Nick Saban’s former Alabama defensive players are starting to have a rough go of it in the NFL. Courtney Upshaw is battling weight and dedication issues.
Rolando McClain retired this off-season after not living up to his lofty draft status. Another former Crimson Tide stalwart is having his share of NFL problems.
Marcell Dareus was supposed to give the Bills a ferocious presence on the inside at defensive tackle. Instead, Dareus’ breakout second season was derailed after his young brother was brutally murdered a week before the season started.
Dareus is now fighting for the reputation of Alabama defensive players, and most importantly for his starting job in Buffalo according to the Bills official website.
“It’s really tough to come back and think about work when every time you turn around you lose someone that’s close to you,” Dareus said, via the team’s official website. “And you really don’t have a mother or father to fall back on and talk to. It took a toll on me last year. I just had to be a man and finish the season hard and suck it all up.”
Dareus is currently battling with fringe type players for snaps with the first team. It will interesting to see if he can finally have his breakout season.