After each missed 10 games last year, Alabama linebackers Terrell Lewis and Christian Miller are fully healthy and ready to make an impact over a full season for the Crimson Tide in 2018.
Lewis, a true junior, has two more years to make his mark than, Miller, a redshirt senior, who has just this one. Despite having graduated as the No. 1-ranked player in South Carolina, Miller has mostly spent his time at Alabama buried on the depth chart.
He was finally listed as the starting sam linebacker for Week 1 against Florida State last year, but made only three tackles before suffering a bicep injury and being pronounced out for the season.
This will be his fifth and final series of spring practices, and he’s determined to set himself up to play a full season and be an example to his teammates.
“[I’m approaching spring practice] with a lot of focus, a lot of attention to detail,” Miller said. “Making sure I cover all the small things. But mainly I want to step up and lead on and off the field. I just want to embrace this last year and just do everything I can to make my presence known just with the guys, with the coaches, with the organization. Just really knowing it’s my last, I just want to get as much out of it as I can.”
Lewis sent an Instagram post with the caption “I’ll be back” the day after his elbow injury in the season opener. As tough as it was for him to miss so much game action, he said he was still able to learn by watching from the sidelines.
“I feel like it started to slow the game down for me as far as just like being able to see ‘OK, these guys are good, but I see who I’m going against,’” Lewis said. “The thing around here, you go against the same people every day. We like to say that we’re playing against the best athletes every day in practice. But going against somebody else, it just feels different.”
Even though Lewis and Miller were thought to be out for the full season, they were both able to return for the Iron Bowl and Alabama’s run through the College Football Playoff. Lewis made his first career start in the national championship against Georgia, and even recorded a 13-yard sack in overtime.
From then to now, the Crimson Tide’s coaching staff has experienced more shuffling than any other offseason during coach Nick Saban’s tenure.
Amid all the turnover for the coaches, the linebackers must also replace two valued leaders and last year’s starting inside linebackers: Shaun Dion Hamilton and Rashaan Evans.
Hamilton was renowned for his knowledge of the playbook and communication to get everyone in the right spots, and Evans for his intensity and passion. Saban said this early in spring practice, the team’s leaders and their styles are still emerging.
“We’re still searching for leadership and what this team and these players are going to tolerate from each other in terms of how good they want to be,” Saban said. “That’s going to take time to develop and see how it transpires.”
As a redshirt senior, Miller is working on assuming those roles more than he has before, saying he wants to fill the void and that the team needs everyone to embrace that responsibility.
Lewis has made 27 tackles in his two-year career, but appears in line for a starter or prominent reserve role this season. He said his desire to prove that he deserves it will help him increase his production this year.
“I feel like I haven’t scratched the surface yet,” Lewis said. “I still feel like I haven’t done a lot for this program yet, so I feel like the best is yet to come.”
