Alabama had first down at the Tennessee 20, with 1:38 remaining until halftime. The Crimson Tide was down 28-17, but a touchdown and extra point would make it a four-point game, and give the visiting team a lot of momentum.
Young held the ball too long, to the point that Cohen started to give up on the play. He and center Seth McLaughlin were double-teaming defensive lineman Omari Thomas, who got a shot at the quarterback after he stepped up to throw.
The NCAA rule book covers targeting with 9-1-3 and 9-1-4:
"Targeting and Making Forcible Contact With the Crown of the Helmet
ARTICLE 3. No player shall target and make forcible contact against an opponent with the crown of his helmet. This foul requires that there be at least one indicator of targeting (See Note 1 below). When in question, it is a foul. ...
Targeting and Making Forcible Contact to Head or Neck Area of a Defenseless Player
ARTICLE 4. No player shall target and make forcible contact to the head or neck area of a defenseless opponent with the helmet, forearm, hand, fist, elbow or shoulder. This foul requires that there be at least one indicator of targeting. When in question, it is a foul. ...
Note 1: "Targeting" means that a player takes aim at an opponent for purposes of attacking with forcible contact that goes beyond making a legal tackle or a legal block or playing the ball. Some indications of targeting (emphasis NCAA's) include but are not limited to:
- Launch-a player leaving his feet to attack an opponent by an upward and forward thrust of the body to make forcible contact in the head or neck area
- A crouch followed by an upward and forward thrust to attack with forcible contact at the head or neck area, even though one or both feet are still on the ground
- Leading with helmet, shoulder, forearm, fist, hand or elbow to attack with forcible contact at the head or neck area
- Lowering the head before attacking by initiating forcible contact with the crown of the helmet
Note 2: Defenseless player (Rule 2-27-14). When in question, a player is defenseless. Examples of defenseless players include but are not limited to:
- A player in the act of or just after throwing a pass
- A receiver attempting to catch a forward pass or in position to receive a backward pass, or one who has completed a catch and has not had time to protect himself or has not clearly become a ball carrier
- A kicker in the act of or just after kicking a ball, or during the kick or the return
- A kick returner attempting to catch or recover a kick, or one who has completed a catch or recovery and has not had time to protect himself or has not clearly become a ball carrier
- A player on the ground
- A player obviously out of the play
- A player who receives a blind-side block
- A ball carrier already in the grasp of an opponent and whose forward progress has been stopped
- A quarterback any time after a change of possession a ball carrier who has obviously given himself up and is sliding feet first"
With all that in mind, there seems to be some obvious answers to the necessary basic questions:
Was Young a defenseless player? Yes.
Did he get hit in the head area? Yes.
Was he hit with the helmet, forearm, hand, fist, elbow or shoulder? Yes.
Did the player lead with his helmet? Did he lower his head? He appeared to, yes.
Yet the call was not targeting. The officiating crew also didn't call roughing the passer.
We defer to former NFL official Terry McAulay, an LSU graduate who worked in the ACC from 1994-97. From 1998-2017, he was the referee for seven conference championship games and three Super Bowls.
He says there's one clear conclusion: "It's clearly a targeting foul by rule."
The officials seemed to forget two things especially.
1) The line "When in question, it is a foul."
2) That the rule is there to prevent things like quarterbacks taking direct shots to the head by charging defensive lineman who are 6-4, 320 pounds.
Anyone who needs a reminder of what's at stake only need to look at what former Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's been going through with the Miami Dolphins. During Week 4 of the NFL season the fifth-overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft was trying to extend a play when he took a big hit and then had his head strike the ground during a Thursday night game in Cincinnati.
The 24-year-old Tagovailoa told reporters in Miami on Wednesday that he doesn't remember what happened after his head hit the ground, or being carted off the field.
"I wouldn't say it was scary for me at the time because there was a point where I was unconscious, so I couldn't really tell what was going on," he said. "When I did come to and kind of realized what was going on and what was happening, I didn't think of anything long term or short term. I was just wondering what happened."
Considering it was the second blow to his head area in as many weeks, the outrage was enormous. The league responded by announcing changes to its concussion protocols, but one has to wonder what kind of long-term damage may have been done.
After the 21-year-old Young got drilled, Alabama had to settle for a 43-yard field goal.
So yes, the non-call may have influenced the outcome of the game, a 52-49 loss to snap Alabama's 15-game winning streak in the series, but that's not the most important issue here.
The No. 1 job of all officials isn't necessarily get all the calls right, although it's nice when they do. It's to protect the safety of the athletes. And if the rules need to be clearer on that point then they need to be adjusted immediately as well.
