Alabama safety relies on experienced leadership before the first start

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama is in for a celebratory weekend as the No. 15 Crimson Tide will host the No. 21 Missouri Tigers for homecoming. The homecoming festivities will bring many to Tuscaloosa to enjoy the game and create special memories with friends and families.

This weekend, regardless of the outcome of the game, will be special for an Alabama football player as he takes the next step in his career development. The Crimson Tide will turn to second-year safety Bray Hubbard this weekend to make his first start in the secondary after losing safety Keon Sabb to a broken foot last week.

Sabb came into the Tennessee game with a foot injury and left the game shortly after halftime after suffering another injury while making a pass. Hubbard was quick to credit Sabb for helping him develop and preparing him for the moment ahead.

“Keon, man, we’re boys,” Hubbard said. “So we always talk on and off the field, exactly what we see during games and during training. No matter if I’m coming off the field in practice, what he sees, we just always communicate what we see to make each other better on a daily basis.”

The sophomore from Mississippi played in nine games on special teams last season but weathered the coaching change despite other defensive backs opting to enter the transfer portal. His patience has paid off as he is now next man up in Sabb’s absence.

“Just stay focused, that’s the process, even when Coach Saban was here,” Hubbard said of the reasons he stayed. “It’s the process, they’re going to train you to be the best you can be, so that’s really it, just stack the days and keep going with the process.”

Hubbard said that although Sabb was injured, he was still influencing and leading the secondary along with team captain Malachi Moore. The pair served as a reliable source for Hubbard to lean on as he took the next step in his playing career.

“It goes to Keon and Malachi, they are the two leaders in our room. They both have playing experience. We rely on them, they rely on us. We always talk. “We talk what we see and make each other better every day,” Hubbard said.

So what do the two upperclassmen tell Hubbard before his first start in an Alabama uniform?

“Go out and do your thing. You know it, go and do it.”