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Derrick Henry, Ryan Kelly Receive Awards
Derrick Henry
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
To take a line from the Christmas song, "It's beginning to look a lot like" awards season. University of Alabama football's junior running back Derrick Henry and senior center Ryan Kelly received individual national awards last night at the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show. The ceremony/program took place at the College Football Hall of Fame.
The Tide's big running back received the 2015 Maxwell Award as well as the 2015 Doak Walker Award. The Maxwell Award is presented annually by the Maxwell Football Club to the college player of the year. Henry is only the second Crimson Tide player to win the award. The other was former Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron in 2013. Henry is the first running back to receive the honor since 2002.
The Doak Walker Award is presented by the PwC SMU Athletic Forum to the nation's top running back. Henry is the second Alabama running back to win the honor, with Trent Richardson being the other in 2011.
In addition, Henry was also named Alabama's first winner of the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award which was announced earlier in the evening. This award is giving annually to the nation's top college football player. Henry is the first player to capture all three awards in the same season since Larry Johnson from Penn State in 2002.
Henry has rushed this season for 1,986 yards and 23 touchdowns on 339 carries. The junior leads the nation in both rushing yards and touchdowns for 2015 and is second in yards per game with a 152.8 yard average. In addition, Henry has rushed for more than 200 yards four times this season, becoming only the third in SEC history to do so. The other two are Herschel Walker of Georgia and Bo Jackson from Auburn. Henry is tied for first in the all-time single-season rushing touchdown category, and has scored a rushing touchdown in 18 consecutive games now, the longest active streak in the the country and the most by any player in SEC history.
Henry was recently named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year, and is a finalist for the 2015 Heisman Trophy to be presented on Saturday.
Bama's senior center Ryan Kelly has also been an offense force to be reckoned with this season. Kelly is the recipient of the Rimington Trophy, presented annually by the Rimington Trophy Committee to the nation's best center. Kelly is the second Crimson Tide center to win the award, with the first being Barrett Jones in 2012.
Kelly has been a leader on the crimson Tide offensive line, making the offensive line calls since he started 34 games ago. His grade out average is 88.4 percent by the coaching staff, which includes five games at over 90 percent. In 948 snaps of the ball Kelly has missed only eight assignments with an over 99 percent success rate. He has 16 knockdown blocks to his credit, has surrendered only four quarterback hurries and yet has not allowed a sack the entire season. The young man has only been called for one penalty all season.
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Tide Volleyball's Sierra Wilson Makes It 2-In-A-Row
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Earns First Team Academic All-America Honor
Sierra Wilson
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
Make that two in a row!
Alabama Crimson Tide volleyball's Sierra Wilson has earned a First Team Academic All-America honor for two consecutive years. The award comes from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Sierra is the first two-time Academic All-American in Alabama volleyball history.
Wilson holds a 4.0 cumulative grade-point-average as an English and Political Science major. Not only is she a two-time Academic All-American, but she is a three-time Academic All-District award winner as well...and is the only player in program history to do so.
Wilson set the Alabama career assists record this season with 5,771 assists. She had over 1,000 assists in each of her four seasons at the Capstone. She and Brigitte Slack, Bama's former record-holder, are the only two players to have ever obtain the accomplishment.
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Alabama Men's Basketball
Dazon Ingram Lost For Remainder Of Season
Freshman Dazon Ingram
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
Alabama men's head basketball coach Avery Johnson says that starting freshman guard Dazon Ingram fractured his left football during practice yesterday afternoon and will not play for the remainder of the 2015-16 campaign. Johnson made the announcement yesterday afternoon.
Johnson said the freshman will undergo surgery this morning to repair the fracture.
Ingram has been instrumental in the Tide's attack, helping Alabama to a 5-2 start on the season, including big wins over three top-25 opponents. The freshman was named Mr. Basketball for the state of Alabama last season in high school, and was well on his way as a force to be dealt with his first season playing at the Capstone.
Coach Johnson said, "I am extremely disappointed for Dazon and his family. Dazon is a special, multi-talented player that we use in a variety of ways and he’ll be missed. At the same time, we are approaching this with a 'next man up' mentality. I have a lot of confidence moving forward in Retin Obasohan, Justin Coleman and Lawson Schaffer... they have worked hard and continue to improve every day. The expectation for us is to continue to work hard and play at a high level on both ends of the floor."
Ingram has led the Crimson Tide with 5.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists per game, ranked second in steals, third in minutes per contest and fourth in points per game (7.7) and field goal percentage (.541). He started in all seven games for Alabama and will be missed.
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Alabama Football
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Alabama Football
Five From Bama Named All-Americans
Derrick Henry
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
Five University of Alabama football players have been named to the Walter Camp All-America Team for 2015. The announcement was made yesterday evening by the Walter Camp Foundation.
With the most of any school in the country, three of the five for the Crimson Tide were named to the first team. Making the first team are running back Derrick Henry, senior center Ryan Kelly and senior linebacker Reggie Ragland. Representing the Crimson Tide on the second team are junior defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson and junior safety Eddie Jackson.
Henry has been phenomenal this season, setting record after after as well as winning multiple awards and is awaiting the outcome of the 2015 Heisman Trophy balloting, with the announcement of the recipient to be made tomorrow. You can see all of Henry's stats and awards in an accompanying article in the blog.
Reggie Ragland has headed up a Crimson Tide offense ranked first in most categories, and considered by most to the best Alabama defense in history. Ragland has led the team in tackles at 90, which includes 6.5 for a loss and 2.5 sacks. He also has to his credit six pass breakups, six quarterback hurries as well as two forced fumbles.
Center Ryan Kelly has received multiple honors this season himself, and a complete list of those as well as his statistics can be seen in an accompanying article.
Turning to the second team A'Shawn Robinson has been a monster in the Tide defensive front. He has a career-high 42 tackles this season, including 7.5 for a loss and 3.5 sacks. He also has nine quarterback hurries, two pass breakups, a fumble recovery and one blocked point-after-touchdown try.
Eddie Jackson leads the Southeastern Conference in interceptions with five, as well as 230 return yards. He has recorded two pick-six, 40 tackles (including three for a loss), two pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Those 230 interception return yards places him at number one for a single season in the Alabama record books. It also ranks second nationally.
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Four Tide Freshmen Named To All-SEC Team
Four freshmen from the vaunted Alabama Crimson Tide football team have been named to the Freshman All-Southeastern Conference team. The announcement came yesterday afternoon from the league office.
Offensively for the Tide wide receiver Calvin Ridley and offensive lineman Ross Pierschbacher were selected. On defense it was corner backs Minkah Fitzpatrick and Marlon Humphrey. Alabama placed the most players on the squad than any other school in the country.
Ridley is the Crimson Tide's leading receiver with a school-record 75 receptions for 893 yards and five touchdowns. He ranks third in the SEC in receptions and second among all freshmen in three categories: catches, yards and touchdowns.
Pierschbacher has recorded 26 knockdown blocks on the season. He has missed only five assignments this year and surrendered only half of a sack.
Fitzpatrick has recorded 41 tackles on the year, including three for a loss and two sacks. He also has to his credit two interceptions, eight pass breakups, one quarterback hurry, a blocked punt and a punt return for a touchdown.
Humphrey has started every game for Alabama this season. He has recorded 40 tackles, including 2.5 for a loss, and is tied for the team lead with three interceptions. Humphrey also has five pass breakups and two forced fumbles to his credit.
