There’s no doubt that everything the Alabama Crimson Tide defense accomplished in the 2017 season was done despite horribly bad injury luck. Few could muster memories of a season in which a team overcame a rash of injuries to key players, and for the Tide’s most recent incarnation, those injuries struck at the heart of Nick Saban’s strength: the linebacking corps.
Players who never thought they’d see time in the 2017 season were forced into action, and some of them emerged as stars in the process. Though each injury the defense suffered seemed like it could be the straw that broke the back of the proverbial camel, a roster full of four- and five-star reserves provided defensive answers as the Tide trudged through its schedule and into the playoffs.