Dominance Series: Running Back U
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Over the week on BamaInsider.com, our staff will highlight the dominance of Alabama football. Today, we continue the series with Running Back U, looking over the great backs of the Nick Saban era.
Overview
With as much talent as the Crimson Tide has sent to the NFL, it could be argued that Alabama could be “Linebacker U” or “Defensive back U.” However, considering the school’s only two Heisman winners are running backs and both of them earned the award during head coach Nick Saban’s tenure, “Running back U” seems to fit the best.
Because of their Heisman status, Derrick Henry and Mark Ingram will always top the list of great running backs, but Alabama has had elite talent at the position in all 10 of Saban's seasons in charge. In fact, the head coach has had eight of his running backs selected in the NFL Draft since taking over.
Name | Years | Career rushing stats | Drafted |
---|---|---|---|
Derrick Henry |
2013-15 |
3,591-yards, 42-touchdowns |
Second round, No. 45 overall to the Tennessee Titans |
Kenyan Drake |
2012-15 |
1,495-yards, 18 touchdowns |
Third round, No. 73 overall to the Miami Dolphins |
T.J. Yeldon |
2012-14 |
3,322 yards, 37 touchdowns |
Second round, No. 36 overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars |
Jalston Fowler |
2010-14 |
738 yards, 5 touchdowns |
Fourth round, No. 108 overall to the Tennessee Titans |
Eddie Lacy |
2012-12 |
2,402 yards, 30 touchdowns |
Second round, No. 61 overall to the Green Bay Packers |
Trent Richardson |
2009-11 |
3,130 yards, 35 touchdowns |
First round, No. 3 overall to the Cleveland Browns |
Mark Ingram |
2008-10 |
3,261 yards, 42 touchdowns |
First round, No. 28 overall to the New Orleans Saints |
Glen Coffee |
2005-08 |
2,107 yards, 14 touchdowns |
Third round, No. 74 overall to the San Francisco 49ers |
What's made them successful
It certainly helps Alabama that it has recruited premium talent to the running back position in recent years. Yeldon and Richardson were five-stars, while Henry, Drake, Fowler, Lacy and Ingram all earned four-star rankings in high school. Among the drafted running backs in the Saban era, Coffee is the lone three-star. However, he was brought in by Mike Shula’s staff in 2005.
During Saban’s first season in charge in 2007, the Tide finished with 1,949 yards on the ground. That number grew the following two years, spiking up to 2,584 yards in 2008 before climbing to 3,011 in 2009, headlined by Ingram’s Heisman season and the team’s first national title under Saban. The team’s best rushing performance came last season, as the Tide ran for 3,675 yards, averaging 245 yards per game on the ground.
Year | Rushing yards | Rushing touchdowns | Rushing yards per game |
---|---|---|---|
2016 |
3,675 |
33 |
245 |
2015 |
2,999 |
33 |
199.93 |
2014 |
2,893 |
35 |
206.64 |
2013 |
2,673 |
28 |
205.62 |
2012 |
3,185 |
37 |
227.5 |
2011 |
2,788 |
34 |
214.46 |
2010 |
2,378 |
30 |
182.92 |
2009 |
3,011 |
31 |
215.07 |
2008 |
2,585 |
32 |
184.64 |
2007 |
1,949 |
19 |
149.2 |
The man behind that success has been assistant coach Burton Burns. Entering his 11th season with the Crimson Tide, Burns is Saban’s longest tenured assistant at Alabama. The New Orleans native was named the Football Scoop Running Backs Coach of the Year following the 2008 season and is also known to be one of the best recruiters in the nation.
“I could talk about Coach Burns all day,” Alabama running back Damien Harris said last season. “I don’t really know how the outside looks at him. But he’s so respected amongst this program — players, staff. He’s a big part of the reason why the running back group is where we are today.”
What to expect this season
If there’s one area Alabama doesn’t need to worry about heading into the season, it’s at running back. The Tide has six running backs on its roster who would all start at most programs around the nation.
Leading the group will be a trio of returning starters in Damien Harris, Bo Scarbrough and Josh Jacobs. Harris led the Tide with 1,037 yards on 146 carries last season, an average of 7.10 yards per touch. Scarbrough came on strong toward the end of the year, racking up 454 yards and four touchdowns in the final four games before breaking his leg in the national championship. Jacobs made just one start but saw plenty of action last year, tallying 567 yards and four touchdowns on the ground while leading Alabama receivers with 14 receptions for 156 yards. Alabama will also bring back B.J. Emmons, who rushed for 173 yards and a touchdown before suffering a fractured foot midway through the season.
There as also been plenty of excitement over the two backs entering the program. Najee Harris, the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2017 class, and four-star Tuscaloosa product Brian Robinson both came to the Tide as early enrollees this spring. During the A-Day scrimmage, Najee Harris rushed for a team-high 70 yards on 17 carries, while Robinson ran for 21 yards on seven carries.