TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — After needing some time for himself this spring, Washington transfer center Parker Brailsford didn’t take long to find his fit in Alabama’s offensive line. He had a much tougher time with the transition to his new crimson helmet.
Brailsford’s helmet popped off in each of his first three games this season, causing him to come off the field for a play. The recurring problem originally stumped offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic, who spoke with Alabama’s equipment staff to find a fix.
After putting its heads to together — sometimes literally — the conclusion came down to a sizing issue.
“I actually had too big of a helmet,” Brailsford said with a smile. “When I first got my helmet, I had too much hair, so we thought I might need a bigger helmet, and that was not the case.”
Brailsford still has his full flow, but since sizing down, his hair hasn’t caused much of an issue. According to Pro Football Focus, the starting center is third on the team with an 81.9 pass-blocking grade, allowing just four total pressures and no sacks over 288 pass-blocking opportunities. He’s also done a solid job as a run blocker, using his athleticism to pull and open holes in Alabama’s more mobile offense.
“I think the thing with Parker is, he has strength,” Alabama offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan said Monday. “He might not be the biggest guy physically but he does play with power. He's got great body control and balance. He's not on the ground very often. He's got a great command of the offense, the communication.”
And now he’s got a helmet that will remain on his head. Well, for the most part.
Brailsford had a bit of trouble keeping his hat on against LSU two weeks ago. Although, according to him, that had more to do with the Tigers’ defensive front getting a little too handsy.
“I definitely got it pulled off a couple times,” Brailsford said. “They didn’t call it, so it is what it is.”
Brailsford and Alabama (8-2, 4-2 in the SEC) will strap on their helmets again on Saturday at they travel to take on Oklahoma (5-5, 1-5) at 6:30 p.m. CT inside Memorial Stadium. The game will be televised on ABC.
