Eli Ricks Earns Bednarik Weekly Award

After putting on a stellar performance in his first start for the Crimson Tide, cornerback Eli Ricks was named the Bednarik Award Player of the Week, presented by the Maxwell Football Club.

The award is given out weekly to honor outstanding defensive play regardless if the player was named to the preseason watch list.

It has been well-documented that Ricks' first season with the Crimson Tide has not been easy, but he finally got his opportunity against the pass-heavy offense of Mississippi State and the SEC's leader passer in Will Rogers.

Ricks ended the day with one tackle and only allowed one completion throughout the entire game. The most impressive part of his stat line are the four pass breakups, tying with Kool-Aid McKinstry for most in the game.

DeMarcco Hellams talked after the game about how Ricks has great length, and Henry To'oTo'o explained how even if he's out of position, Ricks' length allows him to recover and defend.

The secondary has been a question mark for Alabama all season, and after the performance against Tennessee, some wondered how they would respond going forward. Ricks himself battled an injury during fall camp along with adjusting to the new system, a system that Nick Saban pays close attention as he works most with the defensive backs.

The Tide is on a bye week, and the next game will be against Jayden Daniels, who is as dangerous a runner as he is a passer. If the Ricks everyone saw Saturday is a sign of things to come, that is good news for the Alabama secondary.