With its 35-17 whipping of Wisconsin, the Alabama Crimson Tide answered several questions that had been posed going into the season. The most obvious had been the quarterback position. A second would be how the Tide would replace 90% of its offensive production from the year before with the departures of Blake Sims, Amari Cooper, and T.J. Yeldon, not to mention the steady production of Jalston Fowler, DeAndrew White, and Christion Jones. But with almost 500 yards of total offense, much of it right up the gut into the teeth of a stingy, physical Badger defense, the answer to that question would appear to be “fairly well.”
But a second question that has been in the minds of everyone watching this team centered on Kenyan Drake, the speedy running back/receiver hybrid who Tide fans saw statemate defenses the year before. That is, before his gruesome injury against Ole Miss.
In his weekly Monday press conference, Saban was asked about Drake, and his impression on Drake’s return to action from injury. In true Nick Saban form, he used the opportunity to drive home a point.
“I’ve seen him out there at practice,” Saban said in response. “I’ve been trying to convince you all that the guy is fine. So now you know it, how do you feel about it? Because I’ve been feeling this way since spring. So how do you all feel about it? I’ve been getting asked every scrimmage, every practice, how is Kenyan Drake? He’s fine. He’s one-hundred percent. So do you believe me now?”
All evening in Arlington, TX, we saw the quickness and agility that makes the Drake a match-up nightmare for defenses. But then, in the 4th quarter, it happened. With about 8 minutes to play, Bama facing a 3rd and 26, Bama called a draw, clearly intended to get what they could and kick. Afterall, the Tide was up 28-10 at the time, and had notched all the points they needed to complete the win.
But Drake had something else in mind, taking the handoff, breaking a defensive lineman’s arm tackle and scampering 43 yards down the right sideline for a score.
What made the play so electrifying was the extra burst the Drake used to clear the last two defenders before sprinting away from eveybody…on a leg that was literally broken in two just eleven months ago.
Medical science has come a long way in the areas rehab and recovery, but Saturday night made a believer out of anyone wondering if the Drake is back.
Yes. Yes he is.
I don’t know how Drake’s TD didn’t make highlights everywhere. I get spotlighting Henry, but good grief man. Amazing.
I really thought it would’ve made ESPN’s Top Ten plays of the day. The dude is amazing.
It probably should have been in the Top10 plays on ESPN.
Instead?
Baseball plays.
4 of them.
Seriously.
Look, I get the BYU hail Mary is a highlight-able play all day long (even though it’s more of a “Not-Top-10” play, to be honest), and I’m as jazzed as any fundamental football fan to see King Henry take his role as the lead back, but Kenyan Drake has been the guy I’ve been wanting to see again since seeing what he could do at the beginning of last season before his leg break.
I mean, his name is Kenyan. It’s just fun to say, and even more fun to shout out loud.
And that play, where Drake spins INTO the tackler, that’s not a highlight?
For all the non-stop talk Braxton Miller got for “hitting the circle button” with no contact in open space against an undisciplined VT secondary in tOSU’s first and only test of the regular season, Drake’s breakout was at least as much fun to watch.
And certainly more fun to watch than the best play in any baseball game…
Amazing is a good analogy. You are looking at a future NFL running back that hasn’t been seen since Eric Dickerson.
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