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WildTide: Inside the Wildcat Offense By: Anthony Johnson

True FreshmanTrent Richardson

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The Houndstooth Twins

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September 19, 2009

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In This Issue

M U L T I M E D I A

All content is the property of Touchdown Alabama Magazine. Touchdown Alabama Magazine reserves all rights to content in both the print and online (www.touchdownalabama.net) versions of the publication. No image or text may be reproduced without written consent from Touchdown Alabama Magazine.

8 Pregame Preview

10 Rosters

14 Wildcat Offense

18 VisitorProfiles

19 Larry’s Lowdown

21 Darwin Holt

22 Houndstooth Twins

25 Spotlight: Hightower

26 SEC News

29 Bama Fans

September 19, 2009 | Volume 2, ISSue 4

StaffPresident/Publisher Bennie Bice

Editor-in-Chief Mike Lacy

Managing Editor Jessica Temple

Photography BDL Mark Lent Jenifer McCormick North Texas Athletic Department Paul W. Bryant Museum Rivals.com

Creative Director Jenifer McCormickGraphic Design Cassandra Johnson Tramayne Wright ChiefInformationOfficer BrianLaShombWebsite Designer Carey Landon

Public Relations Katlyn Clark Drew Franklin Coe Robbins

Advertising Director Herb NeuAdvertising Sales Ron Bush Doug Cate Kimberly Drake Alex Schroyer Tramayne Wright

Accounting Department Danny Glynn

Marketing Department Kasey Coleman John Shamblin

Contributing Writers Larry Burton Jennifer Gorham Katie Hall Anthony Johnson Katie Koenig Brad Lake Lauren Moranor Coe Robbins Dr. Donald F. Staffo

Next Issue

• William Vlachos

• The Fail Room

• Key Player Matchups

• Elephants on Campus

Web Content

• Post-Game Interviews

• Game Footage

• Press Conferences from Nick Saban

• More From Larry Burton

Weekly Radio Show

• Coming Soon!

� | TOUCHDOWN ALABAMA September 19, 2009

MISSION STATEMENT“Touchdown Alabama Magazine was created to bring Alabama football fans the coverage of their team that they crave andexpect,aswellastobringthemclosertotheactiononthefield.TheUniversityofAlabamahasalongcollegefootball history, rich with tradition. Each season has added more dynamic players and colorful stories to the Alabama family.Itisonlyfittingthataprogramwith12NationalChampionshipsshouldhaveaweeklymagazinededicatedtoconveying the excitement of the game to its devoted fans. Touchdown Alabama Magazine strives to be the most up-to-date,relevantandexcitingmagazinecoveringUniversityofAlabamafootball.Furthermore,weguaranteein-deptharticles, exclusive interviews and quality content surrounding the Crimson Tide. We will never forget who we generate this magazine for...you, the fan. God bless.”

SubScribe Today!www.touchdownalabama.net

Hello, Bama fans!Welcome to Touchdown Alabama Magazine! We

are excited about the 2009 season. We have an impressive team that is only getting stronger, a coach that is bringing us back to the top and a great publication to cover it all!

If you are new to the magazine, we are glad you picked us up! We hope you enjoy what you see. For those of you who got to know us last year, welcome back! We hope you appreciate the expanded content and like the new look of Touchdown Alabama.

As Alabama’s premier college football magazine, we strive to bring you the most complete and current coverage of the Crimson Tide. If you have any suggestions or ideas for things you would like to see in our upcoming issues, please let us know! We are always open to suggestions from our readers. Let us

know what you think of Touchdown Alabama!Look for us at locations throughout Tuscaloosa

each home game, and check us out online for away games and in between. 2009 is shaping up to be another fantastic season for the Tide and we are proud to be part of it!

Roll Tide!Touchdown Alabama Staff

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Letter from the Editor

Bennie Bice, Publisher

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Afteraslowfirsthalf in Alabama’s firsttwogames,expect a much faster start against North Texas. I expect Alabama to havetheirfirstcompletegamewithfewer mental errors. Expect much better kickoff coverage as well.

>>Alabama 42-7Bennie Bice - Publisher

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Alabama will be working on the special teams again this week against North Texas after letting Florida International break the lanes last week. Look for some new jersey numbers on kickoffs. Defensively, the Tide will show some different looks. The Crimson Tide, offensively, will continue to utilizethebackfieldasitsmainsourceofpower against North Texas’ defense.

>>Alabama 47-17Mike Lacy - Editor-in-Chief

After starting the season 2-0, I look to see the offense continue to improve, matching the play of the defense. This will be the game where the Tide puts it all together. With one of the best defenses in the country and the emergence of the running game, they will win big. >>Alabama 42-3Marvin Constant

Only a fool would think that North Texas would have a chance to pull off the upset against the Tide. Instead, what we should look for is improvement in kickoff return coverage and the ability to grabthisteambythethroatfromthefirstquarter and continue pummeling them for four quarters. That is how I will measure this win.

Larry Burton

Bama is on a roll and should continue on the path to a perfect season this week. North Texas will be using their back-up quarterback and will be no match for our D. Bama will have another big win.

>>Alabama 37-10Jessica Temple - Managing Editor

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Pre-Game Preview

Pre-Game Preview

touchdownalabama.net | �PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK LENT

Brad Lake

After coming off their second win in a row, the Alabama Crimson Tide has to make sure not to get too big-headed for the North Texas game on September 19. The

Tide should dominate in all facets of the game, but must stay focused in order to show their determina-tion to go all the way this season.

Starting Quarterback Riley Dodge for the North Texas Mean Green suffered a shoulder injury in Saturday night’s 31-30 loss in double overtime againstOhio.Don’texpecttoseehimonthefieldthis week against the Tide’s unstoppable defense.

With Dodge out of the picture, expect to see the Mean Green’s backup quarterback Nathan Tune making a lot of mistakes against the Tide’s stellar rush schemes and experienced secondary. Also, after throwing 69-yard interception in the fourth quarter againstOhio,Tune’sconfidencemightbealittlelowwith Terrance Cody or Rolando McClain, who led theTidewith10tacklesonSaturdayagainstFIU,nipping at his heels every down.

We will probably see more interceptions made by the Tide’s defense this week, due to the North Texas quarterback situation and the Tide’s impenetrable run defensethatheldFIUtoonly1singlerushingyardfor the game.

Alabama should have less trouble with North TexasthantheydidwithFIUduetothefactthat

North Texas does not have a player that stacks up to Florida International’s T.Y. Hilton. Last week, Hilton took back a kickoff for a 96-yard touchdown run against the Tide’s shaky special teams, who have given up two touchdowns on kickoffs out of two games played this year. This is obviously one of No. 4 ranked Alabama’s weaknesses this year.AftercomingoffabiggameagainstFIU,

freshman running back Trent Richardson is a player to watch in the upcoming game. With a two touch-down runs, one of which was a 35-yard run, expect to see Richardson getting some more touches on the ball against the Mean Green. Also, look for Greg McElroy to have his best game yet against North Texas, due to the lack of talent on the Mean Green’s Sun Belt Conference defense. One player the Tide will be on the lookout for is sophomore defensive back Royce Hill, who will try to continue his interception streak, having already obtained two picks this season.

