Tag: bama in nfl

WATCH: Damien Harris scores TD in fifth-straight NFL game

Former Alabama RB Damien Harris has extended his TD streak.

Damien Harris has had some success as the running back for the New England Patriots.

Playing behind fellow Alabama alumnus Mac Jones is an added bonus for the talented tailback.

Since being drafted in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Patriots, Harris has proven to be a solid option in goal-line sets and shirt third-down situations.

While that role has increased since his league debut, the strategy of putting him in for short distance situations is appearing to pay dividends.

On Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, Harris rushed for a touchdown in his fifth-straight game, marking the first time he’s went on a TD streak that long in his three years in the league.

It was a goal-to-go situation, so we all knew who was getting the handoff.

Jones gave it up to Harris who easily punched it into the endzone with seemingly no effort to bring his TD count in 2022 up to seven.

Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for continued coverage of Alabama alumni in the NFL!

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Najee Harris explains how Tua Tagovailoa convinced him to go to Alabama

Najee tells us what Tua said to get him to Tuscaloosa!

Najee Harris and Tua Tagovailoa played a lot of football together in Tuscaloosa. Not only that, but they were also best friends throughout their time playing for head coach Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide.

Tagovailoa and Harris were among the top-rated signees for the Tide in the 2017 cycle and both contributed in a major way for Alabama when their time came to do so.

The pair got to know each other very well during their respective recruiting processes. At one point Harris was reportedly considering a switch in his commitment to play for Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines before putting ink to paper on his NLI paperwork for the Crimson Tide.

Shortly after playing the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, however, the pair would board the same flight from Texas to Alabama. The rest is history.

Part of that history was reminisced on by the current Steelers RB. He commented on Tagovailoa urging him to join him at the Capstone, and I’ll let him tell you what he was thinking.

Heeding the advice of a great quarterback in Tagovailoa was a very wise move by the young running back. I’m sure it’s one that he doesn’t regret.

 

Tiki Barber sympathizes with Tua Tagovailoa

Tiki Barber came to the defense of the former Bama QB!

We do not yet know for sure if Miami Dolphins starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will be traded to the Houston Texans for Deshaun Watson, but we do know that he has a ton of people in the NFL world on his side. Even while it seems that his own franchise might not appreciate him, there are many that do.

Most franchises give a quarterback around three years to begin making a positive impact. Even though Tagovailoa was dealing with nagging injuries during year one, and has seen a lot of the same during year two, it seems the Dolphins are contemplating cutting the cord early.

Tagovailoa is coming off of his best two games of the year, completing 75% of his passes for 620 yards and six touchdowns against three interceptions in a pair of losses for the 1-6 Dolphins. Despite this, the Dolphins could still end up shopping him.

Former NFL star Tiki Barber had a lot of support to give to Tua and made his sentiments known on Thursday’s episode of Good Morning Football.

“I think it’s terrible what they are doing to him,” Barber said. “Most kids, at least quarterbacks, get three years. The infrastructure around the Dolphins gave up on him last year. He was hurt, and he should not have been playing. Now, he’s is starting to get better. He completed 70 percent two weeks ago, 80 percent a week ago. They lost, but it’s not all his fault. It’s just frustrating because you want to see good kids, like Tua, succeed. He’s not getting the opportunity because of the dysfunction upstairs, and its infatuation with Deshaun Watson who has a legal issue.”

A move to Houston isn’t set in stone for Tagovailoa, but it could still be a possibility.

We will continue to keep you updated on the status of every Crimson Tide alum in the NFL.

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WATCH: Tua breaking defender’s ankles on nice first-down run

Tua made this guy look bad.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been known to scramble for some big gains ever since his days as the starting quarterback for the Alabama Crimson Tide.

During Sunday’s Week 7 game against the Atlanta Falcons, Tagovailoa found his pocket collapsing rapidly around him. After stepping up into the pocket, he makes an executive decision to take off running to try and pick up the first down on his own.

In the process, Tua had a man right in his way. What he decides to do next would likely lead to a whole lot of embarrassment for the poor defender in his way.

Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for continued coverage of the Crimson Tide in the NFL!

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Mac Jones and Damien Harris as close in NFL as they were at Alabama

These guys are still best friends!

New England Patriots teammates and former Crimson Tide compatriots Mac Jones and Damien Harris have known each other for awhile now.

Jones and Harris played together for two years at Alabama from 2018 until Harris was drafted in 2019.

While they didn’t start together, it’s clear that they had a close friendship regardless of playing time.

Harris made it to the NFL first of the pair, being drafted in the third round by the Patriots in the 2019 NFL Draft. Since his arrival, he’s amassed 1,034 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

Jones would arrive a couple of years later. He was taken 15th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft and won the starting job over former Auburn QB Cam Newton early.