There are plenty of people who need their head examined over this, and not just the quarterback.
Alabama's Loss Only Raises the Stakes for Crimson Tide Players
Alabama's setback at Tennessee squandered any margin for error for the Crimson Tide tho season as it knows with another loss it'll almost certainly be out of the running for the national championship.
It goes a lot deeper than that, though.
For example, the 52-49 loss was lousy timing in that a lot of media outlets subsequently named their midseason All-American teams and the Crimson Tide probably squandered the opportunity to get some more players recognized.
The Athlon selections were pretty typical: Gibbs as an all-purpose player, and linebacker Will Anderson Jr. on defense. That was it for first-team honors.
The second team had Young, and McKinstry on punt returns. Safety Jordan Battle was third team.
Some others who might have a chance to impress voters from here on out include interior linebacker Henry To'oTo'o, Latham and guard Emil Ekiyor Jr. But, like with Young (especially), their fate in terms of accolades figures to be tied to the team's success.
The same won't be true in regards to the 2023 NFL Draft, or at least on the same level. Granted, NFL teams love players from winning programs, however there are additional opportunities to stand out at the combine, Alabama's pro day, during individual workouts and even at all-star games.
Here's where NFL Draft Bible ranks eligible Crimson Tide players at each position heading into the second half of the college football season:
QB: Young, second
RB: Gibbs, second; Roydell Williams 19th; Trey Sanders 27th; McClellan 34th
WR: Burton, eighth; Tyler Harrell (who hasn't played yet) 24th
TE: Latu, third
G: Cohen, fourth; Ekiyor 12th
C: McLaughlin 13th; Darrian Dalcourt 17th
DT: DJ Dale 10th; Byron Young 11th; Justin Eboigbe 16th; Tim Smith 41st
DE/Edge: Chris Braswell 34th
OLB: Anderson first
ILB: To'oTo'o third
S: Branch second; Battle third; Moore seventh; DeMarcco Hellams 16th
CB: Eli Ricks fifth
On the Big Board, Anderson is second overall, Young has dropped to 11th, Branch is 17th, Gibbs is 24th, and To'oTo'o is 31st. Seven more players are listed in the top 100.
So yes, the Crimson Tide has a ton of talent, but each game from here on becomes that much more important as the opportunities become fewer and scarce.
5 Things That Got Our Attention This Week
• SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey expressed some his thoughts about potential NCAA tournament expansion during SEC media days in basketball this week: “I think there’s ways for us to think about creating access points that bring more people into the game, which I always think can be healthy if done the right way.”
Part of his thinking stems from the way Ole Miss baseball won the national title last season after being the last team in the tournament (over Alabama, which swept the Rebels in the regular season), and Texas A&M not making the basketball tournament last year.
The upcoming additions of Oklahoma and Texas to the league are weighing on him as well.
“What I’ve been through is a set of conversations at the national level about people being fearful through this NCAA transformation process that things would be taken away. My advocacy was, rather than worrying about taking things away, why don’t we take a step back and think about how we grow. The division has grown over time, the number of members, the quality of basketball, the commitment, the expectations that are upon any number of programs nationally. So why don’t we facilitate those opportunities?”
• The Athletic reported that the NCAA’s NIL subcommittee will send additional NIL rules to schools as early as next week. The rules will specifically address which activities are permissible and impermissible when it comes to institutional involvement in NIL activity.
The idea is that the "rules" will be mostly to clarify, and offer some guidelines about what's permissible and impermissible.
• Look for non-playing safety to be a hot topic during the offseason in regards to fans rushing the field, and teams coming out of the same tunnel at football games.
For those who might have missed it, there was some serious sniping between Penn State and Michigan players at halftime last week.
"The one tunnel is a problem," Penn State coach James Franklin said per Per Football Scoop. "It’s a problem, and it has been. To me, we need to put a policy in place from a conference perspective in my mind that’s going to stop...we’re not the first team to kind of get into a jawing match in the tunnel. For me, I want to focus on getting my team into the locker room and not jawing back and forth. … All there has to be is a two-minute or minute buffer in between the two teams.”
• Speaking of UT, wide receiver Jalin Hyatt signed an NIL deal with the apparel company Breaking T, for a 'Gimme 5' T-shirt and hoodie. The youth T-shirts are available for $30, while the adult shirts cost $34, and hoodies are $57.
