Alvin Kamara: The one who got away from 31 NFL teams (and Alabama)

SmashMouth · 11-16-2017, 08:32 PM

Long before the NFL whiffed on Alvin Kamara, he was the one who got away from Alabama.

Kamara's breakout rookie year with the New Orleans Saints never should have been this big of a surprise. He signed with the Crimson Tide in 2013 as one of the top-rated recruits in the country (No. 32 overall on ESPN's 150 list and No. 2 among all-purpose backs by Rivals.com). He probably should have left there as a national championship star.

But Kamara's freshman season was derailed by a minor knee injury and some disciplinary issues, which buried him on a depth chart that also included current NFL backs Derrick Henry, T.J. Yeldon and Kenyan Drake, among others.

So he decided to leave, spending a year at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas before transferring to Tennessee and winding up as a third-round draft pick to New Orleans.

Now the dynamic dual threat is on pace for more than 1,400 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns in a timeshare with another former Alabama star, Mark Ingram.

"I just had a gut feeling, like, 'This isn't where I'm gonna play my college ball at,'" Kamara said recently. "So I made a decision, and I feel like it was the best decision I could've made ... just the way everything played out.

"I enjoyed my time, I enjoyed my teammates. I just decided that I felt like it wasn't for me."

You might think this is a common story, since Alabama has been piling up star-studded recruiting classes along with national championships during the Nick Saban era. But Kamara is actually one of a kind.

AL.com did a detailed breakdown last year of every Saban recruit who transferred away from Alabama since 2008 -- and none had ever been drafted before this year.

read more from Triplett

11-16-2017, 08:32 PM	#1
SmashMouth I donated, did you? Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Mandeville, LA Posts: 38,477 Blog Entries: 29	Alvin Kamara: The one who got away from 31 NFL teams (and Alabama) Long before the NFL whiffed on Alvin Kamara, he was the one who got away from Alabama. Kamara's breakout rookie year with the New Orleans Saints never should have been this big of a surprise. He signed with the Crimson Tide in 2013 as one of the top-rated recruits in the country (No. 32 overall on ESPN's 150 list and No. 2 among all-purpose backs by Rivals.com). He probably should have left there as a national championship star. But Kamara's freshman season was derailed by a minor knee injury and some disciplinary issues, which buried him on a depth chart that also included current NFL backs Derrick Henry, T.J. Yeldon and Kenyan Drake, among others. So he decided to leave, spending a year at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas before transferring to Tennessee and winding up as a third-round draft pick to New Orleans. Now the dynamic dual threat is on pace for more than 1,400 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns in a timeshare with another former Alabama star, Mark Ingram. "I just had a gut feeling, like, 'This isn't where I'm gonna play my college ball at,'" Kamara said recently. "So I made a decision, and I feel like it was the best decision I could've made ... just the way everything played out. "I enjoyed my time, I enjoyed my teammates. I just decided that I felt like it wasn't for me." You might think this is a common story, since Alabama has been piling up star-studded recruiting classes along with national championships during the Nick Saban era. But Kamara is actually one of a kind. AL.com did a detailed breakdown last year of every Saban recruit who transferred away from Alabama since 2008 -- and none had ever been drafted before this year. read more from Triplett Attached Thumbnails