Alabama starting quarterback Mac Jones made an interesting comparison for Notre Dame star safety Kyle Hamilton yesterday as part of the media days for the Rose Bowl. He compared Hamilton to 2019 NFL Hall of Fame inductee Ed Reed – one of the greatest safeties to ever play the game.
“Got it. He’s all over the tape,” Jones said of Hamilton. “You see him everywhere. He’s blitzing, he’s in the back end, hiding pressures then coming or, you know, covering people.”
Interestingly enough, Greg wrote earlier today that in order for Notre Dame to have a chance at pulling off one of the biggest upsets in Rose Bowl history, Clark Lea needs to move Hamilton all over the field and use him in even more ways than he has already.
“So he’s a real lengthy guy. I think he’s like 6’4″. You can see it on the tape. He understands football. You can tell he really studies his part and he knows exactly what to do,” he added.
Then Jones gave the ultimate compliment for any safety – comparing him to Baltimore Raven legend Ed Reed.
“I’m just looking forward to getting a chance to go against someone like that. It’s almost like an Ed Reed-type person where you have to find him every play. You’ve got to know where he is because he can really, like, ruin a play for you if you’re not finding that player.”
Hamilton added a new accolade to his resume on Wednesday as well earning 1st Team All-American honors from the Football Writer’s Association of America – the first time Hamilton has appeared on an All-American 1st team.
Notre Dame needs Hamilton to play like Ed Reed on Friday for the Irish to have any chance against the Crimson Tide. Hamilton notched his first interception of the season in the ACC Championship Game – hopefully, he adds another in the Rose Bowl.
We are related. The first great Bama coach came from Notre Dame. Neither of us started the sport. But we became the best at it for over 100 yrs. Alabama is the most successful program ever. But Notre Dame is half a step behind us. We both have great schools; programs; history; teams. Our coaches and players are all class. Most of us fans respect each other and just good natured joke with each other. We Bama fans know we are in the lead. We also know you will always be right on our shoulder. 100 years from now it will still be us two leading the historical pack. We also both have a few bad fans. That’s life. You are Catholic. We are Christian. Same God. Same Jesus. You call your selves Irish. Our state was mostly founded by Scots and Irish. Most of us are Kelts too. Me? I’m a sexy Scandinavian. But I have some kelt in me. My wife is mostly Irish. They can trace themselves back. I tried that. Turns out the only people I can find were the knights and lords everyone doesn’t like now. So no dad tales for me. My wife’s family can tell the sad tales. My kids ask me. Well I guess we were the people making everyone else’s life miserable. LOL. Don’t assume you’ll like the results of a DNA search. So it probably fits that I’m an Alabama fan. My ancestors were the knights people now hate. My team is the Crimson Warriors of today. Everyone wants to defeat us. Some do. Most don’t. We Alabama fans feel like we and our team are a tiny group of the tough and brave. Fighting the masses who want to take what we have. This state is ours. The color Crimson is ours. The football field where we choose to battle is ours. We will always fight for it. We will always be there. Like the New York Yankees in baseball; the Mighty Crimson Tide will always be on the battlefield.
Like in the movie 300. Whose hero’s wore Crimson too. Our chosen few lock shields. The masses from nations such as Notre Dame; Oklahoma; Ohio State; and Clemson try to attack us in mass. We keep driving them back. They need a rest; and send in those weird soldiers dressed like Yetis. Throwing cups of ice and depend diapers at us. From these little nations like Cincinnati and Liberty. We wonder, but respect the effort. All are welcome to try to take what is ours. The battlefield of college football is ours by birth. Sometimes others defeat our chosen best. But Mighty Crimson Warriors are born in many lands. They are drawn to wear the Crimson of greatness. To join the long line of the greatest warriors. To take the field of battle. Some may choose to dress up like a duck in an aerobics suit. But only the mightiest can be chosen to wear the Crimson.
Today we face a fierce foe. We rise our Mighty Crimson waves. Ready to crash down with the force of mountains. Tremendous Red Elephants block out the sun. Our best warriors assemble. Giants. Men on great strength and skill. Faster than the wind. Our battle chants fill the air as we bang on our shields. Roll Mighty Crimson Tide Roll. Roll all over their butts.
We see our enemy. They have traveled far to stand on the soil which is our. To wear the Crimson means any field of battle is yours. We are not allowed to retreat or surrender. We win the battle or go home on our shields. If we fall the mightiest warriors from the world will don the Crimson and take our place.
We smell their fear. See them tremble. They question this choice. But it’s too late to run. We will then in this field. We stare at them as they quiver. These little leprechauns dressed in green. Holding their little pots. Perhaps they relieve themselves in those pots. For their loose bowels when they are afraid. We shall ask Clemson to send them adult diapers.
We wonder why they hold weeds in their hands. Three leaved clovers.
They kick dirt at us. Throw a little green shoe at us. They pull out a purple horse shoe. A tiny rainbow appears. These tiny green men get on a marshmallow. Perhaps they are trying to flee.
We start to move towards then locked shields. Earn these shields men. Their tiny leprechaun voices cry out in fear like gerbils or rabbits.
Their tiny legs try to run. They appear to be trying to run. But they move like sloths. There’s no honor in this. But it must be done. For hungry tigers approach from behind them. So we use our shields and drive them towards the cliffs. Hu rah.
Roll Tide
Hamilton will have to be a fusion of Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu and still not make a difference!