Both guys are now full-time starters together in the NFL. Their friendship remains solid after a recent video of Jones and Harris was put on Twitter performing their signature handshake while playing a game against the New York Jets.

This is the same handshake that they shared during their time at Alabama, as you’ll see in the following series of tweets.

Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for continued coverage of the Crimson Tide in the NFL!

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WATCH: Damien Harris streaks for 32 yards, then punches it in after his own set-up

Damien Harris producing big-time for the Patriots against the Jets

Damien Harris has had an NFL season full of ups and downs for the New England Patriots. He was injured in Week 5 of the season against the  Houston Texans with rib and chest issues. This wouldn’t hinder him much, rushing for 101 yards on 18 carries the very next week against the Dallas Cowboys.

While he’s rushed for more than 100 yards twice on the season, he hasn’t had the production that we all know he’s capable of providing.

On Sunday against the New York Jets, Harris took the handoff from quarterback Mac Jones for 32 yards to the Jets’ four yard-line to set up a potentially easy touchdown.

After the big run, Harris was rewarded with another handoff. He wouldn’t disappoint with the follow-up, either, taking it into the endzone to put the Patriots up 14-0.

Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for continued coverage of the Crimson Tide in the NFL!

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WATCH: Julio Jones comes down with improbable catch on sideline off defender’s helmet

Julio Jones just made a miraculous play!

Alabama football has a ton of talent participating in tonight’s Monday Night Football game between the Buffalo Bills and the Tennessee Titans.

Of those, Derrick Henry and Julio Jones are likely the most notable. Henry already broke off a huge 76-yard touchdown run just minutes ago, and now Jones has decided to get into the mix.

A pass from the arm of Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill tipped the helmet of a Bills defender and looked like it would fall harmlessly on the ground at the sideline.

Jones had other plans, making a miraculous grab while stretching hard, barely dragging his second foot to complete the catch.

The pass was initially ruled incomplete, but after further consideration, the call was reversed and the catch was confirmed.

Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for continued coverage of the Alabama Crimson Tide and its notable alumni.

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WATCH: Derrick Henry scores on 76-yard TD run during MNF against Bills

Derrick Henry is a fast human!

Derrick Henry continues to impress sports lovers everywhere for the Tennessee Titans. We have covered him extensively here at Roll Tide Wire, and it appears that the coverage won’t be slowing down anytime soon.

During Monday night’s game against the Buffalo Bills, Henry burst through a small hole at the line of scrimmage to score on a massive 76-yard touchdown run.

On the year, Henry has amassed 640 yards on 142 carries, and he’s on pace to add a ton more to that number tonight.

He only has one game this year in which he hasn’t cracked 100 yards, and that was during the Titans’ season-opening matchup against the Arizona Cardinals.

Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for continued coverage of the Alabama Crimson Tide and its notable alumni.

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O.J. Howard records first TD catch of 2021 NFL season

Former Alabama tight end OJ Howard caught his first TD of the season!

Alabama fans know OJ Howard very well. He’s best known for his role as a dynamic tight end for the Crimson Tide from 2013-2016.

In his career at the Capstone, he caught more than 100 passes for around 1700 total yards. He has also honed his skills as a blocker at the next-level, adding to his value.

During Thursday Night’s contest between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Philadelphia Eagles, OJ Howard caught his first TD pass on the year and his 14th in his career.

Since arriving in the NFL in 2017, Howard has amassed 1,653 yards on 109 total catches.

The TD catch came on an “H”-smash route at the goal line.

Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for continued coverage of the Alabama Crimson Tide!

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Former Alabama stars make NFL history with wild stat as rookies

Bama rookies continue to shine in the NFL!

Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide have become the Pinnacle of success in terms of sending student-athletes to the NFL in recent years.

Not only are Crimson Tide alumni getting to the NFL, but most of them contribute in a major way for their respective NFL franchise upon their arrival.

No matter the position, if your favorite NFL franchise happens to include an Alabama alumnus on the 53-man roster, you can rest assured that they’re more than capable of providing their fair share of production and then-some. 

In a tweet by the NFL’s Media Research Department, they point out that Alabama football draftees occupy the top three spots in passes caught by rookies. 

Najee Harris of the Pittsburgh Steelers is listed at No. 1, Jaylen Waddle of the Miami Dolphins is listed at No. 2 and DeVonta Smith of the Philadelphia Eagles rounds out the top-three. 

This just proves the elite level of preparation for the NFL that Nick Saban and the University of Alabama provides it’s student-athletes. 

There’s a good reason why the Crimson Tide signs the best recruits on an annual basis. 

Alabama takes on Texas A&M in College Station on Saturday at 7 p.m. CT. You can watch it live on CBS.

Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for continued coverage of the Alabama Crimson Tide and its NFL talent! 

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Layne Gerbig on Twitter @LayneG_29