• Something to keep an eye on in gymnastics is the new Utah collective, called "Who Rocks the House," which is aiming to be sport specific. One of the leaders, Mary Beth Lofgren, told Extra Points: "There may be 14,000, 15,000, even more fans in the building for a meet. It has never occurred to most of them to donate to the Crimson Club before. If we can get half of these people, or even a third of these people, to sign up for even modest donations ... you can make a significant impact." Lofgren expects small donors, not corporations or businesses, to be the "lifeblood" of the collective, which is registered as an LLC and not a 501(c)3, so all the money has to go to the student-athletes.
Tide-Bits
• Here's what the voting committee said about Alabama's offensive line when naming it among 22 teams on the midseason honor roll for the Joe Moore Award: “Much improved group from a year ago. [The center] does a nice job helping inside and working up to second level. He makes stuff right a lot. A group that generally handles movement and stunts well. [Steen] from Vandy can bend and is a welcomed addition. [Ekiyor] brings his feet underneath and can generate tremendous power. Scheme and elite skill help pass pro and rush production, but competitive group that gets it started and gives the plays a chance.”
• With last week's loss at Tennessee, Alabama "fell" below .800 against ranked opponents since 2008. The Crimson Tide is 73-19 (.794) against AP Top 25 teams during that span. It went 6-1 last season.
• Alberto Camargo of NCAA Digital calls Alabama the surprise of women's soccer this season, with Syracuse on the men's side. He's touting both Riley Mattingly Parker (top 10 in nation in goals), and Felicia Knox (leads country in assists) as strong candidates for player of the years honors, after Reyna Reyes was the Crimson Tide's lone representative on the preseason watch list.
• Alabama soccer's seeding in the NCAA Tournament figures to be crucial in determining its ultimate fate, especially with the neighboring ACC having such a strong season. It has six teams in the top 10 that the selection committee will have to spread out in the brackets, but not all are going to end up as No. 1 or No. 2 seeds.
Did You Notice?
With the NFL encroaching onto Black Friday, the scheduling problem of expanding the playoff is becoming increasingly complex.
• CFP Leaders Frustrated As NFL Encroaches on Scheduling Battleground
• CFP Expansion Timeline Unclear Despite Commissioners’ Progress
• Behind the Scenes, and Closed Doors, That Led to College Football Playoff Expansion
• After a Shooting at His School, He’s Trying to Find a Way Back
Bonus: Congratulations to Sylvester Croom
I keep going back to something Wendell Hudson said about his friend when it was announced that Sylvester Croom would finally join him in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2020.
"Long overdue," Hudson said.
It only took 20 years to happen.
On Saturday, Croom will be recognized during the Mississippi State at Alabama game as one of the best parts of being selected for the College Football Hall of Fame, the on-campus salute.
And yes, it's about time.
That isn't a reflection on Alabama, which has done a much better job lately of recognizing some of its pioneers in integration and diversity.
Granted, there have been some bumps in the road, like the initial idiotic decision to name a building Lucy-Graves Hall after its first Black student and civil rights activist Autherine Lucy Foster and Bibb Graves, a former Alabama governor and a Ku Klux Klan leader (after a week of backlash the university went with Autherine Lucy Hall).
In April, it dedicated a plaque honoring its first Black football players, Wilbur Jackson and John Mitchell, outside of Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Previously, the last major ceremony before the coronavirus outbreak was Hudson becoming the first former Crimson Tide player or coach to have his jersey retired, as No. 20 was raised to the top of Coleman Coliseum.
Croom was on-hand for a lot of the celebration.
Alabama Athletics
The Tuscaloosa son was one of the first black football players at Alabama, and as a senior captain in 1974 was named an All-American in addition to winning the Jacobs Trophy as the Southeastern Conference’s best blocker. Before playing center, he was a linebacker, tight end and tackle.
During his three seasons, Croom helped lead Alabama to a 22-2 record, three straight SEC titles, and the 1973 national championship.
“In my career, I’ve been around a lot of great leaders,” Ozzie Newsome said. “And he led that huddle, trust me. He was impressive at a lot of things, but mostly a leader."
He then became a coaching icon.
Croom was an assistant at Alabama for 11 seasons under Bryant and Coach Ray Perkins, and then spent 17 years coaching in the NFL before finally getting the chance to be a head coach.
In 2003, after being a finalist for the job at his alma matter, Croom became the first black head football coach in the SEC at Mississippi State.
Croom inherited a program that had been struggling, and was coming off three straight seasons in which the Bulldogs failed to top more than three wins.
But Croom wasn't just interested in making history. He also wanted to win. At the end of his fourth season he was named the 2007 SEC Coach of the Year.
