Alabama football countdown to kickoff: 42 days

If you can believe it, we are officially at the 45-day mark until Alabama is back on a live-game football field. After coming up short in the national championship game against Georgia back in early January, the Crimson Tide will once again be searching for its seventh title under Nick Saban.

This year’s season opener will be against the Utah State Aggies on Sept. 3 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

With today being July 23, that means we are only 42 days away from the return of Alabama football. The team here at BamaOn3 is ready to celebrate every day of the countdown standing between now and the start of football season. Let’s focus on a player — both past and present — who represents — or has represented — the No. 42.

*Note: BamaOn3 is also doing a Countdown to Fall Camp, which is only 13 days away.

Who currently wears the No. 42?

Redshirt senior linebacker Jaylen Moody will be back wearing the No. 42 for his fifth and final season in Tuscaloosa. The former Conway (S.C.) Conway standout wasn’t a highly-regarded recruit coming out of high school (three-star, No. 1,109 overall), but he’s made the most of his opportunities in college.

Moody’s played 258 defensive snaps in 26 career games played.

So far, he’s never had to start, but he has been asked to play significant snaps at certain points throughout his career. The 6-foot-2, 225-pounder had a solid outing filling in for an injured Christian Harris in 2020. He also filled in admirably in limited snaps during the season opener against Miami in 2021.

Through four seasons, he’s had 45 tackles, 0.5 tackle for loss, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. That’s not bad for a guy who wasn’t highly rated coming out of high school, right?

Who’s a noteworthy former player to wear it?

Eddie Lacy was the second of two true running backs to sign with Alabama in 2009. The other was former five-star talent Trent Richardson, who was the first to get an opportunity to run in tandem with Alabama’s first-ever Heisman Trophy winner, Mark Ingram II.

In other words, Lacy had to wait his turn.

After redshirting in 2009, the Louisiana native did get some run as the No. 3 back behind Ingram and Richardson in 2010. He rushed for 406 yards and six scores on only 56 carries, giving him an impressive 7.3-yard per carry average. Once Ingram left, it was Lacy’s turn to get consistent usage.

Over his final two years, Lacy combined for 2,316 total yards (1,996 rushing, 320 receiving) and 26 touchdowns on 332 touches. His fourth and final season was obviously his best, as he put up over 1,500 yards and 19 touchdowns en route to being a first-team All-SEC selection.

Lacy would then go on to be a second-round pick (No. 61 overall) by the Green Bay Packers in the 2013 NFL Draft. After starting his career with over 3,001 total yards (2,317 rushing, 684 receiving) and 24 scores over his first two years, the big back was rolling. He even earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2013.

Unfortunately, things started to fall off in 2015. Lacy spent two more seasons with the Packers before wrapping up his playing career with the Seattle Seahawks in 2017. Still, he’ll always be known by Alabama fans as the infamous “Circle Button” who ran all over Notre Dame in the 2013 BCS National Title Game.

2022 Alabama Football Schedule

Sept. 3 vs. Utah State Aggies (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Sept. 10 at Texas Longhorns (Austin, Tex.)

Sept. 17 vs. UL-Monroe Warhawks (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Sept. 24 vs. Vanderbilt Commodores (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Oct. 1 at Arkansas Razorbacks (Fayetteville, Ark.)

Oct. 8 vs. Texas A&M Aggies (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Oct. 15 at Tennessee Volunteers (Knoxville, Tenn.)

Oct. 22 vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Oct. 29 – OPEN WEEK

Nov. 5 at LSU Tigers (Baton Rouge, La.)

Nov. 12 at Ole Miss Rebels (Oxford, Miss.)

Nov. 19 vs. Austin Peay Governors (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Nov. 26 vs. Auburn Tigers (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Dec. 3 – SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (Atlanta, Ga.)