Paul M. Banks reports on National Championship Media Day
As is typical of most national title games, there will be quite of NFL level talent on the field Thursday night when Texas takes on Alabama for the College football national championship. One of those likely first round prospects is Alabama d tackle Terrence Cody, a perfect 3-4 run stuffer with an ideal makeup for playing the nose position. Learn more about Mt. Cody, in his words as well as the words of those around him, from this week’s press conferences.
Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart is regarded as one of the best in the business Xs and Os wise, he described where his defense would be without Cody.
“It would be a lot less where we are in rushing defense, I can guarantee you that, because when he’s not in there, it makes a big difference. It’s not that he’s not a good pass rusher; he is. But the fact that he doesn’t get an opportunity a lot of times and your ability to sub and put guys in and out and substitute guys, he hasn’t been there as much, but we would not be as effective a running team.
When you watch teams and you talk to other coaches after you play them, you talk to other SEC teams, they just can’t get movement. Running game is about movement. If you can move people, you create space. And there is no space created when Cody is in there, and that’s what he does best for us. He’s that, and a lot of the players have confidence in him, and they enjoy playing behind him because people like Rolando and Reamer get to run around when you play behind Cody.”
Alabama DB Javier Arenas, himself a NFL level talent described him thusly: “I think when you’ve got a guy like him up front, it changes everything for everybody, for the opponents, you’ve got to go to different things, and for us, it makes it a little bit easier. Just him being there week in and week out, you kind of get used to it and you kind of get used to everybody else adjusting instead of trying to run up the middle and shove it down your throat. So it’s good to have him up there. I don’t know what it would be like without him, honestly.”
There are concerns with Cody about his weight, stamina and his ability to be an every down lineman, and that will likely hurt his draft stock. And then there are his individual statistics which don’t really jump out at you like you might think they should. Terrence was asked how he affects the game in a way that doesn’t show up in personal statistics
“They told me what Rolando said. If you take his tackles and add them with mine, that’s pretty much what my statistics would be. I know I don’t make a lot of tackles and all that stuff, which I’m not selfish. I know I’m giving other players opportunities to make plays, and that’s pretty much what our defense is based on for the front; take on blockers and give the other players like the linebackers and DBs and make plays. So they pretty much feed off of us for us taking on blockers and making plays.”