Former Alabama Football Players On What It Meant

7/17/2018 Annual reunion of 1970 freshman class of Alabama football players offers opportunity for reflection
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Jersey numbers, heights, weights for Alabama's 2018 newcomers
By KIRK MCNAIR - Jul 3, 8:34 AM
Former Alabama Football Players On What It Meant
Each summer the 1970 Alabama football freshmen signees gather for a reunion at
the home of Steve Sprayberry on Lake Martin, and they are kind enough to include
me because that was also my first year in the sports information office. About half of
those signees will attend all or part of the three-day event to renew old friendships
and share (mostly re-share) old stories.
These players were part of a very successful period in Alabama football history with
three Southeastern Conference championships, the 1973 Coaches Poll national
championship, and a record of 32-4. Their first year of eligibility (freshmen were not
eligible for varsity football in 1970) was 1971, when Bama went to the wishbone
offense and began the second great era of Crimson Tide football under legendary
Coach Paul Bryant.
The gathering also frequently includes others who were not part of that signing
class. For instance, this year’s crowd included all-time great John Hannah, who was
a junior when those freshmen arrived and who played with them when they became
eligible to play as sophomores in 1971. It also included defensive back Ricky Davis,
who arrived in 1971 and played with the 1970 freshman class.
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I took the opportunity to get with a few of those players and ask them questions
about their playing experiences at Alabama. Previously the players discussed their
decisions to join the Alabama program.
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Here is the second of five parts with Sprayberry, Davis, Gary Rutledge, and David
McMakin, each answering the same question:
WHAT DID PLAYING FOOTBALL AT ALABAMA MEAN TO YOU?
Steve Sprayberry, offensive tackle, Sylacauga:
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“It was the fulfillment of the opportunity I had dreamed of and worked for and really
wanted to be a part of. It was very, very important for me to be at Alabama.”
David McMakin, safety, Tucker, Ga.:
“Playing football at Alabama, I think, means more as the years go by. You really are
a part of the tradition established by men – and women – at The University. You are
a part of a network that will support you the rest of your life.”
Gary Rutledge said the wishbone fit him (Photo: 247Sports)
Gary Rutledge, quarterback, Birmingham:
“It was a dream come true. How many kids grow up wanting to play football at
Alabama? That’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to go to Alabama. I wanted to play
for Coach Bryant. I wanted to play quarterback. I believe God was good to me to let
me fulfill all these dreams and goals. I wasn’t that talented a player, but it just
worked out that I got to play and got to play for teams in an era when we didn’t lose

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many games. I was a recruited to Alabama as a passer. Then we changed offenses
to the wishbone and it ﬁt me and I think that was a God thing. I had run an option
offense at Banks High School, the Houston veer, so I could do that and the
wishbone worked great for me.”
Ricky Davis, safety, Bessemer:
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“Back then the signing period was in early December. My senior year
in high school I was getting ready to go to school one day sometime
in November and my mother was knocking on my door saying,
‘Ricky! Ricky! Coach Bryant is on the phone.’ I’m thinking it’s some of
my buddies calling to give me a hard time, but after I answered the
phone and said, ‘Hello,’ it was Coach Bryant. His sales pitch to me, ‘If
you want to be a part of something special, we want you to come to
Alabama. If you don’t want to be a part of that, you can go
somewhere else.’
“I played in the NFL for Coach Paul Brown in his last year at Cincinnati, Coach John
McKay at Tampa Bay, Coach Marv Levy at Kansas City, but Coach Bryant was just
head and shoulders above from an organizational standpoint and motivational
standpoint.”
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By CHARLIE POTTER - Mon Jul 16 2018
Jersey numbers, heights, weights for Alabama's
2018 newcomers
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Alabama’s 2018 roster has been updated in time for SEC Media Days, and 21
scholarship newcomers -- and a graduate transfer placekicker -- are now listed
alongside the Crimson Tide’s returning veterans.
The SEC’s oﬃcial football media guide, which is set to be handed out at Media
Days, is online and featured a roster for every conference team. So prior to the start
of the annual event, Alabama’s 2018 football roster -- albeit not in UA media guide
form -- was up a few days early.
And so BamaOnLine poured over the updated roster to get a glimpse of the jersey
numbers and physical dimensions of the Crimson Tide’s newcomers. A few items
stood out, including Slade Bolden being listed as a wide receiver after spending the
entire spring at safety and offensive lineman Emil Ekiyor claiming the title of
heaviest freshman at -- unless it’s a typo -- 342 pounds.
A late addition to Alabama’s 2018 class, quarterback Layne Hatcher, is also listed (at
No. 18) and so is preferred walk-on Braxton Barker, who is wearing his father’s No. 7.
Hatcher’s claim of No. 18 moved walk-on Chris Howard back to wide receiver after a
spring at quarterback.
The Tide’s roster includes defensive lineman Christian Barmore,
whose enrollment was in question. But the Philadelphia native
tweeted “On my way to Bama” on June 30. The roster also featured
Jordan Davis, but BamaOnLine has since been reported the
linebacker has enrolled at Copiah-Lincoln (Miss.) Community College
and will not enroll at Alabama this season.
For the rest of the newcomers’ numbers, check out the latest wave of Alabama
players below.
SLIDE 1 of 22
LB EYABI ANOMA
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COMMENTS