Finally, after the Tide establishes their concrete running game, expect McElroy and his crafty receiving core to completely demoralize the North Texas defense with some big pass plays to wide receivers Mike McCoy, Darius Hanks and Julio Jones, even though he has been rather quite the last couple of games. This should be the icing on the cake for the Crimson Tide and should seal the deal for this game. Pre-Game Preview

Tough Defense and Hot Running Game Will Carry the Tide Past the Mean Green

No. 4 Alabama vs North Texas

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erNO NAME POS CL HT WT HOMETOWN/LASTSCHOOL

82 Earl Alexander WR Jr. 6-4 212 Phenix City, AL/Central32 Eryk Anders LB Sr. 6-2 235 San Antonio, TX/Smithson Valley28 Javier Arenas DB Sr. 5-9 195 Tampa, FL/Robinson49 Jonathan Atchison LB Fr. 6-2 220 Atlanta, GA/Douglass4 Mark Barron DB So. 6-2 214 Mobile, AL/St. Paul’s7 Kenny Bell WR Fr. 6- 1 160 Rayville, LA/Rayville44 Alex Benson LB Sr. 6- 1 225 Trussville, AL/Hewitt-Trussville86 Undra Billingsley TE Fr. 6-2 276 Birmingham, AL/Woodlawn93 Chris Bonds DL Fr. 6-4 280 Columbia, SC/Richland Northeast HS67 John Michael Boswell OL So. 6-5 306 Northport, AL/Tuscaloosa County88 Michael Bowman WR Fr. 6-4 210 Rossville, GA/Ridgeland87 Drew Bullard LB Jr 6-3 238 Florence, AL/Florence77 James Carpenter OL Jr. 6-5 300 Augusta, GA/Hephzibah99 Josh Chapman DL So. 6-1 313 Hoover, AL/Hoover62 Terrence Cody DL Sr. 6-5 354 Ft. Myers, FL/Gulf Coast C.C.57 Marcell Dareus DL So. 6-4 296 Huffman, AL/Huffman16 Thomas Darrah QB So. 6-5 227 Newnan, GA/Newnan79 Drew Davis OL Sr. 6-7 306 Evergreen, AL/Sparta Academy96 Luther Davis DL Jr. 6-3 275 West Monroe, LA/West Monroe95 Brandon Deaderick DL Sr. 6-4 306 Elizabethtown, KY/Elizabethtown51 Michael DeJohn LB Jr. 6- 1 241 Hoover, AL/Hoover85 Preston Dial TE Ir. 6-3 233 Mobile, AL/UMS-Wright40 DeMarcus DuBose LB So. 6-1 232 Montgomery, AL/Jefferson Davis13 Rob Ezell WR Jr. 5-10 170 Athens, AL/Athens97 P.J. Fitzgerald P Sr. 5-11 204 Coral Springs, FL/Stoneman Douglas76 D.J. Fluker OL Fr. 6-6 340 Foley, AL/Foley58 Nick Gentry DL So. 6-1 264 Prattville, AL/Prattville11 Brandon Gibson WR So. 6-2 192 Mobile, AL/UMS-Wright6 Demetrius Goode RB So. 5-9 191 LaGrange, GA/Hargrave29 Terry Grant RB Jr. 5-10 190 Lumberton, MS/Lumberton33 Hampton Gray DB Sr. 6- 2 196 Northport, AL/Tuscaloosa County23 Robby Green DB So. 6-0 181 New Orleans, LA/John Curtis Christian34 Jeramie Griffin RB So. 6-2 224 Batesville, MS/South Panola15 Darius Hanks WR So. 6-0 184 Norcross, GA/Norcross54 Glenn Harbin DL Fr. 6-5 257 Mobile, AL/McGill-Toolen5 Jerrell Harris LB So. 6-3 227 Gadsden, AL/Gadsden City30 Dont’a Hightower LB So. 6-4 255 Lewisburg, TN/Marshall County40 Baron Huber RB/TE Sr. 6-4 263 Knoxville, TN/Powell22 Mark Ingram RB So. 5-10 212 Flint, MI/Southwestern Academy3 Kareem Jackson DB Jr. 6-0 193 Macon, GA//Fork Union Military2 Star Jackson QB Fr. 6-3 206 Lake Worth, FL/Lake Worth24 Marquis Johnson DB Sr. 5-11 191 Sarasota, FL/Booker78 Mike Johnson OL Sr. 6-5 303 Pensacola, FL/Pine Forest35 Nico Johnson LB Fr. 6-3 225 Andalusia, AL/Andalusia75 Barrett Jones OL R-Fr. 6-4 289 Memphis, TN/Evangelica Christian8 Julio Jones WR So. 6-4 211 Foley, AL/Foley26 Phelon Jones DB So. 5-11 195 Mobile, AL/LSU/McGill-Toolen36 Chris Jordan LB So. 6-3 230 Brentwood, TN/Brentwood Academy81 Kendall Kelly WR Fr. 6-3 216 Gadsden, AL/Gadsden City20 Tyrone King DB Sr. 5-11 203 Birmingham, AL/Grambling State/Minor21 Dre Kirkpatrick DB Fr. 6-3 185 Gadsden, AL/Gadsden City42 Eddie Lacy RB Fr. 6-0 210 Geismar, LA/Dutchtown

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alabama Roster

37 Robert Lester DB Fr. 6-2 207 Foley, AL/Foley72 Tyler Love OL R-Fr. 6-6 303 Mountain Brook, AL/Mountain Brook33 Mike Marrow RB-HB Fr. 6-2 240 Holland, OH/Central Catholic4 Marquis Maze WR So. 5-10 179 Birmingham, AL/Tarrant10 A.J. McCarron QB Fr. 6-4 190 Mobile, AL/Saint Paul’s Episcopal School25 Rolando McClain LB Ir. 6-4 255 Decatur, AL/Decatur80 Mike McCoy WR Sr. 6-3 215 Rankin, MS/Northwest52 Alfred McCullough OL So. 6-2 305 Athens, AL/Athens12 Greg McElroy QB Jr. 6-3 220 Southlake, TX/Southlake Carroll56 William Ming DL Fr. 6-3 260 Athens, AL/Athens59 Brandon Moore DL Fr. 6-5 310 Montgomery, AL/Carver66 Brian Motley OL Jr. 6-3 291 Autaugaville, AL/Autaugaville64 Kerry Murphy DL Fr. 6-4 323 Hoover, AL/Hargrave/Hoover46 Wesley Neighbors DB So. 6-1 210 Huntsville, AL/Huntsville83 Kevin Norwood WR Fr. 6-2 180 D’lberville, MS/DiIberville18 Morgan Ogilvie QB So. 6-0 195 Mountain Brook, AL/Mountain Brook2 Tana Patrick LB Fr. 6-3 235 Bridgeport, AL/North Jackson84 Colin Peek TE Sr. 6-6 255 Ponte Vedra Beach, FL/Georgia Tech/Bolles39 Kyle Pennington DB Jr. 5-11 188 Chatom, AL/Washington County68 Taylor Pharr OL Jr. 6-6 290 Irondale, AL/Shades Valley54 Russell Rains OL Fr. 6-2 260 Satsuma, AL/SaWuma13 Cory Reamer LB Sr. 6-4 234 Hoover, AL/Hoover3 Trent Richardson RB Fr. 5-11 220 Pensacola, FL/Escambia8 Chris Rogers DB Sr. 6-0 190 Lakeland, FL/Evangel Christian74 David Ross OL Jr. 6-3 299 Homewood, AL/Homewood1 B.J. Scott DB So. 5-11 196 Prichard, AL/Vigor46 Chris Scott WR Sr. 5-11 170 Birmingham, AL/Ramsay50 Brian Selman SNP Sr. 6-0 210 Vestavia Hills, AL/Vestavia Hills94 Darrington Sentimore DL Fr. 6-3 280 Norco, LA/Destrehan26 Ali Sharrief DB Sr. 5-9 200 Stevenson, AL/North Jackson94 Jeremy Shelley PK Fr. 5-10 170 Raleigh, N.C./Broughton48 Travis Sikes WR Jr. 6-3 198 Nashville, TN/Christ Presbyterian71 Allen Skelton OL So. 6-1 265 Coker, AL/Tuscaloosa County17 Brad Smelley TE So. 6-3 233 Tuscaloosa, AL/American Christian92 Damion Square DL Fr. 6-3 272 Houston, TX/Yates61 Anthony Steen OL-DL Fr. 6-3 305 Lambert, MS/Lee Academy47 Ed Stinson LB-DL Fr. 6-4 240 Homestead, FL/South Dade90 Milton Talbert DL Jr. 6-4 275 Hattiesburg, MS/Hattiesburg99 Leigh Tiffin PK Sr. 6-2 212 Muscle Shoals, AL/Muscle Shoals51 Carson Tinker ST So. 6-1 220 Murfreesboro, TN/Riverdale87 Chris Underwood TE So. 6-4 231 Birmingham, AL/Vestavia Hills5 Roy Upchurch RB Sr. 6-0 205 Tallahassee, FL/Godby41 Courtney Upshaw LB So. 6-2 249 Eufaula, AL/Eufaula73 William Vlachos OL Jr 6-1 294 Birmingham, AL/Mountain Brook65 Chance Warmack OL Fr. 6-3 301 Atlanta, GA/Westlake97 Lorenzo Washington DL Sr. 6-5 290 Logansville, GA/Hargrave91 Alex Watkins LB So. 6-3 225 Brownsville, TN/Haywood55 Chavis Williams LB Jr. 6-4 223 Dora, AL/Dora60 David Williams OL Fr. 6-3 272 Duncanville, AL/Hillcrest89 Michael Williams TE Fr. 6-6 266 Reform, AL/Pickens County9 Nick Williams WR Fr. 5-10 165 Fort Lauderdale, FL/St. Thomas Aquinas27 Justin Woodall DB Sr. 6-2 221 Oxford, MS/Lafayette18 Rod Woodson DB Fr. 5-11 200 Olfve Branch, MS/Olive Branch

