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EJ Crowell, Yhonzae Pierre Headline Crimson Tide Athletes of the Week

Recognizing the Crimson Tide athletes who dominated this week from Tuscaloosa to the pros.
Theodore Fernandez|
Alabama Linebacker Yhonzae Pierre celebrates his pick 6 in the first half of the game against ECU on Sept 5, 2026.
Alabama Linebacker Yhonzae Pierre celebrates his pick 6 in the first half of the game against ECU on Sept 5, 2026. | Sarah Munzenmaier/Alabama Crimson Tide on SI

Alabama football is back, and so is Crimson Tide Athletes of the Week!

The weekly awards column returns from its summer hiatus with plenty to talk about, as Alabama's 48-10 thrashing of East Carolina left us with no shortage of stars to highlight. Without further ado, here are the Crimson Tide Athletes of the Week for the week of August 31 - September 6, 2026:

Note — due to the NCAA's new 5-in-5 rule, redshirt freshmen are effectively irrelevant. As a result, the "Freshman of the Week" award will now only be given to true freshmen.

Freshman of the Week: EJ Crowell

Crowell did not at all look like somebody who missed both of Alabama's fall camp scrimmages and just returned to the practice field six days before the opener. The five-star freshman averaged 5.3 yards per carry (7 rushes, 37 yards) and scored the Crimson Tide's first touchdown of the season.

Fellow running back Trae'Shawn would be here had his 68-yard touchdown run not been called back due to a questionable holding call.

Athlete of the Week: Yhonzae Pierre

Ryan Coleman-Williams took himself out of contention for the honor with his drop(s). Keelon Russell did a lot of great things in his first career start, but was far from perfect. The defense was absolutely dominant against the Pirates, and no player personified that dominance more than Pierre.

Pierre demonstrated exactly why Kane Wommack is justified in dropping his best pass rushers into coverage, as ECU quarterback Mitch Griffis threw it directly to him for a second-quarter pick-six. The wolf also recorded a sack on the day, and was a consistent force that put pressure on Griffis and the Pirates throughout the entire game.

All in all, a great start for a player looking to cement himself as a superstar and a potential first-round NFL Draft pick in April.

Pro Athlete of the Week: Justin Lebron

Lebron has put together an electric summer with the Daytona Dragons, the High-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, since being drafted No. 18 overall in July. He's currently batting .292 with eight home runs and an OPS of .940 through 23 games.

The shortstop had three multi-hit games and went yard twice over his six games last week, and is certainly deserving of the recognition, especially with the NFL primed to take over this category for the foreseeable future, starting next week.

Clutch Athlete of the Week: Kade Snell

Snell, Alabama's 2025 captain, has pieced together a solid season with the South Bend Cubs, Chicago's High-A affiliate. The power has been underwhelming with just nine homers in 81 games, but he has 58 RBI and a .776 OPS to go along with it.

And last week, he reminded everybody of the power he regularly flexed at Sewell-Thomas Stadium, hitting a three-run blast in the bottom of the ninth to walk off the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Minnesota Twins). Snell faces an uphill battle to eventually make the majors, but moments like this will certainly keep him on radars.

Glue Guy of the Week: Lotzeir Brooks

Brooks was quiet on the receiving front, with just two receptions for 23 yards on two targets. But he made his presence felt in a big way, gunning down the ECU return man on a perfectly-covered punt. Special teams was an absolute bright spot for the Crimson Tide on Saturday, and Alex Asparuhov's life will be a lot easier if plays like this become commonplace this year.

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Theodore Fernandez
THEODORE FERNANDEZ

Theodore Fernandez is BamaCentral’s baseball beat reporter and a co-host of The Joe Gaither Show. He also works as a weekend sports anchor at WVUA 23 News in Tuscaloosa and serves as one of the station’s lead high school sports reporters. Fernandez is a news media student at The University of Alabama and is pursuing a master’s degree in sports management.

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