“I think probably eight to 10 weeks before he really can start doing things that would allow him to be able to even think about being able to play football again,” coach Nick Saban said.
Drake’s teammates said they were sad to see him injured because they knew how hard he worked during the week and how much he contributed to the offense.
“[His injury] makes you want to go harder and do better for that one person after they get hurt,” senior running back Jalston Fowler said.
The team will be able to look to other running backs like Fowler, but Drake provided a threat in the air. He had 159 yards receiving.
Last season, Drake had eight touchdowns and rushed for 694 yards on 92 carries. He had 12 receptions for 135 yards. As a freshman, he had five touchdowns and 281 yards on the ground off 42 carries.
Through five games, Drake leads the team in touchdowns with six.
“You just put somebody else somewhere else, like another player,” Fowler said. “You could put me in there and let the other running backs do what they do, you could put a tight end and let them do what they do. It won’t be hard, but it’s a big loss to our offense.”
