Kirkwood House

In installment #2 of my Moving Up series I move to offense.  Many casual fans wondered in Alabama’s stunning victory against LSU who is this Norwood kid?   Truthfully I was not surprised how well he played.

In fact as good as Marques Maze has played Norwood had the skill set Alabama needed to defeat LSU’s tight coverage.    They just didn’t know until that moment if he could come through on a stage that big.

Signed in 2009 Norwood was the 22nd ranked wide receiver and 3rd ranked deep threat receiver according to Rivals.   He was a member of the Rivals 250 and the Super Southeast 120 by the Mobile Press Register.

In High School he was a first team All-State selection for D’Iberville Mississippi where he snagged 64 passes for 1,100 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior.

After red shirting the 2009 season he got early playing time in 2010.   Norwood caught notice early in the season with an over the middle catch that he powered through the secondary for an impressive touchdown.  Unfortunately he decided to somersault into the end zone,  an act that could have resulted in the touchdown being taken away starting in 2011.

It’s also an act that gets you into Nick Saban’s dog house which is where Norwood spent most of the rest of the 2010 season.  Still late in the season you began to see him sneaking onto the field here and there.

In 2011 Norwood once again had an impressive camp and it payed off against Penn State where he caught 3 passes for 25 yards.   Norwood was fighting with several other young wide receivers for playing time.  All of them had impressive days and other day’s they barely saw the field.

Norwood had another big game against Mississippi State where he caught 2 passes for a whopping 60 yards.   The next week he caught a 22 yarder against Georgia Southern.

Then of course came the explosion against LSU where he snagged four passes for 78 yards against one of the best secondaries in college football.    Norwood finished the season with the highest average per catch on the team.    He has clearly cemented himself as a serious contender for a starting job in 2012.

At 6′ 2″ and 193 lbs Norwood has the size to go up and get the ball over smaller corners.  He uses his body well to block defenders and aways catches the ball with his hands,  away from his body.

In 2010 playing time for receivers was highly dependent on who practiced well that week.  Norwood will have to prove he can play at a high level consistently every day in practice to be an every down starters.   Kenny Bell and Deandrew While also had big days for the tide during the season so all three are going to be fighting for that consistency that will elevate them above the others for that starting roll.

After Norwoods game against LSU however early betting has to be on him.

Alabama loses a massive amount of talent this year to graduation and the NFL.   The cupboard is far from empty but the new players have yet to build a legacy at Alabama.   The following “Moving Up” series will focus on lesser known players who may step up to stardom this coming year.

Backup outside linebacker Adrian Hubbard should be the leading candidate to replace departing senior Courtney Upshaw.

Hubbard’s high school resume is impressive.   Third-team EA Sports All-American,  ranked 54th in the final ESPNU 150,  listed as the No. 5 defensive end after his impressive performance in the Under Armour All-America Game,  ranked as the No. 10 defensive end nationally by Rivals.com and was ranked 189th in the final Rivals 250.   He was 14th in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 2010 Top 50,  48th on The Mobile Press-Register’s Super Southeast 120, All-Southeast Region by PrepStar magazine.   Hubbard made 102 tackles and 10 sacks as a senior at Norcross High School

Unlike Alabama’s previous jack linebackers Hubbard has the prototypical body for the position,  6′ 7″  and 255 at this time.  He will be asked to pack on more muscle this winter.  The staff would like him to get in the 265 lb range to take on offensive tackles.

Hubbard signed with Alabama in In 2010 and red shirted his first season.  As a red shirt sophomore in 2011 Hubbard made appearances in 8 games and made 9 tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss.

Hubbard’s strengths for the position are his speed which is substantial and his long frame which should allow him to extend his arms and not only cover space to the sideline but attack the passer.

Hubbard will compete with a number of other players for the starting jack position.    Xzavier Dickson is probably the one player who could unseat Hubbard.  Dickson also has an impressive high school resume and surprised many earning playing time as a true freshman in 2011.

Dickson was added to the kick coverage unit for the national title game and was an integral part of resolving the gaping holes in our coverage that had plagued Alabama down the stretch.

