Alabama football countdown to kickoff: 67 days

If you can believe it, we are officially under the 70-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 June 28, that means we are only 67 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. 67.

*Note: BamaOn3 is also doing a Countdown to Fall Camp, which is only 38 days away.

Who currently wears the No. 67?

There isn’t currently anyone wearing the No. 67 listed on Alabama’s roster. In fact, the number hasn’t been used that often, whether it be during the Nick Saban era or throughout the rest of the program’s history.

The two most notable players who have worn it during the Saban era were Joshua Casher, who played from 2014-18, and John Michael Boswell, who was in Tuscaloosa from 2008-11. Boswell was a spot starter early in his career, but neither ever made it to the top of the depth chart.

Who’s a noteworthy former player to wear it?

Easily the most noteworthy player to ever wear the No. 67 in Alabama football history is former offensive lineman Jerry Duncan. What might be most surprising about that statement is that Duncan was fortunate to even get a scholarship in the first place.

Prior to his high school coach, Grey Bowles, doing some kind of miraculous sell job on legendary Alabama coach Paul “Bear” Bryant back in the early 1960s, Duncan’s only offer was to Georgetown College in Kentucky. Yet somehow, Bowles scored Duncan a scholarship to Alabama without Bryant ever even seeing him play.

That turned out to be one of Bryant’s many wise decisions.

Duncan spent his first two years trying out different positions, but he ultimately settled in as an undersized offensive tackle. And by undersized, I mean somewhere around 185 pounds. Still, he eventually became an All-SEC player in 1966 while providing protection for star Alabama quarterbacks such as Joe Namath and Kenny “The Snake” Stabler.

Now, we also shouldn’t leave out that Duncan was a high school playmaker with the ball in his hands. During his senior season at Sparta High in 1962, he had rushed for over 1,700 yards. Bryant figured out a way to capitalize on that talent by occasionally utilizing him in a tackle-eligible play that was difficult to defend.

Duncan only caught nine passes in his college career, but they were effective and timely.

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.)