Alabama Crimson Tide Football: 'Tremendous' senior class can tie history with win on Senior Day
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama will honor 21 true and redshirt seniors Saturday morning on the field in Bryant-Denny Stadium as a part of its annual Senior Day to end the regular season.
And this group has an opportunity to make history.
With at least three games left to play, including Saturday’s home finale against the Mercer Bears of the FCS, the Crimson Tide’s 2017 senior class is one win shy of the tying the NCAA record of 51 wins set by, you guessed it, Alabama’s 2016 senior class (51-6).
In its 31-24 victory over Mississippi State last weekend, Alabama’s current group of seniors recorded its 50th overall win. The group now boasts a 4-year record of 50-4 (.926), a national championship, three consecutive SEC championships and three straight College Football Playoff appearances -- the only team in the nation that can make that claim.
“This group has made a tremendous contribution to the success of the program, not only in how they’ve played and performed, but how they’ve represented the university on and off the field,” coach Nick Saban said. “They’ve provided a tremendous amount of leadership for the young players. We haven’t had a lot of issues and problems with any of these guys. They’ve really been great ambassadors for the university.
“They’ve had a tremendous amount of success here, won a lot of games. I can’t say enough.”
Alabama LB Shaun Dion Hamilton (Photo: Marvin Gentry, USA TODAY Sports)
The 21 seniors that will be honored, according to Alabama Athletics, will be Anthony Averett, Bradley Bozeman, Tony Brown, Hunter Bryant, Rashaan Evans, Robert Foster, Josh Frazier, Bo Grant, Shaun Dion Hamilton, Da'Shawn Hand, JC Hassenauer, Austin Johnson, Hootie Jones, Vohn Keith Jr., Jamar King, Rogria Lewis, Andy Pappanastos, Jacob Parker, JK Scott, Cam Sims and Levi Wallace.
Fourteen are scholarship players, including 10 starters, and the 2017 squad features 12 players who already had degrees in hand entering the season opener against Florida State, which is tops among teams ranked in the Associated Press Preseason Top-25, per UA. The 12 Tide graduates are Averett, Bozeman, Brown, Bryant, Grant, Hamilton, Hassenauer, Keith Jr., Kief, Pappanastos, Pierschbacher and Wallace.
And although it’s an annual tradition at Alabama and at nearly every school across the country, Senior Day doesn’t get any easier for Saban, who is in his 11th season as head coach.
“The only thing that gets me is when I go out there to shake hands and say hi to their parents, give them a hug and a kiss to their moms that it just seems like yesterday we were recruiting them, and it just goes by so fast,” he said. “But I think we have a tremendous amount of guys in this class that are going to be successful in life, and that’s the goal of our program here.”
For many, it will cap the long journeys that have been their collegiate careers. For others, like Hamilton whose season and career ended with a broken patella in the LSU game, it will be the final farewell to the fans that supported them for the last 4-5 years.
Before the Crimson Tide and Bears run onto the field and do battle Saturday at 11 a.m. CT, the seniors and their families will line the field, facing the home side of Bryant-Denny, as each is introduced and presented with a commemorative football by Saban.
The on-field goodbyes happen every year, they’re routine. While they occur moments before a regular-season football game, that doesn’t stop Saban from getting emotional, he said.
But does he ever find himself getting choked up during the ceremony?
“Absolutely,” Saban said. “Especially last year, when we had (Lawrence Erekosima) whose mother we flew in from Kuwait. It was a surprise to him. It’s always good to see the parents.
“We’re kind of in partnership with the parents. We’re trying to help our players be successful. We don’t get to see them a lot but sometimes you communicate with them and it’s always good to see them again and see how proud they are of, not only their son being a player here, but also we’ve had a really high success rate of our players graduating, and it’s a really good family moment for everyone.”
Alabama P JK Scott (Photo: Marvin Gentry, USA TODAY Sports)
This week, several of Alabama’s seniors were asked if they had thought about Senior Day yet, their feelings toward the annual event and if they think they will be emotional as they’re honored before their final game in Bryant-Denny. Here are their responses:
Anthony Averett
“My emotions are going to be very high. I’ve been here for a while, my fifth year. I remember my first time I came here (to) Bryant-Denny, I think it was like recruiting, think it was in 2012 or 2013 spring game. That was my first time here and that was really blessful. Now my family is going to be here for this last game, so it’s going to be fun.”
Bradley Bozeman
“Yes and no. I’m excited but at the same time I know it’s going to be kind of bittersweet. It’s been a great journey for me. I’ve been so blessed. I couldn’t ask for a better experience. This coaching staff, this whole place has been great to me. I might shed a tear. I don’t know. We’ll see, though.”
Andy Pappanastos
“Hopefully we’ll get the win. That’s the most important thing to me, just going out and just getting in a good rhythm going into the rest of the season. Mercer, that’s the next game on the schedule and senior day is going to be important for me. It’s going to be nice to have my family here and we’re really going to enjoy it. But at the end of the day, I’m coming to do my best, and hopefully we’ll look good and move on.”
Cam Sims
“Not really. I guess it’s going to hit me like Saturday when we do the little Senior Day stuff. It hasn’t really hit me yet. It’ll be a really emotional time for me.”
Levi Wallace
“No, not yet. I’m taking it one day at a time. But I’m excited. This is home, and I can’t wait to get back out there in front of the fans. Not too emotional. I’m not a big cryer or anything like that. I just go out there and play football, the game that I love.”
My wife homer will be gone after this year! Averett and her both graduate at Woodbury High School. But not the same year!
