Alabama News

Rescue groups and members of the community answered Huntsville Animal Services’ call to adopt or foster dogs at its shelter on Triana Boulevard.

But the shelter remains “pretty full,” according to animal care supervisor Stefany Moseley.

“We did really good before the holiday, but then we started taking them in over the weekend because of all of the fireworks,” Moseley told AL.com. “Fireworks are a dog’s worst enemy. They get scared. They run. They hide. They take off if they are loose. It’s just like a vicious cycle on that weekend.”

Moseley said there were 104 dogs at the shelter before Animal Services put out the call for help before the Fourth of July holiday weekend. As of midday Wednesday, there were about 80 at the shelter.

“Our comfortable capacity is about 75,” she said. Mosely said Animal Services prefers to keep the number under 75 to give the dogs more kennel room.

“We always have large breed dogs,” Moseley said. “Our smaller dogs tend to go faster. Fifty-to-60-pound dogs are harder to adopt.”

Mosely said the cat population is also high at the shelter with summer being peak breeding season.

“Luckily, our cats do tend to get adopted pretty quickly,” she said. “But we are pretty full in cats, too.”

Moseley said Animal Services still seeks residents who are interested in adoptions. Some of the dogs at the shelter have been there for several weeks or longer. Most adoption fees at the shelter are between $35 and $50.

“We do waive fees every now and then,” she said. “Even with the $35-50, that’s your spay and neutering, microchipping, three months of flea and tick preventative, heart worm tests on dogs. They are fully vaccinated.”

Animal Services also continues to seek residents who will foster some of the animals to give them a break from their time in the shelter.

“Even if they can’t adopt, they can foster,” Moseley said. “We do even have short term fosters called sleepovers. They can just take them over for a night or over the weekend. Then they can bring them back. They can write a little bio for the dogs. That way we know a little more about the dog outside the building. It gives the new adopters more information. Do they get along with kids? Do they get along with their cats? Things like that.”

To become a foster, residents must live in Madison County, be 19 or older and complete a foster application. Potential adopters and fosters can then visit the shelter to find a dog that matches their home and lifestyle.

The shelter is also in need of volunteers who will come and walk the dogs. Information about becoming a volunteer is on the Animal Services webpage on the City of Huntsville website.

Animal Services is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 256-883-3782, visit HuntsvilleAL.gov/Animal, or visit their Facebook page to learn more about the animals available for adoption, fostering and volunteer opportunities.

Parity appears to be the operative word in the SEC this season, at least in terms of talent distribution.

Three teams placed a league-high four players each on the 79th annual preseason All-SEC team, published each year since 1947 by The Birmingham News and/or AL.com. Alabama, LSU and Texas share top honors with four All-SEC selections, while Auburn and Georgia had three each and Texas A&M two.

In all, 11 of 16 teams placed at least one player on the 25-man preseason All-SEC team. As with last year, voting was conducted by members of the AL.com sports staff.

Only one “team” of 25 players (11 offense, 11 defense, 3 specialists) was chosen, rather than first and second teams. Other players receiving votes are noted below.

Here’s a breakdown of AL.com’s choices for the preseason All-SEC team:

OFFENSE

Quarterback

Garrett Nussmeier, LSU

6-2, 200, Sr., Lake Charles, La.

Probably the most accomplished pure passer returning in the SEC this season, Nussmeier threw for 4,279 yards (second in the league) and 29 touchdowns (tied for second) a year ago. He led the SEC in attempts (525) and completions (337) in 2024.

Others receiving votes: Arch Manning, Texas; Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt; LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina

Running Back

Le’Veon Moss, Texas A&M

6-0, 215, Sr., Walker, La.

Moss was well on his way to All-SEC recognition a year ago before going down with a season-ending knee injury in early November vs. South Carolina. He still managed 765 yards and 10 touchdowns rushing in just nine games, and has been pronounced “100% healthy” for 2025.

Jaydn Ott, Oklahoma

6-0, 210, Sr., Chino, Calif.