If Dickson can win the job this spring look for Adrian Hubbard to take over the starting SAM linebacker spot vacated by departing senior Jarrell Harris.  Either way get ready to see a lot of Adrian Hubbard in 2012.

Alabama has apparently hired Washington offensive cordinator Doug Nussmeier to hold the same position at Alabama. Like Jim McElwain before him Nussmeier is a passing specialist from out west.  I did a little reading to find out about Alabama’s new coach.

Born in Portland Oregon Nussmeier played collegiately at Idaho for head coach John L Smith who he would later coach for.

There Nussmeier became the 9th leading passer in division I-AA history. Doug is considered one of the more prolific dual threat quarterbacks in college football history passing for more than 10,000 yards and rushing for more than 1,200. He exited college and spent five season in the NFL for the Saints and Colts where he appeared in 8 regular season games.

He played for the Ottawa Renegades of the CFL in 2000 and then moved to a coaching position in 2001 when they won the Grey Cup. In 2002 in only his second year as a coach he was the offensive coordinator for the Renegades. He was hired by his college coach John L Smith to coach quarterbacks at Michigan State and stayed there from 2003 to 2005. While at Michigan State Nussmeier coached with Jim McElwain.   He also turned quarterback Drew Stanton into an NFL quarterback.

He was hired by his Idaho offensive coordinator Scott Linehan to coach quarterbacks for the St Louis Rams in 2006 and 2007.  There he helped Marc Bulger to a pro bowl season.

In 2008 when Jim McElwain was hired away from Fresno State by Alabama Jim recommended Nussmeier to be his replacement. He became the offensive coordinator for Fresno State in 2008.

From there he was hired as the OC for Washington from 2009 to 2011. During that time he coached up Jake Locker into the 8th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans.

In 2012 once again it seems clear that Jim McElwain has suggested to his former boss that Nussmeier is the best possible replacement and so we welcome Doug Nussmeier to the Crimson Tide family.

Nussmeier’s resume suggests he can continue the trend started by jim McElwain toward improving the passing game to prevent teams from stacking the box against the run. It’s been 36 years since an Alabama quarterback has been taken in the first round of the NFL draft. With the performance AJ McCarron put on against LSU last week and a coach with a history of coaching NFL quality quarterbacks that dubious and almost unexplainable streak of futility could be in danger of ending.

Though he is from out west Nussmeier was sensible enough to marry a southern girl, Christi Hebert from Lake Charles, Louisiana.   I can’t confirm it but there was a Saints cheerleader by that same name during the time Nussmeier was a player for New Orleans.  This may be the same girl.  They have two sons, Garrett, age 10 and Colton 4 and a daughter, Ash Lynn, age 8. No doubt his wife will find the warm weather of Tuscaloosa inviting and it’s within easy driving distance of home.

Alabama finished the 2011 college football season as the number one team in the land for the 14th time in program history.  Alabama has now won 3 BCS national titles,  1992, 2009, and 2011.

Alabama’s shutout of LSU is the first in any BCS bowl game since inception. Alabama’s defense is one of only two in NCAA history to finish first in rushing, passing, and total defense. The 1986 Oklahoma defense was the other. There was a 77.9 yards per game gap between No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 LSU in total defense. That is the largest gap ever between the first and second team.

I don’t have complete stats on passing seasons for Alabama but in the last 45 years AJ McCarrons 2011 season ranks fourth in passing yards with 2634 yards.    Only John Parker Wilson (twice) and Greg McElroy’s fine 2010 season resulted in more yards.  His 66.8% completion ratio are second only to McElroys 2010 numbers (70%).   Wilsons numbers are higher mainly because he attempted significantly more passes than Alabama would normally ever try.  Wilson was playing from behind much of the time.

Trent Richardson broke Mark Ingram’s single season rushing record with 1679 yards.   For his career Richardson will finish fifth all time.  Like Ingram before him he will be giving up his chance to break Shaun Alexanders career mark by going pro early.  He would have likely shattered it by mid season.  In addition to Alexander,  Bobby Humphrey, Kenneth Darby, and Mark Ingram have a higher career rushing total.   Richardson averaged 5.9 yards a carry and 11.7 yards a catch.

