Alabama Football: Minkah Fitzpatrick or Dracula?

Either way, both Alabama football’s Minkah Fitzpatrick and Count Dracula know how to suck the life out of their opponents.

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The six-foot-one, 202-pound junior from Old Bridge, New Jersey has looked more like the Prince of Darkness to many opposing quarterbacks and receivers, this season. He has made 35 tackles, 22 of them solo, a sack, a forced fumble, and an interception in just eight games. Fitzpatrick is all over the field as a defensive back, even hurrying QBs in the backfield, draining the energy from the opponents by being relentless.

His efforts have earned some very high praise:

When discussing top prospects for the 2018 NFL Draft class, Albert Breer of SI.com reported that an AFC personnel executive said, “Every time you turn on Alabama, he’s making something happen […] Every time there’s a big play, he’s around it. He’s just a really, really good player.” Breer also stated, “No matter how you slice it, Fitzpatrick figures to test well at the combine, and can absolutely play both corner and safety, and the idea that he could be a bigger, though less explosive version of Tyrann Mathieu lands him on this list.”

In fact, Fitzpatrick does not just make Breer’s list, his picture also tops the article, itself. Fitzpatrick is cover man on the field and on the list of top prospects.

Head Coach Nick Saban may also have another role for Fitzpatrick to pluck the soul out of opponents: punt returner. So far, that position has been the only real weakness in Alabama football in the last few games.

Ron Evans of BamaHammer.com reported that “Saban’s plan between now and LSU is to ‘try and figure out who can do the best job there.’ The guy who is most likely to do the best job is Minkah Fitzpatrick,” for which Saban said that Fitzpatrick does take reps as a returner and it could be possible to see him in that spot.

Fitzpatrick has been so dominant this season, especially in man-coverage, because he attaches himself to his receiver duty like his life is on the line. When Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond was making miracles happen, escaping multiple pass rushes and completed long pass attempts, the score was 24-10 for Alabama. Mond was so close to putting the Aggies back into the game with a touchdown. Once again, Mond was able to escape the rush and threw a fantastic pass to near the touchdown marker.

Well, it would have been amazing had it not been for Fitzpatrick, who stuck to his man like a vampire stalking his prey. Fitzpatrick covered his man so well that he was right on top of the pass before the Aggies receiver had a chance to grab the ball. Fitzpatrick intercepted the pass and, like Dracula’s fangs, took the life out of the Texas A&M home crowd. The Aggies never recovered.

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If one wants to keep with the Halloween connection, Fitzpatrick is much more ‘Team Dracula’ than Team Edward or Team Jacob from the Twilight series. Move over, Bella Swan! The only love triangle is the praise that Crimson Tide fans and football experts, both college and pro, have been showing him, lately. If Fitzpatrick keeps this performance up, Heisman talk might not just be talk, anymore.