Alabama football countdown to kickoff: 99 days
If you can believe it, we are officially under the 100-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 May 27, that means we are only 99 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 99 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 70 days away.
Who currently wears the No. 99?
At this time, there isn’t an Alabama player wearing the No. 99. Last season, it was punter Ty Perine. After spending a week in the transfer portal back in late January, the Prattville native chose to withdraw his name and retire from football altogether.
More than likely, summer enrollee Isaiah Hastings, a four-star defensive lineman out of Canada, will don the number after wearing it in high school. However, that hasn’t been made official yet.
Who’s a noteworthy former player to wear it?
One of the best Alabama players to ever wear the No. 99 during the Saban era is none other than former defensive lineman Raekwon Davis. After being rated as a top-100 prospect coming out of Meridian (Miss.) during the 2016 recruiting cycle, the mammoth defender chose the Crimson Tide over Mississippi State, Georgia, Florida and others.
He only played in four games as a freshman, but he did notch his first career sack.
Over the next three seasons, Davis accumulated 171 tackles to go along with 18.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. His best year came in 2017 when the 6-foot-7, 306-pounder set career-highs in tackles (69), tackles for loss (10.0) and sacks (8.5). He also secured his only college interception that season.
After a successful career in Tuscaloosa, Davis was a second-round draft pick by the Miami Dolphins in 2020. Since then, he’s played in 30 games with 26 starts. His playing time hasn’t led to big numbers (2.0 tackles for loss, 0.5 sack), but Davis has been a fairly effective player.
Right now, it’s all about consistency for him.
“For Raekwon, consistency is what separates a good to a great player,” his defensive line coach Austin Clark said earlier this month. “Being consistently good over and over and over and being able to dominate a guy regardless of alignment. And that might mean taking on double-teams at his position.
“He has all the tools, his length, his size, his want-to, his work ethic, his physical presence. He has all those tools. What he needs to work on, a lot of it is rooted in his footwork and pad level. Those are two of the big things we’re constantly going to be on him about. He’s doing a hell of a job right now. I’m really fired up about where he’s going.”
Alabama fans are excited to see where Davis is going as well.
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.)
