Jumbo Package: Anthony Averett and Brian Robinson- Underrated

Happy Friday, everyone. Sometimes, you have weeks where you just don’t even know what day it is. Fortunately, our very own Josh was kind enough to do the Gump Day post on Wednesday, so now you have to deal with me on the final day of your work week. Be that a good thing or a bad thing.

Alabama has more than one talented sophomore running back

Terrell Lewis, the Crimson Tide’s 6-foot-5, 255-pound outside linebacker, was in his way.

But Robinson didn’t juke and didn’t slow down.

He ran right toward him.

”You weren’t going to juke?” Lewis asked afterward.

”Nah, I was going to go through you,” Robinson responded.

Brian Robinson has been a bit of a favorite on the RBR comment threads over the last year. Can you really consider a player a “sleeper” if everyone believes him to be one? Just some shower-time musings for you.

In any case, Robinson has a blend of size and speed that none of the other backs on the roster have. He was the fastest back last year, clocking in with a 4.40 forty yard dash all while being over 220 pounds. He’s very much a one-cut-and-go kind of guy, which is a bit different from the more patient, cutback-heavy runners in Damien Harris, Josh Jacobs, and Najee Harris.

That said, I sure wouldn’t want to try and run through Terrell Lewis. More power to him.

Alabama DB ‘doesn’t get enough love’ as draft prospect

His 40 time -- 4.36 -- was the seventh-fastest at the NFL scouting combine. And he accomplished that despite nowhere close to a full training regimen leading up to the combine.

The former Alabama cornerback had been limited by an ankle injury early in the pre-draft process and then later by a hamstring issue that prevented him from being able to do much aside from get rehab during the final two weeks before the combine.

If he had actually been at full speed? If he had actually been able to go through a full training regimen?

”It would have been 4.2 something. That’s for sure,” said Averett, who ran a 4.30 40 at Alabama in 2015. “If I would have trained those last two weeks fully, healthy, I would have run a 4.2. No question.”

Speaking of underrated players, Anthony Averett has been one of my favorite Alabama cornerbacks in recent memory and I think he’ll be a phenomenal pro. It’s been frustrating to see him be so overlooked in draft media circles. I’m not sure about a 4.2 forty, but his speed and confidence will absolutely make an NFL team look twice.

Alabama signee Michael Parker was willing to wait for dream offer

Parker didn’t start playing football until eighth grade. As the years went on, his size and athleticism began catching the eyes of some coaches. But it was another sport - basketball - that played a key role in getting his recruitment rolling.

”There were several offers where (coaches said), ‘Honestly, if it wasn’t for your basketball highlights at the beginning of your football highlights, I don’t know if we would have offered you,’” Parker said. “That helped a lot.”

Parker caught 43 passes for 812 yards and nine touchdowns last season and was selected to play in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic. He was primarily split out as a receiver at Westminster. Parker said he needs to work on adding weight and improving his blocking skills when he gets to Tuscaloosa.

After the breakout of Jimmy Graham with the New Orleans Saints, the basketball-forward-turned-tight-end has been all the rage in the football world for the last decade. With Michael Parker, Alabama is getting one of their own. On top of that, he’s an Alabama guy to the core, and chose to wait on a delayed Alabama offer despite holding big time scholarships from teams like Auburn.

Five-star DT gives Bama and Ohio State high marks

“Bama and Ohio State see me playing all over on the line. From the 1-technique, 3-tech, to 5-, 7- and 9-tech. They feel I am versatile and athletic enough to do so.”

Both the Crimson Tide and Buckeyes offered Tuitele while he was on campus, putting his tally past the three-dozen mark. While in Tuscaloosa, Tuitele was able to spend time with former high school teammate and national championship game hero, Tua Tagovailoa.

”It was good catching up with Tua and his family,” Tuitele said. “I got to eat dinner with his parents, uncle Galu and aunty Diane, for the two days I was there. They told my parents and I about the many good things about Bama and what they do for their kids. It was good seeing them.”

In the recruiting world, Alabama is looking to establish a bit of a recruiting presence in the Pacific Ocean. With Tua Tagovailoa already on board and breaking the trend of all Hawaiians going to Washington and Oregon, the elite defensive tackle, Faatui Tuitele looks to be strongly considering a move to Tuscaloosa himself.

Finally, here’s a fun video to waste 30 minutes of your work day on. The 2014 Alabama squad can be a bit of a forgotten team with so many other seasons in the Saban era ending in either a championship win or a heart-wrenching loss. This team, though, was a lot of fun to watch and had less expectations than probably any other Alabama team since 2008.