CATCHING SPRING FEVER THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2019 CW / Hannah Saad HENRY RUGGS III 5 Thursday, April 11, 2019 All photos CW / Hannah Saad EDITORIAL STAFF OFFENSIVE LINE 7 editor-in-chief Jake Stevens [email protected] managing editor Rebecca Griesbach digital editor Jared Earl production editor Savannah Bullard visuals editor Shana Oshinskie chief copy editor Elizabeth Moseley opinions editor Cassie Kuhn [email protected] news editor Camille Studebaker [email protected] culture editor Irene Richardson [email protected] sports editor Cody Estremera [email protected] photo editor Emma Junck multimedia editor David Jones PLAYERS TO WATCH 8 lead page designer Marissa Maguire social media editor Michaela Hancock ADVERTISING STAFF ad representatives Emma Pyne Rayven Lane Abigail Wolfe Gabbie Waller Tricia Ownby Camille Hoffman creative services Alexis Craft Grace Bryant Nataleigh Dang GAMEDAY 2019 PAGE 3 Veterans provide leadership for young players He’s faced some of the best teams in Tide career. BY BEN STANSELL the country and has seen countless “Shyheim, he’s done it the most, ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR defensive schemes. Now he’s honestly,” Diggs said. “So I can go to spreading the knowledge he gained him for something when I need help, t was past midnight on a from those experiences with the rest and they can come to me or go to ISaturday night, and Tua of the quarterback room, including him. There’s a lot of leadership with Tagovailoa was headed out. Not to Taulia and early enrollee Paul Tyson. our DBs.” the Strip to celebrate the completion “Just with the guys in the Defensive tackle Raekwon Davis of Alabama’s first spring scrimmage quarterback room, things that I see had the opportunity to leave for the earlier that day, but to the Mal Moore as well, or maybe if they did this, NFL draft after last season. Instead, Athletic Complex. [I give] my input on it,” Tua said the 6-foot-7, 309-pound wrecking ball In tow was his younger brother about how he mentors the younger decided to return for his senior year. and fellow Crimson Tide quarterback quarterbacks. “So just little things “That’s the whole reason I came Taulia Tagovailoa. An early enrollee, like that.” back, to teach the younger guys Taulia played in his first live-action While Tua is helping guide and help the team as much as scrimmage for Alabama earlier that Alabama’s young quarterbacks, I can to the best of my ability,” day. Now he was going with his older Dylan Moses is focused on bringing Davis said. brother to break down the day’s film. along the Crimson Tide’s budding He came back to help mentor inside linebackers. players like DJ Dale, an early Like Tua, Moses is entering his enrollee who has already earned reps junior year, and he’s also played with the first-team defensive line at extensively, seeing action as a nose tackle, despite having only been freshman and then starting every on campus for a few months. Davis I take on the game last season. With linebacker recognizes the immense potential Mack Wilson headed to the NFL, in Dale, comparing him to former leadership role – the Moses has inherited his leadership Alabama standout and current bull by the horns. I role. It’s been a natural progression Washington Redskin Da’Ron Payne. for Moses. “He plays like Da’Ron Payne,” just do what I have to “There are a lot guys who watch Davis said. “He plays just like me, look up to me, and they’re Da’Ron Payne.” do. trying to see what I’m doing, like, When Davis told Dale who he in adversity situations when those reminds him of, Dale laughed off the come into play,” Moses said. “I take comparison, but then said he’d be DYLAN MOSES on the leadership role – the bull by better than Payne, who was named ROSTER the horns. I just do what I have to do.” to the First Team All-SEC in 2017. If Defensive back Trevon Diggs Dale is going to achieve that goal, “I had the opportunity to bring can remember peppering former he’ll need Davis’ leadership. BREAKDOWN my brother up here late at night, Crimson Tide safety Minkah Fans will get a look at Dale and the probably about 12:30 to 1, and just sat Fitzpatrick with questions when he rest of Alabama’s young players on down with him in our offensive staff was new to the program and trying Saturday in Alabama’s annual spring BY CLASS meeting room and just watched film to learn the ropes. Now Diggs is game in Bryant-Denny Stadium. with him,” Tua said. “He just wanted the veteran being quizzed by the to know the things that I’mIm seeing out young players.players. therethere andand I got to helphelp himhim withwith that.”that.” “I“I likelike howhow thethe younger guys SENIORSSENIORS - 3131 TheThe moment was specialspecial for thethe askedasked