A transfer from Cal, Ott is expected to be a perfect fit for the Sooners’ revamped offense, which also imported highly productive quarterback John Mateer from Washington State over the offseason. Ott ran for 1,235 yards and 12 touchdowns two years ago before a down 2024 season with the Golden Bears, and also produces as a receiver (95 career catches).

Others receiving votes: Jadan Baugh, Florida; DeSean Bishop, Tennessee; Caden Durham, LSU; Nate Frazier, Georgia; Ahmad Hardy, Missouri; Tre Wisner, Texas

Wide receiver

Cam Coleman, Auburn

6-3, 195, So., Phenix City, Ala.

Coleman had an outstanding freshman year despite season-long quarterback issues at Auburn, catching 37 passes for 598 yards (16.7 yards per catch) and eight touchdowns. He’s expected to be even better in 2025 with Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold — a former 5-star recruit — now in the fold.

Ryan Williams, Alabama

6-0, 175, So., Saraland, Ala.

Williams was an electrifying playmaker as a freshman despite being just 17 years old, catching 48 passes for 865 yards (18 yards per catch) with eight touchdowns. He faded down the stretch along with quarterback Jalen Milroe, but could be the focal point of the Crimson Tide’s offense in 2025.

Others receiving votes: Aaron Anderson, LSU; Cayden Lee, Ole Miss; Eric Singleton, Auburn

Tight end

Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt

6-4, 235, Sr., Denton, Texas

A two-time transfer and a former high school quarterback, Stowers found a home in Nashville after following quarterback Diego Pavia from New Mexico State. He caught 49 passes for 638 yards and five touchdowns in 2024, tops among returning SEC tight ends in all three categories.

Others receiving votes: Oscar Delp, Georgia; Luke Hasz, Ole Miss

Center

Jake Slaughter, Florida

6-5, 294, Sr., Sparr, Fla.

A first-team All-SEC pick and first-team All-American last season, Slaughter is a candidate for numerous national individual awards in 2025. He has started 21 games in the middle of the offensive line for the Gators the last two years, including all 13 in 2024.

Others receiving votes: Connor Lew, Auburn; Parker Brailsford, Alabama

Offensive line

DJ Campbell, Texas

6-3, 314, Sr., Arlington, Texas

Campbell has started 30 consecutive games at right guard for the Longhorns, who reached the College Football Playoff semifinals last season. Texas was a finalist for the Joe Moore Award as college football’s top offensive line in 2024, and could be again this season.

Xavier Chaplin, Auburn

6-7, 338, Jr., Beaufort, S.C.

A transfer from Virginia Tech, Chaplin locked down a starting job for the Tigers at left tackle in the spring. He was a two-year starter for the Hokies, a third-team All-American in 2023 and an honorable mention All-ACC selection last year.

Kadyn Proctor, Alabama

6-7, 350, Jr., Des Moines, Iowa

A former five-star recruit, Proctor transferred to Iowa after starting at left tackle for the Crimson Tide in 2023 before transferring back last summer. He missed the first two games of 2024 due to injury, but started all 11 thereafter, earning second-team All-SEC honors from league coaches.

Trey Zuhn, Texas A&M

6-7, 315, Sr., Fort Collins, Colo.

Perhaps the most-experienced offensive lineman in the SEC, Zuhn has 37 career starts with the Aggies, including 26 straight at left tackle the last two seasons. He was a third-team All-SEC pick in 2024, and has won Texas A&M’s “Offensive Trenches Award” two consecutive years.

Others receiving votes: Austin Barber, Florida; Cayden Green, Missouri; Earnest Greene, Georgia; Ar’maj Reed Perkins, Texas A&M; Jaeden Roberts, Alabama

—

DEFENSE

Defensive line

Keldric Faulk, Auburn

6-6, 270, Jr., Highland Home, Ala.

A starter since early in his true freshman season for the Tigers, Faulk is expected to be among the team’s defensive leaders in 2025. He totaled 45 tackles in 2024, along with 11 tackles for loss and seven sacks.

