Tyler Steen: Alabama linebacker Henry To'o To'o is a glue guy

Alabama middle linebacker Henry To’o To’o‘s impact on the Crimson Tide defense is unquestionable if you watch them play on any given Saturday, as he plays sideline to sideline and racks up tackles left and right for them. His impact off the field is harder to recognize, but may just as important to the Alabama team, which his offensive lineman teammate Tyler Steen spoke about this week.

“Henry, every day I’ve seen him, he’s always gonna have that positive influence on everybody and really I feel like he’d kind of like that glue guy within the team,” Steen said.

To’o To’o joined the team in 2021, transferring from Tennessee, and made an immediate impact on the field, leading the team in tackles a season ago and currently leading the team now with 39 on the season. Communication is vital at the middle linebacker position, tasked with making sure everyone on the defense knows their responsibility each and every play. But his communication off the field is what makes him a special teammate.

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“He’s open with everybody, he’s willing to talk to everybody and I feel like that’s somebody that’s really important on the team,” Steen said. “And also he’s a leader, he’s a great player so that just makes it even better.”

Alabama will be facing To’o To’o’s former team this weekend in Knoxville, in one of the most highly anticipated games of the season between two of the nation’s top-ranked teams, which will even feature a visit from ESPN’s College Gameday. Hopefully for Alabama, they can rely on To’o To’o’s leadership and play this weekend as they face an opponent he’s more than familiar with.

Jordan Battle explains the value of having a ‘genius’ in Henry To’o To’o on defense

Henry To’o To’o transferred to Alabama from Tennessee in 2021, and made an immediate impact for the Crimson Tide. To’o To’o enters his second season as the Tide’s middle linebacker, the leader of the defense tasked with calling out plays and making sure everybody on the field knows their assignment. Teammate and safety Jordan Battle talked about To’o To’o, and his contributions to their defense.

“You have to be a genius in the Alabama defense to even be at the middle linebacker position,” Battle said. “So seeing Henry progress coming from Tennessee, he’s been a great guy, a great addition to our defense.”

To’o To’o’s numbers speak for themselves, as he’s currently Alabama’s third-leading tackler three weeks into the season, and led the team in tackles a season ago with 113. He earned All-SEC second team honors, and made a multitude of award watchlists heading into the season including the Bednarik Award, Nagurski Trophy, and Butkus Award watch lists.

The on-field production and off-field recognition is great, but Battle also spoke about To’o To’o’s strengths in communicating with others on the field and his help in developing Alabama’s younger linebackers of the future.

“He’s been getting the d-line right, getting the linebackers right. Young guys in the linebacker room going to him every day, guys like Shawn Murphy, guys like Deontae Lawson, just going to him and being able to teach them and being able to keep the DBs intact with him has just been a great thing, great addition,” Battle said.

To’o To’o may not be one of the more tenured players on Alabama’s roster, but his leadership and impact are evident, as he’s setting up their defense for current and future success.