me questions andand stuff llikeike siblingssiblings duedue to theirtheir familialfamilial ties, but that,”that,” Diggs said.said. “They“They can followfollow thethe act of an olderolder playerplayer mentoring me so it’s likelike whenwhen I was in theirtheir a youngeryounger playerplayer is a common position, I was askingasking [Fitzpatrick][Fitzpatrick] JUNIORSJUNIORS - 2424 occurrence at Alabama. Especially thethe questions, andand hehe was duringduring spring practices, one of thethe tryingtrying to make me better.” TheThe most criticalcritical times in a young player’splayer’s leadershipleadership position may be new to development.development. Diggs, but it’s not to senior defensivedefensive SOPHOMORESSOPHOMORES - 29 EvenEven thoughthough he’she’s onlyonly entering hishis back ShyheimShyheim Carter, whowho juniorjunior season, Tua hashas experiencedexperienced hashas playedplayed in 37 games collegecollege footballfootball on thethe biggest stage. duringduring hishis Crimson FRESHMANFRESHMAN - 31 MENTORINGMENTORING – ExperiencedExperienced playersplayers like DDylanylan Moses are now tasked with guiding AAlabama’slabama’s younger players. CW / Hannah Saad PAGE 4 GAMEDAY 2019 PAGE 5 GAMEDAY 2019 Fast and furious, Ruggs more than just speedy collegiate career. His first five catches The quest to improve true sophomore on speed alone. BY JAMES OGLETREE at Alabama went for 112 yards and doesn’toesn’t stop at increasing Smith was asked on Tuesday STAFF REPORTER five touchdowns. He finished 2017, hisis already incendiary about an underrated attribute of his true freshman season, as the speed.peed. In fact,fact, he’s tryingtrying Ruggs’ game that makes him a revon Diggs didn’t even need to team’s leader in touchdown catches, too flash it a little great receiver. His reply: Ruggs’ Thear the rest of the question. As hauling in more than eventual first- bitit less. physicality. soon as the senior cornerback heard round draft pick Calvin Ridley and New receivers “No matter if he’s blocking, wide receiver Henry Ruggs’ name, he recruiting class of 2017 counterparts coachoach Holmon running his routes, he’s broke into a grin. DeVonta Smith and Jerry Jeudy. Wiggins has physical,” Smith said. But after Smith caught the beeneen teachingteaching Teammates and momentous championship-winning Ruggs how to use opposing defensive pass from Tua Tagovailoa, and as more nuance in backs alike know that the comparisons likening Jeudy to hisis route-running, letting Ruggs off the Ridley became more prevalent, Ruggs varyingarying his speedspeed line of scrimmage No matter if he’s seemed to fall into the shadows too create separa- untouched is like blocking, running his throughout last offseason. tionion from defend- playing with fire. If As Jeudy’s 14 touchdowns in 2018 ersrs instead of he gets by his man, it’s all over. routes, he’s physical. helped earn him the Biletnikoff goingoing full-speed “You can’t get too close Award, given annually to college onn every play. Of up on him, or he’s going football’s top wide receiver, Ruggs course,ourse, a receiv- to beat you deep,” junior was nipping at his heels with 11 – on err doesn’t become Xavier McKinney said. “So, DYLAN MOSES 22 fewer catches. a top-100 overall seeing those guys on the He has been hailed as the fastest recruitecruit or start opposite side, it’s kind of a “All of the receivers are good, all of player in college football’s finest att Alabama as a nightmare. But guys like them run good routes and all of them receiving corps, having reportedly Ruggs definitely make you are fast. But Henry, he’s super fast,” run the 40-yard dash in 4.25 seconds better.” Diggs said. “If you don’t touch him at Alabama’s junior pro day last and you don’t get hands on him, he’s month. That’s just three-hundredths going to run right by you, so I have of a second above the NFL Combine to make sure I put hands on him. I record, which Ruggs thinks he may have to make sure I touch him at the have a chance at breaking next spring line a little bit. But if you give him should he leave school early. a free release and he’s running deep, “I actually was kind of upset after I ran because I didn’t feel like I had SPEEDY – HenryHenry RuggsRuggs reportedlyreportedly ranran the 40-yard40-yard dasdashh inin 4.254.25 it’s hard to catch him.” secsecondsonds atat AAlabama’slabama’s junjuniorior prproo ddayay earearlierlier thisthis yeyear.ar. a good start,” Ruggs said. “But after Before he was even a starter at CW / HHannahannah SaaSaadd Alabama, Ruggs gained notoriety they told me the numbers, I was like, for going five-for-five to start his ‘I still feel like I can do better.’” Free autographs & Photos With former Alabama® All-american JONATHAN ALLEN SATURDAY, APRIL 13TH 10:00 A.M.