Colin Simmons, Texas

6-3, 241, So., Dallas, Texas

The only unanimous selection on this year’s preseason All-SEC team, Simmons won the Shaun Alexander Award as national freshman of the year in 2024. The Freshman All-American totaled 48 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and nine sacks last season, adding three forced fumbles, two pass breakups and an interception.

Dylan Stewart, South Carolina

6-5, 245, So., Washington, D.C.

Another dominant true freshman edge rusher in 2024, Stewart totaled 23 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries for the Gamecocks in 2024. He was a unanimous Freshman All-American and a Shaun Alexander Award finalist.

Others receiving votes: Caleb Banks, Florida; Tim Keenan, Alabama; LT Overton, Alabama; Tyreak Sapp, Florida; R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma

Linebacker

Anthony Hill, Texas

6-3, 239, Jr., Denton, Texas

A first-team All-SEC pick and a second-team All-American in 2024, Hill registered 113 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, eight sacks, four forced fumbles and added an interception and a fumble recovery. He was Big 12 co-Defensive Freshman of the Year and a Freshman All-American in 2023.

Deontae Lawson, Alabama

6-2, 230, Sr., Mobile, Ala.

Lawson totaled 76 tackles, seven tackles for loss, four pass breakups, an interception and a forced fumble in 11 games in 2024 before suffering a season-ending knee injury. A third-team All-SEC pick and team captain last year, he started 11 games as a sophomore in 2023.

Harold Perkins, LSU

6-1, 220, Jr., New Orleans, La.

One of the most talented players in the SEC, Perkins had his 2024 season cut short by a knee injury in Week 4 against UCLA. In 32 career games at LSU, he has 28 tackles for loss, 13 sacks and seven forced fumbles.

Whit Weeks, LSU

6-2, 220, Jr., Watkinsville, Ga.

In his first full season as a starter, Weeks filled up the stat sheet with 125 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles and an interception in 2024. He was a first-team All-SEC pick and was twice named SEC Defensive Player of the Week.

Others receiving votes: CJ Allen, Georgia; Kip Lewis, Oklahoma; Suntarine Perkins, Ole Miss; Demarcus Riddick, Auburn; Xavian Sorey, Arkansas; Taurean York, Texas A&M

Defensive back

KJ Bolden, Georgia

6-0, 185, So., Buford, Ga.

Bolden appeared in 14 games and started in two at safety as a true freshman, but is expected to take over this season as the leader in the secondary following the departure of Malaki Starks to the NFL. Bolden totaled 59 tackles in 2024, with an interception, a sack and a forced fumble.

Jermod McCoy, Tennessee

6-0, 193, Jr., Whitehouse, Texas

McCoy earned first-team All-SEC honors and was a second-team All-American at cornerback in 2024, his first season after transferring in from Oregon State. He totaled 44 tackles, nine pass breakups and four interceptions last season, and has six INTs and 16 PBUs in his career.

Domani Jackson, Alabama

6-1, 195, Sr., San Diego, Calif.

Jackson started all 13 games at cornerback for the Crimson Tide after transferring in following two years at USC. He registered 52 tackles, seven pass breakups, a forced fumble and two interceptions, one of them a game-clincher on the final play vs. South Carolina.

Michael Taaffe, Texas

6-0, 190, Sr., Austin, Texas

A former walk-on, Taaffe was a second-team All-American in his first full season as a starter for the Longhorns. In 16 games in 2024, he totaled 78 tackles, 10 pass breakups, six tackles for loss and two interceptions and also forced a fumble.

Others receiving votes: Jaylen Everette, Georgia; Mansoor Delane, LSU; Bray Hubbard, Alabama; Jalon Kilgore, South Carolina; Kayin Lee, Auburn; Will Lee, Texas A&M; Malik Muhammad, Texas

—

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker

Peyton Woodring, Georgia

5-10, 185, Jr., Lafayette, La.

