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What Bray Hubbard heard from Keon Sabb before starting for Alabama football
- Story byThe Tuscaloosa News
- What Bray Hubbard heard from Keon Sabb before starting for Alabama football
Bray Hubbard saw Keon Sabb give Alabama football everything he could.
Limited to 30 snaps against Tennessee with what was later called a "lower-extremity injury," Sabb made a touchdown-saving pass breakup at the start of the third quarter against the Volunteers. Sabb left the game shortly after, passing the baton to Hubbard who played the majority of Saturday next to Malachi Moore.
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"The guy that's been fighting a hard injury," Hubbard said of Sabb's pass breakup. "I can't say enough about that. It's hard, but he's gutting it out for us. That's what we do for each other. We play for each other."
Now it's Hubbard's turn.
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said Sabb would be "down for a while" with an injury, leaving Hubbard as the next man up. In place of Sabb, Hubbard had nine tackles in Saturday's 24-17 loss to Tennessee.
Hubbard said he and Sabb are "boys," always talking on and off the field, always communicating during games and practices "to make each other better every day."
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And since Sabb's injury, Hubbard said the Michigan transfer has been nothing but supportive.
"Just go out and do your thing," Hubbard said Sabb told him. "That's always what it is. We all have each other's back. That's what we have to do."
Hubbard was one of multiple backup defensive backs that saw significant playing time along with King Mack and DaShawn Jones, who played for Red Morgan and DeVonta Smith.
Per DeBoer, Hubbard is the only one expected to remain in the starting lineup Saturday against Missouri. Alabama expects Smith, Morgan and Zabien Brown each to be back against the Tigers .
Hubbard's ready, he says, prepped with the mindset Sabb helped him build.
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"Just do my best, do whatever my teammates need me to do," Hubbard said. "Just prepare the best and be there for my teammates. Don't want to let them down."
Alabama takes on Missouri at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Crimson Tide vs Tigers game will be broadcast on ABC.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: What Bray Hubbard heard from Keon Sabb before starting for Alabama football
