Alabama football countdown to kickoff: 85 days
If you can believe it, we are officially under the 90-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 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 10, that means we are only 85 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 then.
With opening week 85 days away, let’s focus on a player — both past and present — who has represented that number.
*Note: BamaOn3 is also doing a Countdown to Fall Camp, which is only 56 days away.
Who currently wears the No. 85?
True freshman Elijah Brown wore the No. 85 this spring, and the expectation at this time is that he’ll continue to wear it for Alabama this upcoming season. The 6-foot-5, 238-pounder out of Dayton (Ohio) was a four-star prospect who was also rated as the No. 252 player nationally, No. 11 tight end and No. 11 player from the state of Ohio, per the On3 Consensus.
Now, it is possible that Brown won’t be the only Alabama player to wear the number.
Sixth-year senior Kendall Randolph has acted as a hybrid tight end/offensive lineman over the last several seasons. After wearing the No. 60 and playing right tackle well into fall camp last season, he made the switch back to being a jumbo, blocking tight end prior to Alabama’s first game against Miami.
This spring saw Randolph move back to the offensive line where he’s currently competing for the starting left tackle job vacated by Evan Neal. His main competitors right now are Amari Kight and Vanderbilt transfer Tyler Steen. If Randolph loses that competition, a move back to tight end — and the No. 85 –remains a possibility.
Who’s a noteworthy former player to wear it?
Howard Cross is a former Alabama football player who wore No. 85 from 1985 to 1988. He was a tight end who had a long, successful career in Tuscaloosa before being selected by the New York Giants in the sixth round (No. 158 overall) of the 1989 NFL Draft.
Cross then spent the next 13 seasons with the franchise. During that time, he hauled in 201 receptions for 2,194 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns. He retired in 2001 at the age of 34 before starting a career in broadcasting. He’s currently serving as a broadcaster for the New York Giants radio network, as well as the YES Network.
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.)