Woodring was nearly perfect on placements as a sophomore, connecting on all 48 extra points and 21 of 23 (91.3%) on field goals, with a long of 55 yards. He was a second-team All-SEC selection as placekicker and a first-team pick as kickoff specialist, with 46 touchbacks in 81 attempts.

Others receiving votes: Randy Bond, Texas A&M

Punter

Brett Thorson, Georgia

6-2, 235, Sr., Melbourne, Australia

A second-team All-American, Thorson is entering his fourth season as the Bulldogs’ primary punter. He averaged 47.6 yards per punt with just five touchbacks, and placed 52.4% of his punts inside the opposing 20-yard line, with a long of 60 yards.

Others receiving votes: Aidan Laros, Kentucky

Return specialist

Barion Brown, LSU

5-11, 180, Sr., Nashville, Tenn.

A Kentucky transfer, Brown is one of the most prolific kickoff returners in SEC history. He has five career kickoff returns for touchdowns, was a first-team All-American in 2023 and averaged 24.9 yards — including a 99-yard score vs. Florida — for the Wildcats in 2024, earning first-team All-SEC recognition.

Others receiving votes: Kam Shanks, Arkansas; Zavion Thomas, LSU

COMING SUNDAY: Answering key questions about the SEC’s top teams and players in 2025.

Creg Stephenson is a sports writer for AL.com. He has covered college football for a variety of publications since 1994. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter at @CregStephenson.

Trent Richardson got call after call and text after text.

LSU fan after LSU fan. The Alabama running back’s number had been leaked.

Richardson, who played for the Crimson Tide from 2009 to 2011, thought back to 2011 during a recent episode of his podcast, “The Dynasty.“ That’s when those Tigers fans obtained his number during the open week prior to Alabama facing LSU.

“I’m getting 200 text messages, calls, everything out of nowhere,” Richardson said. “I’m laying in the bed. Of course, I’m dating somebody at the time. She was like, ‘Hey what’s going on? What you’ve got going on?’ It was one of those things like, I don’t know.’”

Richardson was trying to process all of the things he was being sent.

“It was nothing but people mooning me,” Richardson said. “People showing me, like ‘Hey we’re going to whoop your …’ I’m talking about they were doing anything and everything for two weeks straight.”

Then Alabama lost to LSU 9-6 in overtime at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

“After the game, the game of the century, after the game, they were like, ‘We respect you so much, you played a hell of a game, did this and that,’” Richardson said. “Gave me compliments.”

But the LSU fans didn’t forget his number.

“The next time we played them in the national championship, it started right back again,” Richardson said. “What’s crazy is, it started even longer because we had the bowl games. You had a month of people calling me, flicking me off, all types of crazy stuff.”

Then Alabama beat LSU 21-0.

Tigers fans had his number, but Richardson had the national championship trophy.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.

If your house has a brick chimney, you may have some unexpected bird visitors this summer. But please don’t shoo them away.

“If it were me, I would say enjoy listening to them,” said Greg Harber with Alabama Audubon, the local chapter of the national birding group. “Nature is providing you a nice insect/mosquito control mechanism.”

These little birds, chimney swifts, are sometimes called “flying cigars” or “cigars with wings.” Only around five inches long, the birds have short tails and blunt heads. They are gray, with a patch of white on their necks.

If you have a chimney swift family nesting in your chimney, it’s best to just leave them alone, Harber said. The birds will eat insects that come in through the top.

The birds are common throughout Alabama during the summer, as well as the rest of the eastern U.S.

Chimney swifts used to nest in hollowed-out trees. But as the U.S. began urbanizing and those trees became less common, the birds adapted.

Unlike most birds, chimney swifts are not able to perch on tree branches or other horizontal structures, Harber said. Instead, they have to cling to something that’s vertical.

During the summer, a pair of swifts will find a suitable chimney. Then, they will gather twigs and make a nest, using their saliva as an adhesive. Rather than a cup, the nest is more like a small shelf on the wall of the chimney.