Bozeman from here in Roanoke will be gone too!
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama will honor 21 true and redshirt seniors Saturday morning on the field in Bryant-Denny Stadium as a part of its annual Senior Day to end the regular season.
And this group has an opportunity to make history.
With at least three games left to play, including Saturday’s home finale against the Mercer Bears of the FCS, the Crimson Tide’s 2017 senior class is one win shy of the tying the NCAA record of 51 wins set by, you guessed it, Alabama’s 2016 senior class (51-6).
In its 31-24 victory over Mississippi State last weekend, Alabama’s current group of seniors recorded its 50th overall win. The group now boasts a 4-year record of 50-4 (.926), a national championship, three consecutive SEC championships and three straight College Football Playoff appearances -- the only team in the nation that can make that claim.
“This group has made a tremendous contribution to the success of the program, not only in how they’ve played and performed, but how they’ve represented the university on and off the field,” coach Nick Saban said. “They’ve provided a tremendous amount of leadership for the young players. We haven’t had a lot of issues and problems with any of these guys. They’ve really been great ambassadors for the university.
“They’ve had a tremendous amount of success here, won a lot of games. I can’t say enough.”
Alabama LB Shaun Dion Hamilton (Photo: Marvin Gentry, USA TODAY Sports)
The 21 seniors that will be honored, according to Alabama Athletics, will be Anthony Averett, Bradley Bozeman, Tony Brown, Hunter Bryant, Rashaan Evans, Robert Foster, Josh Frazier, Bo Grant, Shaun Dion Hamilton, Da'Shawn Hand, JC Hassenauer, Austin Johnson, Hootie Jones, Vohn Keith Jr., Jamar King, Rogria Lewis, Andy Pappanastos, Jacob Parker, JK Scott, Cam Sims and Levi Wallace.
Fourteen are scholarship players, including 10 starters, and the 2017 squad features 12 players who already had degrees in hand entering the season opener against Florida State, which is tops among teams ranked in the Associated Press Preseason Top-25, per UA. The 12 Tide graduates are Averett, Bozeman, Brown, Bryant, Grant, Hamilton, Hassenauer, Keith Jr., Kief, Pappanastos, Pierschbacher and Wallace.
And although it’s an annual tradition at Alabama and at nearly every school across the country, Senior Day doesn’t get any easier for Saban, who is in his 11th season as head coach.
“The only thing that gets me is when I go out there to shake hands and say hi to their parents, give them a hug and a kiss to their moms that it just seems like yesterday we were recruiting them, and it just goes by so fast,” he said. “But I think we have a tremendous amount of guys in this class that are going to be successful in life, and that’s the goal of our program here.”
For many, it will cap the long journeys that have been their collegiate careers. For others, like Hamilton whose season and career ended with a broken patella in the LSU game, it will be the final farewell to the fans that supported them for the last 4-5 years.
Before the Crimson Tide and Bears run onto the field and do battle Saturday at 11 a.m. CT, the seniors and their families will line the field, facing the home side of Bryant-Denny, as each is introduced and presented with a commemorative football by Saban.
The on-field goodbyes happen every year, they’re routine. While they occur moments before a regular-season football game, that doesn’t stop Saban from getting emotional, he said.
But does he ever find himself getting choked up during the ceremony?
“Absolutely,” Saban said. “Especially last year, when we had (Lawrence Erekosima) whose mother we flew in from Kuwait. It was a surprise to him. It’s always good to see the parents.
“We’re kind of in partnership with the parents. We’re trying to help our players be successful. We don’t get to see them a lot but sometimes you communicate with them and it’s always good to see them again and see how proud they are of, not only their son being a player here, but also we’ve had a really high success rate of our players graduating, and it’s a really good family moment for everyone.”
Alabama P JK Scott (Photo: Marvin Gentry, USA TODAY Sports)
This week, several of Alabama’s seniors were asked if they had thought about Senior Day yet, their feelings toward the annual event and if they think they will be emotional as they’re honored before their final game in Bryant-Denny. Here are their responses:
Anthony Averett
“My emotions are going to be very high. I’ve been here for a while, my fifth year. I remember my first time I came here (to) Bryant-Denny, I think it was like recruiting, think it was in 2012 or 2013 spring game. That was my first time here and that was really blessful. Now my family is going to be here for this last game, so it’s going to be fun.”
Bradley Bozeman
“Yes and no. I’m excited but at the same time I know it’s going to be kind of bittersweet. It’s been a great journey for me. I’ve been so blessed. I couldn’t ask for a better experience. This coaching staff, this whole place has been great to me. I might shed a tear. I don’t know. We’ll see, though.”
Andy Pappanastos
“Hopefully we’ll get the win. That’s the most important thing to me, just going out and just getting in a good rhythm going into the rest of the season. Mercer, that’s the next game on the schedule and senior day is going to be important for me. It’s going to be nice to have my family here and we’re really going to enjoy it. But at the end of the day, I’m coming to do my best, and hopefully we’ll look good and move on.”
Cam Sims
“Not really. I guess it’s going to hit me like Saturday when we do the little Senior Day stuff. It hasn’t really hit me yet. It’ll be a really emotional time for me.”
Levi Wallace
“No, not yet. I’m taking it one day at a time. But I’m excited. This is home, and I can’t wait to get back out there in front of the fans. Not too emotional. I’m not a big cryer or anything like that. I just go out there and play football, the game that I love.”
My wife homer will be gone after this year! Averett and her both graduate at Woodbury High School. But not the same year!
Bozeman from here in Roanoke will be gone too!
