Alabama Football 2011: DeQuan Menzie Must Step Up Big as Nickle Back

There's an old saying that a football team is only as great as the players on the bench. The reason for that is simple: Starters need rest, injuries take their toll and in the everyday world of practice, great backups push starters and make practice better for all.

With Saban pulling in top classes year after year, having those great backups is something that is not a problem.

There are two men on a Nick Saban team that aren't technically starters, but in Saban's mind are as much a starter as anyone else. The first is the backup running back who helps provide that one-two punch that Saban likes to use to hammer opponents, and the second and subject of this article is the nickel back or fifth man in the defensive backfield. 

And it looks like that man this year is going to be DeQuan Menzie.

This is a role that Menzie's predecessor, Marquis Johnson, turned into an NFL career and one that Menzie could do as well. With this, his senior season, NFL scouts will be watching.

Alabama rolls into a five defensive back lineup quite often and this fifth man is one that sometimes opposing quarterbacks see as the less dangerous one and the one that they can pick on. 

That would be a mistake in the case of Menzie as he has shown he can be just as dangerous a cover man as any of the starters.

Menzie will also rotate in and out, relieving the starters. Saban has other backups in the defensive backfield that will relieve and rotate as well, but no non-starter on defense has to be as flawless as Menzie.

And last year's defensive backfield had its share of flaws.

This is Menzie's final year and perhaps his first at Alabama at 100 percent health. After coming in last season from Copiah-Lincoln (Miss.) Community College as the sixth ranked defensive back in the nation, he tore his Achilles tendon and many didn't think he'd be ready for the 2010 season opening game.

He surprised everyone, however, and played in the season opening game, but he was less than a hundred percent then and early in the season. Though he did start six of the 13 games last season, he also had a hamstring injury that again kept him from his full potential.

This season however, Menzie is finally 100 percent and could add even more to this Crimson Tide team.

The scary thing for opponents with Menzie at full strength is quite a thing to see. With the speed and cover ability of a great cornerback, he has the additional physical strength to make hits like a linebacker. This is a corner that isn't afraid to take on the best running backs pad to pad.

This ability gives Saban a very powerful weapon and with an opposing team seeing the nickel back on the field, they may think Alabama is playing for a pass to be thrown on the next play and switch to a running play.

Seeing this happen and watching the team line up in a running position, Mark Barron, the team's vocal leader and defensive back signal caller, could either move up as another linebacker and let Menzie take his safety position, or send a corner to snuff out the run.

Menzie had three tackles for loss last year and could easily add to that total this coming season.

A totally healthy Menzie as the fifth man in the defensive backfield could be a factor that could really help Alabama this year.

He is clearly one of the “non-starters” who could very well determine just how far the Tide rolls this year.

If you missed part one in the series of men who might not be starters that have to step up, go HERE for the Eddie Lacy story and HERE for the Kellen Williams story.