Alabama's Real Offensive MVP Won't Score a Touchdown This Season

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — When it comes to MVP awards in sports, there’s an age-old debate about what’s more important: statistical production or value to one’s team, i.e. the athlete his team can least afford to be without.

The University of Alabama’s offense this season provides a perfect example of how the two categories are often not represented by the same player. Running back Derrick Henry is clearly the best player on paper, having already achieved his first 1,000-yard rushing season, but the guy the Crimson Tide really can’t replace is center Ryan Kelly.

“I’m not going to say he’s the MVP of the offense, but I will say that center position is so important in college, especially when you’re in an uptempo offense and doing so much at the line of scrimmage,” said former Alabama offensive lineman Barrett Jones, the most decorated player in Crimson Tide history when it comes to national honors. “It’s so vital. His leadership, it’s hard to characterize how important it is.

“I think he’s invaluable, and I think he’s had a great year so far.”

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press/Associated Press

On an offense that had to replace nine starters, essentially everyone but Kelly and sophomore left tackle Cam Robinson, he was already the unit’s leader through the offseason and consequently one of Alabama’s representatives at SEC media days in July.

No one else on the offense comes close to his 39 career games and 29 starts, and despite the extra responsibilities of calling out the adjustments and snapping the ball, it’s been a long time since he yielded a sack or a quarterback hurry.

“Ryan is like the key to the offensive line,” Robinson said. “He’s the reason everything goes the way it goes. He’s extremely important to what we do as a unit, and he’s kind of like the heart and soul.

“My appreciation for Ryan Kelly is through the roof.”

The center position has a strong pedigree at Alabama during the Nick Saban years, as Kelly has followed Antoine Caldwell, William Vlachos and Jones, who were named, in order, All-American, second-team All-American and winner of the Rimington Award as the nation’s best center (the other two were both finalists).

Kelly is definitely in that same mix. He was named preseason All-SEC by the media and second-team by coaches, while four of the last eight Rimington winners played in the Southeastern Conference.

Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press

He’s also one of the few remaining ties to Alabama’s last national championships in 2011 and 2012.

“It’s cliche here, but it is the process,” Kelly said. “Everyone wants to talk about it, but it’s the real thing. No matter who you bring in, we aren’t going to change our standards for who you are. This is the ’Bama Way. This is a special place. It’s not for everybody to come to.

“I think that is one of the biggest things Coach Saban has drilled in us, that if you come here, you are a part of something bigger than you. Every guy who has had success here has partaken in that. All the success, the way he recruits—you can’t get around [the process], the hard work, the dedication, and he’s taught me to be a good person as well.”

In addition to being responsible for the line calls, he’s the one guy other than the quarterback who has to know absolutely everything, from the entire playbook to what personnel the opposition prefers to have on the field when it blitzes. That’s why coaches consider experience at the position to be a cherished commodity.

It was also the key to having Jones replace Vlachos after winning the Outland Trophy as college football’s best interior lineman at left tackle and gives a good idea of just how important Alabama views the position.

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

“Almost all of the best offensive lines that I’ve seen have an anchor, an experienced center who knows what he’s doing, who’s on the same page as the quarterback, same wavelength, who knows what’s going to happen before it happens,” Jones said. “It’s important that he’s a confident guy who doesn’t just kind of guess. When he makes a call, guys know that’s the right call, and guys get on the same page.”

However, the last time Alabama had a center not suffer a significant injury was Vlachos in 2011.

In 2013, Kelly missed three games with an MCL strain that occurred against Ole Miss. On the play in which tight end Brian Vogler fumbled, Anthony Steen knocked linebacker Denzel Nkemdiche to the ground, and Kelly fell back over him.

Kellen Williams, a fifth-year senior whom Saban dubbed the offensive line’s sixth man, replaced him in the game, and then fourth-year junior Chad Lindsay started against Georgia State, Kentucky and Arkansas.

“Last season when Barrett went down against Georgia, they told me to get ready,” Kelly said at the time. “Coming from a guy that hadn't started or played with the ones all year, Game 13 of the season, to do that is definitely hard. You don't know; you just have to prepare like you're a starter. I give all the props to Kellen. He came in and did a great job. He showed versatility, how versatile he is.”

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

In 2014, Kelly again went down against Ole Miss, this time with a sprained knee, and the results were more noticeable because Alabama didn’t have a veteran replacement. Coaches had to use two timeouts to avoid delay-of-game penalties, and Alabama didn’t score again as the Rebels pulled out a 23-17 victory.

A week later, though, redshirt freshman Bradley Bozeman looked much more comfortable when making his first career start.

It’s not a coincidence that when Kelly sustained his concussion during the second quarter at Texas A&M on Oct. 17, the Crimson Tide had a big lead, only to see the offense stall with three straight three-and-outs while amassing just 16 yards.

Alabama’s lead went from 28-6 to 28-20, as the Aggies were jumping the snaps by sophomore J.C. Hassenauer on the silent count, but after the offense put together a 13-play drive for a field goal, it went on to win, 41-23.

He returned for last week’s game against Tennessee but barely practiced, and it showed. At times the whole offensive line looked out of sync.

“When you don’t practice all week, it’s kind of crazy how fast you can get out of [playing] shape and the game speed,” Kelly said. “I kept just fighting through it. There are some things I’d like to change, and I wish I could have that week back of practice, but we got the W.”

Having Kelly back during the bye will give the line a chance to regroup, although Dominick Jackson’s status is unknown for LSU on Nov. 7. The senior right tackle suffered a high ankle sprain similar to the one Robinson had last year against Tennessee.

Robinson was able to return after the bye to face LSU, but if Jackson can’t, Alabama’s options are junior Brandon Greene, who has been splitting time at tight end, or to move redshirt freshman Ross Pierschbacher from left guard and insert Bozeman.

Either way, everyone will be leaning on Kelly to help get ready.

“Hopefully, I can be as good as Ryan Kelly someday,” Pierschbacher said. 

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Christopher Walsh is a lead SEC college football writer. Follow Christopher on Twitter @WritingWalsh.