Alabama Football: John Parker Wilson, Rashad Johnson excellent choices

With just over a month left before Alabama football fans see action on the field, it’s what fans will hear that will be different on gameday.

Former Alabama football players John Parker Wilson and Rashad Johnson will both join the Crimson Tide Sports Network on the radio broadcasts of Alabama’s football games.

Wilson will serve as color analyst alongside longtime Alabama play-by-play caller Eli Gold. This comes after Phil Savage announced he was leaving his post to focus on his new position in Arizona. As for Johnson, he will work with Chris Stewart on the sidelines. Stewart will also enjoy an expanded role hosting the pregame show, halftime show, and in-game updates.

Wilson, as many fans will recall, was recruited under Shula but was taken under Nick Saban’s wing when Saban joined the team in 2007. He started at quarterback for Alabama football through the 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons. The native of Hoover, AL since has been a part of five NFL teams.

Johnson, who came on to Alabama as a walk-on running back, was best remembered for his defensive performances. Specifically, he was responsible for three interceptions in the 2008 game vs. LSU, which helped Alabama secure the SEC West division. Johnson and Wilson both played in the same eras.

Wilson and Rashad: A Great Duo

Let’s get one thing straight: Johnson was an excellent hire.

Rashad is loved by many fans for his performance on the field, which can only be described as “beast-like.” He’s going to make a great excellent sideline reporter. He can provide a different insight, especially being a player that has work with Saban himself. He should bring some insight (maybe some entertainment) to the sidelines alongside Stewart.

At first glance, many fans may shrug off JP Wilson. It’s not like he’s disliked by the majority of fans. But there have been many a quarterback since he played and most of them have demonstrated stronger skill sets than when Wilson played. It’s unknown whether that was just a part of being recruited by Shula or not. It’s still a fact that there are a lot of quarterbacks that stand out more than JP.

However, JP will bring a fresh perspective to the booth. Not only does he have experience under Saban, but he knows what it was like to work with two different styles of coaching. In addition, with a season coming up where the QB will be in the spotlight, it will be good to have someone like Wilson giving us analysis.

Now, far be it for us to say that Eli is out of touch with the Saban-era teams. As far as fans are concerned, Eli can call as many games as he wants. The additions of Johnson and Wilson just give fans a different look and we look forward to the next era of the Crimson Tide Sports Network.

Other names were mentioned as possible radio team additions. Two of them were Jay Barker and Barrett Jones. Both would have also been good choices.