October 13, 2012; Columbia, MO, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Blake Sims (6) runs the ball during the fourth quarter against the Missouri Tigers at Faurot Field. The Alabama Crimson Tide won 42-10. Mandatory Credit: Dak Dillon-USA TODAY Sports
Today we’re profiling junior quarterback Blake Sims and junior defensive back HaHa Clinton-Dix, both of whom wear the number six jersey for the 2013 Alabama Crimson Tide football squad.
Blake Sims
Sims signed with Alabama in 2010 out of Gainesville, Georgia. His college decision came down to the Crimson Tide and his home state school, the Georgia Bulldogs.
Because of his mobility and versatility, the recruiting services labeled Sims as an athlete rather than quarterback, where he played in high school. The six-foot, 202-pound Sims redshirted his freshman year in Tuscaloosa.
In 2011, Sims played running back for Coach Nick Saban as AJ McCarron and Phillip Sims battled for the starting quarterback position. Although he did not score a touchdown, he averaged 4.9 yards per carry in five games.
Sims took over the number two quarterback spot behind McCarron in 2012. Mainly used as a runner in mop-up duty, he ran the ball 30 times for 187 yards (6.2 yards per carry) and two touchdowns. Sims completed 50 percent of his passes for 77 yards.
Fans shouldn’t expect much from Sims outside of what they’ve seen him do in 2011 and 2012. When he plays quarterback, Alabama tends to go to a basic and bland option offense. Additionally, he may have fallen behind redshirt freshman quarterback Alec Morris on the depth chart.
If Sims plays anything worse than the number two role in 2013, I don’t expect him to much of a contributor for the rest of tenure at Alabama.
Dec 1, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Ha
HaHa Clinton-Dix
Junior defensive back HaHa Clinton-Dix enters this season with a great chance of starting at one of the safety positions for the 2013 Alabama defense.
At 6-foot-1 and 208 pounds, some observers suggest Clinton-Dix is in a contract year, meaning he has the chance to put himself on NFL teams’ radar and leave Alabama a year early.
Clinton-Dix came highly ranked out of Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Fla. ESPNU ranked him as the number two safety in the 2011 signing class.
He continued what previous highly-touted defensive recruits before him did and played on special teams as a freshman in 2011, finishing the season with over ten tackles.
As a sophomore, Clinton-Dix played in every single Alabama game. He had five interceptions on the season and one in each of the last three games. He had a key interception in the SEC championship game against Georgia (pictured above) late in the first half that set up a field goal for the Crimson Tide. On the season, he had over thirty tackles with a career high coming against Tennessee.
Fans can expect Clinton-Dix to be a starter for the 2013 season. He won’t be Mark Barron, but he will make the plays Saban and Kirby Smart need him to make. Fans should not be surprised to see Haha make 2013 his last in Tuscaloosa.