Aaron Suttles
TideSports.com Senior Writer
It's more than remembrances in concrete, although the hand and cleat prints that reside in perpetuity behind Denny Chimes are the among the highest honors a player can achieve at the University of Alabama.
To be a permanent team captain is so coveted simply because of where the honor derives: from their teammates.
This year's permanent team captains were recently revealed at the team banquet and the chosen - Amari Cooper, Landon Collins, Jalston Fowler and Blake Sims - strike a balance for the 2014 Alabama team.
Jalston Fowler was one of four permanent team captains for the 2014 Alabama team.
In Cooper and Collins are talents that made them unanimous first-team All-Americans by the five recognized All-American voting bodies (Walter Camp Foundation, Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association and the Football Writers Association of America).
In Fowler and Sims are fifth-year seniors, the type of players that have been the heart and soul of the team.
Cooper set school and conference receiving records in his junior season. A finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, Collins is widely considered among the top defensive backs in the nation. Both are likely to forego their senior seasons and declare for the NFL Draft.
A jack of all trades, Fowler overcame a serious knee injury his sophomore season to contribute at running back, full back and h-back. Sims worked his way from safety, running back and back-up quarterback to earn the starting job.
Their paths weren't the same, some straight forward, others winding, but they all led to the same place.
"All four of those guys have had great careers at Alabama," junior center Ryan Kelly said. "Those guys are always there when we needed them the most. They're guys that we can count on. I don't think there's any greater award than to be a team captain."
All four bring different styles of leading to the team.
Cooper does so with little to no words, setting an example with his actions. Collins brings energy, a ferocity on the field easy to spot.
Fowler was the behind the scenes glue guy, a unifying force that brought players from all backgrounds together. Sims earned his respect in the way he handled the quarterback competition, from the work he put in during the offseason to the calming attitude he brought to the offensive huddle.
The honor caught Fowler, a bruising do-it-all back, a bit by surprise.
"I was just sitting there, nervous, my name was the last one to get called, like awwww 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.
"Just for your teammates to think of you as a captain. I mean, some guy they look up to and listen to all the time. So that was really big."
It was Fowler's inclusion especially that struck a chord with a lot of the players.
A valuable offensive player that never got as much attention as Cooper or T.J. Yeldon or Derrick Henry, Fowler brought the team together.
"I think he's one of the more unseen hero kind of guys," Kelly said. "Talk about a guy who couldn't be more positive, just like Blake. A lot of us come from different backgrounds, and I think what makes him so special is he's always so open to anyone who comes in. Just a great guy to be around and I call him my dear friend. That vote was, again, voted on by players. I couldn't be happier for Jalston."
- See more at: https://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1716730#sthash.Rw2FU7Qh.dpuf
TideSports.com Senior Writer
It's more than remembrances in concrete, although the hand and cleat prints that reside in perpetuity behind Denny Chimes are the among the highest honors a player can achieve at the University of Alabama.
To be a permanent team captain is so coveted simply because of where the honor derives: from their teammates.
This year's permanent team captains were recently revealed at the team banquet and the chosen - Amari Cooper, Landon Collins, Jalston Fowler and Blake Sims - strike a balance for the 2014 Alabama team.
Jalston Fowler was one of four permanent team captains for the 2014 Alabama team.
In Cooper and Collins are talents that made them unanimous first-team All-Americans by the five recognized All-American voting bodies (Walter Camp Foundation, Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association and the Football Writers Association of America).
In Fowler and Sims are fifth-year seniors, the type of players that have been the heart and soul of the team.
Cooper set school and conference receiving records in his junior season. A finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, Collins is widely considered among the top defensive backs in the nation. Both are likely to forego their senior seasons and declare for the NFL Draft.
A jack of all trades, Fowler overcame a serious knee injury his sophomore season to contribute at running back, full back and h-back. Sims worked his way from safety, running back and back-up quarterback to earn the starting job.
Their paths weren't the same, some straight forward, others winding, but they all led to the same place.
"All four of those guys have had great careers at Alabama," junior center Ryan Kelly said. "Those guys are always there when we needed them the most. They're guys that we can count on. I don't think there's any greater award than to be a team captain."
All four bring different styles of leading to the team.
Cooper does so with little to no words, setting an example with his actions. Collins brings energy, a ferocity on the field easy to spot.
Fowler was the behind the scenes glue guy, a unifying force that brought players from all backgrounds together. Sims earned his respect in the way he handled the quarterback competition, from the work he put in during the offseason to the calming attitude he brought to the offensive huddle.
The honor caught Fowler, a bruising do-it-all back, a bit by surprise.
"I was just sitting there, nervous, my name was the last one to get called, like awwww 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.
"Just for your teammates to think of you as a captain. I mean, some guy they look up to and listen to all the time. So that was really big."
It was Fowler's inclusion especially that struck a chord with a lot of the players.
A valuable offensive player that never got as much attention as Cooper or T.J. Yeldon or Derrick Henry, Fowler brought the team together.
"I think he's one of the more unseen hero kind of guys," Kelly said. "Talk about a guy who couldn't be more positive, just like Blake. A lot of us come from different backgrounds, and I think what makes him so special is he's always so open to anyone who comes in. Just a great guy to be around and I call him my dear friend. That vote was, again, voted on by players. I couldn't be happier for Jalston."
- See more at: https://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1716730#sthash.Rw2FU7Qh.dpuf