Richardson won the Doak Walker award as the nations best running back. No Alabama player has ever won the Doak Walker award.    Toby Gerhart won the award in 2009 over Mark Ingram and Ron Dayne won it over Shaun Alexander in 1999.   Only two other running backs from the Southeast have won the award.   Georgia’s Garrison Hurst in 1992 and Arkansas Darren McFadden won the award twice in 2006 and 2007

Richardson replacement Eddie Lacy averaged 7.1 yards per carry and totaled 674 yards on 95 carries.

Marques Maze was the leading reciever with nearly double the yards of any other reciever.   Aside from Maze passing was extremely spread out with 8 receivers getting double digit catches.

Title game hero Kevin Norwood had the highest average per catch at 17.3 yards per catch.

Alabama’s leading defender was Dant’a Hightower who amassed 85 tackles,  11 tackles for loss, four sacks, and a single interception.

Nearly as disruptive was Jack Courtney Upshaw who totaled 51 tackles,  17 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and a single interception.

The leader of the secondary Mark Barron totaled 68 tackles, five tackles for loss, 1 sack and two interceptions.  Mark Barron was the starting safety for two national title teams.  In my opiion he is the finest safety to come through Alabama in the post Bryant era.

After years of “where did he go” questions and a 6 game NCAA suspension super recruit linebacker Jarrell Harris finally earned his scholarship turning in an outstanding season starting every game.  Down the stretch he absolutely locked down the run game on his side of the field.  His great speed was also used often to cover backs out of the backfield.   Against LSU in the title game he made LSU’s quarterbacks and runners look slow.Senior offensive lineman Alfred McCullough nearly won starting spots every season except his red shirt season.  He replaced starting right guard Anthony Steen after an injury and then started for Barrett Jones at left tackle.   Steen never got his job back from McCullough as he started the final 6 games of his Alabama career.   His career marks an amazing story of persistence and victory over circumstances.

Left Tackle Barrett Jones won the Outland Trophy as the nations best interior lineman.  Jones is the third Alabama player to win the award.  Chris Samuals won in 1999 and just retired from a long career as the Redskins starting left tackle.   Andre Smith won it in 1998 and is the starting right tackle for the Cincinatti Bengals.

Along the defensive front Alabama had a balanced attack unlike any since Saban’s arrival.  six players played regularly and four of them got either 23 or 24 tackles.   The leading tackler was Damion Square with 32 tackles, 7 for loss, and a sack.    Ed Stinson Got 19 tackles so virtually every player that logged significant playing time produced.   Journeyman senior Nick Gentry ended his senior season as the leading sacker on the line with 4.5 sacks.

Like tackles on the line interceptions were spread out.  Though the leader for picks DeMarcus Milliner had only three as a team Alabama picked off 13 passes.

Alabama redshirted at least 12 players including Demetrius Hart who would have likely played regularly had he not blown a knee.  Hart is back practicing well and should be fine for the spring.

Alabama played 8 true freshman.  Three were on display in the title game.    Vinnie Sunsuri took over the dime position after Will Lowery was injured.  He played the Auburn and LSU games.   Trey DePriest took over for CJ Mosley early in the second half after Mosley was injured.   Chris Jones took over punt returns from Maze after he was injured and calmly fielded kicks and even had one solid return.  Offensive Tackle Cyrus Kouandjio would have probably been starting by the final third of the season  had he not injured his knee early in the season.

Vinnnie Sunsuri made the biggest play of the freshman in the title game.  Jordan Jefferson had an open receiver deep when Alabama led by only 15 points.   Vinnie Sunsuri came in on a safety blitz and forced a bad throw knocking him down.  If Jefferson connected on that pass it would have gone for 6 and could have changed the last quarter of the game from the Alabama celebration it was to a nail biter of a finish.