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NO NAME POS HT WT CL HOMETOWN/LASTSCHOOL1 Brigham, Desmond WR 6-1 184 RFr. Caddo Mills, TX (Caddo Mills HS)2 Hamilton, James RB 5-8 178 So. Cedar Hill, TX (Cedar Hill HS)3 Taylor, Willie WR 5-10 175 RFr. Dallas, TX (Hillcrest HS)4 Lott, Alex WR 5-9 173 Jr. Plano, TX (Texas Lutheran)5 Dunbar, Lance RB 5-9 202 So. Haltom, TX (Haltom HS)6 Tune, Nathan QB 6-4 206 Jr. Celina, TX (Celina HS)7 Thompson, Derek QB 6-4 223 Fr. Glen Rose, TX (Glen Rose HS)7 Wilson, Jamaal DB 5-10 181 So. DeSoto, TX (DeSoto HS)8 Roberson, Sam WR 6-4 220 So. Somerville, TX (Somerville HS)9 Lewis, B.J. WR 6-1 197 So. Waco, TX (Robinson HS)10 Cook, DaWaylon DB 6-1 196 So. Dallas, TX (Samuell HS)11 Dodge, Riley QB 6-0 193 RFr. Southlake, TX (Carroll HS)13 Baine, Chase QB 6-0 198 RFr. Lake Dallas, TX (Lake Dallas HS)15 Jackson, Jamaal WR 5-10 163 Jr. Amite, LA (SW Mississippi JC)16 Warren, Steve LB 6-1 220 Sr. Burleson, TX (Burleson HS)17 Johnson, Breece WR 6-1 178 Jr. Colleyville, TX (Heritage HS)18 Jones, Benny WR 6-2 165 Jr. Marlin, TX (Navarro JC)18 Shorter, John DB 6-0 195 So. Dallas, TX (Lake Highlands HS)19 Carey, Darius WR 5-10 188 Fr. New Orleans, La (Helen Cox HS)20 Chatman, Justin DB 5-9 180 So. Mesquite, TX (Minnesota)20 Jackson, Jamel WR 5-9 171 Jr. Killeen, TX (Northwestern State)21 Hill, Royce DB 6-0 177 So. Houston, TX (Cypress Ridge HS)22 Adams, Adryan DB 6-0 182 Sr. Oklahoma City, OK (NE Oklahoma A&M)23 Williams, Darien DB 5-10 189 So. Vernon, TX (Vernon HS)24 Mathis, Jeremi RB 6-1 215 RFr. Arlington, TX (Martin HS)25 Ponce, Matt RB 5-11 198 Fr. Whitehouse, TX (Whitehouse HS)25 Smith, Ira DB 5-11 183 Jr. Long Beach, MS (Gulf Coast CC)26 Montgomery, Cam RB 6-1 218 Sr. The Woodlands, TX (NE Miss. JC)27 Gordon, Robbie DB 6-0 180 Jr. Ardmore, OK (Ardmore HS)27 Schutza, Casey WR 5-10 170 Fr. Euless, TX (Trinity HS)29 Jackson, Hilbert DB 6-1 181 Fr. Rowlett, TX (Rowlett HS)29 Roberts, Phillip DB 5-11 195 Fr. Killeen, TX (Ellison HS)30 Deans, Trent PK 6-0 184 RFr. Sherman, TX (Sherman HS)30 Gandy, Shelton RB 5-8 170 Fr. Denton, TX (Ryan HS)31 Penson, A.J. LB 6-1 225 Jr. Lufkin, TX (Lufkin HS)31 Squier, Weston RB 5-8 154 So. Sanger, TX (Sanger HS)32 Mosley, Micah RB 6-0 224 Jr. Nederland, TX (Nederland HS)34 Neal, Chris DB 5-9 168 Jr. Kaufman, TX (Kaufman HS)35 Bush, Antoine DB 5-10 194 Sr. Tyler, TX (John Tyler HS)36 Davis, Marquese LB 6-1 232 So. Atlanta, TX (Atlanta HS)37 Hill, Kylie DB 5-11 190 Sr. Bristow, OK (NE Oklahoma A&M)39 Ekwerekwu, John RB 5-11 208 Jr. Carrollton, TX (R.L. Turner HS)39 Serrano, Jose PK 5-11 199 Fr. Dallas, TX (Skyline HS)40 Washington, Tyler LB 6-1 221 Fr. Cedar Hill, TX (Cedar Hill HS)41 Atterberry, Will P 5-11 187 Fr. Lewisville, TX (Lewisville HS)42 Robertson, Craig LB 6-1 221 Jr. Stafford, TX (Stafford HS)44 Nwigwe, Tobe LB 6-2 240 Sr. Houston, TX (Alief Elsik HS)45 Phillips, Jeremy LB 6-3 198 RFr. Waller, TX (Waller HS)46 Herron, Julian LB 6-2 199 So. Arlington, TX (SMU)47 Akpunku, Brandon DE 6-1 226 So. Cedar Hill, TX (Cedar Hill HS)48 Monroe, Charles RB 5-10 220 Fr. Mesquite, TX (Mesquite HS)48 Obi, K.C. DE 6-2 214 Fr. Mission Hills, CA (Bishop Alemany HS)

