Tragedy hit the Alabama football program last week, as freshman quarterback Keelon Russell suffered the passing of his twin sister, Kierston. The Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's office confirmed Kierston Russell's death on June 5, stating that her passing appeared to be non-criminal in nature.

After participating in their high school graduation ceremony last month, Keelon and Kierston were set to be reunited at Alabama in August. Keelon is currently on Alabama’s campus participating in summer workouts after taking part in his first spring camp earlier this year.

During a Thursday appearance on Tide 100.9’s “The Game with Ryan Fowler," Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb provided an update on Keelon’s mental status while stating the team has rallied behind the freshman quarterback while he grieves.

During the interview, Grubb described a moment a couple of days after Kierston’s passing when Keelon returned to the practice field. Following a walk-through, Grubb called Keelon over to break the team down in a huddle, which led to an emotional moment.

“Just seeing the guys interact with him and just let him know they love him,” Grubb said. “They support him as just a guy. We certainly talk about 'person greater than player.' That’s being challenged right now to make sure to those things are real for the culture of the locker room.”

Grubb praised Alabama’s chemistry, stating that he has been impressed with how fast the team’s culture has progressed since he took the offensive coordinator position in February. Alabama will now look to rally behind Keelon as he enters his first season with the team and competes for the starting quarterback role this fall.

“Keelon is a very strong young man, and his ability to handle this has been humbling to see, honestly,” Grubb said. “But the guys have been there at every turn.”