Morning Kickoff: Crimson Tide News 12/14

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Heisman Trophy 2014: Final voting results and ballot totals

"It was the second-largest margin of victory in Heisman history. Cooper did the best in the south as he received the second-most votes (256) behind Mariota’s 426. The Oregon quarterback won all five regions and Cooper was third in all but the south.Jameis Winston, the 2013 winner, was sixth in the 2014 voting with 51 total points. Trevone Boykin was the fourth followed by Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett.Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott was among the midseason contenders, but the Bulldog passers finished eighth eighth 42 points. Arizona linebacker Schooby Wright was the only defensive player in the top 10 with an eighth-place finish."

Congratulations to Marcus Mariota on the Heisman Trophy. Amari Cooper has nothing to hang his head about at all. He represented Alabama with class, on and off the field.

Amari Cooper tells story of mother’s sacrifice during Heisman broadcast

"Cooper remembered telling his mom he was too tired to make the walk there and back one day. When she returned, marks lined Green’s arms where she carried all the bags a few miles home.Cooper called himself selfish.“I just kept it to myself. It was just an example of how hard she worked, her getting off work so late or working so hard all ready,” a relaxed Cooper said Saturday night on a coach 45 floors above Times Square. “She sacrificed for us. You want to know how much somebody loves you, just look at how much they sacrifice.”"

What an incredible story and it could have been what pushed him to be such a hard worker.

Sugar Bowl 2015: X-Factors in Ohio State vs. Alabama Showdown

"The moment Urban Meyer took over at Ohio State, the goal was to beat the SEC, and the Alabama dynasty in particular, on the way to multiple national titles. Now, the Buckeyes have their chance in the 2015 Sugar Bowl.You know the main actors in this matchup already.Third-string quarterback Cardale Jones, running back Ezekiel Elliott and deep threat Devin Smith will lead the Buckeyes against quarterback Blake Sims, wide receiver Amari Cooper, running backs T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry and the rest of the Crimson Tide.However, there are bound to be some X-factors outside of just the main players that help shape the outcome of the game. With that in mind, read on for some details on those X-factors."

Another great write up on the game that is quickly approaching. Things will start to pickup everywhere as soon as practice gets back in the swing of things.

Friends told Amari Cooper to avoid run-happy Alabama, but he ‘wanted to be a winner’

"“But I wanted to be a winner,” Cooper said. “That was the most important thing to me. People who were disagreeing with me, they were focused on my stats and what my stats would look like. And I was more focused on winning.”Cooper said he didn’t listen to any of the outside chatter. Decisions are made with one voter. Those few days at Saban’s camp was all he needed.“Oh yeah, I remember it,” Cooper said. “It was really, really hot. But I just came out here. I wanted to prove I deserved an offer from Alabama. So I came out here, worked really hard. Did 1-on-1s, and I tried show the coaches what I could do.”"

A winner? Mission accomplished already with a lot more on the table. More importantly, a man after reading the above linked article.

Crimson Tide Continues December Homestand with Mercer on Sunday

"The women’s basketball team returns to the hardwood after a week off of competition for finals when it hosts Mercer on Sunday at Foster Auditorium. The game will tip off at Noon CT and will air live on the SEC Network.Sunday’s game will be televised on the SEC Network with Cara Capuano (play-by-play) and Carolyn Peck (analyst) on the call. The game can also be heard on the Crimson Tide Sports Network with Roger Hoover announcing the action."

Men’s Tennis Alumni Reunion a Big Success

"The inaugural Alumni Reunion under head coach George Husack welcomed back several former players from every decade dating back to the 1950s. Throughout the weekend, attendees took part in a Meet the Tide social, wooden racket doubles mixer with current and former players a tennis tailgate and concluded with a trip to the football game against Mississippi State."