We are 37 days from the return of Alabama football, so let’s highlight a member of Nick Saban’s first significant recruiting class.
Robert Lester, a native of Foley, Ala., arrived at the University of Alabama as a safety in 2008.
Alabama football returns in 37 days. pic.twitter.com/dYGKMasnEz
— Touchdown Alabama (@TDAlabamaMag) July 27, 2023
The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder recorded eight tackles in eight games for the 2009 BCS National Championship team, but his role expanded throughout his tenure in Tuscaloosa, Ala. He made second-team All-Southeastern Conference in 2010, collecting a team-high eight interceptions and having four pass breakups. Lester’s ball-hawking abilities that year propelled the Crimson Tide to the Capital One Bowl versus Michigan State. The team did not compete for a national championship; however, Lester did assist it to ten wins. He tallied two interceptions and three breakups in 2011, pushing the program back to a BCS national title with a shutout victory (21-0) over Louisiana State University. In his final season, Lester enjoyed four interceptions and three pass breakups — helping the team achieve back-to-back national championships. He had a knack for knowing where the ball was.
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Lester played two seasons (2013-14) in the National Football League for the Carolina Panthers.
Alabama fans hope the performance at the safety position can be as good as what Lester provided.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
