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Bozeman's breakthrough season sets up for strong senior year
Aaron Suttles | Beat Writer
Alabama offensive lineman Bradley Bozeman (75) looks to block for Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts (2) during the Mississippi State-Alabama game on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Laura Chramer | The Tuscaloosa News
There is a rule in the Alabama weight room, a sort of invisible line that each player knows shouldnât be crossed.
While strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran pushes every player to perform to his maximum, he wonât allow anyone to bench press more than 500 pounds. That doesnât affect many of the players, but to the big guys on the line of scrimmage, especially the big, barrel-chested ones, that rule isnât always appreciated.
Redshirt junior center Bradley Bozeman knew Cochran wouldnât let him go higher than 500 pounds so he did the next best thing: He benched 500 pounds three times.
âHe just repped it out like it was nothing,â reserve offensive tackle Matt Womack said. âThey wonât let him go past a certain point. Heâs ridiculously strong.â
The guy working to his left on the offense line Ross Pierschbacher said his close friend gets âmad theyâre not letting him do more.â
Bozeman stepped into big shoes this year filling in for Ryan Kelly, the departed Rimington Trophy-winning center, who started three years at UA. The center position has been one of strength at Alabama during the Nick Saban era with Antoine Caldwell, William Vlachos, Barrett Jones and Kelly all earning first-team All-SEC honors.
Thatâs the kind of season Bozeman wants to have his senior year in 2017. He went through ups and downs to finally hold down a starting position, now he wants to take his game to the next level.
Perhaps no Crimson Tide player enjoyed the 2016 season more than Bozeman, a player who was initially asked to grayshirt in his recruiting class before a last-minute spot opened up and he drove on short notice to Tuscaloosa to join his class.
Bozeman grew up in a household full of rabid Alabama, including his father. Pierschbacher said the familyâs pool house is a shrine to legendary coach Paul W. âBearâ Bryant.
âItâs like a museum,â Pierschbacher said. âIt means so much to him and his family too, being from Alabama. Theyâre just enjoying the ride. It makes it so much sweeter to have the success he is now having gone through the things he did to get here.â
Bozeman patiently waited his turn as a young player until last season when he went toe-to-toe with Alphonse Taylor for the starting spot at right guard. Taylor won the job, but Bozeman didnât mope. He wanted what was best for the team.
What was best for the team was him moving to center. Throughout the spring, Pierschbacher worked at center but when fall camp opened up it was Bozemanâs job. He never gave it up.
âI was cool with it,â Bozeman said. âWhatever it takes to get on the field. Actually my high school coach told since I was a sophomore in high school that I would play center in college.â
Saban called Bozeman the teamâs âunsung heroâ prior to the Peach Bowl. Bozeman consistently graded as one of the teamâs top performing offensive linemen week in and week out. His offensive line coach Brent Key credited those grades to Bozemanâs ability to put himself and the offensive line in the right position a high percentage of the time.
It wasnât easy to be the next man up at center after Kelly, but Bozeman has made the most of it.
âHe had big shoes to fill and he did a fantastic job,â Saban said. âNot only in his ability to execute his position, (but) the confidence and leadership that he provided in helping other guys on the offensive line play extremely well by making the right calls and playing with confidence and focusing on what they needed to do and not worry about what they shouldn't be doing...I can't say enough about the good job he's done for us all year long."
TideSports.com - Bozeman's breakthrough season sets up for strong senior year
Aaron Suttles | Beat Writer
Alabama offensive lineman Bradley Bozeman (75) looks to block for Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts (2) during the Mississippi State-Alabama game on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Laura Chramer | The Tuscaloosa News
There is a rule in the Alabama weight room, a sort of invisible line that each player knows shouldnât be crossed.
While strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran pushes every player to perform to his maximum, he wonât allow anyone to bench press more than 500 pounds. That doesnât affect many of the players, but to the big guys on the line of scrimmage, especially the big, barrel-chested ones, that rule isnât always appreciated.
Redshirt junior center Bradley Bozeman knew Cochran wouldnât let him go higher than 500 pounds so he did the next best thing: He benched 500 pounds three times.
âHe just repped it out like it was nothing,â reserve offensive tackle Matt Womack said. âThey wonât let him go past a certain point. Heâs ridiculously strong.â
The guy working to his left on the offense line Ross Pierschbacher said his close friend gets âmad theyâre not letting him do more.â
Bozeman stepped into big shoes this year filling in for Ryan Kelly, the departed Rimington Trophy-winning center, who started three years at UA. The center position has been one of strength at Alabama during the Nick Saban era with Antoine Caldwell, William Vlachos, Barrett Jones and Kelly all earning first-team All-SEC honors.
Thatâs the kind of season Bozeman wants to have his senior year in 2017. He went through ups and downs to finally hold down a starting position, now he wants to take his game to the next level.
Perhaps no Crimson Tide player enjoyed the 2016 season more than Bozeman, a player who was initially asked to grayshirt in his recruiting class before a last-minute spot opened up and he drove on short notice to Tuscaloosa to join his class.
Bozeman grew up in a household full of rabid Alabama, including his father. Pierschbacher said the familyâs pool house is a shrine to legendary coach Paul W. âBearâ Bryant.
âItâs like a museum,â Pierschbacher said. âIt means so much to him and his family too, being from Alabama. Theyâre just enjoying the ride. It makes it so much sweeter to have the success he is now having gone through the things he did to get here.â
Bozeman patiently waited his turn as a young player until last season when he went toe-to-toe with Alphonse Taylor for the starting spot at right guard. Taylor won the job, but Bozeman didnât mope. He wanted what was best for the team.
What was best for the team was him moving to center. Throughout the spring, Pierschbacher worked at center but when fall camp opened up it was Bozemanâs job. He never gave it up.
âI was cool with it,â Bozeman said. âWhatever it takes to get on the field. Actually my high school coach told since I was a sophomore in high school that I would play center in college.â
Saban called Bozeman the teamâs âunsung heroâ prior to the Peach Bowl. Bozeman consistently graded as one of the teamâs top performing offensive linemen week in and week out. His offensive line coach Brent Key credited those grades to Bozemanâs ability to put himself and the offensive line in the right position a high percentage of the time.
It wasnât easy to be the next man up at center after Kelly, but Bozeman has made the most of it.
âHe had big shoes to fill and he did a fantastic job,â Saban said. âNot only in his ability to execute his position, (but) the confidence and leadership that he provided in helping other guys on the offensive line play extremely well by making the right calls and playing with confidence and focusing on what they needed to do and not worry about what they shouldn't be doing...I can't say enough about the good job he's done for us all year long."
TideSports.com - Bozeman's breakthrough season sets up for strong senior year
