Adams: Even without Mt. Cody, Tide huge test

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Josh Chapman is 6-foot-1, 305 pounds, and regularly wows his Alabama teammates in the weight room. But his lack of size is a hot topic for Tennessee week.

Chapman will replace Terrence Cody in the middle of Alabama’s defense Saturday against UT. Compared to “Mt. Cody,” Chapman is a mere boulder.

Cody is the 6-5, 365-pound junior college transfer who achieved cult status in Alabama just a few weeks into his college football career.

His career will be interrupted this week. Alabama coach Nick Saban said Monday that Cody suffered a strained medial-collateral knee ligament and will be out at least two weeks.

The news must be stunning to Alabama fans, who probably assumed Cody was as indestructible as Tim Tebow after watching him wreak havoc on his diminutive opponents through the first seven games. His teammates appreciated him even more than the fans.

“As you watch from the sideline, you will see two guys get pushed back three or four yards,” cornerback Javier Arenas said. “And there’s really nothing they can do about it. All-American, all-globe — I don’t care what they are.

“It’s fascinating to watch, because they’re huge. But then, this huger guy puts them in the quarterback’s lap.”

The “huger guy” could celebrate as well as dominate.

“That celebration he did,” Arenas said. “When he would jack up his head and stuff.”

Arenas laughed, just thinking about it.

Losing Cody is no laughing matter. He’s the biggest reason why the Tide ranks fourth nationally in rushing defense.

But his loss doesn’t mean the playing field has been leveled for UT’s offense. It still has a huge challenge against an Alabama defense that ranks 16th nationally, has forced 15 turnovers and has allowed only two touchdowns in the first half.

In his second season at Alabama, Saban hasn’t had time to acquire the depth of talent that he had at LSU, where he won a national championship in 2003. Yet he’s clearly headed in that direction. Fast.

Rolando McClain, a 6-foot-4, 250-pound linebacker, made freshman All-American last season. This year, along comes another 6-4, 250-pound freshman linebacker, Dont’a Hightower of Lewisburg. Teammates have been as impressed with his knowledge of the game as his physical prowess.

Not surprisingly, the secondary, which Saban once coached as an assistant, is one of Alabama’s strengths.

Senior safety Rashad Johnson, who made first-team All-SEC last season, is Alabama’s second-leading tackler and ranks third in the conference in passes defended. Junior Justin Woodall, who had never started before this season, is having as good a year as Johnson. Woodall (6-2, 220) ranks second in the SEC with four interceptions and is also second in passes defended.

Alabama’s safeties and linebackers won’t have Cody to occupy blockers at the line of scrimmage this Saturday. But no one is shortchanging Chapman, even though he provides 60 pounds less bulk.

“We’ve got a guy stepping in who is just as capable,” Arenas said. “Josh plays the run just as good. I think he sometimes gets overlooked.”

He’s behind a mountain. Of course, he gets overlooked.

But Chapman hasn’t minded playing a backup role to Cody, who is his roommate on the road.

“It’s fun watching him play, just seeing him jump on a pile at the end of a play,” Chapman said.

Don’t look for Cody’s understudy to top off any piles.

“Not like he did,” Chapman said. “He was like a little frog out there on the pile.”

A little frog?

“Well, a big frog,” Chapman said.

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knoxnews.com.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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