“You can usually hear their little chirping noises in the chimney. And if they nest in there, well, then you’ll hear the little babies as well,” Harber said. “If you’re fortunate to have one that’s nesting in your chimney, it’s a really a unique experience for sure.”

Chimney swifts migrate south for the winter, catching insects in their mouths as they fly, according to the Audubon Society.

Their greatest spectacle comes during their fall migration, which begins as early as July.

At sunset, a flock of chimney swifts flying south will look for a place to roost for the night. When they find a suitable chimney, they’ll begin to swarm around it, in something Harber calls a “swift-nado.”

Just after the sun sets, the first swift descends into the chimney, and all of the other birds follow. Within minutes, hundreds or even thousands of the birds have all landed in the chimney to rest for the evening before continuing their journey.

“They really are just spectacular sights to see,” Harber said. “It’s the cheapest entertainment in Birmingham.”

Harber said he’s seen the “swift-nado” at a chimney near Legacy Arena and the BJCC in Birmingham. He recommends looking for chimneys at old school buildings to try to see the swift-nado for yourself.

After they migrate south for the winter, the chimney swifts will settle in the upper Amazon River Basin, in Brazil, Peru and parts of Ecuador. Starting in March, the birds will begin migrating north, according to the Audubon Society.

Harber said to expect them on the coast by mid-March, and in Birmingham by early April.

As chimneys fall out of fashion, the chimney swift population is declining. The bird’s population likely increased when chimneys were built in the U.S., according to Cornell University. But modern chimneys are not suitable for the birds, and homeowners sometimes cap their old chimneys, leading to a decline in the bird’s habitat.

Chimney swifts are considered to be at an “orange alert tipping point,” according to the university’s 2025 state of the birds report. The species’ population has declined by a cumulative 74% from 1966 to 2023, according to Cornell, or an estimated 2.3% per year during those 57 years.

Now is the time to act to take measures to conserve the chimney swift, Harber said, while the birds are still relatively common.

“If you see one of these spectacular ‘swift-nado’ formations, you might be inclined to think, ‘There’s lots of them, there’s plenty of them, they’re not in danger,’” Harber said. “Now that we’re aware of this, we can take proactive steps to make sure that our chimneys are kept open and available to them or we can put up chimney swift towers.”

Kalen DeBoer and his Alabama football staff have been recruiting up to the Crimson Tide standard in recent days. UA’s 2026 class of commitments has flown up the national rankings, currently sitting fifth in the nation according to 247Sports’ composite ratings.

The 2025 season hasn’t kicked off yet– the Crimson Tide hasn’t even started camp. It’s far, far too early to project how the roster will shake out by the time the recruiting class, which hasn’t even started its senior year of high school yet, arrives in Tuscaloosa.

However, it’s the peak of the offseason and always a good time to talk recruiting. Here’s a look at three current UA commits who could find a way to make an impact on the field as freshmen, in 2026.

EJ Crowell

Entering the 2025 season, Alabama will be looking for a superstar turn at running back from Jam Miller, who has been solid if unspectacular for much of his Crimson Tide career. Richard Young will also get carries for UA, filling the role Justice Haynes held last season.

But for 2026 and beyond, there’s uncertainty. Miller will be gone, as will depth piece Dre Washington, who gets one season with the Tide before running out of eligibility.

With Young still possibly around, Crowell certainly wouldn’t be slotted in as the starter in 2026. He’ll also have plenty of competition for playing time, with AK Dear, Daniel Hill and others still holding eligibility.

However, if Crowell can get to campus and immediately impress the Crimson Tide coaches, there’s a scenario where he could get carries as a true freshman.

Jireh Edwards

One of the latest editions to the class, Edwards 247Sports assessment, written by director of scouting Andrew Ivins, notes that he is on the older end of his class, which could be a positive early in his college career.

Edwards, a five-star safety from Maryland, chose the Crimson Tide over Auburn and Georgia. UA has some excellent defensive backs currently on the roster, but a path exists that could put him on the field early on.

