Alabama Football: Kellen Williams, the Backup Alabama Can't Be Without

Kellen Williams is not a starter, but his play could loom large this season as he backs up the one man on the offensive line who Alabama has leaned on harder than perhaps any other offensive lineman, center William Vlachos.

Vlachos has been the man that Saban could count on to work through injuries, play in pain, set the tone and the example for the other offensive linemen in the weight room and be a rock of consistency on game day with his play.

Before last season started, Vlachos had a major foot issue that required surgery, but when the season started, he was manning his spot as always. In fact Vlachos has done something remarkable. He has started 27 straight games and played in 36 in a day when injuries make that tough to do that.

He is such a rock that most never gave much attention to his backup, he was simply never needed. Vlachos is known as the bulldog of the weight room, smaller in size than most players, but he can beat most of the "big" boys in the weight room. He doesn't like to come out and can go the whole game. Quite simply, he is a warrior.

So why is Kellen Williams so important to the Tide's 2011 campaign?

They finally have a quality backup who like Vlachos, has traveled his own path of injury to return. He spent his freshman year rehabbing a knee that was badly injured before the start of the season.

He worked the weight room to the max that year however and let Vlachos be a mentor to him there and in other areas. He's bulked up to about 310 pounds to fill out his 6'3'' frame. That puts him two inches taller and over ten pounds heavier than Vlachos.

Last season, Williams did get some mop-up duty in the Georgia State game and proved that he's ready to step in if needed, but playing behind a rock like Vlachos, that was about all the playing time he got.

But the measure of a man is not just seen on game day, but on the hot and sweat soaked practice fields and there Kellen Williams has let his team know that he's not only ready to step in if needed, but able to do so.

He's a devastating run blocker who routinely goes against the No. 1 defense in practice, a defense that many say could be one of the best in the nation, and holds his own.

With a whole year after his rehab and serving as a backup, he had the time to get his footwork down and become a much improved pass protector too.

Now, for the first time in a long time, Alabama has a center they can fall back on without concern should Vlachos finally decide to take an occasional rest, or if, as the Alabama Nation dreads, that he be injured.

For the last two years, Alabama has had a lot of options on the offense line should a player go down, but not one totally ready to step up and take over center should something happen.

Ask any coach at any level and they'll all tell you that it all starts with a good center on the offensive line.

Williams is that guy who may play very little this year, Vlachos is up for every major award a center can earn, the Remington Trophy, (for the nation's top center) and first team ALL SEC as well as All American.

But for Alabama to make a serious run at a title this year, they have to have another rock ready to be put in place should something happen to Vlachos and this year, they finally do in number 63, who'll be pacing the sidelines for most of the year if the Tide is lucky.

Kellen Williams could be the most important man that actually plays the least on Alabama's team.

If you missed part one of this series of men who aren't starters but will play a key role for the Tide this year,

Go HERE for the Eddie Lacy Story

And HERE for the DeQuan Menzie Story