TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — It was one of those revelations that even though a lot of time had passed, surprised his teammates.
“I had no clue,” senior tackle Austin Shepherd said. “I never would have guessed.
“He’s one of my favorite people on the team. I love Nudie. He’s just a team player, all-around great guy.”
Senior fullback Jalston Fowler, one of the most popular players on this year’s Crimson Tide, and who wants to be remembered as “Nudie, the wrecking ball,” nearly gave up football a couple of years ago.
“I was pretty close,” he disclosed to reporters this week.
It stems back to the fall of 2012, when coming off a season in which he had 385 rushing yards on 56 carries Fowler was being groomed to be a sort of Jack-of-All-Trades threat in the backfield.
That included everything from carrying the ball to being a receiver, blocking fullback and even some H-back/tight end action.
He looked the part too. In the season opener against Michigan, ironically at A&T Stadium in Texas, where Fowler could potentially play his final collegiate game if the Crimson Tide reaches the national championship, he had eight carries for 67 yards.
A week later, though, Alabama was having some trouble with Western Kentucky’s pass-rushers on the edges. While helping block AJ McCarron’s right side in the fourth quarter Gavin Rocker came around the other side and as he sacked the quarterback landed on Fowler’ planted leg from behind.
The result of the “Crazy, freak accident play,” was a torn ACL.
Although players are coming back from the necessary surgery faster than ever, it still doesn’t mean that the recovery is easy, and at times Fowler wanted to give up.
“But I couldn’t do it, because I had a son coming,” he said. “So I had to just stick it out.
Fowler later added: “Back when I was in a relationship with my girlfriend, she had to just keep me going, keep me positive through the whole thing. Family and friends too.”
Usually Fowler is known for being fun-loving and a bit of a prankster who sends humorous Snapchat photos to teammates. There’s also the “Nudie” nickname which goes back to his father, who would introduce him as “This is my nudie baby.”
The dump truck/bus/wrecking ball part of it stems from strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran and his style of play.
“I like to truck people, run people over,” Fowler said last year. “We’ve got this saying. When you hear the train coming across the railroad, hear the little ‘Choo Choo,’ nah that’s the Nudie Bus.”
On most teams a 250-pound player in the backfield is a rarity, but Alabama also has running back Derrick Henry (listed as 6-4, 241), incoming freshman Bo Scarbrough just started practicing with the team, and even T.J. Yeldon, at 6-2, 221 is considered a pretty big running back.
For sheer power, though, Fowler’s the guy, and some of the Alabama defenders would rather try and stop Henry if given the choice.
“I definitely wouldn’t want to see Nudie coming through the hole, so I’d probably take Derrick before I’d take him just because he’s a taller guy, hit at his legs easier than I can Nudie’s,” junior cornerback Cyrus Jones said. “I’d say I’d take Derrick before I’d take Jalston.”
“I don’t even think you can win with that question,” sophomore defensive end Jonathan Allen responded.
For his career, Fowler has 113 carries for 738 yards (6.5 average), and 17 receptions for 136 yards. He’s also scored 12 touchdowns heading into the Sugar Bowl meeting with Ohio State on Jan. 1 (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
But the thing he might be proudest of, outside of his son, was recently being elected a team captain along with Amari Cooper, Landon Collins and Blake Sims.
Talk about a proud papa.
“Now that I look back on it, I’m happy that I didn’t (quit),” he said.
Christopher Walsh has covered Alabama football since 2004 and is the author of 19 books. In his free time, he writes about college football.
