Bama Central

The Weekly Competition Between Alabama's Offensive Linemen

OL Coach Chris Kapilovic keeps track of the knockdown blocks by each lineman in every game.

Katie Windham

Sep 28, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Germie Bernard (5) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Sep 28, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Germie Bernard (5) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium. / John David Mercer-Imagn Images

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— The nastiness and physicality of the Alabama offense line is on display each Saturday, but the competitiveness starts within the unit's meeting room.

For more than a decade, Alabama offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic has kept track of knockdown blocks and created a competition among his linemen at various stops throughout the country.

"You always keep track of it and talk about it, but once I put a board up on the wall where I write it down every week, and I might have a special reward for a guy that week, it’s amazing how much more competitive it is," Kapilovic said. "So if you’ve got any pride in yourself, when you walk in that room and people are looking at those numbers, you want to have high numbers. It’s just something that we want our guys to play hard and play with an edge where there’s a competition among them."

Left guard Tyler Booker won the competition in each of the Crimson Tide's first three games, but right guard Jaeden Roberts was the winner against Georgia. Booker explained the value of getting knockdown blocks in game and the effect it can have on a defensive players as the game wears on.

Example of a Booker (52) knockdown block against Georgia in the clip below.

"It’s really a competition to see how many times you can put somebody on the ground because being put down on the ground and having to get back up, that takes something out of you every play," Booker said. "That’s more energy that you’re exerting getting up, and less energy you’re exerting playing me. So it’s crucial for us to get knockdowns.”

Example of a Roberts (77) knockdown block against Georgia in the clip below.

Kapilovic has made some chains for the guys and other prizes, but he said it's really more about the bragging rights among teammates than any physical reward.

The competition will continue this Saturday at Vanderbilt. For the first time this season, Alabama didn't allow a sack against Georgia. Kapilovic like some of the things he saw in pass protection, and no sacks is always the goal, but there are still things he wants to see improvement on, particularly in the run blocking.

"We're always striving to get better every day," Kapilovic said. "There are some really good things happening out there, but then there's things that need to be better. We have not played a perfect game, not even close, and that's what we're trying to get to."

See alsoHow to Watch: No. 1 Alabama Football at Vanderbilt; Week 6 College Football TV Schedule

2024 SEC Football Power Rankings: Week 5

How Alabama is Avoiding the Potential Traps of Being No. 1

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Katie Windham
KATIE WINDHAM

Katie Windham is the assistant editor for BamaCentral, primarily covering football, basketball gymnastics and softball. She is a two-time graduate of the University of Alabama and has covered a variety of Crimson Tide athletics since 2019 for outlets like The Tuscaloosa News, The Crimson White and the Associated Press before joining BamaCentral full time in 2021. Windham has covered College Football Playoff games, the Women's College World Series, NCAA March Madness, SEC Tournaments and championships in multiple sports. 

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