Alabama football has not fared well against Ole Miss in the last two seasons, but don’t tell that to former Crimson Tide outside linebacker/defensive Adrian Hubbard. After being cut from the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad in 2015, he would test his luck in the Canadian Football League.
Adrian Hubbard has been activated from the practice roster and will be available in Winnipeg's game tomorrow night.
— Alabama Pro Updates (@BamaProUpdates) July 7, 2016
Hubbard was signed to the Winnipeg Bluebombers’ practice squad earlier this year, and was finally activated to its roster on Thursday for the team’s third regular-season game. Winnipeg took on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Tim Hortons Field and with 23,846 in attendance, Hubbard made one of the biggest plays of the game. The 6-foot-6, 248-pound lineman would record a tackle on special teams, but in the fourth quarter he came face-to-face with ex-Rebels quarterback Jeremiah Masoli.
Reminiscent of his Crimson Tide days, Hubbard’s speed tracked down Masoli and forced a strip sack.
Winnipeg would recover the fumble, earning a 28-24 victory and its first win of the 2016 season.
Despite him not reaching his full potential at Alabama (2010-13), Hubbard did have some bright moments donning a Tide uniform. His career ended with 83 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, four passes defended and three forced fumbles. He was one of the leaders on defense in 2012, when it came to sacks (seven) and tackles for loss (11). He obtained two BCS national title rings (2011, 2012) and a Southeastern Conference championship ring during the 2012 season.
Stephen M. Smith is a senior analyst and columnist for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @Smsmith_TDALMag.
