The 2010 Replacements for Alabama's Departing Football Players, Chapter Six

Eryk Anders' departure is another example of a replacement taking over and shining. Leaving after a national championship as a starter made his final memories better, but he sat on the bench for years until he began to be used in 2008 as a third-down "rabbit rusher."

At 6'2" and 227 pounds, he wasn't that small, but was very fast on the initial burst and was effective in wreaking havoc on third-down passing situations on opponents. 

That's what led to him getting the nod to become a starter in 2009.

"There were some times that I would talk to my family about transferring," said Anders, who is from San Antonio. "But God and my family kept me here, and this is what I am doing now. They have been a big part of my success."

Now comes his replacement junior Courtney Upshaw, who at 6'2" and 249 pounds is another linebacker who hopes to have quarterbacks in his grasp early and often.

That's because Upshaw will fill the role of Jack linebacker in Saban's system, and that's the guy who can cause problems in the offensive backfield with regularity.

Upshaw is from Eufaula, Ala., and was a high school star at defensive end. He was one of the real stars in the state of Alabama when we signed him. Early on as a freshman, he led the team in special team tackles and became known as a hitter.

He's seen the field a lot now as a linebacker and when he's played, he's played up the standards of a starter already.

The way Saban keeps rotating players in and out means there's very few skilled positions that haven't had a chance to contribute. This is a great example of why that's so important, because once the season begins, Upshaw will hardly look like a replacement.

Backing up this position will more than likely be red-shirt freshman Ed Stinson, a 6'4", 240-pounder from Homestead, Fla., who has coaches drooling. Stinson could be the Jack linebacker of the future that Saban has wanted. He's tall, fast, and strong with long arms that can bat balls down and snag running backs.

So with this, the last chapter of linebackers, you can see that the front seven of this year's defensive line will not be a step down from last year's team.

If you liked this article, Chapters One-Three are on my site and talk about the replacement defensive linemen. Chapters Four-Six cover the linebackers. Next is the defensive backfield.