Perhaps Bray Hubbard has an excellent 2025 and forgoes his final season in Tuscaloosa. Keon Sabb could also opt to head for the NFL, and DaShawn Jones is in his final year of eligibility at the husky position.

There’s young talent ahead of Edwards in age, but depending on the losses during the offseason, he could get a chance sooner than later.

Nolan Wilson

Alabama pulled off a tricky recruiting feat in getting Wilson: taking a top player from Mississippi’s commitment. With his present build, he likely fits in as a defensive end at Alabama, at the spot Kane Wommack calls the bandit.

LT Overton enters his final season as the starter. Behind him, Florida transfer Kelby Collins could make an impact as well, in his redshirt junior year.

Behind those two, its Jordan Renaud and Keon Keeley, who coaches have been high on, but haven’t proved it on the field yet. There’s certainly no guarantee that Wilson would be able to play as a freshman, especially in a position where he would likely need to gain some weight, but a path could open depending on turnover at bandit.

Dear Eric: I live in a fairly upscale apartment building of a few hundred units located in a fairly upscale part of a city. It’s quite a nice, new building and I enjoy living there.

But one apartment on the first floor has a bad odor that emanates from it when walking past the door. Because the apartment also opens from the back to the pool, the odor is heavy across a large swath of the lounging area.

The smell is revolting. The best way to describe it (and I’m not exaggerating) is a combination of rotting garbage mixed with dirty diapers that somebody is trying to cover up with cheap fabric softener. I am sure of which apartment it is coming from, because one day I was passing by the door just as the 20-something female tenant was going in and the very recognizable putrid stench blasted out like a wrecking ball slamming me in the gut.

I’m a bit older, in my early 50s. In an era in which anybody like me who complains gets labeled as an entitled “Karen,” I hate to report it to the young “agents” who staff the leasing office. I just suspect they’ll scoff at the old guy and do nothing. I also have a heart and don’t want to mortify the young woman.

I’m stunned that nobody else has complained. But maybe they’re like me and have no idea what to do. Do you?

– Revolted Neighbor

Dear Neighbor: At the risk of getting on a soapbox, I have to say that the term “Karen” has outlived its usefulness, if it ever had any. It’s an imprecise catchall and these days we’d all benefit from being clearer in our language and intent. (Not to mention, it makes life annoying for a number of people named Karen whom I quite like.)

All that to say, alert building management, if for no other reason than if the smell is that bad and that consistent, it strongly suggests a larger problem that could put the resident or other residents at risk. For her safety and yours, say something to someone who has the authority to respectfully investigate.

Read more Asking Eric and other advice columns.

Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at [email protected] or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Every day until Aug. 29, Creg Stephenson is counting down significant numbers in Alabama football history, both in the lead-up to the 2025 football season and in commemoration of the Crimson Tide’s first national championship 100 years ago. The number could be attached to a year, a uniform number or even a football-specific statistic. We hope you enjoy.

Few who saw the walk-on running back from tiny Sulligent High School in the fall of 2004 would have guessed that he would become a team captain and first-team All-American by the time his career ended at Alabama.

But that’s exactly what happened with Rashad Johnson, who after moving to defense in 2006 became one of the stars of the early Nick Saban era with the Crimson Tide. He later played nine years in the NFL and now makes his living as a coach.

Johnson was a fine high school player at Sulligent, but his best scholarship offer came from then-Division II North Alabama. Instead of going the small-college route, however, he bet on himself and walked on with the Crimson Tide under then-head coach Mike Shula.

“I was fortunate enough that my parents allowed me to step out on my dream, on what I wanted to do,” Johnson said in 2016 radio interview. “And I just chased it. It was an interesting transition from being a walk-on and having to go through the stages of being a walk-on, but I just kept my faith. I’ve always been a man of God, always been a faithful man that understands there’s going to be trials, there’s going to be hard times, but there’s always victory on the other side of it. So I just continued to endure. I just continued to push forward and did what I knew was right.”

