Former Alabama Football players continue to show-out in the NFL, and Week 2 was no different. The Crimson Tide is always well represented on Sundays, and any time you flip the channel you are bound to see a former ‘Bama player making plays on both sides of the ball.
An Alabama player scored a touchdown for the 86th consecutive week, h/t to Alabama Pro Updates on twitter for tracking that. I have no idea if that is an NFL record, but it’s gotta be.
Narrowng down to five performances is never easy, and it certainly wasn’t this week. Marlon Humphrey, Xavier McKinney, and Brian Branch all picked off passes, but they fell just short of the list this week. Will Reichard is another honorable mention after hitting his first field goal in the NFL and finishing 3/3 on the day.
Of course, there’s still Monday Night Football to be played, and Jalen Hurts and DeVonta Smith might have something to say about this list, but for now:
The Top 5:
5. Derrick Henry
It was a losing effort for the Ravens as Baltimore fell to a disappointing 0-2 on the young season, but Derrick Henry did what Derrick Henry does. He carried the ball 18 times and gained 84-yards and scored his second touchdown of the season against the Raiders.
He had a highlight reel run in the third quarter where he hit his patented stiff-arm and sent a Raiders defender flying:
Henry looks to be getting more comfortable in Baltimore, and the Ravens should figure things out soon enough and get back to looking like the AFC contender they typically are.
4. Will Anderson Jr.
In his first opportunity in a primetime spot this season, the Terminator once again showed why he’s one of the best young edge rushers in the NFL. The reigning defensive rookie of the year helped lead a dominant defensive effort for the Texans against No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams and the Bears.
Anderson finished with 1.5 sacks on the night and should’ve gotten one more, but the elusive Williams evaded it. Led by former Alabama LB DeMeco Ryans at head coach, the Texans are off to a 2-0 start, and Anderson will continue tormenting quarterbacks the rest of the season.
3. Josh Jacobs
With Jordan Love injured, the Packers had little choice but to lean on Josh Jacobs as they looked to avoid an 0-2 start in a home game against the Colts. Most pundits didn’t give them a chance, but Jacobs put the team on his back and helped deliver Green Bay a key victory, likely with a few Alabama fans in attendance who made the trip to Green Bay on Sunday after watching the Tide roll over Wisconsin on Saturday.
Jacobs carried the ball 32 times and picked up 151 yards in the process. He’s up to 235 yards rushing through two weeks to begin his Green Bay tenure on a high note. He’s yet to find the endzone in two weeks, but the Jacobs signing is paying immediate dividends for the Packers so far.
2. Brian Robinson Jr.
It was a career day for Brian Robinson as he helped lead the Commanders to a 21-18 win over the division rival Giants. Robinson turned 17 carries into 133 yards, setting his career high on the ground in the process. He also pulled a houdini act on a career-long 40-yard rush on a 3rd-and-1:
It was the most carries Robinson has received since November 19th last season, a fact he was well aware of in the postgame. It was also the first 100-yard rushing game Robinson has had since his rookie season in 2022 when he eclipsed the century mark in a November win over the Falcons.
Hopefully Robinson continues to see his role expand and he remains a focal point for Washington.
1. Calvin Ridley
After a year-long suspension from the NFL in 2022, Ridley made his return last season for the Jaguars and played well enough to earn a 4-year, $92 million contract with the Titans. In his second game as a Titan, Ridley delivered.
Ridley scored the first rushing touchdown of his NFL career on a 10-yard end-around. Late in the third quarter, Ridley hauled in a 40-yard touchdown that tied the game.
The Titans ultimately would fall 24-17 to the Jets to drop to 0-2 on the young season, but Ridley had the only multi-touchdown game of the week from a former Tide player.
