This Thanksgiving, Alabama football has much to be thankful for. Especially for DB Minkah Fitzpatrick and his hamstring not giving out for the season.
Before Crimson Tide fanatics dive into their Thanksgiving feasts this week, they should remember the traditional custom of giving thanks for all those little things that make life worth living. If they want to skip all of the other special moments of 2017, one particular event should leap to mind: Fitzpatrick, the leader of the Alabama football defense saying that his hamstring is fine.
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Matt Zenitz of AL.com reported yesterday that Fitzpatrick told the press, “”Coach said I’m day-to-day, but I’m 100 percent now.”
Fitzpatrick had hurt his hamstring on November 4th against LSU; however, he was able to rest the injury last Saturday, when Alabama took out the Mercer Bears 56-0 without him.
Let us be very clear: the Mercer game was the exception, not the rule. Fitzpatrick has been an absolute necessity on defense, this season.
The junior defensive back from Old Bridge, New Jersey has been whatever Alabama has needed. He can play cornerback, safety, and even linebacker, depending on the defensive scheme called by defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt. Fitzpatrick has 44 total tackles, 28 of them were solo, in 10 out of Alabama’s 11 games. He also has 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and an interception to his credit.
Sometimes, players say that they are completely healed when they are not; however, it is essential that Fitzpatrick plays this Saturday in the Iron Bowl against Auburn. His ability to quickly buzz his six-foot-one, 202-pound frame around the field, like an angry bee, gives opposing quarterbacks fits.
Teams that have had success against Alabama have been the ones running or passing the ball into the flats, making for difficult one-on-one situations for linebackers. Especially the young linebackers who have had to start in the game to replace injured seniors. With Shaun Dion Hamilton and Mack Wilson out for the season, it has been up to Fitzpatrick to fill the void of leadership in the secondary.
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Fitzpatrick can sniff out screen passes and quick slants faster than the rest of the team. He can also beat opposing running backs to the edges and force tackles for a loss.
It’s not like Alabama hasn’t asked this duty of Fitzpatrick before, either. Earlier in the season, when Rashaan Evans and other members of the defensive line were out with injury, the lack of a pass rush made Fitzpatrick have to pay special attention to the deep balls being thrown. Extra time for the QB equals longer opportunities to wait for an open receiver down the field.
Without Fitzpatrick’s excellent play all over the field, there would be no chance that Alabama football would be undefeated going into the Iron Bowl.
Fitzpatrick’s stellar play and leadership may be the difference between Alabama moving on to the college football playoffs as the first seed and possibly missing the playoffs altogether. If the Crimson Tide win the Iron Bowl, they go to the Southeastern Conference championship game against the Georgia Bulldogs, a team that Auburn beat soundly in recent weeks.
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However, every Alabama supporter should bow their heads at the Thanksgiving table this week and give thanks to the fact that Fitzpatrick’s hamstring feels good enough to play this Saturday. Without it, Fitzpatrick and the rest of the Crimson Tide may be the leftovers thrown out on Sunday morning.