LaBryan Ray discusses return from foot injury, expectations for Alabama's defensive line
Alabama DL LaBryan Ray has dealt with a prolonged foot injury or re-aggravation for more than a year, but he proclaimed this week that he’s back to 100 percent.
His return will be a big piece of the defensive line improving on last year’s sub-par production levels.
“It starts up front,” Ray said. “If we’re not physical, we can’t really rely on the other people behind us to do our job. Definitely, we got to pick it up.”
Ray didn’t realize at the time that the injury last season against South Carolina would end his season, but it’s something that made him stronger. Byron Young and Justin Eboigbe largely filled in for Ray, and he’s watched them develop last year, and as he’s returned to action this offseason.
“Last year, they took big strides and they’re getting better every day,” he said.
Ray, though, lit up when asked about Christian Barmore, who he called “my guy,” but quickly shifted to the notion of being productive as a committee.
“As a group, we’ve got to come to work, play more physical, play more with effort and do our job every day, do our job every play, really,” Ray said.
Ray said new position coach Freddie Roach, who came from Ole Miss, pushes his position group, but also explains why they’re doing a certain drill or alignment.
Roach and Ray are trying to get Alabama back to the level of sack totals, for example, that the Crimson Tide enjoyed the previous 3 years before last season. Last year, Alabama had 32 sacks as a team, but the previous 2 years had at least 40, and in 2016 had 54.