Alabama football countdown to kickoff: 61 days

If you can believe it, we are officially under the 70-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 4, that means we are only 61 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. 61.

*Note: BamaOn3 is also doing a Countdown to Fall Camp, which is only 32 days away.

Who currently wears the No. 61?

The No. 61 is currently being worn by only one player — Graham Roten. The 6-foot-3, 285-pound walk-on offensive lineman played his high school football for Christ Presbyterian Academy in Fairview (Tenn.). He is now in his second with the Crimson Tide.

Who’s a noteworthy former player to wear it?

The No. 61 hasn’t been worn by many players at Alabama — or at least not during the Nick Saban era. Still, there’s one representative who stands head-and-shoulders above the rest, and that’s former offensive lineman Anthony Steen.

Coming out of Clarksdale (Miss.) Lee Academy in 2009, Steen was rated as a four-star prospect. He was also the No. 390 player nationally, the No. 30 interior offensive lineman and the No. 10 player from the state of Mississippi, per the On3 Consensus. He chose the Crimson Tide over offers from Miami, Florida State, Mississippi State and Ole Miss.

Despite the quality offer list, Steen barely cracking the top-400 prospects was interesting. Alabama — and a few other schools — clearly saw something in him, and they were right. He spent his freshman season in Tuscaloosa redshirting. But from there, he was ready to contribute.

Over the next four years, the interior lineman started 37 games for the Crimson Tide, including 35 in his last three seasons. He was a three-time national championship winner, two of which saw him as a starter. Plus, he was a second-team All-SEC selection in his final season back in 2013.

Unfortunately, a shoulder injury forced him to miss the Sugar Bowl against Oklahoma. It also prevented him from working out for NFL scouts, which is a major reason why he went undrafted in the 2014 NFL Draft. Soon after the event, he signed as an undrafted free agent with the Arizona Cardinals and spent almost 17 months with the franchise before being released in Sept. of 2015.

Then in November of that year, he was signed by the Miami Dolphins and by 2016, he was even starting some games at center in place of the injured Mike Pouncey. The following season, Steen was moved to left guard with Pouncey returning and started the first six games. A foot injury derailed that season prematurely, and Steen retired soon after.

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.)