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Alabama’s Keith Holcombe on stepping up because of injuries: ‘I’ve done it before … I know I can play’
By Cody McClure
Published:
Alabama starting middle linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton was ruled out for the season after suffering a broken patella in Saturday’s 24-10 win over LSU.
No. 2 Alabama will need a player to step in and fill his role as the Crimson Tide approaches a difficult stretch of games to close the season. The Tide has dates remaining against No. 16 Mississippi State and No. 14 Auburn. Then, of course, there’s also the potential SEC Championship Game against No. 1 Georgia.
Redshirt junior Keith Holcombe will be the player tasked with replacing Hamilton at linebacker for the foreseeable future, a report from 247Sports’ Bama OnLine said.
“It’s just something that I have to take on myself, that I have to step up to the plate,” Holcombe said on Tuesday. “Like we’ve always said about the entire season, because injuries have been happening, it’s the next man up. If that’s me or some younger guys or anybody on our defense, we just have to step up, get comfortable and do our job.”
Holcombe replaced Rashaan Evans at linebacker after Evans suffered a groin injury in Week 1 against Florida State. Holcombe has appeared in all nine of Alabama’s game this season, as well, the report pointed out.
“I’ve done it before,” Holcombe said. “I do whatever the coaches need me to do. People are saying I need to step up my game because SDH is down, but I’m just going to do whatever I need to do to help this team. And, earlier in the season with Razor going down, it prepared me to get ready for this.”
Holcombe appears to be ready for the new challenge.
“I know I can play, I’m comfortable with the defense and I’m looking forward to the opportunity,” he said.
Alabama and Mississippi State kick off at 7 p.m. ET in Starkville on ESPN Saturday.
Cody McClure is an SEC Football Writer for Saturday Down South. He lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he also co-hosts a midday sports radio show for FOX Sports. Cody previously worked for Athlon Sports.
