Former Alabama quarterback: Minkah Fitzpatrick stood out from Day 1

Former Alabama quarterback David Cornwell had some high praise for Minkah Fitzpatrick. While answering questions from fans on Twitter, Cornwell explained what separated the future NFL Pro Bowler from his Crimson Tide teammates.

“Best player from start to finish I saw in my time there,” the former quarterback wrote. “From day 1 he was a starter and still out-worked almost everyone out there. Spent his freshman season spring break in Tuscaloosa watching film for seven days. Called him Minkbot.”

Minkah Fitzpatrick played for a College Football Playoff Championship in each of his three seasons with Alabama, winning in 2015 and 2017. He finished his college career with 171 tackles (16.5 for loss), nine interceptions and 24 passes defended. The Miami Dolphins selected him 11th overall in the 2018 NFL draft.

The safety was eventually traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers just two games into his second pro season. He has started every game he has played in since, making back-to-back Pro Bowls in 2019 and 2020. Fitzpatrick did not make the roster this past season despite finishing with 102 tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble.

Cornwell also went on to compliment several more former Alabama players, including quarterback Jalen Hurts, whom he played behind in 2016.

“He came in as an underrated quarterback and from day 1 told himself he would be the starting quarterback, and the whole room laughed about it,” Cornwell wrote. “Until the USC game. Then we stopped laughing.”

Cornwell came to Alabama as a top 100 recruit and the No. 6 quarterback in the 2014 class according to On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. Despite being a native of Norman, Oklahoma, he did not receive a scholarship offer from the Sooners.

The quarterback struggled to break through as a starter in Tuscaloosa, eventually transferring to Nevada for the 2017 season. He played one game for the Wolf Pack before announcing he was leaving the team in late September of that year.

Although he was just a bench player at Alabama, his insight of some of the best players to come out of the program in recent years is interesting to say the least.