NEW ORLEANS— Linebacker injuries have been well documented for Alabama. Christian Miller, Terrell Lewis, Anfernee Jennings and Rashaan Evans all went down against Florida State. Then eight weeks later Shaun Dion Hamilton and Mack Wilson both went down. Dylan Moses also was injured late in the year.

Evans and Jennings came back a couple weeks later, while Miller and Lewis came back against Auburn. Hamilton and Moses are both out against Clemson, but Mack is back.

“Mack Wilson is going to have a great game,” Evans said. “He’s going to be well prepared. He’s the type of guy that brings a lot of versatility to the defense. I have all the confidence in him. He’s done all the right things that he needs to do.”

Wilson missed two games with a foot injury, which seemed like he sustained in the LSU game. He actually was hurt two days before Alabama kicked off its season. 

Two teammates stepped on his foot and cracked it. He finished the practice and decided to delay the surgery and play through the pain.

“It was tough,” Wilson said. “I had a lot of adversity that I had face after that, because there were times where it was really hard, when it was hurting really bad. There were times where I wanted to say ‘Mr. Jeff Allen I want to go ahead and have surgery.’ I just tried to keep my head on football instead of worrying about my foot.” 

That was until the crack turned into a complete break late in the second quarter against LSU. 

“I wanted to just finish the season,” Wilson said. “I just wanted to play so bad. It just wasn’t feeling right the whole game warmups… I just didn’t feel too comfortable. When that play happened, it was just weird… It was like a slight plant that went ahead and cracked it all the way.”

In the nine games he played in before his surgery, Wilson had 21 tackles and three interceptions, which is tied for the team lead.

Wilson played in the Auburn game, but wasn’t completely healthy. He finished with just one tackle. 

“I felt good in the first half,” Wilson said. “In the third quarter, my knees started getting shaky and my foot was getting froze. It started to stiffen, so I couldn’t do too much.”

Hamilton and Moses were huge for the Crimson Tide since they were signal callers. Now that’s Wilson’s job.

“I got to make sure that everyone is lined up the right way,” Wilson said. “It’s going to be a big role. I’m just going to have to step up, and just play my hardest.”

Wilson had some experience as a signal caller last year, but he feels far more ready now than last year.

“I’m very comfortable,” Wilson said. “Last year was kind of shaky. I was trying to learn everything. But this year I feel like I’m almost 100 percent knowing the playbook. So, it’s not going to be hard. Coach (Jeremy Pruitt) is going to call stuff that we can execute, so it’s not going to be that hard at all.”