BAMANEWSBOT
Staff
The 2012 season was full of promise for Jalston Fowler. After two seasons in the program, he'd worked his way into a more prominent role.
In the opener, the running back ran for 67 yards on eight carries against Michigan. Then, disaster. A week later, Fowler went down in Game 2 against Western Kentucky. He called it a "crazy, freak accident play" when everything changed.
It left his ACL torn and spirit battered.
At that point the team jokester and fan favorite nicknamed "Nudie" wasn't sure what his future held. He wanted to quit football forever.
"I mean, I was pretty close," Fowler said this week.
But his son Jalston Jr. was on the way "so I had to stick it out," he said. And this then-girlfriend was a strong influence in his life.
"She had to just keep me going, keep me positive through the whole thing," Fowler said. "Family and friends too. Now that I look back on it, I'm happy that I didn't."
So the man they call Nudie went on to have his son he nicknamed "Toodie" and the thought of quitting soon disappeared. The rehab process was long and Fowler's already imposing size grew to 267 pounds. Changing his diet, Fowler lost the useless weight and currently checks in at 248 pounds.
In the process, he turned into one of Alabama's most versatile players with a professional future. The fifth-year senior is ranked among the top fullbacks eligible for next spring's draft. Both ESPN's Mel Kiper and NFLDraftScout.com have No. 1 at his position. He did it with a nose for the big block and the soft hands of a receiver.
Since injuring his knee, Fowler's run the ball just 32 times after getting 56 carries the season before it. With talented tailbacks cycling through the program, his skillset and body type made Fowler an ideal fullback. The role still gets the ball in his hands, though, in the passing game.
In the past two seasons, he has seven touchdown receptions among his 16 receptions. Last year it was more about short-yardage situations near the goal line as he averaged 2.1 yards a catch. This fall Fowler's catching Blake Sims passes all over the field, averaging 12.8 yards a catch. When Alabama's offense struggled early against then-No. 1 Mississippi State, a 35-yard pass to Fowler sparked the Tide's first touchdown drive in a 25-20 win.
Off the field, he's popular among teammates. His hilarious messages sent on the social media app Snapchat are a hit.
At the team banquet Dec. 7, he was voted one of four permanent captains by his peers.
"I was just sitting there, nervous, my name was the last one to get called, like aww man," Fowler said. "Because I was hoping to win that award. it's something very dear to me to be voted by your teammates as the team captain."
The moment was a long way from the days of quiet uncertainty about his future with the Tide. Right tackle Austin Shepherd call Fowler "one of my favorite people on the team." But he wasn't aware of the indecision Fowler faced.
"I had no clue," Shepherd said. "I never would have guessed."
Defensive end Jonathan Allen's been in the program two years. He sees the void that would have been left if Fowler would have retired with a torn-up knee.
"It would be devastating," he said. "He's a very important part even though he doesn't get the credit for it a lot of the time. He's usually the guy making the last key block to spring the running backs free. So he's a very important piece of our offense."
Now, his Alabama career really is coming to an end. Two games tops remains for the smiling fullback who once broke a porch catching a pass.
He wish for an Alabama legacy is simple.
"I just want to be remembered as Nudie," he said, "the wrecking ball."
Continue reading...
In the opener, the running back ran for 67 yards on eight carries against Michigan. Then, disaster. A week later, Fowler went down in Game 2 against Western Kentucky. He called it a "crazy, freak accident play" when everything changed.
It left his ACL torn and spirit battered.
At that point the team jokester and fan favorite nicknamed "Nudie" wasn't sure what his future held. He wanted to quit football forever.
"I mean, I was pretty close," Fowler said this week.
But his son Jalston Jr. was on the way "so I had to stick it out," he said. And this then-girlfriend was a strong influence in his life.
"She had to just keep me going, keep me positive through the whole thing," Fowler said. "Family and friends too. Now that I look back on it, I'm happy that I didn't."
So the man they call Nudie went on to have his son he nicknamed "Toodie" and the thought of quitting soon disappeared. The rehab process was long and Fowler's already imposing size grew to 267 pounds. Changing his diet, Fowler lost the useless weight and currently checks in at 248 pounds.
In the process, he turned into one of Alabama's most versatile players with a professional future. The fifth-year senior is ranked among the top fullbacks eligible for next spring's draft. Both ESPN's Mel Kiper and NFLDraftScout.com have No. 1 at his position. He did it with a nose for the big block and the soft hands of a receiver.
Since injuring his knee, Fowler's run the ball just 32 times after getting 56 carries the season before it. With talented tailbacks cycling through the program, his skillset and body type made Fowler an ideal fullback. The role still gets the ball in his hands, though, in the passing game.
In the past two seasons, he has seven touchdown receptions among his 16 receptions. Last year it was more about short-yardage situations near the goal line as he averaged 2.1 yards a catch. This fall Fowler's catching Blake Sims passes all over the field, averaging 12.8 yards a catch. When Alabama's offense struggled early against then-No. 1 Mississippi State, a 35-yard pass to Fowler sparked the Tide's first touchdown drive in a 25-20 win.
Off the field, he's popular among teammates. His hilarious messages sent on the social media app Snapchat are a hit.
At the team banquet Dec. 7, he was voted one of four permanent captains by his peers.
"I was just sitting there, nervous, my name was the last one to get called, like aww man," Fowler said. "Because I was hoping to win that award. it's something very dear to me to be voted by your teammates as the team captain."
The moment was a long way from the days of quiet uncertainty about his future with the Tide. Right tackle Austin Shepherd call Fowler "one of my favorite people on the team." But he wasn't aware of the indecision Fowler faced.
"I had no clue," Shepherd said. "I never would have guessed."
Defensive end Jonathan Allen's been in the program two years. He sees the void that would have been left if Fowler would have retired with a torn-up knee.
"It would be devastating," he said. "He's a very important part even though he doesn't get the credit for it a lot of the time. He's usually the guy making the last key block to spring the running backs free. So he's a very important piece of our offense."
Now, his Alabama career really is coming to an end. Two games tops remains for the smiling fullback who once broke a porch catching a pass.
He wish for an Alabama legacy is simple.
"I just want to be remembered as Nudie," he said, "the wrecking ball."
Continue reading...
