Alabama Football Coaching Staff Recognizes Eight as Players of the Week
Eight Alabama players were recognized by the Crimson Tide coaching staff following Saturday’s 56-6 victory over Charleston Southern on Senior Day. Jake Coker and Ryan Kelly were the honorees on offense, while Shaun Dion Hamilton, Davlin Tomlinson and Cyrus Jones represented the defense. Jones, Adam Griffith, and Michael Nysewander made the special teams list.
Coker played his final game in Bryant-Denny Stadium, putting together and efficient 11-of-13 for 155 yards in one half of play. He had a 21-yard touchdown pass to fellow senior Richard Mullaney and a 30-yard scoring strike to first-year wideout Calvin Ridley. Kelly also played his last home game for the Crimson Tide and continued his steady play, not allowing a sack or a hurry. The captain graded out at 88 percent with one knockdown in 29 snaps of action in the first half, as the Crimson Tide opened up a 49-0 lead heading into halftime before sitting the starters.
Senior day also saw Jones put together a strong performance, leading the team with three tackles for loss (-13) and hopping in between a lateral on an option play that he returned for 18 yards before being tripped just short of the end zone. Hamilton, making his fourth start of the year, recorded three total tackles, with one tackle for loss (-2) and helped limit the Buccaneers to just 134 total yards of offense. Tomlinson tied for the most total tackles for the Crimson Tide with four and helped applied pressure in the backfield against an option rushing attack from Charleston Southern.
Jones had a historical day on special teams, where he returned two punts for touchdowns from 43-yards and a career-high 72-yards out. With those returns, he became the first player to return two punts for touchdowns in the same game, as well as having punt returns for scores in back-to-back games. He totaled 115 return yards, for an average of 57.5 yards per rush, which is ranked as the fifth-most in a single game at Alabama. He leads the nation with three punt returns this season and now ranks seventh nationally and fourth in the SEC with an average of 14.4 yards per punt returns.
Griffith continues to be perfect on the season for point after scores, making seven in the game and 46 straight for the season. He also averaged 64.9 yards on eight kickoffs and five touchbacks. Nysewander received his second honor of the season after celebrating his final game day in Tuscaloosa, finishing with one tackle and helping limit the Buccaneers to just two kickoff returns for 30-yards.