Versatile Crownover, Texas A&M Aggies Prepare for Alabama Crimson Tide

Sophomore Dametrious Crownover received high praise from his head coach Jimbo Fisher on Monday as the team prepares for eleventh-ranked Alabama.

Dametrious Crownover has been a key part of an outstanding Texas A&M Aggies offensive line that has seemed much improved from last season.

Despite initially being recruited to play as a tight end, Crownover made the switch to offensive lineman early on in his freshman season and hasn't looked back. Now he's carved out a strong role in the Aggie offense alongside his older brother, fullback Earnest Crownover.

The 6-7, 315-pound Crownover spoke about his adjustment from tight end to offensive lineman to the media on Monday afternoon.

"It was definitely a shock coming in as a tight end from a small school and being asked to play o-line," said Crownover. "The transition was rocky in the beginning, but there's been a lot of growth from last year to this year. Last year, I wasn't really sure what was going on, but this year, it's definitely been a lot easier."

Texas A&M offensive line celebrates with Conner Weigman / USA Today Sports

Head coach Jimbo Fisher felt that even through the recruiting process, Crownover was destined to be an exceptional offensive lineman.

"Dametrious is a guy who I knew would need a little bit of development," said Fisher. "Even though he was a tight end, I really felt he could be an offensive tackle. With the patience he had to make the switch and accept his role, he's going to be one heck of a football player before he leaves Texas A&M. I truly believe he's going to play on Sundays for a long time,"

The high praise from Fisher comes after Crownover and the O-line didn't allow a single sack in Saturday's dominant win over Arkansas. The Aggie offense looks to continue this trend as they face an Alabama defensive line that is full of five-star talent.

Even with the talent and reputation that the Crimson Tide possess, Crownover feels like the Aggies must treat it just as they would any game.

"Preparation-wise we treat each week like it's just the next team," said Crownover. "We all hold ourselves to a standard, and we can't change that for anybody."

The Aggies hope to use this preparation and the momentum of the home crowd to upset eleventh-ranked Alabama and sit all alone atop the SEC West.