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North

texas roster49 Knott, Jeremy PK 6-3 182 Sr. Tulsa, OK (NE Oklahoma A&M)50 Leppo, Nick OL 6-3 246 RFr. Southlake, TX (Carroll HS)51 Acton, Jared OL 5-11 287 RFr. Southlake, TX (Carroll HS)51 January, Sean LB 6-0 234 Jr. Cave Creek,, AZ (Scottsdale C.C.)52 Owusu-Hemeng, Sam DE 6-2 242 Jr. Arlington, TX (Seguin HS)53 Foster, Ryan LB 6-2 227 Fr. Grand Prairie, TX (Prairie View)53 Prior, Daniel LB 6-2 215 Fr. Henderson, TX (Henderson HS)54 Deheck, Robbie LB 6-2 231 So. Azle, TX (Azle HS)56 Johnson, J.J. C 6-3 283 So. Plano, TX (Plano West HS)57 Bailey, Tyler OL 6-2 292 Sr. Lexington, KY (Paul Dunbar HS)57 Nailor, Joseph DE 6-2 235 So. Houston, TX (Idaho)58 Holt, Dan OL 6-4 299 So. McKinney, TX (Midwestern State)60 Fortenberry, Aaron OL 6-4 288 RFr. Era, TX (Era HS)61 Stewart, Jonathan DT 6-2 254 Sr. Arlington, TX (Seguin HS)62 Hollivay, Gabe OL 6-3 328 Sr. Hamilton, MS (Itawamba CC)63 White, Kyle DT 6-2 309 Fr. New Orleans , LA (McDonogh 35 HS)64 Gill, Victor OL 6-4 261 Jr. Argyle, TX (Argyle HS)65 Flax, Kennan OL 6-4 283 Fr. Houston, TX (Cy Ridge HS)66 Kaiser, Jacob OL 6-7 311 So. Greensburg, PA (Central Catholic HS)67 Williams, Ryan OL 6-2 219 Fr. Southlake, TX (Carroll HS)68 Drake, Kelvin C 6-2 280 Jr. Galveston, TX (Ball HS)69 Bruner, Jason OL 6-9 311 Jr. Mineola, TX (Trinity Valley CC)70 Feeley, Coleman OL 6-4 305 So. Austin, TX (Anderson HS)71 Menard, Matthew OL 6-4 297 Jr. Spring, TX (Westfield HS)72 Tomlinson, Matt OL 6-5 297 So. Klein, TX (Klein HS)73 Bean, Jeremy OL 6-5 301 Jr. Bethel, OK (NE Oklahoma A&M)74 Franklin, Troy OL 6-5 272 So. Celina, TX (Celina HS)76 Noble, John OL 6-6 296 Fr. Rockwall, TX (Rockwall HS)77 Santiago, Esteban OL 6-3 296 Jr. El Paso, TX (Coronado HS)78 Kokjohn, Troy OL 6-2 242 So. Carrollton, TX (Hebron HS)79 Jenkins, Nate OL 6-4 349 Jr. Hattiesburg, MS (Pearle River CC)80 Dickerson, Kevin WR 6-0 200 Sr. Fort Worth, TX (Calvary Christian Academy)82 Outlaw, Michael WR 6-0 185 Jr. Starkville, MS (East Mississippi CC)83 Seidle, Bryant LB 6-2 223 Sr. Cypress, TX (Cy-Fair HS)84 Brown, Greg WR 6-1 217 Fr. Grand Prairie, TX (Grand Prairie HS)85 Fitzpatrick, Austin TE 6-3 200 Fr. Friendswood, TX (Friendswood HS)86 Davidson, Christian LB 6-2 222 Sr. Spring, TX (Klein Oak HS)87 Brainard, Chris WR 5-11 158 Fr. Southlake, TX (Carroll)88 Stradford, Tyler WR 6-2 190 Fr. New Orleans, LA (Oklahoma)89 Cruz, Rory WR 6-0 160 Fr. Arlington, TX (SW Oklahoma St)89 Rucker, Forrest WR 6-6 215 Fr. Hearne, TX (Hearne HS)90 Cole III, Mack DE 6-4 228 Sr. Topeka, KS (Fort Scott CC)91 Jackson, Kelvin DT 6-2 309 Jr. Hermanville, MS (Itawamba CC)92 Ross, Draylen DT 6-4 292 Jr. Fort Worth, TX (Diamond Hill-Jarvis HS)93 Anyiam, LaChris DE 6-4 287 Fr. Allen, TX (Allen HS)94 Gilmore, Eddrick DE 6-5 269 Sr. Houston, TX (Alief Hastings HS)95 DeSoto, Jesse DT 6-1 289 Jr. San Antonio, TX (Lee HS)96 Cantly, Tevinn DT 6-4 301 RFr. Arlington, TX (Lamar HS)97 Hawthorne, Joe DT 6-4 270 RFr. Arlington, TX (Martin HS)98 Weber, John DE 6-3 288 Jr. Harvey, LA (Itawamba CC)99 Atkinson, Shavod DT 6-2 307 Jr. Hobart, OK (Independence CC)

NO NAME POS HT WT CL HOMETOWN/LASTSCHOOL

Anthony Johnson

Greg McElroy waited three years for this day to come. He sat behind John Parker Wilson patiently, biding his

time. The Crimson Tide broke the huddle forthefirsttimeinthe2009seasonandtrotted to the line of scrimmage to face a top-ten Virginia Tech defense.

Greg McElroy waited three years for this day to come. He sat behind John Parker Wilson patiently, biding his time. The Crimson Tide broke the huddle for thefirsttimeinthe2009seasonandtrotted to the line of scrimmage to face a top-ten Virginia Tech defense.

McElroy’s debut as the starting quarterback for the Crimson Tide had finallyarrived,orsoweallthought.

Welcome to the newest addition to the Crimson Tide offense, popularly known as the “wildcat.”

The Tide unveiled a new trick in the offensive playbook Saturday night in the

Georgia Dome –much to the shock and dismayoftheTidefaithful.Onthefirstoffensive play from scrimmage, bruising running back Mark Ingram lined up in the shotgun formation at the quarterback position, while McElroy lined up at wide receiver.

Pandemonium ensued. The Hokie defense screamed audible. Fans screamed obscenities.

Julio Jones was motioned across the fieldandfirst-yearstartingcenterWilliamVlachos snapped the ball to Ingram, who then faked a handoff to Jones and plunged through a gap for a three-yard gain.

“It was a big surprise,” said Ingram of his debut as the Tide starting quarterback. “I was excited because it gives the offense a different look. We decided Thursdaythatwasgoingtobethefirstplay of the game, and I was just hoping I executed the play.”

Exclusive

Wildcat, Wildhog…WildTide??

14 | TOUCHDOWN ALABAMA September 19, 2009

The Tide opens up the season with a new trick in the Georgia Dome

touchdownalabama.net | 15PHOTOGRAPHY BY BDL

The Wildcat formation stems from the single-wing offense and has spread like wildfirethroughoutthecountry.Popular-ized by Gus Malzahn during his tenure as offensive coordinator for the Arkansas Razorbacks, the “wild hog,” named after the Razorbacks mascot, has the distin-guishing feature of a direct snap to a running back and an unbalanced offen-sive line.

A testament to how successful the Wildcat can be was written by the 2008 Miami Dolphins, Nick Saban’s former team. The ’08 Dolphins marked the greatest single-season turnaround in NFL history after implementing the Wildcat and finishedwithan11-5record,justoneyearafter a dismal 1-15 season. The Dolphins thrived on the Wildcat using former Auburn standout running back Ronnie Brown,andformerUniversityofTexasstar Ricky Williams. Through 11 games in the ’08 season, the Dolphins averaged

seven yards per play using the Wildcat.Teams’ most successful Wildcat plays

are in part due to mismatches on the offensive line –a key element to its success. A guard and eligible tight end make up one side of the line, and a guard and two tackles anchor the other. If defensive players aren’t very attentive to thechange,thefiveplayersonthelinelook standard. If the defense does not make the proper adjustments to suit personnel matchups, they can get overpowered by the heavy side of the line, thus resulting in explosive plays.“It’sdifficulttodefendbecauseyou

create another gap on defense,” head coach Nick Saban said of the Wildcat. “The quarterback is no longer the quarterback. By using a motion guy for speed sweeps, you can at least keep the people on the perimeter honest.”

Senior strong-side linebacker Cory Reamer said running the Wildcat will be

asbeneficialtotheTidedefenseasitwillbe for the offense.

“I think everyone is going to the Wildcat now all over the country,” Reamer said. “It’s really going to help us out having an offense that can run it because we will face teams further down the road that can run it, and we will be better prepared to face it.”

Saban said the initial idea to implement the Wildcat started during fall camp this season and will add a much-needed dimension to the offense, while giving the Tide play-makers a chance to get into space.

As for McElroy being a play-making threat at wide receiver, he said he’s up to the challenge.

“I think it all kind of depends on the defensive coverage,” McElroy said with a smile. “I’m not real good off the press, but if they can get me off coverage and getmetheballintheflats,IthinkIcanmake a guy miss.”

Tobe Nwigwe

Riley Dodge

Katie Koenig

Senior linebacker Tobe Nwigwe’s Twitter page shows the enthusiasm he has for his team this season.

“The celebration was nice, but it’s over,” Nwigwe wrote on Sept. 4. “Time to re-focus. The win over Ball State doesn’t mean anything if we don’t build from it.”

