Nervousness and anxiety set in as Rudy Griffin sits in a car that is bound for the University of Alabama. He doesn’t hold a football scholarship offer from the Crimson Tide, he was not invited by a football coach and has no plans to take a tour of campus. He is coming to ask one question.
Can I play football?
Griffin, accompanied by his dad and his sister, walks up to a secretary and asks her can he speak to someone about playing football here. She instructed him to wait and Alabama’s then director of football operations, Randy Ross, comes up and introduces himself.
“Coach, I want to play football here,” Griffin told Ross.
“Our spots are filled,” Ross explained. “People can’t just show up off the streets and play football at the University of Alabama.”
“I have my tape here and you can watch it” Griffin responded. “The last school I went to was Citadel. Could you give my tape to one of the coaches?”
“Coaches are in meetings and will be all day,” Ross said. ” You can drop it off and we will get back to you.”
“I’ll wait,” Griffin said. “I drove all the way from Augusta, Georgia. I got nothing but time.”
Six hours would pass until Alabama defensive line coach, Paul Randolph, would come out and tell Griffin that they liked his tape and it is a good chance that he will be in the 105, which is the number of players the Tide could take into Summer camp. Randolph told Griffin they would be in contact.
This was familiar and unknown territory for Griffin. He always wanted to play for Alabama but was only offered three scholarships out of high school and neither was from the Tide. This led him to enroll into The Citadel where he played under former Alabama coach, Ellis Johnson. Griffin still kept his eyes focused on the chance to play in Tuscaloosa and after having great success during his freshmen and sophomore year at The Citadel, he felt it was time to go after his lifelong dream.
“I always wanted to play for Alabama during my time at the Citadel,” Griffin said. “After starting for two years, it got to the point where I felt either I am going to do it now or it is not going to happen.”
Griffin told The Citadel that he was going to transfer. He knew no one at Alabama knew who he was, but that didn’t stop the determined Griffin from traveling 347 miles to ask can he play football.
Alabama’s coaching staff would eventually get back in contact with Griffin and tell him that he made the 105. Griffin would redshirt his first season at the Capstone and begin to make a name for himself on the scout team, where he would constantly disrupt offensive plays.
The Georgia-native continued to work hard until he earned a scholarship offer heading into the 2004 season. He would become a starter and start 10 out of 12 games during his redshirt junior season at the Capstone. He racked up 17 tackles during that season.
Griffin’s senior year was capped off with an interception that he returned for a touchdown against Mississippi State. He recorded 16 tackles during his senior season.
Griffin can be seen today scrolling up and down the Hewitt-Trussville Huskies’ sideline coaching up his defense, which includes several D1 recruits. He shares his wisdom and nose to the ground attitude with his players.
*Griffin looks over Hewitt-Trussville in pre-game wearing a black hoodie and turnover chain.
The Huskies’ roster includes four Alabama verbal commits and one recruit that has an offer from the Tide. This gives Griffin a chance to continue to have an impact on Alabama football.
Griffin’s ties to Alabama and The Citadel makes this weekend very interesting for him as they both played a huge part in his story.
