One of the more encouraging signs for the University of Alabama football team was the lack of penalties down the stretch and in the postseason.

Over its final three games it averaged just three flags per game, and after the loss to Ole Miss on Oct. 4 it had no more than seven (vs. Mississippi State).

For the season the Crimson Tide had 69 flags for 562 yards, which was second to Tennessee in the Southeastern Conference and was tied for 25th nationally.

While that’s not as good as Alabama’s 2011 and 2012 national championship teams, it’s the same number of penalties and 30 fewer yards than the undefeated 2009 Crimson Tide.

Penalties during the Saban era
Year, Number-yards, Average
2007: 59-453; 5.4-41.2
2008: 57-520; 4.1-37.1
2009: 69-598; 4.9-42.7
2010: 66-490; 5.1-37.7
2011: 49-409; 3.8-31.5
2012: 54-467; 3.9-33.5
2013: 63-520; 4.8-40.0
2014: 69-562; 4.9-40.1

So who made the most penalties during the 2014 season? Crimson Tide should have no trouble guessing correctly.

The following is a compiled list of Alabama’s penalty leaders from this past season, of when the instigator’s name was announced or when it was obvious whom the culprit was. Not included were 10 penalties when it was either not clear or the infraction was more team-related (for example, substitution infractions), offsetting or those declined:

Name, Penalties-Yards
Leon Brown 8-70
Cyrus Jones 5-49
Arie Kouandjio 4-30
Amari Cooper 3-25
Ryan Kelly 3-20
Cam Robinson 3-20
Blake Sims 3-15
Six players had two penalties each