From the bitter beginning in Tornado ravaged Tuscaloosa this team was forged in battle.  First against the elements, then against the SEC, then seemingly against the world as the world told them they didn’t belong there.  The 2011 Crimson Tide showed it’s spine of steel tonight producing the first shutout in BCS and National Title History and brought home Alabama’s 14th National Championship.

The stories are many:

Dant’a Hightower blows his knee early in 2009 and watches from the sideline helpless as his teammates brought home #13.   In his 2010 season we all openly wondered if Dant’a would ever be a good linebacker again.    Hightower bounced back in 2011 and led the defense back to dominance.  Tonight he forced a fumble and then tackled Jordan Jefferson to prevent him from falling on the ball.  The play ended LSU’s biggest and final scoring threat.  This time Hightower stood tall with the Christal Ball in the end.  He has two rings now,  but there is no question which one is more precious.

Marques Maze the smallish wide receiver from Tarrant pulls a hamstring on a brilliant kick return that resulted in Alabama’s first points of the evening.  He wept with his teammates in bitter pain at the reality that he would never again play for the Crimson Tide.  His teammates made sure his sacrifice wouldn’t be in vain.  Alabama emerged from the locker room with even more vicious hitting than they entered it at the half.

Quarterback AJ McCarron who looked so much the kid in the first meeting with LSU looked like an NFL quarterback this time delivering 23 strikes in 34 attempts for 234 yards passing.  It would have been more if several big passes hadn’t been dropped.  His play was the single biggest factor that changed the game in Alabama’s favor.

Sophomore Kevin Norwood has a breakout game with 4 catches and 78 yards after Marques Maze goes down.

Jeremy Shelly part of the kicking duo who failed so miserably in the first meeting with LSU delivered on five field goals.  Two were in excess of 40 yards.

Trent Richardson who carried this team so many times was there in the fourth quarter to finally burst for a touchdown and put LSU away for good.

Linebacker CJ Mosley seriously injures his knee (later verified as a hip dislocation) after making a brilliant interception.   Freshman Trey DePriest replaces him and handles the dispirited LSU offense from there.

Nick Gentry the undersized defensive lineman from Prattville proves to be one of the most disruptive player on the best defense I’ve ever seen.  Two years ago he thought about quitting football.  Today he wraps up two outstanding seasons and a National Championship.   Gentry was the one who fell on the fumble by Jefferson forced by Hightower.

Courtney Upshaw bounced back from an injury plagued 2010 season to put together a brilliant 2011 and wins the defensive MVP trophy in the title game.  He hounded Jordan Jefferson all night.

While the nation handed out awards for best coach,  best players,  best everything to every team but Alabama. While they handed the Heisman to a player on a mediocre Baylor squad.   While the Alabama defense which compiled historic stats received virtually no individual recognition.  While the country complained incessantly that ALABAMA SHOULD NOT BE THERE.  Alabama let all that burn in for 45 days and unleashed that anger on a VERY good LSU team.  This team Alabama beat was VASTLY better than the Texas team Alabama demolished in 2009.  They got the SEC title,  but we got the biggest prize of all.

Alabama 2011 National Champions.   Case Closed,  “Done”.

Just about the only disadvantage to Alabama being at the top of the football world is that so many players are three and done to the NFL.  I can’t really blame them.  Many come from poor backgrounds and NFL money can solve a LOT of problems,  especially in an economy where even hard workers have fallen on hard times.

Every so often though you get a guy like Barrett Jones.  The son of an Alabama basketball player Rex Jones, Barrett was the top rated lineman in Tennessee in 2008.   Tennessee had been raiding north Alabama for years under Fulmer but Saban was about to shut the gravy train down.

The 2008 class would eventually produce first round draft picks Mark Ingram,  Julio Jones, Marcel Dareus, along with several more probably first rounders this year.  Including Dant’a Hightower who was the top rated defensive player in Tennessee that year.

Jones immediately stuck out from the rest with an ACT score way up near near or over 30.  I thought to myself at the time,   dang, that guy is different.    Jones suffered some injuries when he first arrived and red shirted in 2008.

