The college football season came to an end at the beginning of January, and the NFL season is also about to come to a close. Current Crimson Tide players reached their ultimate goal of winning the program’s 16th National Championship title. Now, three former Crimson Tide players hope to accomplish a similar goal on Sunday, Feb. 7 with the Super Bowl.
Denver Broncos
Evan Mathis, an offensive guard for the Broncos, represents the Crimson Tide for the AFC.
Mathis played for the Alabama back in 2004. This is his first year on the Broncos after a stint with the Philadelphia Eagles. He started 12 of the 16 games he played in throughout the season. Mathis and the rest of the Broncos’ offensive line are going to have to give Peyton Manning time to throw against a tough Carolina secondary, along with providing running lanes for the Denver running backs who will face a speedy front seven.
Carolina Panthers
For the flip side of the field, the Carolina Panthers have two former Crimson Tide players: Kevin Norwood and Roman Harper.
Norwood is another former Alabama player to change teams this offseason. He was traded to the Panthers from the Seattle Seahawks. Norwood, who plays wide receiver, has only been active for one game this year.
On the defensive, Harper, who plays strong safety, has had a strong season for the NFC champions. He finished with 73 tackles and five pass deflections.
This is Harper’s second Super Bowl appearance and second time matching up with Peyton Manning in the big game. Harper is one of the only Panthers with Super Bowl experience, so the team will look for him to lead.
With at least one former Alabama player on each team, Alabama will have a championship in both the NCAA and the NFL.
