On Saturday Night, 2 former Alabama Heisman Trophy winners face off in a game that has the season the line. The Tennessee Titans travel to Baltimore to face the Ravens in an AFC Divisional Round matchup. The winner will play for the AFC Championship and the chance to play in the Super Bowl. Simply put, Saturday night’s matchup is big. But it’s an even bigger statement for the talent in the NFL that comes from the University of Alabama.
Mark Ingram and Derrick Henry will face each other for the first time in their careers.
Ingram, who was with the Saints from 2011-2018, was traded to the Baltimore Ravens in 2019. So far this season, Ingram has rushed for 1,018 yards and 10 TD while also racking up 247 receiving yards and 5 more TDs. In his career, Ingram has over 7,000 yards rushing and 60 TDs and has just over 1800 yards receiving with 10 TDS. Ingram has become a very big part of the Ravens’ offensive success, and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
For the Titans, Derrick Henry has been the guy they’ve been looking for. In 2019 alone, Henry has racked up 1,540 yards and 16 TDs, while also accounting for 206 receiving yards and 2 TDs. In his career with the Titans, Henry has over 3800 rushing yards for 38 TDs, as well as 578 receiving yards and 3 TDs.
Both Ingram and Henry have made huge statements in the NFL. Ingram has re-emerged as an offensive leader while in Baltimore, and Henry has had a tremendous season, including winning the 2019 rushing total.
When you look at how big of a game this is, and the fact that both starting running backs are Heisman winners from Alabama, it says a lot about the program Nick Saban has created in Tuscaloosa.
Some may call Saban crazy, or even a control freak, but players want to play, and win, at Alabama, including both Ingram and Henry. Saban has proven that his strategy works, even when it doesn’t always make sense.
When players go to Alabama, they have a mission: to win a national title, and make it to the NFL, both of which these guys have done.
Both Mark Ingram and Derrick Henry left Tuscaloosa with a National Title, a Heisman Trophy, and the coaching they needed to not only make it to the NFL, but excel in it as well.
After all, they’re #BuiltByBama.
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