After redshirting as a true freshman, Johnson played in all 13 games at Alabama in 2005 on kick-coverage units while still working as a scout-team running back. Shula and the other Alabama coaches convinced him to move to defense as a redshirt sophomore and he totaled 33 tackles and two forced fumbles in a reserve role in 2006.

But things took off for Johnson upon Saban’s arrival prior to the 2007 season. As starting free safety for the Crimson Tide, he totaled 94 tackles, six tackles for loss and an SEC-best six interceptions — securing first-team all-conference honors.

“He’s instinctive, he’s got really good range, he’s got great understanding of football in general,” Saban told the Montgomery Advertiser in 2008. “And he’s got good hands and good ball judgment. So all those combinations of things are going to put him in the right place to make plays a lot of the time.”

Alabama won the SEC West title in Johnson’s senior season of 2008, and he again had an outstanding year. He totaled 89 tackles, five tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and five interceptions — two of which he returned for touchdowns.

Johnson had a career day in a 27-21 overtime win over LSU in early November — Saban’s first journey back to Baton Rouge as Alabama’s coach. Johnson had a pick-six early in the game, and a game-clinching interception in overtime.

After the season, Johnson was named a first-team All-American. He’d quit playing in the kicking game by that time, but Saban noted “he’d be the best special teams player on our team if we played him on special teams.”Johnson was also recognized for his leadership, and was named a permanent team captain in each of his final two college seasons. “I would be pleased if my children had the character of Rashad,” Saban once said.

Johnson was a third-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals in 2009, and played eight seasons with that team and one with the Tennessee Titans before hanging up his helmet. Famously, he lost the tip of his left middle finger following an injury suffered during a game with the New Orleans Saints in 2013.

Johnson later spent four years as Alabama’s radio sideline reporter and as a member of the program’s support staff. He left Tuscaloosa in 2022 to become assistant secondary coach of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a position he still holds.

Johnson’s rise as a star player coincided with Saban’s arrival at Alabama in 2007. But even Johnson said he never foresaw nearly two decades of national championship contention for the Crimson Tide.

“I knew the turn was happening when Coach Saban got there,” Johnson told AL.com in 2019. “It was maybe a couple of weeks into it, just seeing the way he did things. He was the standard. He didn’t slow down. He was there 15 hours a day, putting in the work.

“You knew ‘this thing is going to go places,’ because the guy in charge is putting in just as much work as the guys around him, and forcing everybody else to get into that grind as well. I don’t know if I saw the sustainability of what we have now, but I definitely saw championships coming.”

Coming Sunday: Our countdown to kickoff continues with No. 48, when the SEC’s greatest football rivalry was reborn.

DEAR ABBY: I’m 55 and have been married for 15 years. I have two kids, ages 22 and 25. Both are on their own, living their own lives. My wife is 45. She has a 25-year-old son who has a four-year degree in computer science and claims he can’t find a job.

He refuses to look for other employment to fill in until something opens up in computers. He stays up half the night getting high and playing games online, and sleeps until noon. He has a considerable amount in his savings and is able to play the stock market, so it’s not like he’s broke and can’t start living on his own.

My wife won’t let go because he’s her only child. She and I have no alone time, no romantic nights and no dinners without him included. He’s always here and involved in everything, and I’m tired of it. I have reached a point in my life where I want to enjoy my time with my wife alone.

We are shopping for a new house, but I’m ready to say we buy a house together alone, just the two of us, or I’m filing for divorce and buying a house by myself. I feel it’s way past time for him to be weaned from his mother and get his own life. Do you agree or am I being overly sensitive? — OVER IT IN ARIZONA

DEAR OVER IT: You are not being overly sensitive. Your wife appears to have a serious case of separation anxiety when it comes to her son, which is healthy for neither. I assume you have discussed this with her to no avail. If that’s not true, you should.

If it IS true, then it’s time for marriage and family therapy with someone who is licensed. If your wife refuses to go, the alternative would be to schedule an appointment with an attorney who can help you “untie the knot.”