Croom always said that his love for the game was what kept him going as a coach, and after Mississippi State he returned to the NFL for eight more seasons.
When Mike Slive announced that he would step down as conference commissioner in 2015, he mentioned Croom's hiring as one of the proudest moments of his tenure. He later called it his greatest accomplishment.
“Before his hiring, my goal was to create a national conference," Slive said. "We were a bit regional. As long as we had shown we couldn't provide opportunity for everyone, we wouldn't be the kind of national league that I wanted us to be. With the hiring of Sylvester, it was a huge story, especially out of the state of Mississippi. That allowed us to become that national conference that we wanted to become.”
For me, my first experience with Croom came back when I was covering the NFL, and he was an assistant coach with the Green Bay Packers.
More than once I asked him for a couple of minutes of his time after practice, and he was always accommodating and insightful. From his players back then, through his head coaching years and even now when the worthy accolades are finally catching up to him, the same word immediately comes to mind and is associated with Croom more than any other:
Respect.
Congratulations and well done.
Christopher Walsh/BamaCentral
College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2022
PLAYERS:
- LaVar Arrington – LB, Penn State (1997-99)
- Champ Bailey – DB, Georgia (1996-98)
- Michael Crabtree – WR, Texas Tech (2007-08)
- Sylvester Croom – C, Alabama (1972-74)
- Mike Doss – S, Ohio State (1999-2002)
- Chuck Ealey – QB, Toledo (1969-71)
- Kevin Faulk – AP/RB, LSU (1995-98)
- Moe Gardner – DT, Illinois (1987-90)
- Boomer Grigsby – LB, Illinois State (2001-04)
- Mike Hass – WR, Oregon State (2002-05)
- Marvin Jones – LB, Florida State (1990-92)
- Andrew Luck – QB, Stanford (2009-11)
- Mark Messner – DT, Michigan (1985-88)
- Terry Miller – RB, Oklahoma State (1974-77)
- Rashaan Salaam – RB, Colorado (1992-94)
- Dennis Thomas – C, Alcorn State (1971-73)
- Zach Wiegert – OT, Nebraska (1991-94)
- Roy Williams – DB, Oklahoma (1999-2001)
COACHES:
- John Luckhardt – 225-70-2 (76.1%); Washington & Jefferson [PA] (1982-98), California [PA] (2002-11)
- Billy Jack Murphy – 91-44-1 (67.3%); Memphis (1958-71)
- Gary Pinkel – 191-110-3 (63.3%); Toledo (1991-2000), Missouri (2001-15)
College Football Hall of Fame Bio
Sylvester Croom
University of AlabamaCenter, 1972-74
Highlighted by a national championship, Sylvester Croom was a leader at center during one of the most successful runs in Alabama history. The Tuscaloosa, Alabama, native becomes the 20th Crimson Tide player to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
A 1974 First Team All-American, Croom helped the Crimson Tide to a UPI national title in 1973. The 1974 First Team All-SEC selection and Jacobs Blocking Trophy recipient led Alabama to three consecutive conference titles. The 1974 team captain led the Tide to three bowl games and three top 10 final national rankings (No. 7 in 1972, No. 4 in 1973 and No. 5 in 1974).
Behind Croom's stellar blocking, the Tide averaged 414.7 yards per game in 1972, 480.7 yards per game in 1973 and 388.3 yards per game in 1974. During his three seasons, Alabama posted an impressive 32-4 record, with only one loss coming during the regular season. Croom capped his collegiate career in the 1975 Senior Bowl after playing for College Football Hall of Fame Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and alongside Hall of Famers John Hannah, Woodrow Lowe and Ozzie Newsome in Tuscaloosa. He was inducted into the State of Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2020, and the Crimson Tide's spring practice award is named the Sylvester Croom Commitment to Excellence Award in his honor.
After going undrafted in 1975, Croom played one season with the New Orleans Saints before returning to Alabama to begin his storied coaching career. After serving on the Crimson Tide staff from 1976-86 under his former coach Bryant and Ray Perkins, he then coached in the NFL from 1987-2003. In 2004, Croom made history when Mississippi State hired him as the first Black head football coach in SEC history. He was named the SEC Coach of Year in 2007. Following five seasons at Mississippi State, Croom returned to the NFL as an assistant coach before retiring following the 2017 season.
Croom is heavily involved with College View Baptist Church, which was started by his father who was an All-American at Alabama A&M.
See Also:
For more about Sylvester Croom we strongly recommend checking out the Rick Bragg story on him for Sports Illustrated (April 18, 2004):
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