Alabama Coaching Staff Names Eight Players of the Week Following Win at Arkansas
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Alabama coaching staff announced eight Players of the Week on Monday morning following the Crimson Tide's 49-26 victory at Arkansas.
Three players from offense, three from defense and a trio from special teams were named.
On offense, running back Jahmyr Gibbs was named due to his impressive two-touchdown performance. The other two players named were center Seth McLaughlin and left tackle Tyler Steen, who both helped boost the Crimson Tide to 555 yards of total offense.
On the defensive side of the football, defensive backs DeMarcco Hellams and Kool-Aid McKinstry were named. Hellams totaled six tackles and forced a key fumble in Alabama territory. McKinstry also recorded six tackles, including one for a loss of four yards. Alongside them was defensive lineman Jaheim Oatis, who notched a career-high eight tackles, including one sack.
On special teams, McKinstry was also named for his skills as a punt returner. On his three returns, McKinstry totaled 77 yards. Linebackers Demouy Kennedy and Quandarrius Robinson were named alongside McKinstry for their efforts on kickoff coverage.
Gibbs was also named the Southeastern Conference's Offensive Player of the Week following his performance this past weekend in the Crimson Tide's 49-26 win at Arkansas.
Gibbs rushed for 206 yards and two touchdowns against the Razorbacks in just 18 carries — an average of 11.4 yards per rush. That average ranks as the second-best single-game performance by a running back in Alabama program history.
The vast bulk of Gibbs' yards came in the fourth quarter when he burst through for two huge touchdown runs that put the game away for the Crimson Tide. His first rush was for 72 yards, while his second was 76 — putting the game out of reach for the Razorbacks who had previously been surging prior to Gibbs helping silence the home crowd.
Gibbs also recorded two receptions for 20 receiving yards, bringing his all-purpose yards total to 226.