My Favorite All-Time Crimson Tide Player: Josh Jacobs
By Cj Dew
From living in rough neighborhoods, in cars, to one of the best running backs in the NFL, my favorite player is the underrated Josh Jacobs. With only a handful of D1 offers heading into the last part of the recruiting stage, below is just a few reasons why Josh Jacobs is my favorite all-time Crimson Tide player.
It was 2015 and I remember being at my house browsing around different football sites and watching highlights of running back B.J. Emmons. I was pretty stoked about the Crimson Tide recruiting class at the time and looking at different running backs, I randomly stumbled upon Josh Jacobs. (Not that I was bored with B.J. Emmons, but it was such a long day and so much football, I was exhausted.) I remember thinking, wow, I wonder what position Jacobs would play in college since he was running the wild cat formation in high school.
I found more videos of him. The 5’9-5’10 running back right at 200 pounds was impressive. I knew immediately he was underdog wherever he ended up. I thought it would be Oklahoma since it was close to home. He only had a couple of “big” D1 offers and a few lower-tier schools. It got under my skin this kid was not going to Alabama, but once again I thought to myself, “There are the big dogs who work at Alabama for a reason”.
Several weeks later, I found myself in disbelief, as the 3-star back from Tulsa, Oklahoma committed to Alabama. WOW, I thought to myself, this is so cool! I remember having similar thoughts about former Tide running back Tyren Jones, but this time was even better. Could this kid be the next, big-time running back for the Alabama Crimson Tide? I mean he was going up the likes of Bo Scarborough and Damien Harris.
Jacobs did his time on the bench but not for the lack of athleticism and strength. Jacobs learned from those above him on the depth chart and was a big reason Alabama reached the College Football Playoff. With big hits against Oklahoma, Auburn, and other teams, Jacobs proved he was ready for the big leagues.
Years later, the one-time homeless young man from Oklahoma was headed to the National Football League after being drafted in the First Round by the Las Vegas Raiders. Recently, the former, underdog running back purchased his father a brand new home. Not too many people would take the money they have and spend it on someone other than themselves.
Check out this ESPN video.
I have been lucky enough to talk with Josh and have the pleasure of getting to know him. Another big reason why I choose Josh is how humble he is. How disappointing it is when athletes go on social media and act crazy, or even worse in public. Josh Jacobs is different though–He knows from where he comes from. He knows how hard it was, and he knows how he made it through.
In a sometimes dark world, people like Josh Jacobs leading the way, it gets a little brighter. Thank you, Josh Jacobs, for showing us the good in people and making our world brighter in the process.
dark. Next. Who is another Tide player one of our staff chose as his favorite?
We have shared a handful of our all-time favorite Tide players and will continue to until we are finished. Make sure to stay tuned in!