It seems that Nwigwe is dedicated to building from their victory in their season opener and is working on things he can do to help take his team all the way.

“None of my personal goals matter if we’re not winning,” he said to the North Texas Daily in August. “But you do have to have personal goals going into a season, and I plan to be one of the top linebackers in the nation.”

Nwigwe hopes that by doing his best, they can turn their program around and surprise people with the games they win. He told the North Texas Daily that their win over Ball State was just the beginning of the team’s, “shock the nation tour.”

When the linebacker is not focusing on getting wins for the Mean Green, he and his cousin operate a small clothing company. Nwigwe told the North Texas Daily that he hopes the company, Fresh 2 Death, will be his career after he Þnishes at North Texas.

“We are no Ed Hardy or anything,” Nwigwe said to the North Texas Daily on Sept. 8. ÒWe are deÞnitely up and coming, and I plan on taking us big one day soon.”

North Texas redshirt freshman quarterback Riley Dodge knows a thing or two about high expecta-tions for this season. The Mean Green have won

three games in the past two seasons and had a 1-11 record in 2008. They sat at the number 1 position of ESPN.com’s Bottom Ten list of football teams by David Duffey on Aug. 11. If that weren’t enough pressure to win more games this season, Dodge also has to deal with a tough head coach who has seen all his mistakes and triumphs: his dad. Dodge has been playing under his father, head coach Todd Dodge, since his high school days. ÒWe were always watching Þlm together, always talking

ball,” Riley said to the North Texas Daily in late August. “But we still took time to talk, get away from football and just have fun; we treated football like a light switch.”

When Dodge’s father made the move from Texas high school football coaching to become North Texas’s head coach, Dodge decided to follow him there and play for his dad for four more years.

“We had a great opportunity here,” Riley said to the North Texas Daily. “If I were to go to Texas he would never be able to see me play and I would never be able to see him coach. I believe in what he was doing here, I know the system and I feel comfortable here.” North Texas upset Ball State in the Þrst week of

college football with a 20-10 victory. Dodge was named the Sun Belt Conference’s Offensive Player of the Week after the win, according to a press release from North Texas. Many of the players on the Mean Green team feel this will be a winning season.

“I know we left a lot of points on the board, but I felt we dominated them,” Dodge said to the North Texas Daily on Sept. 4. “We got the W [win] and I promise that we are going to win this season.”

#11

#44

the

Views From

Other Side

Interviews

18 | TOUCHDOWN ALABAMA September 19, 2009 PHOTOGRAPHY BY NORTH TEXAS ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT

LARRY’S

Cody Turned a Corner with the Help of New Best Friend

Larry Burton

touchdownalabama.net | 1�

Larry Burton

Unless you’ve been living on the moon for the last year, you already know about Terrence Cody, or as he’s affectionately known to the Bama Nation, Mt. Cody.

The super-talented senior nose guard has had football accolades and recognition fall on him easily, so easily that maybe he became too lax in his conditioning and training.

He stayed on for his senior year at Alabama because many in the NFL doubted his ability to be a three down athlete and be an effective pass rusher. He came back to prove them wrong.

But following the season, the pounds did not come off and the coaches became irritated with his lack of focus on condi-tioning, will power and effort in practice, and they let him know it.

These not-so-gentle nudges by the coaches, particularly CoachNickSaban,ledCodytofinallyshedsomeweightandadd some speed and some added endurance.

It has also given him a new best friend: Nick Saban.Cody’s lost his father in a car accident at a young age and

thelackofastrongfatherfigureissomethingCody’smissedever since.

Now, according to Nick Saban, whenever he’s with the team, Cody is close by. So close that Saban joked about it in the post game press conference when asked about Cody and whether we could anticipate seeing him more on third down.

“Well, he’s sitting with me on the bus now, and everywhere we go, whether it was the movie last night, (Saban took the whole team out to the movies.) or wherever. I used to have that whole front seat to myself and according to him he would not fitinthatseat(byhimself)lastyearandthat’sthereasonhe’ssitting there. But he’s doing a little begging while he’s there too,” Saban said with a smile as chuckles rippled through the press room.

“He’s, uh really nice to me,” said Saban, grinning, and he paused while the press box erupted in laughter. “He wants to play more on third down.”

And according to Saban, that is something he’s doing and plans on continuing to do.

During that game in those passing situations, Cody was able to move the whole pocket backward and apply pressure.

In run situations, the Alabama defensive line, led by Cody, allowed Florida International a rushing total of only one net yard for the entire game. This is about as close to perfect as a defensive line can get.

Indeed there may be no mountain that Cody can’t climb. When he was in high school there was a “mountain” that the high school coach demanded that each player run bottom to top, a two and a half mile climb as part of their pre-season conditioning.

At close to 400 pounds, few of his team mates thought he could make it.

“When he got up the mountain, the kids went crazy because they didn’t think he could make it,” said Scott Jones, who coached Cody in at Riverdale High School in Fort Myers, Fla.

No one doubts what Cody can do anymore if he puts his mind to it, especially his new best friend, Nick Saban.

“Tonight he did a good job of pushing the pocket, and being active in the middle,” concluded Saban after last week’s win over Florida International.

So maybe this friendship is paying off, or maybe it’s just all the hard work, but what is clear is that Cody has turned the corner. That’s good news for Alabama and bad news for everyone on the schedule.

Recruiting

QB Phillip Sims 6’2” 209, Chesapeake, Va. - Phillip Sims leads Oscar Smith over Indian River 42-10 completing 9-of-18 passes for 183 yards and a touchdown.

Rivals No.1 rated QB has garnered scholarship offers from all over the country but is still a very strong commit to Alabama. Sims has two 3,000 yard seasons and has thrown 33 touchdowns as a sophomore and 38 as a junior.

RB Corey Grant 5’10” 186, Opelika, Ala.- Opelika loses a heartbreaker 45-41 against Dothan when Dothan scored 15 unanswered points to win the game. Corey Grant did score on a 25-yard pass and a 13-yard run in the losing effort.

Grant runs a 4.4 forty with a 37-inch vertical and bench presses 290 pounds. Grant has said that the coaching staff wants to utilize him in many ways because of his speed mainly as a returner. With Javier Arenas departing next year, he could make an immediate impact come 2010.

TE Brian Vogler 6’7” 248, Columbus, Ga.- Vogler caught a 19-yard pass for a touchdown making it 18-7. Greenville, however, took the game from Brookstone 27-25 in Columbus.

Vogler was a highly touted tight end who had offers from Oklahoma, Florida State, Miami and others. Vogler had 21 grabbs for 465 yards and 6 touchdowns as a junior.

DE Alfy Hill 6’4” 222, Shallote, N.C. - Newest Tide signee Alfy Hill wreaked havoc on Laney as Hill compiled a forced fumble, a blocked kick, a QB hurry and a fumble recovery to lead West Brunswick 31-7.

Hill is freakishly fast for his size. At 222 pounds, Hill runs a 4.59 forty according to Rivals. He is also Rivals 10th best DE prospect and is the No. 4 overall player in the state of North Carolina.HillchosetheTideoverhisotherfinalistandhomeschool North Carolina.

DB Demarcus Milliner 6’1” 180, Millbrook, Ala. - Demarcus played a little offense Friday night as Stanhope crushed Jeff Davis 42-6. Demarcus had one 73-yard run and a 6-yardscoretoleadtheMustangstotheirfirstvictory.

The state’s top ranked prospect and No.1 CB in the country by Rivals runs a 4.45 forty and benches 240 pounds.

K Cade Foster 6’1” 215, Southlake, Tx. - Foster intercepted a passasalinebackerlateinthefirsthalftosetuphisown47-yardfieldgoaltohelpSouthlakeCarrollcrushHoustonBellaire 61-13.

As a junior, Foster was perfect inside of 50 yards who finishedonlastyear’sseason6-of-9.Fosteralsohadoffersfrom Miami, Stanford and Washington.

