Players and coaches of The University of Alabama football team lost a brother during the week leading up to its home game against Tennessee.

Former running back Altee Tenpenny died in a one-car wreck Tuesday night under the Mississippi sky.

During Wednesday’s press conference, coach Nick Saban recognized the loss.

“I just want to take a minute to express our gratitude and deepest sympathies to Altee Tenpenny and his family,” Saban said. “You know Altee was part of our family here, and is special to a lot of people, and good friends with a lot of our players.”

Saban was able to visit with Tenpenny’s mother Wednesday and express condolences on behalf of the entire university and the football organization. As a former teammate of Tenpenny’s, Denzel Devall recalled how he found out the news.

“It was late [Tuesday] night, probably about one o’clock,” Devall said. “Reggie [Ragland] had called me, and normally when Reggie calls me that late, I’m like it better be something serious.”

It was.

Ragland broke the news to a half-asleep Devall. Once the two got off the phone, Devall quickly fell back asleep, but when he woke up around 5 a.m., what Ragland told him truly sunk in.

“That’s when it really hit me – I really couldn’t believe it,” he said. “It seemed so surreal. It’s like [losing] a brother.”

That’s how Devall discussed it with the rest of his team Wednesday in the locker room after everyone heard what happened.

“It’s like we’re all brothers,” he said. “We’re around each other 24/7 and just to see one of your brothers gone, it’s going to hurt you hard.”

Cam Robinson felt the same way Devall did. Tenpenny was more than just a former teammate.

“That was one of our brothers,” he said. “That was a tough loss. We tried to come out at practice and focus [on] what we were supposed to focus on, but it was obviously tough losing one of our brothers.”

Devall remembers Tenpenny for the man he was – just remember the good times, he said.

As someone who is constantly smiling himself, Devall recalled Tenpenny’s big smile, which was accompanied by a pair of dimples. He said he never really saw Tenpenny down.

“No matter what he was going through, he was always smiling,” Devall said. “You would never know what was going on, if he was mad or not, or what was going on. He was always smiling – it was crazy.”

Now it’s up to Devall, Robinson and the rest of the team to pick each other up. Devall said many of his teammates were down, but they’re going to work together to get through this – as a family.

Tenpenny was on campus for Alabama’s homecoming game against Arkansas, but neither Robinson nor Devall had the opportunity to see him.

Many other teammates have expressed their emotions over the loss on social media – whether it be through Twitter or Instagram. They also have posted memories they have of Tenpenny. Players have shared many posts in honor of their former teammate – in honor of their brother.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family right now,” Robinson said.