For Jim Nagy, the executive director of the Reese’s Senior Bowl is very excited.
On Thursday, he broke the news to Twitter on Alex Leatherwood playing in the exhibition matchup in Mobile, Ala.
A native of Pensacola, Fla., Leatherwood projects as a high first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. In his tenure at the University of Alabama, Leatherwood won two College Football Playoff national titles (2017, 2020) and two Southeastern Conference titles (2018, 2020) at offensive tackle.
The 6-foot-6, 312-pounder saw action in 48 career games — 41 starts — at both right guard and left tackle.
As a starter, he assisted Najee Harris to two straight 1,000-yard seasons (2019-20) while protecting Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones to be 3,000-yard passers. In the 2020 campaign, Leatherwood paced Jones to becoming the first 4,000-yard quarterback (4,500) of the Nick Saban era.
The redshirt junior tossed for 41 touchdowns to four interceptions — en route to becoming a national champion, Davey O’Brien Award winner, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm winner and an All-American.
For his excellence, Leatherwood won the SEC’s Jacobs Blocking Trophy (with Landon Dickerson), Outland Trophy and was selected as an Unanimous First-Team All-American.
He also provided the Tide with its second Joe Moore Award.
Leatherwood joins Dickerson, Deonte Brown and Thomas Fletcher as the fourth Tide player to accept a Senior Bowl invitation.
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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