Notes courtesy of Rivals.com

Coe Robbins

20 | TOUCHDOWN ALABAMA September 19, 2009

Week 3

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RIVALS.COM

When he played for Alabama, Bear Bryant was called “the other end,” a reference to his being overshadowed by teammate and star receiver Don Hutson, an All-American who set all kinds

of pass catching records meriting his future selection to the NCAA’s all-time team. Darwin Holt, who people recall as a ferocioushitteronBryant’sfirstCrimsonTidenationalchampi-onship team in 1961, could be referred to as “the other line-backer.” He played in the shadow of teammate and star line-backerLeRoyJordan,anAll-Americanwhowasnamedfirstteam on Alabama’s Team of the Century and who went on to star for the NFL Champion Dallas Cowboys.

Holt, a Texan, ended up at Alabama because of Coach Bryant. Bryant, who was coaching at Texas A&M when Holt was a junior in high school, was interested in Holt’s older brotherJackieand,whilewatchingfilmofJackie,becameinterested in Darwin. “I signed with Texas A&M because when I visited they had a big sign on the wall that said, ‘Texas A&M, 1957 National Champions,’ and I liked that because in high school Jackie and I were on teams that won 6 district champion-ships,” related Holt, who was good enough to make Alabama’s Team of the Decade for the 1960s.

Holt said that he only weighed 149 pounds in high school and 152 pounds when he was a freshman at Texas A&M. When Bryant left Texas A&M to return to his alma mater, the new coach at Texas A&M, Jim Myers, wanted bigger players. In the meantimeBryanthadtoldhisfirstgroupofplayersatAlabamathat they would win the national championship when they were seniors. “That’s what I wanted to hear,” stated Holt. “I came to Alabama to collect a debt- to win a national championship, and (Coach Bryant) came through for me.

“Coach Bryant may have gotten a little softer when he got older, but when I played for him he was tough as nails, but he had a lot of empathy. I was not on the Junction team at Texas A&M, but location had nothing to do with it. (Coach Bryant) wasn’t going to change his methods just because he wasn’t out in the desert.

“It wasn’t always a happy family because we were working so hard, we were tired, we had meetings, practices, travel to away games. We were putting in 40 hours a week playing football,”statedHolt.“Icouldhavebeenoutintheoilfieldsand been better off.

“We were so busy that I didn’t even know that we were in the running for a national championship until the last two weeks (of the season). We were a tremendous team, but we didn’t know it,” stated Holt, who pointed out that the 1961 national championship team only gave up 25 points all season, and that MSNBC recently picked the Top 10 defensive teams of the last 50 years, and listed the 1961 Alabama defense No. 1.

Holt said that because he was from Texas A&M and was relatively small, that a lot of Alabama players tested him and he got in a few tussles. “When you’re small, you’ve got to get there firstandgettherefast,andthat’swhatItriedtodo,”hestated,referring to his aggressive style of play. “Coach Bryant never asked me to gain weight, and he never brought weight up to me throughout my career, and I really appreciated that.”

Holt will always be remembered by earlier players and older fans for a hit he put on Georgia Tech’s Chick Granning that brokeGranning’sjaw.Holtwasrunningdownthefieldwhenhiselbow caught Granning in the face. The incident, which required Granning to undergo surgery, created hard feelings between the schools and they stopped playing each other. “It was a com-pletely legal block- a helleva lick,” Holt recalled. “I was aiming for his chest, but he dropped his head and that’s how he got his face all busted up. It made a better looking man out of him,” he quipped as he explained in detail how the play unfolded. “We’re friends, and that’s what I tell him when I see him.”

Holt said that The Saturday Evening Post ran a story about brutality in college football that featured the play. “That changed my career, it ruined my career,” stated Holt, who said that he had begun a coaching career and wanted to stay in coaching. “But that was going to trail me forever, so I had to get away from it. I had to make the break (from football) right there.”

Holt doesn’t regret his decision to follow Bryant to Tuscaloosa. “Just to be around that man (Bryant), it was worth every minute of it. We had a relationship. He took care of me. TograduatefromtheUniversity,toplayonanationalchampion-ship team, to play for Coach Bryant, to live in Jefferson County is the greatest ego trip in the world. There’s not a day that goes bythatsomebodydoesn’tbringupmydaysattheUniversity.That’s why I live in Alabama, and not Texas.”

Catching Up With Darwin Holt

Dr. Donald F. Staffo

Dr. Staffo Interview

Holt recalls playing for Bear Bryant on the 1961 National Championship Team

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL W. BRYANT MUSEUM touchdownalabama.net | 21

22 | TOUCHDOWN ALABAMA September 19, 2009

Jessica Temple

They tall, they’re blonde, and they’re twins. Throw in the fact that they’re big Bama fans and it’s no wonder that Ashley and

Maegen Bailey have achieved celebrity status just by cheering on the Tide. The Houndstooth Twins, as they’ve come to be known, never set out to be famous. They just went to a football game in houndstooth hats.Thefirsttimethetwinsweretelevised

was the 2005 Florida game. The girls were dressed similarly that day, but not on purpose. Like many girls in the stadium, they were both wearing black skirts and crimson tops. Ashley bought a houndstooth hat to complete her look.

“Maegen saw mine and had to have one too,” she explained. During that game, the CBS cameraman saw the twins and put them on T.V.

Fast-forward to 2009 and the Baileys can be seen signing autographs and taking pictures outside of Bryant-Denny. These fans now have their own fans. One even threw a barbecue in their honor, inviting his friends to a meet the twins at his “Alabama house” packed with decades of memorabilia.

The Houndstooth Twins phenomenon has opened up opportunities off-campus for the two as well. In 2007, Aaron’s picked them up as spokesmodels for their 499 Talladega NASCAR race and Corr Wireless did the same, putting the pair on billboards and radio ads. The girls are also

Exclusive

2 Girls, 2 Hats

Houndstooth Twins are True Tide Fans

touchdownalabama.net | 23PHOTOGRAPHY BY BDL

asked to speak and perform at schools and churches across the state.

“The recognition is fun,” Ashley said. “Even by ourselves without a hat, people recognize us.”

It’s not always easy being in the spotlight, though. “When we go to Tuscaloosa for a game, if we go to the bathroom or to get a hotdog, it takes 45 minutes,” Ashley said, because so many people want pictures or autographs.

According to the girls, a drawback to their fame is that people can get the wrong impressionofthemfromwhattheyfindonline. “If you Google our names, you pull up stuff that’s not true,” Maegen said.

Ashley agreed that she no longer believes everything she sees online. “It makes you look at the Internet in a different way,” she said, “It gets frustrating.”

The twins also get hassled about not being “true” Alabama fans because neither attended the Capstone. They went to the UniversityofAlabamaatBirmingham.The decision wasn’t based on team loyalty, though. Maegen is the pianist at theirhomechurch,UnionHillBaptist,inOneonta and teaches piano lessons in a music conservatory in Trussville. In order to continue working with her young students, Maegen had to choose a college close to home. Ashley followed suit in order to live with her sister, and the girls decidedonU.A.B.Maegenmajoredinmusic and Ashley in education.

Over the last few years, the Baileys have collected an impressive amount of houndstooth items, including scarves, dresses, shirts, jewelry, pants, purses, jackets and even a houndstooth Bible cover. The only thing missing from their collection is houndstooth shoes. Maegen’s favorite is their matching houndstooth luggage and Ashley’s is a houndstooth scrapbookthatshehasfilledwithnewsclippings of the two and pictures of them with their many fans.

Even the twins’ Yorkshire terrier, Chloe, gets in on the houndstooth action. Like her girls, she has a houndstooth dress and also has custom-made Alabama jacket.Maegensaidithasn’tbeendifficultto

findnewthingstoaddtotheirhoundstoothwardrobes. “Houndstooth has really come into style in the last 3 years,” she said.

Before the T.V. cameras made them instant celebrities, the Bailey twins were not frequent attendees at football games. Their dad, an Auburn fan, didn’t take the family to games when the girls were young, preferring to watch games on television.

