The Saban 250: 20 Crimson Tide Defensive Players to Remember

Andy Staples is one of the leading authorities on college football, and for years he used to work for Sports Illustrated. The gig meant that he was a frequent visitor in Tuscaloosa, and its’ restaurants, during the Nick Saban years, but also with many of the other top programs. When reporters were allowed on the sidelines near the end of games, he’d often go down to the field and say the same thing about Alabama, which with the win already secured was usually playing its second- and third-string reserves: “Look at the size of that guy.”

He’d be talking about the backup players, who were finally getting a chance to show what they could do, and usually looked just as imposing as the starters. To paraphrase, Staples would summarize with something like: “That’s the difference between Saban’s teams and everyone else.”

Saban used to try and downplay the idea of starters in public, in part because it would often lead to a player complaining in his office about the depth chart and playing time. There are scores of roles on every football team, and keeping everyone content was a constant challenge.

With that in mind, this segment of The Saban 250, honoring the players who made the biggest impact during the coaches’ reign atop college football, is dedicated to players like defensive tackle Joshua Frazier.

Like most linemen, the highly regarded prospect out of Springdale, Ark. began his Crimson Tide career near the bottom of the depth chart. He developed, earned playing time in the rotation and became a key reserve. Frazier just couldn’t crack the starting lineup, though.

In 2017, Frazier’s senior year, Alabama’s three-man defensive line (the fourth player with his hand down was usually an end/linebacker, a position Saban called “Jack”) included future NFL players  Da’Ron Payne, Isaiah Buggs, Raekwon Davis and Da’Shawn Hand. There was also an extremely talented player coming off a redshirt named Quinnen Williams, who was turning heads.

"I think Josh is playing the best football he’s played since he’s been here,” Saban said in 2017.  “I think he’s in better shape. Josh is really a run- stopping nose guard type guy for us who plays a lot more when we play against regular teams, which these guys are in regular a lot, which means we play regular. We play some in nickel. We don’t play him a lot in pass-rush situations.

“When he’s gone in there he’s done a good job for us. He’s someone you can count on to do exactly what you expect to get from him.”

Under those circumstances, a lot of players would have been looking for the door. Yet Frazier kept plugging away as Alabama eventually won the national championship. He was credited with 28 career tackles, including 4.5 for a loss and two sacks, along with a forced fumble and three passes defended.

But here are two things of note that were much more telling about Frazier than any statistic:

• At season’s end he was one of the recipients of the team’s Iron Man Award.

• He was still selected in the 2018 NFL Draft, in the seventh round by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

For every spotlight player who helped Alabama reach the pinnacle in college football, there were others just as critical to the team’s overall success. Guys like Frazier.

20 Defensive Players Not to Forget ...

The Saban 250 includes 50 players who many not have had the strongest statistics for the Crimson Tide, including 20 on offense and defense, and 10 on special teams.