Read more Dear Abby and other advice columns.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

Dear Eric: By the time I was 8, I knew something was wrong with me. Babies that couldn’t be told not to would stare at my odd face. Sometimes I’d catch adults doing the same. It made me very uncomfortable.

I felt sick all of the time. No one knew why, but as a teen my deformities spread, and I had to have two grueling surgeries for spinal abnormalities. Afterward, I came up with elaborate ways to make up my face, do my hair and dress to disguise my oddities.

Through the years, other rare seemingly unrelated health problems arose. I have had to have nearly 20 more surgeries, two that literally saved my life.

The problem is that I brought all of my damaging coping behaviors into the life of my daughter. The pressure I inadvertently put on her to look pretty only made her terribly insecure. Forty years later, the additional effects of aging and childbearing have convinced her she’s so ugly and unattractive that she might as well give up. Even though she’s a good-looking woman! She is now severely obese and wears rags for clothing that reinforce her thinking.

This breaks my heart. Because I got so messed up myself, I do not know how to help her.

– Sad and Confused

Dear Sad and Confused: First, please work on forgiving yourself for not giving your daughter what you didn’t have to give. While you may have put pressure on her or allowed some of the pain you were processing to impact her, you were and still are also a person trying to navigate the world as best you can. So, grant yourself some grace.

And grant your daughter grace, too. No one is created in a vacuum. You didn’t single-handedly shape her personality, and you don’t have the power to single-handedly change her mind about herself.

But there’s incredible power in vulnerability and honesty. It can transform the relationship you have with your daughter and the relationship you have with yourself. First, if you’re not already doing so, work on processing the trauma you’ve experienced around your health and body image with a counselor. Once you’ve made some progress, you’ll be in a good state of mind to share with your daughter what you experienced and what you wish you had done differently.

The goal, however, shouldn’t be making her change. That’s her work to do. And if you are sharing with her with the intention that she behave or think differently, it’s likely to have a negative impact on her. Instead, try to work toward accepting her for who she is. That will have the most meaningful impact.

Read more Asking Eric and other advice columns.

Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at [email protected] or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.

Dear Annie: My sister lives across the country and recently lost her husband. She doesn’t have much of a support system nearby, and she’s not in good health and can’t get around well at all. She can barely take care of herself, never mind her little dog. Her home has serious issues because it’s been poorly maintained. I haven’t been able to go see her, but even if I could visit, I wouldn’t be much help with the house problems. Still, I care deeply about her and worry about her mental and physical health.

I call her several times a week, but lately, I’ve grown more concerned. I reached out to someone I know who occasionally visits her, hoping they could give me a better sense of how she’s really doing. That person never called me back — but they did call my sister and told her I’d called them. My sister told this third party not to contact me. Now she’s upset with me for “going behind her back,” and we haven’t spoken in over a week.

I can understand why she might be upset with me, but my call wasn’t done out of malice. I’m genuinely concerned for her welfare. I just wanted to make sure she was OK. Now our relationship is strained. Was it wrong to contact someone else out of concern for her safety and health? — Worried and Shutout

Dear Worried and Shutout: You weren’t wrong. From a distance, it can be hard to tell how serious a situation is, and your heart was in the right place. Still, it’s understandable why your sister felt blindsided. Having someone check up on her without her knowledge probably felt embarrassing and like a breach of trust. And since she’s still coping with the loss of her husband, she’s likely feeling more vulnerable these days.

It’s not so much about who was right or wrong as it is about moving past this incident and mending your relationship. Send your sister a message, not to defend yourself or rehash what happened, but simply to say you’re sorry for upsetting her and that when she’s ready to reconnect, you’ll be there. It may take her some time to get back on the same page, but with space and grace, I’m sure she’ll come around.

Read more Dear Annie and other advice columns.

“How Can I Forgive My Cheating Partner?” is out now! Annie Lane’s second anthology — featuring favorite columns on marriage, infidelity, communication and reconciliation — is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit Creators Publishing for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to [email protected].