“They think they have the best seats at home on the couch,” Maegen said of her parents. But, as the twins grew up and became Crimson Tide fans, they started going to a few games.

Since the 2005 season, the girls have been attending all Tide home games. For thefirstfewseasons,theysatinthestudentsection,findingticketsforsaleonline and converting them to student guest tickets. In the 2008 season, the two purchased general admission tickets instead and sat on the opposite side of the stadium.“Wedon’tlikefightingforseats,”

Maegen explained. Ashley said that is also why they started sitting on the concrete pillars at the bottom of the steps when they were in the student section, a position thatoftenmadethemeasytofind.

The girls still buy their own tickets to the games. “We pay for our tickets just like everybody else does,” Ashley said.

They are also quick to point out that they never know when they are on T.V.

“We’re not camera chasers,” Ashley said. The girls normally get a text message from a friend when they are spotted by the cameras. Not knowing when they are being televised keeps the pair on their best behavior.

“Last year this little boy behind me accidentally dumped his whole Coke in my purse,” Ashley said. “It was terrible. My phone was in there, my camera, everything. That’s when I was on T.V.” The cameraman had just picked her out of the crowd, holding up her dripping purse with a weird look on her face. Mom Anna called to see what happened and people later commented that she didn’t look very happy.

The 2009 season is different for the twins,becauseforthefirsttimeintheirlives, they are living apart. Maegen was married in July, and joined her new husband in Louisville, Ky. Ashley is currently engaged and her wedding is planned for January 2010.

The twins do still plan to attend as many games together as they can, but the Houndstooth Twins era will eventually come to a close. “Are we going to be 45 wearingmatchingoutfitstothegames?No,” Maegen said. But, she added “We don’t put a date on it.”

“We’ll always be Alabama fans and we’ll always be twins,” Ashley said. “I don’t think anybody can take that away from us.”

2 Girls, 2 Hats

Katie Hall

Tide Traditions

TAILGATING

Quad serves up fun, food and

family time on game days.

Tailgaters start rolling into town a day before kickoff, their vehicles covered in Crimson Tide stickers,

magnets and ßags. They set up camp on the Quad and patiently wait for Saturday. Their mere presence ignites an excitement in every passing Bama fan that can only mean one thing; it’s tailgating time!The ofÞcial deÞnition of ÒtailgatingÓ

is to hold a picnic at a sporting event, usually from the bed of a pick-up truck. The art of tailgating has deÞnitely changed over the years, but the principle remains the same. The Þrst record of tailgating at the University occurred in the early 1940s, but it is deÞnitely possible that tailgating has been around much longer than that.

Many families that tailgate on the Quad have been doing it for years. One such family is the Armstrongs from Hanceville, Ala. ÒWe have been tailgating on the Quad, in the same place, since the early 1990s. Things

have changed a lot over the years, but the excitement, friendliness of the other fans, and the amazing football team we all cheer on are still the same,Ó said veteran tailgater Homer Armstrong. With tailgating comes incredible

food. Most tailgaters serve up the usual BBQ pork, hotdogs, and hamburgers, but some like to be a little different from the rest. When asked about any strange tailgating foods, the Holloway family from Mobile, Ala., claimed that they serve up fried Twinkies. ÒIt was a desert my aunt used to make when we watched the game at home, so when we started tailgating a few years ago, we thought it would be a great idea to make them here. We even have people from surrounding tents come over and ask for some. WeÕre more than happy to fry them up one!Ó said tailgater and fried Twinkie extraordi-naire, Justin Holloway. Tailgating rules have changed

throughout the years though.

Nowadays, cars are not allowed on the quad. Instead, the University provides a limited number of tents for tailgaters to set up tables and chairs under. Generators are also provided by the University so that tailgaters may plug in any appliances (such as those big-screen televisions we all love to stop and watch while chowing down on a burger or two). ÒThe University encourages tailgating. However, they also enforce certain usage rules and regulations so that this can be a fun and enjoyable experience for everyone involved. As long as you follow the rules, things should go smoothly,Ó said tailgater Anthony Hallmark when asked about the UniversityÕs tailgating rules.

Nothing can beat the excitement of game day tailgating. The smell of BBQ cooking, the sea of crimson and white ßowing across the Quad, and the constant cheers of ÒRoll TideÓ being shouted are all part of an incredible and enjoyable Tide tradition.

Traditions

24 | TOUCHDOWN ALABAMA

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touchdownalabama.net | 25

Player Spotlight

Last season, he was the new guy on campus. With a lot of hype surrounding him as a recruit, no one knew what to expect. However, this season, Dont’a Hightower can be explained in one word-dominant.

Hightower came to Alabama as a four-star recruit on Rivals.com and Scout.com. He rose as a star of the 2008 freshman class, making a name for himself as part of Alabama’s top-ranked defense. He was one of two true freshmen to start the season and one of only 11 true freshmen to start for Alabama since 1973 when the NCAA began allowing it.

Before Alabama, Hightower was a star at Marshall County HighSchool.Herecorded168tackles,fiveforcedfumbles,fiveinterceptions and four fumble recoveries. He was named the state’s defensive MVP by the Tennessean. He also played about six different positions, including receiver.

Now Hightower is back for his sophomore year to help lead adefensethatfinishedlastseasonthirdintotaldefenseandsecond in rush defense.“LastyearIwasalittlehesitantoutonthefield.Iknowalot

more now about the defense and the way it goes,” Hightower said.

By the looks of last season, Hightower did not seem hesitant. He ended the season with 64 tackles - 26 solos - leaving him ranked fourth on the team. He also had 2.5 tackles for a loss and six quarterback hurries. Hightower made 12 starts at the will linebacker position while playing in all 14 games. He was selected for the team’s Defensive Achievement Award which is given to an underclassman who played a major role in helping hisspecificunit.

Hightower had an even more impressive spring, coming back with powering speed. He had 18 recorded tackles in the team’s three spring scrimmages. He also had three tackles for a loss and two sacks. He ended the spring by winning the Lee Roy Jordan Headhunter Award.

This season, Hightower feels ready to help take the Tide all the way. He has added the jack linebacker to his résumé, helping the team be more effective on third down pass rush. He believes the team has the right mentality and is ready to play hard.

“We have a lot more guys that are hungry, a lot more leaders this year. We came so close last year. I think everybody wants to get back to that,” Hightower said.

Hightower earned All-SEC recognition by Southeastern Conference coaches. He also earned Freshmen All-American recognition. This season, Hightower was placed on the Lombardi Trophy watch list, an honor that goes to the top linemen or linebacker at the end of the season. Hightower was also named Second-Team All-SEC (SEC Coaches) and Third-Team All-SEC (Athlon’s).

Hightower might have been the new kid on campus last year, but this year he is all business. He said he has been working hard is looking to improve after a great freshman year.

“I am constantly thinking about football,” Hightower said.

No longer the new guyLauren Moranor

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BDL

Dont’a Hightower

News

Both RB Onterio McCalebb and RB Eric Smith made their first career starts for Auburn. Smithstarted at H-back, carrying the ball three times for eight yards.

MSU senior RBAnthony Dixon set two school records last week: Dixon is State’s all-time rushing touchdown leader and has 673 career rushing attempts.

Vanderbilt’s right tackle James Williams left last week’s game with a broken ankle.

Defensive tackle Nathan Pepper,afifth-yearsenioratSouthCarolina,hurttheteaminthefirsthalflastweek, leaving with a sprained ankle. He is expected tobebackonthefieldthisweek.

LSU running backRichard Murphy could miss the next two games with an undisclosed injury following Saturday’s game against Vanderbilt.

