Is Braswell Tide’s ‘Flash?’

DC comics superhero "The Flash" is of course fictional, but hey he's beaten Superman in a race or two, so he can FLY. So can Alabama outside linebacker Chris Braswell.

Braswell said recently he's never been clocked in the 40, but Alabama officials over the summer found out Braswell can run as fast as 21.9 MPH. For comparison's sake, one of the fastest players in UA history, Henry Ruggs, was at 21.0. Ruggs was a receiver. Braswell is a linebacker.

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Braswell showed his speed in back-to-back games when he took a pick-six to the house in Starkville and then blocked a field goal and returned it for a touchdown in College Station. The latter was called back on a questionable penalty, but the point remains; speed-wise, Braswell is not your typical outside 'backer.

What's the story there? "Just long legs, tall," Braswell said of his open field swiftness. "Just been blessed."

Braswell had to wait his turn before displaying that speed on a full-time basis. Playing behind a future NFL star like Houston Texan Will Anderson will do that. Talented guys are waiting for their turn now behind Braswell. He speaks to them from experience about waiting their turn.

"Just keep working, make sure they're staying in playbook, staying positive, asking questions and everything, and learning from others," Braswell said he tells the youngsters in the outside linebacker room. "When we're in there watching the film, they might not be on the film, but just making sure they're looking at the film, looking at things that other guys are doing so they can learn from those and correct those mistakes as well."

Braswell, a senior from Baltimore, could also teach his young 'mates a thing or two about forgiveness. He said he didn't say a word to Dallas Turner about the unnecessary penalty that cost Braswell and Bama a TD last week.

"After I did my celebration dance, jogging back, tired a little bit -- looked to the field, saw the yellow flag," Braswell said. "I said, 'Maybe it's on them.' I didn't really think nothing too much about it. When I found out it was called on us, and find out it was Dallas [Turner], I wasn't mad. I wasn't even mad."

For the season, first-year starter and NFL prospect Braswell has posted 23 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, a pass deflection and the blocked field goal. Chances are that Bama's version of "The Flash" has not seen the end zone for the last time this campaign.