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Hamilton building a legacy

TAMPA – The walk past all of the University of Alabama fans at the Peach Bowl wasn’t easy.

Shaun Dion Hamilton limped his way through the crowd with the rest of his team, but his leg wasn’t the issue. The linebacker could bear the physical burden. It was the emotional one that weighed him down.

With each step, the realization that he wasn’t going to suit up for the game sunk in.

“It took everything in me not to cry,” Hamilton said Saturday at the College Football Playoff National Championship media day. “That was my first time not playing. It was crazy.”

So far it has been the only game Hamilton remained on the sidelines since tearing the ACL in his right knee during the SEC Championship Game. He knew immediately after it happened that he was in trouble. In fact, before the doctor even took a look, Hamilton told him the diagnosis.

Not that he wanted to be right.

“We all felt bad for the guy,” linebackers coach Tosh Lupoi said. “At the same time, you just have to recognize it’s a minor setback.”

As a junior, Hamilton has a season left in him. He started rehabbing already and expects to be back on the field by the end of spring ball, if not sooner.

Until then, Hamilton is all over his teammates as they prepare to challenge Clemson for the ultimate title. Much like he did against Washington, Hamilton plans to watch, analyze and dictate the journey to success.

The Crimson Tide still needs him.

“He has a spirit you couldn’t break,” said linebacker Rashaan Evans, who has filled the defensive void. “He was still a motivational type of guy. He was encouraging to me and not only me but the entire team.”

Hamilton believes just being on sideline motivates his teammates. They’ll feel bad and want to work harder for him since he can’t be out there. At least that’s how Hamilton felt whenever he saw defensive back Eddie Jackson, who sustained a season-ending injury against Texas A&M. The two have grown closer over the unfortunate, yet similar, predicaments in which they’ve found themselves.

Jackson, however, is a senior and won’t be back at UA after this season. Lupoi expects Jackson to go on and have a great career, just like Hamilton will when his time comes.

“There are plenty of guys that have gotten injured, come back and played even better than where they were before,” Lupoi said. “We absolutely expect it, and we’ll demand it out of him.”

Before the setback, Hamilton was the third-leading tackler on the Crimson Tide with 64 stops, including nine for loss and two sacks. Now he’s passing on his wisdom to Evans and the younger players in the position group. He wants to help out anyway he can.

Monday marks more than just a game.

“This is your legacy,” Hamilton said. “This is something you're going to tell your kids about. I mean, of course you want to win the game, but at the end of the day how many people can say they were on the field at the national championship? How many people can say they helped get to the national championship?”

Hamilton can.

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