🏈 'Football is his life' for Alabama DB Minkah Fitzpatrick

[planomateo]

Some of you probably read this already. Just in case you hadn't read it yet.

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'Football is his life' for Alabama DB Minkah Fitzpatrick

The motto “at some places they play football, at Alabama, we live it” has been the axiom for most of the Crimson Tide’s top-ranked recruits that Nick Saban has lured to Tuscaloosa since accepting the Alabama job back in 2007.

And a certain freshman defensive back is the latest to adopt that same adage – even before he arrived on campus.

Minkah Fitzpatrick has been taking reps at the first-team star position in the Crimson Tide’s nickel and dime packages in recent practices, which began in the team’s open practice session on Sunday, Aug. 9. On that day, he also saw some time at the left cornerback spot, opposite of Cyrus Jones in the secondary.

This speedy collegiate success comes as no surprise, however, to Fitzpatrick’s high school coach, Rich Hansen.

“The biggest thing with him is he just lives it,” Hansen told BamaOnLine. “It’s what he’s wanted to do his whole life. He wanted to play at the highest level. He just wants to be able to go out and be able to play. Football is his life.”

During his high school career at St. Peter’s Prep in New Jersey, the former five-star prospect expanded his skill set by playing safety and wide receiver, primarily in the slot, after starting out at cornerback and running back for the Marauders.

That versatility Fitzpatrick was more-than willing to exhibit early on – plus his desire to eat, sleep and breathe the sport – is what set the now-Alabama freshman apart to his high school coach. And that has also helped him be used at multiple positions for the Crimson Tide during the team’s fall camp, according to Hansen.

“I’m not surprised at all, I’m really not,” Hansen said. “Minkah is a pretty unique person. I think the players that have flourished the most, the best, have been Tuscaloosa guys that football’s their life, and he lives the commitment to it. He trains, he eats, he works hard. Football is his deal. There are no distractions, there’s no lack of focus.

“He’s very driven, and he’s been that way since I met him in seventh grade. I’m not surprised and I think what you see is only the tip of the iceberg, too, because I’m sure he’s making plays and doing a lot of great things, but I think it’s going to get even better for him as his career progresses.”

But it isn’t just Hansen that has had high praise for the young defensive back. His Alabama teammates have also had nothing but positive things to say about Fitzpatrick’s demeanor on and off the field.

According to outside linebacker Denzel Devall, the freshman recently obtained the team’s Ball Out Belt for the most disruption points in practice. And fellow defensive back Maurice Smith admitted that Fitzpatrick has caught onto the defense much quicker than he did in the early goings of his UA tenure.

“He has definitely come on strong,” Smith said. “He’s learning the plays a lot faster than I think we did as freshmen in my class. He’s making a lot of plays and just standing out.”

And what makes Fitzpatrick special in Smith’s eyes?

“His work ethic,” he said. “I think it’s his work ethic and also he doesn’t really show emotion. If he gets beat, he doesn’t care about it. Not that he doesn’t care about it. He just doesn’t put too much pressure on himself. He just moves to the next play.”

Senior linebacker Reggie Ragland, however, was one of the first players on the team to jump on the Fitzpatrick bandwagon,complementing the true freshman at SEC Media Days in July. But the senior leader also mentioned the former elite recruit in a recent interview with reporters.

“You can tell he’s focused in,” Ragland said. “He comes from a great background and family. I know his dad was real tough and made sure he does the right things. You can just tell, it shows when he’s on the field. You can tell he’s mature on the field, and you and tell he’s going to do what he needs to on and off the field.

“Most freshmen hit that wall when they first get into camp and he hasn’t hit that wall yet, and he’s still out there focused in, looking good, moving around like he’s been doing that for years.”

It is not just his demeanor and talent on the field, though, that has stood out about Fitzpatrick. He has also spent plenty of his time in the weight room, trying to add mass to his 6-foot-1, 195-pound frame.

When he made the trip back to Old Bridge, N.J., this summer, Hansen noticed a slight change in his former student-athlete, even down to his hairstyle. But he still saw the composed attitude that Smith has also seen alongside the blossoming defensive back on the practice field this fall.

“He just looked taller and looked thicker,” Hansen said. “He had the Honey Badger hairdo going on. But he looked very Minkah. He was just calm and cool and said he was enjoying it and he was excited for it to all start.”

Saban recently said, following the team’s second and final scrimmage, that Fitzpatrick has been a standout on the Crimson Tide’s special teams coverage units, too. With that admission, it is highly likely that Alabama’s season opener against Wisconsin on Sept. 5 will be the freshman’s debut.

Whether it be on special teams or in the defensive backfield at star or corner, Fitzpatrick has most certainly lived up to his five-star expectations, at least on the practice field and in the eyes of his new head coach.

“Minkah’s done a really, really good job,” Saban said. “He’s very instinctive and learns quickly, understands concepts. He’s probably going to be a guy that, if he continues to progress, could make some contribution for us this year.”