When the BCS Championship Game kicks off at Glendale, Ariz. Monday night, Auburn University will be lining up against Oregon with 28 players from the state of Alabama expected to play significantly either as a starter or as a key reserve.
When the University of Alabama whipped Texas 37-21 to claim the 2009 BCS Football Championship Game victory, 26 players from Alabama's high schools played significant minutes in the contest and now proudly wear their national championship rings.
Think about it: That is a total of at least 54 players who played high school football in Alabama that will have played in the BCS Championship in the last two years. What other state can make that claim?
The Heart of Dixie can also be called the "Heart" of the Crimson Tide's 2009 BCS championship and if Auburn wins over Oregon, these young men could also be called the "Heart" of the Tigers. And these players come from all corners of the state and from big and small schools alike.
Coach Gene Chizik's depth chart for Monday's BCS Championship Game includes two starters on offense that prepped at AHSAA schools – four if you count punter Ryan Underwood from Oak Mountain High School near Birmingham and holder Neil Caudle of nearby Spain Park High School in Hoover. Ryan Pugh anchors a senior-laden offensive line at center. Ironically, he finished at Hoover High School – Spain Park's rival – but he played at Oak Mountain where his dad Toney Pugh was head coach and at Spain Park where his dad served as an assistant. When dad moved to Hoover, Ryan went with him.
Starting wide receiver Terrell Zachery of Class 1A Wadley finished his prep career as the state's career pass receiving yardage leader (4,410 yards in four seasons). It should have been two Wadley standouts. His former teammate, running back Terrance Wilkes, was headed to Auburn a year later after setting the AHSAA state record with 160 touchdowns in a career that spanned from 2002-06. Wilkes, who had 2,884 yards rushing and 47 touchdowns in 2005 as a junior, was gunned down on an outdoor basketball court in this small eastern Alabama community one week after his team was eliminated from the 1A playoffs in 2006.
Seven other home-grown players are listed as second-team on the Auburn depth chart for Monday's game – among them Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton's understudy at quarterback sophomore Barrett Trotter of Briarwood Christian. Trotter is also from the same area at Pugh, Caudle and Underwood. Briarwood is located just three miles from the Oak Mountain campus in Shelby County and only six miles from Spain Park's campus.
Other offensive backups on offense are wide receiver Quindarius Carr of Huntsville, who also starts as the Tigers' punt return specialist, offensive guard Bart Eddins of Montgomery's Trinity Presbyterian High School, center Blake Burgess of Vestavia Hills, guard Jared Cooper of W.S. Neal High School of East Brewton, tackle John Sullen of Auburn and quarterback/holder Clint Moseley of Class 2A Leroy – who was named Mr. Football in 2008 after leading his high school team to two state titles.
On defense, Alabama high schools can boast seven starters counting return specialists Carr and starting cornerback/kickoff return man Demond Washington of Tallassee. Most notable, however, is Nick Fairley of Mobile's Williamson High School. The junior defensive tackle is arguably the best college defensive lineman in the nation. In high school, he was also key starter at power forward on Williamson's 2007 Class 5A state basketball championship team.
Lining up at the other defensive tackle spot for the Tigers is Zach Clayton of Opelika. Clayton also excelled in high school at two sports – breaking a 29-year-old state prep discus record with a throw of 202 feet, 8 inches in 2006 to win the state track and field championship in that event. The throw broke the old record set by former Phillips High School and Auburn football star Frank Warren by 14 feet and also disrupted the 100-meter dash finals when the discus sailed beyond the barriers in the infield and landed in the middle of the track at Heardmont Park as that race was set to begin. Another irony here is that Heardmont Park is the home stadium for aforementioned Oak Mountain High School. Heardmont was the site for the state meet only one year in 2006 after construction on the track at the University of Alabama forced the move from the UA campus. This turned out to be poor timing for the Tide's football recruiting no doubt.
Clayton also had a toss of 209 feet in the regular season. Warren spent 14 years in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints before retiring to the Saints' front office. Warren's nephew, also named Frank Warren in honor of his uncle, was a star running back at Pleasant Grove High School near Birmingham before heading to Grambling College where he has one year left in his collegiate career. He passed Walter Payton on the career yards list in the SWAC Conference this past season with 1,537 yards rushing on 232 carries with 18 touchdowns. With one year to go, he should become the all-time rushing leader in the SWAC before he is through.
Auburn's other in-state defensive starters are safeties Zac Etheridge of Troy's Charles Henderson High School and Mike McNeil of Mobile-Davidson High School. Second teamers on the depth chart include defensive ends Dee Ford (St. Clair County High School), Michael Goggans (Benjamin Russell High School, Alexander City), Craig Sanders (Ariton); linebackers Eltoro Freeman (Benjamin Russell), Jonathan Evans (Blount High School, Prichard), Jake Holland (Pelham), Harris Gaston (Bessemer City), Jawara White (Henderson of Troy); and defensive backs Ikeem Means (Wetumpka) and Chris Davis (Birmingham-Woodlawn).
Coach Nick Saban's Crimson Tide listed eight players from the state as starters in last year's BCS Championship Game. These eight did not include Marcel Dareus, the game's MVP on the defensive line who actually was charted as a backup. Dareus attended Birmingham's Huffman High School – and was a teammate of Andre Smith, the 2008 Outland Trophy winner as the nation's top collegiate offensive lineman. Smith, who was named Alabama's Mr. Football in 2005, opted to enter the NFL draft after his junior season and was the No. 6 player taken in the first round by the Cincinnati Bengals. It cost him a chance at playing in the 2009 BCS Championship.
Other in-state starters for Saban were wide receiver sensation Julio Jones of Foley, the 2007 Mr. Football winner, Tarrant wide receiver Marquis Maze, center William Vlachos of Mountain Brook and tackle Drew Davis of Evergreen's Sparta Academy.
Decatur linebacker Rolando McCain anchored the Tide's defense at middle linebacker. He left for the NFL after his junior year as well – going No. 8 in the first round as Oakland's initial pick last spring. Mark Barron of Mobile's St. Paul's High School started at strong safety and Leigh Tiffin of Florence was the place-kicker.