In 2009 Jones overtook Alfred McCullough for the right guard spot just a week before the season.  His first few games were rough,  he was only about 289 at the time which in the SEC is actually small.  He was often targeted by bull rushers.   By mid season however he was no longer a liability.

Jones helped block for a Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram,   won a national championship in 2009.   In 2010 he was an All-American at guard.  In 2011 after two years at right guard he moved to left tackle and won All-American again and stands at the brink of another title shot January 9th. All the while maintaining a 4.0 average in accounting.

During the last two summers during a break in training instead of taking it easy he has gone with his family to Haiti to help in the aftermath of the devastating earth quakes there.

In 2011 Jones spent meaningful time at Right Tackle,  Center, and Left Guard as well as his regular left tackle posisiton.  At the end of the 2011 season he was awarded the Outland Trophy as the nations best interior lineman.

This would usher the normal man to the NFL,  but Jones is no ordinary man.

Jones announced this week that he would return for his senior season.   He’s going to leave the NFL money on the table for another year.    He will get a chance to play together with his younger brother who is on track to play much more at H-Back this season.  His parents will get a chance to enjoy a season with both sons on the field.   As a senior he could possibly be voted captain and have his hands and feet imprinted at the foot of Denny Chimes.

In 2012 Jones may continue to play left tackle or if super recruit Cyrus Kouandjio can recover and man that spot Jones may take over the Center spot from departing senior William Vlachos giving Jones the opportunity to win All-American honors at three different positions.

For Alabama it resolves injury issues.  Kouandjio was on track to take the left tackle spot this past year but the recovery time of his knee injury is unknown.    Together with line mates Chance Warmack and DJ Fluker who have both made huge improvements this season Alabama has a chance to field the best offensive line in college football in 2012.

Can you imagine the celebration at the McCarron household down in Mobile?

Jones, who is a devout Christian has chosen a life less ordinary.   There are many rich young men in the NFL who’s lives come and go like a fire cracker.  Making noise,  sometimes getting attention,  but producing nothing.  Jones is a young man who had decided to leave his mark more permanent in the eyes of God and man.

When one of the nations best recruits plays a position of extreme need it’s big news when they sign.  Alabama got two early Christmas presents this year and both fit the bill.   Really it’s like three presents.   Getting running back TJ Yeldon was a good enough gift,  but taking him from Auburn and sending them into a pre-christmas meltdown was like an extra gift in of itself.  It’s like getting your most expensive gift in a small box stuffed deep in your stocking.

If that was not enough last night Alabama got a commit from Travell Dickson,  the top rated corner in Jr College last year.   At 6′ 2″ 200 lbs Dickson is a clone of current corner Dre Kirkpatrick.   Alabama starts thee corners.   One is graduating,  another may turn pro.   Bottom line is that Dickson barring injury should walk right into a starting spot this spring.    It is a HUGE pickup for Nick Saban and will go a long way toward making 2012 another great year for Alabama.   Needless to say there will be smiles all around at the Saban household this Christmas.

EDIT: 12/23/11 – The pre Christmas dead period in recruiting has been anything BUT dead for the Crimson Tide.   Massive lineman Alphonse Taylor switched from Florida State to Alabama today.  Taylor is 6′ 6″ 354 and is rated as a Guard but will play nose tackle at Alabama.  With only a single pure nose man on the roster Taylor has a high probability of playing as a true freshman.

Rumors began swirling after the Alabama/Mississippi All Star game that the stars of the Alabama side (who demolished the Mississippi Side) had all met and decided to Come to Alabama and win a championship.  These sorts of things are usually just internet crap but since that time two of those stars have flipped to Alabama from other schools.  The final player in that group is Hueytown Quarterback Jameis Winston.   The top rated player in the state is currently committed to Florida State.   Winston originally wanted to play football and baseball but since he originally committed his baseball stock has not risen as high as he had originally hoped.  Many believe that if Winston were to decide to play only football he would do so for Alabama.    Like I said before,  internet rumors are usually crap,  but there has been an awful lot of smoke from the original story of the meeting at the Alabama/Mississippi game.