Houndstooth Heroes: How Alabama stars stack up to Marvel Avengers

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In honor of Marvel's "Spider-Man: Homecoming" which released Thursday night in theaters, BamaInsider.com decided to join in the fun and assemble its own set of Avengers using an Alabama roster stocked full of superhuman talent. Below is a list of Crimson Tide heroes who could fill in for their comic-book counterparts:

Ridley isn’t the biggest member of the Tide, but just like his web-slinging comparison, he packs some serious strength. Good luck trying to get anything past him either. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound receiver led Alabama with 72 receptions last season — proof that when something touches his hands, it tends to stick.

Shy to cameras, Ridley takes on Peter Parker’s humble persona in front of reporters. However, once he suits up the quick-witted playmaker is said to be one of the Tide’s funniest players. As the team’s only returning starter at receiver, Alabama will turn to Ridley to lead the inexperienced unit. Needless to say, with great power comes great responsibility.

Like the prince of Asgard, Hurts was raised to be a king. Growing up in a football family, the young quarterback was coached by his father Averion Hurts during his high school days in Channelview, Texas. Like Thor, Hurts traveled away from his home to provide help to a population in need of a leader.

While not as boastful as the Norse god, Hurts' confidence on the field allows him to keep cool under any circumstance in the game. This spring, he also showed he can drop the hammer on opposing secondaries, completing 16 of 25 passes for 301 yards and two touchdowns during Alabama's A-Day game. Oh, did we mention he can fly, too? The 6-foot-2, 214-pound quarterback ran for 954 yards and a team-high 13 touchdowns last season and recorded a 4.48 time in the 40-yard dash this spring.

An All-American kid from Old Bridge, N.J., Fitzpatrick's selfless approach has seen him line up at every position across Alabama's secondary. While his elite speed and strength allow him to play anywhere on the field, it's his quick thinking and instant recognition that truly sets the 6-foot-1, 201-pound defensive back apart from others. Filling in for injured captain Eddie Jackson at safety midway through last season, Fitzpatrick instantly took over the coverage calls at secondary, never leading his fellow defenders astray.

Alabama's secondary struggled this spring, giving up several big plays downfield. It will be Fitzpatrick's job to serve as a shield to some of Alabama's newcomers as they work through growing pains early on.

Payne’s job on the football field is simple — stop and smash. The 6-foot-2, 308-pound defensive tackle might have dropped a few pounds over the spring, but that didn’t affect his freakish strength. Payne bench-pressed 545 pounds and squatted more than 600 pounds after Alabama finally deemed it safe for him to test out his strength this offseason.

While he’s quick to throw around offensive linemen during games, Payne leaves his brutish behavior on the field for the most part. Quick to transform back into his humble nature, he usually takes a more reserved approach to interviews. That being said, you don’t want to get in his way once he straps on a helmet. You won’t like him when he’s angry.

Harris carries an air of Tony Stark-like confidence with him wherever he goes. Like the multi-billionaire, he brings a bit of style as well. From his signature glasses to the shiny purple and gold boots he earned from his fraternity this spring, Harris certainly looks the part of a star.

Don't worry though, once the 5-foot-11, 216-pounder suits up, he backs everything up on the field. Harris led Alabama with 1,037 yards on 146 carries last season, an average of 7.10 yards per touch. While he has the ability to shoot through opposing defenses, Harris' best attribute is his resourcefulness. The quick back's ability to find the hole makes him jet across the field for big chunks of yardage.

Averett’s blinding speed makes him a valuable asset to Alabama’s defense. The 6-foot, 185-pound cornerback is said to run a 4.30 time in the 40-yard dash and is the fastest player on the Tide’s roster. During his junior year of high school, he recorded the second-best long jump in New Jersey state history, only falling short of former Olympian Carl Lewis. Averett took his high-flying act to Tuscaloosa as an early enrollee the following winter, choosing to team up with the Tide rather than break Lewis’ record.

Not much gets past the speedy defender on the field. Averett’s agility and lightning-quick reflexes resulted in a team-high eight pass deflections last season.

Holcombe is the best at what he does, but what he does isn't very nice. The hard-hitting linebacker does the dirty work for Alabama's defense and isn't afraid to knock off a few heads in the process. Need proof? Take it from former linebacker Rueben Foster.

"Keith, he’s a whole nother animal,” Foster said last season. “He’s just got one speed. He motivates me. He’s got one speed. He don’t let nothing get him down."

Holcombe had surgery to repair a torn labrum in the spring but isn't worried about missing time this season. While he doesn't have the self-healing powers of Wolverine, he's confident Alabama's medical staff will have him back to full strength in no time.

Tagovailoa might not have the speed to fly down the field like Hurts, but he brings his own set of skills to the Tide. The backup quarterback turned plenty of heads this spring, displaying his ability to fire arrows to receivers downfield.

Tagovailoa’s accuracy helped him complete 17 of 29 passes for 313 yards and three touchdowns during A-Day. The 6-foot-1, 219-pound left-hander also completed seven passes of 20 yards or more, proving there’s no target too far away for him to hit.

* Graphics designed by Kyle Henderson.

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