SLIDE
Alabama LB Eyabi Anoma (Photo: Andrew Ivins, 247Sports)
Jersey number: 9
Height: 6-5
Weight: 245
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2 of 22
DB PATRICK SURTAIN II

SLIDE
Alabama DB Patrick Surtain Jr. (Photo: Andrew Ivins, 247Sports)
Jersey number: 2
Height: 6-2
Weight: 202
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3 of 22
WR JAYLEN WADDLE

SLIDE
Alabama WR Jaylen Waddle (Photo: Brian Perroni, 247Sports)
Jersey number: 17
Height: 5-10
Weight: 177
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4 of 22
DL STEPHON WYNN JR.

SLIDE
Alabama DL Stephon Wynn (Photo: Denon McMillan, 247Sports)
Jersey number: 90
Height: 6-4
Weight: 299 (down from 308 this spring)
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5 of 22
LB JAREZ PARKS

SLIDE
Alabama LB Jarez Parks (Photo: Denon McMillan, 247Sports)
Jersey number: 23
Height: 6-4
Weight: 251 (down from 256 this spring)
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6 of 22
DB JALYN ARMOUR-DAVIS

https://247sports.com/college/alabama/Article/Annual-reunion-of-1970-freshman-class-of-Alabama-football-players-offers-opportunity-for-reflect… 10/27
SLIDE
Alabama DB Jalyn Armour-Davis (Photo: 247Sports)
Jersey number: 22
Height: 6-1
Weight: 181
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7 of 22
DB JOSH JOBE

SLIDE
Alabama DB Josh Jobe (Photo: 247Sports)
Jersey number: 28
Height: 6-1
Weight: 191
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8 of 22
OL EMIL EKIYOR JR.

SLIDE
Alabama OL Emil Ekiyor (Photo: 247Sports)
Jersey number: 55
Height: 6-3
Weight: 342
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9 of 22
LB CAMERON LATU

SLIDE
Alabama LB Cameron Latu (Photo: 247Sports)
Jersey number: 46
Height: 6-5
Weight: 246
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10 of 22
OL TOMMY BROWN

SLIDE
Alabama OL Tommy Brown (Photo: Andrew Ivins, 247Sports)
Jersey number: 75
Height: 6-7
Weight: 309
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11 of 22
WR XAVIER WILLIAMS

SLIDE
Alabama WR Xavier Williams (Photo: 247Sports)
Jersey number: 9
Height: 6-1
Weight: 182
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12 of 22
DL CHRISTIAN BARMORE

SLIDE
Alabama DL Christian Barmore (Photo: 247Sports)
Jersey number: 58
Height: 6-5
Weight: 292
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13 of 22
DB SAIVION SMITH

SLIDE
Alabama DB Saivion Smith (Photo: Denon McMillan, 247Sports)
Jersey number: 8
Height: 6-1
Weight: 200 (up from 198 this spring)
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14 of 22
RB JEROME FORD

SLIDE
Alabama RB Jerome Ford (Photo: Andrew Ivins, 247Sports)
Jersey number: 27
Height: 5-11
Weight: 206
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15 of 22
DB EDDIE SMITH

SLIDE
Alabama DB Eddie Smith (Photo: Shea Dixon, 247Sports)
Jersey number: 25
Height: 6-0
Weight: 184
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16 of 22
WR SLADE BOLDEN

SLIDE
Alabama WR Slade Bolden (Photo: Denon McMillan, 247Sports)
Jersey number: 29
Height: 5-11
Weight: 200
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17 of 22
TE MICHAEL PARKER

SLIDE
Alabama TE Michael Parker (Photo: Keith Niebuhr, 247Sports)
Jersey number: 80
Height: 6-6
Weight: 224
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18 of 22
DL TEVITA MUSIKA

SLIDE
Alabama DL Tevita Musika (Photo: Twitter)
Jersey number: 91
Height: 6-1
Weight: 338
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19 of 22
LB JAYLEN MOODY

SLIDE
Alabama LB Jaylen Moody
Jersey number: 41
Height: 6-2
Weight: 227
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20 of 22
P SKYLER DELONG

SLIDE
Alabama P Skyler DeLong (Photo: Denon McMillan, 247Sports)
Jersey number: 10
Height: 6-4
Weight: 189 (up from 180 this spring)
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21 of 22
QB LAYNE HATCHER

SLIDE
Alabama QB Layne Hatcher (Photo: 247Sports)
Jersey number: 18
Height: 6-0
Weight: 196
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22 of 22
PK AUSTIN JONES

Alabama PK Austin Jones (Photo: Instagram)
Jersey number: 18
Height: 5-10
Weight: 215
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