Crimson Tide Hope John Parker Wilson's Experience Pays Off in 2008

With the game tied 34-34 with under two minutes remaining, everything was on the line.  One team had national title hopes and both wanted SEC West supremacy.  It was obvious that we had an instant classic on our hands.

Junior quarterback John Parker Wilson and the Crimson Tide offense approached the line of scrimmage for a crucial 3rd and 12 from their own 29-yard line.  They were so close to taking another monumental step towards their aspirations of an SEC championship.

With the snap of the ball, the imposing LSU Tiger defense rushed seven men.  The stalwart Alabama offensive line held them all out, except for one.  Safety Chad Jones found a hole in the left side of the line and wrapped himself around Wilson and twirled him around to the ground. Wilson lost the football as it fell helplessly to the turf, and was subsequently recovered by LSU, setting up the deciding touchdown.

In one brief, almost unbelievable moment, Alabama’s conference title hopes had disappeared.  The thunderous cheers from the faithful decked in crimson at Bryant-Denny Stadium were silenced.  Wilson was faced with questions that had no easy answers.

The heartbreaking defeat sent the Tide into a downward spiral, as they lost their next three games, including a disastrous loss at home to Louisiana-Monroe and a sixth straight defeat at the hands of arch-rival Auburn. But as fans and college football analysts often dwell on what “could have been” for Alabama in 2007, Wilson and the Tide players are looking to improve on last season’s 7-6 record. This time, Alabama hopes that Wilson, now a senior, will be one of the driving forces to get the team over the hump.

And why not?  Wilson is a senior, after all. Say what you want about the interceptions, the fumbles, and the win-loss record, but John Parker Wilson is certainly battle-tested at this point.  He’s manned the Crimson Tide offense in some of the most fearsome road environments one mind could ever conjure up. The cries of “Pig Sooey!” ringing throughout Razorback Stadium?  The constant blaring of “Rockytop” in Big Orange country?  The not-so-friendly confines of Death Valley in Baton Rouge?  Wilson has seen it all.

He’s also having to learn yet another offensive playbook, now with his third offensive coordinator in as many years.  In 2006, under the tutelage of Mike Shula and Dave Rader, Wilson opened a lot of eyes with his ability to learn the system so quickly. He also put up some eye-popping numbers, setting seven single-season team records in just his first year as a starter. Then came Major Applewhite’s brief tenure at the Capstone, a year that saw Wilson work his way up the rankings among the all-time greats at Alabama.

Enter Jim McElwain, and as evident by his improvement on a week-to-week basis in spring practice, Wilson is already getting a good feel for the new offensive scheme which, according to head coach Nick Saban, should not differ that much from last season. But the fact remains obvious: Wilson has seen and been through a lot more than your average college football quarterback.

He’s experienced the highs, such as Alabama’s 41-17 thrashing of the Tennessee Volunteers two weeks prior to the LSU game in 2007. He has also experienced the walk-off overtime touchdown pass against Ole Miss in 2006.  With the good, he has experienced the bad like the costly fumbles in the Iron Bowl in 2006, the untimely interception against Mississippi State right before halftime in Starkville, and the aforementioned mishap against LSU last November.

But one cannot deny Wilson’s courage, not to mention his unshakable team attitude.  When Alabama lost two starting offensive linemen due to textbook violations mid-season last year for five consecutive games, Wilson did not use that as an excuse.  When the depth at running back was severely crippled due to injuries and suspensions, Wilson made no mention of it.  Instead, he took every bullet thrown at him.

While the only game-changing plays shown on highlight films may portray his struggles, and while Tide fans throughout the country may vehemently spew their criticism of the Hoover high school product, John Parker Wilson never threw his teammates under the bus.  Despite having a supporting cast that was hobbled due to different reasons, Wilson remained Alabama’s scapegoat of sorts, a role that he never complained about.

The 2008 edition of the Alabama Crimson Tide will need that experience and steadfast attitude from its senior quarterback to be successful. With an intriguing matchup against Clemson to kick off the season, and the familiar brutality of the SEC, it will certainly be a formidable journey for an Alabama program yearning to return to its traditional prominence as one of the elite in college football.  Who better to lead the charge than a guy entering his third season as a starting quarterback?

Experienced senior quarterbacks have proven valuable in this conference, especially in recent memory.  Take a look at Chris Leak from Florida.  Coming into 2006, while highly touted for his athletic ability, Leak was still considered by many to be somewhat of an underachiever.  Much of the Gator nation was eager to see true freshman Tim Tebow take over the reigns.  But Urban Meyer thought otherwise, choosing instead to go with the experienced option.  The result?  Leak, the senior who had seen his share of ups and downs, capped off his career with a BCS Title.

What about Jason Campbell from Auburn in 2004?  Campbell, like Wilson, had been through a number of different offensive coordinators and had seen many disappointments in his career as a starting quarterback.  But in his final season, his poise and determination was unmatched, as he led the Auburn Tigers to a perfect season and an SEC Championship.

Now, that’s not to say that John Parker Wilson is going to lead Alabama to a national title or even a conference title in 2008.  But what it does prove is that having a veteran leader under center proves to be beneficial, particularly in the Southeastern Conference, where a new battle presents itself week in and week out.

Wilson won’t be alone in these battles, however.  A quarterback is only as good as the players around him, Wilson has the tools to be successful.  He has four of five returning starters on the offensive line to play behind, including All-SEC performers such as Andre Smith and Antoine Caldwell.  He has a solid stable of running backs with Terry Grant, Glen Coffee, and Roy Upchurch. He has a bevy of talent and potential waiting in the wings at wide receiver.

The pieces are in place for Alabama’s senior quarterback.  The leadership, the courageous and selfless attitude, the experience, and the offensive weapons. Now it’s time to put it all together.  The past has been shaky, and the disappointments have been obvious.

When the Crimson Tide takes the field and prepares for what promises to be yet another ruthless and rugged football season, one of the guys expected to lead the way will be a battle-scarred senior quarterback who doesn’t know the meaning of the word “quit”.

And that is promising.