Alabama football countdown to kickoff: 43 days

If you can believe it, we are officially at the 45-day mark until Alabama is back on a live-game football field. After coming up short in the national championship game against Georgia back in early January, the Crimson Tide will once again be searching for its seventh title under Nick Saban.

This year’s season opener will be against the Utah State Aggies on Sept. 3 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

With today being July 22, that means we are only 43 days away from the return of Alabama football. The team here at BamaOn3 is ready to celebrate every day of the countdown standing between now and the start of football season. Let’s focus on a player — both past and present — who represents — or has represented — the No. 43.

*Note: BamaOn3 is also doing a Countdown to Fall Camp, which is only 14 days away.

Who currently wears the No. 43?

Walk-on tight end Robert Ellis out of Enterprise (Ala.) Enterprise will once again wear the No. 43 for Alabama, but he’ll also be joined by one other player. Freshman inside linebacker Shawn Murphy out of Manassas (Va.) Unity Reed will also represent the number during his first season in Tuscaloosa.

Murphy comes in as a four-star prospect who, according to the 2022 On3 Consensus, checks in as the No. 63 player nationally, No. 7 linebacker and No. 2 player from the state of Virginia. He picked the Crimson Tide over Florida, Ohio State, LSU and Penn State.

In a lot of ways, Murphy is similar to an old school thumper linebacker.

He’s only listed at 6-foot-2, 224 pounds on Alabama’s roster, but he is aggressive and physical coming downhill. There’s still some work that needs to be done in coverage, but he’s a guy who should become a starting-caliber linebacker at some point in his career.

Who’s a noteworthy former player to wear it?

Right now, there’s only one logical choice for the No. 43 during the Nick Saban era, and it’s Cade Foster. I’m sure the 2013 Iron Bowl still leaves a sour taste in the mouths of some Alabama fans, but the former high school linebacker did attempt at least nine field goals in each of his four seasons while also being a sure-tackler as a kicker.

VanDarius Cowan transferred to West Virginia after only playing two games for the Crimson Tide, then made the move to Maryland to be with Mike Locksley. Hopefully, Murphy is able to insert his name into this conversation sometime down the road.

There is at least one former player from the pre-Saban era worth mentioning who wore the No. 43 for Alabama. That would be defensive back Antonio Langham, who starred for the Crimson Tide from 1990-93.

Of course, the most notable player from his college career might’ve come by way of an interception that was returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the 1992 SEC Championship Game against Florida. There are plenty of options to choose from though, as he still holds the school record for most career interceptions with 19.

After being a consensus All-American and Jim Thorpe Award winner in 1993, Langham would go on to be a first-round pick (No. 9 overall) by the Cleveland Browns in the 1994 NFL Draft. He would spend seven years in the league, playing for the Browns (1994-95, 1999), Ravens (1996-97), 49ers (1998) and Patriots (2000).

2022 Alabama Football Schedule

Sept. 3 vs. Utah State Aggies (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Sept. 10 at Texas Longhorns (Austin, Tex.)

Sept. 17 vs. UL-Monroe Warhawks (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Sept. 24 vs. Vanderbilt Commodores (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Oct. 1 at Arkansas Razorbacks (Fayetteville, Ark.)

Oct. 8 vs. Texas A&M Aggies (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Oct. 15 at Tennessee Volunteers (Knoxville, Tenn.)

Oct. 22 vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Oct. 29 – OPEN WEEK

Nov. 5 at LSU Tigers (Baton Rouge, La.)

Nov. 12 at Ole Miss Rebels (Oxford, Miss.)

Nov. 19 vs. Austin Peay Governors (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Nov. 26 vs. Auburn Tigers (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Dec. 3 – SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (Atlanta, Ga.)