2� | TOUCHDOWN ALABAMA September 19, 2009

SEC NewsSEC News

Georgia at ArkansasThe Razorback’s season opener resulted in a 48-10 win against Missouri State. They are coming from a bye week to

play the Georgia Bulldogs. Arkansas’ 38-point-victory margin against the bears exceeds its total margin of 16 points infivegamesofthe2008season.TheBulldogsarecomingfroma41-37winagainstSouthCarolina.JoeCoxisreport-edly suffering from a sore arm or shoulder. He threw for a total of 201 yards and two touchdowns. Brandon Boykin set a school record with a 100-yard kickoff return and set up a score with an interception. The Bulldogs will be on the Razorback’s territory and coverage of this game will be on ESPN 2.

Mississippi State at Vanderbilt UniversityThe Mississippi State Bulldogs are set to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores this week. The Bulldogs are coming

from a 49-24 loss to Auburn last week. Although the Bulldogs came out strong right before half time with Anthony Dixon’s score on a one-yard run, the team still couldn’t seal the deal. Dixon carried 20 times for 92 yards. Although he hadagame’ssuspensionbecauseofaDUIarrest,heprovedthekindofplayerhecanbeonthefieldlastweek.Bothteamsarecoming froma loss.LSU left theCommodoresgrasping formorewitha23-9win.LarrySmith scoredVanderbilt’sonlytouchdowninthefirsthalfbuttheCommodoreswereswampedwithpenaltieswhentheycommittedseven for 52 yards.

Tennessee at FloridaThe Florida Gators are eager to begin their Southeastern Conference play this week against The Tennessee Volunteers.

The Gators are coming from a 56-6 victory over the Troy Trojans. Tim Tebow didn’t fail to impress when he threw four touchdown passes and ran for another score that lead to the victory over the Trojans. He also completed 15 of 24 passes for 237 yards and equaled his career high with four TD passes. “We’re thinking about Tennessee right now,” linebacker RyanStamperconceded.Floridahadsixfumblesandamissed39-yardfieldgoalattemptbyJonathanPhillips.TheTennesseeVolunteersarebouncingbackfromanupset19-15lossagainstUCLA.JonathanCromptonwillhavetoplaybetterthanhedidintheseasonopeneragainstWesternKentucky,wherehelostcontrolafterfivetouchdownpasses.There is a heated rivalry between the Vols and the Gators. The Gators have won in the last four meetings, but Tennessee CoachLaneKiffin’srecruitingclaimsthatpromisevictoryovertheGatorshastheteamreadytobattle.TheVolunteerswill be in the swamps to tackle the Gators on CBS.

Jennifer Gorham

CURRENT POLLS

AP TOP 251. Florida2. Texas3. USC4. Alabma5. Mississippi5. Penn State7. Brigham Young8. California9. LSU10. Boise State11. Ohio State12. Oklahoma13. Virginia Tech14. Georgia Tech15. TCU16. Oklahoma State17. Cincinnati18. Utah19. Nebraska20. Miami (FL)21. Houston22. Kansas23. Georgia24. North Carolina 25. Michigan

USA TODAY1. Florida2. Texas3. USC4. Alabma5. Penn State6. Mississippi7. LSU7. California9. Brigham Young10. Boise State11. Ohio State12. Oklahoma13. Georgia Tech14. Virginia Tech15. TCU16. Utah17. Oklahoma State18. Nebraska19. North Carolina20. Georgia21. Cincinnati22. Miami (FL) 23. Kansas 24. Oregon State 25. Missouri

UASCHEDULE

Sep. 5 VTech W 34-24Sep. 12 FL Int’l W 40-14Sep. 19 N. Texas HomeSep. 26 Arkansas HomeOct. 3 Kentucky AwayOct. 10 Mississippi AwayOct. 17 South Carolina HomeOct. 24 Tennessee HomeNov. 7 LSU HomeNov. 14 Mississippi St. AwayNov. 21 Tenn-Chatt HomeNov. 27 Auburn Away

touchdownalabama.net | 2�

Contest RulesEmail your entry to: publish@tdalabama.com or

mail entry to:Touchdown Alabama MagazineP.O. Box 3251Tuscaloosa, AL 35403

First 50 correct entries receive a free t-shirt

1 Bryant-Denny Stadium had a capacity of_____ back in its first season in1�2�.

a. 800b. 5,000

c. 12,000d. 30,000

2 The Stadium was originally named in honor of George Hutchenson Denny who was ______.a. Alabama’s first million-dollar boosterb. The governor of Alabamac. A University presidentd. The long-time mayor of Tuscaloosa

3 What award was DeMeco Ryans NOT a finalist for in 2005?

a. The Nagurskib. The Draddy

c. The Butkusd. The Outland

4 Which team has Alabama NOT played to win a national championship?

a. Washingtonb. Washington State

c. Nebraskad. Oklahoma

5 How many consensus All-American quarterbacks have the Tide produced?a. 0b. 1

c. 2d. 3

ENTER TO WIN

A FREE T-SHIRT!

QUESTIONS5

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1434 2nd Court EastTuscaloosa, AL 35401

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28 | TOUCHDOWN ALABAMA September 19, 2009

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ANTIQUE SINGER SEWING MACHINE 1906 treadle model with stand, 4 drawers, Egyptian motif decals. In fair condition. Needs work and refinishing. $150 or best offer. Please call 205-422-7081 or email freejen@mac.com.

DESIGNER PURSE MCM, authentic, messenger bag, 8” x 9”, like new, has serial number, tan with cognac leather trim and strap. $150 OBO. Call 205-995-8261.

PIANO Antique Remington Piano for sale. Please call 205-856-2584.

M O B I L E , A L

CAMPER, POP-UP 2007 Jayco 1207 series - Like New, AC/Heat, 6 gal. water heater, water/propane system, awning w/ screen room, outdoor grill, outdoor shower, color TV, hydraulic-surge breaks, jacks & leveling system, spare tire/carrier. $7400. Call 251-604-6998.

FOR SALE FOR SALE

TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD: Email ad to classifieds@tdalabama.com. RATE: $0.35 per word or FREE for subscribers.

T U S C A L O O S A , A L

CAMERA LENS Non-SLR Camera Lens, 4.5-200 Telephoto lens compatible w/ Minolta, Canon. Great for black & white composition photography, $100.00 or best offer, 205-701-1211

MICROWAVE Panasonic “Genius” 1300 watt. Exterior measures 20x12x16. Please call 205-792-1035.

SKYDIVING PARACHUTE size (160lbs) Vector 170, Certified, 7yrs old. $600.00.Call 205-344-3312.

TRUMPET Silver Bach Stradivarius Trumpet, ML 43. Includes Bach case, Bach valve guard, mouthpiece. Just in time for school bands to start practicing! This trumpet is a top-of-the-line horn used by both students and professional musicians. $1000 OBO. Please call 205-792-1035.

CLASSIFIED ADS

WANTED

TV 13” White-Westinghouse TV. Works great and in good shape. $15. Please call 205-792-1035.

WEDDING GOWN Silk Vera Wang - Ivory silk strapless ballgown with chapel-length train. Bustles up for dancing. Beautiful layered silk detail around bottom. Altered to size 8, but could easily let out up to size 12. Extra length for eights up to 6 feet. $600 OBO. Please call 205-792-1036.

TURKEY CALLERS I collect vintage, rare or custom-made turkey calls, as well as other old game callers. Call 205-907-9044 or email: jtommyc@bellsouth.net.

FOR SALE

John Wayne Plumbing & Drain Services, Inc.

John Wayne George, Owner608 41st Street, Tuscaloosa, AL 35405

Phone: 343-1770

Licensed & Insured

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Touchdown Alabama is always looking for the right additions

to our staff of writers and publisher’s representatives.

Call 205-701-1211.

The Bryant Museum is seeking information and photos for an upcoming book on the Tide’s World War II veterans. Information is needed on WWII-era military service of former Alabama football players.

Ken Gaddy, director of the Bryant Museum, will supervise production of the book to be researched and written by award-winning journalist and author Delbert Reed. Photographs and information should be sent to Gaddy’s attention at the Bryant Museum, Box 870385, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487.

For more information contact Gaddy at 205-348-9375 or kgaddy@ua.edu, or visit www.bryantmu-seum.ua.edu.