At Alabama, they’re called takers.
JaMarcus Shephard doesn’t refer to his position group as receivers. The first-year position coach claims that label is too passive for how he wants his unit to play. Instead, the Crimson Tide’s wideouts are known as “takers.”
“Being a taker is aggressive. It’s an aggressive way. It’s an aggressive lifestyle,”
Shepherd explained during a February interview with Tide 100.9. “It’s how you go after the football. It’s how you go after blocks. It’s how you conduct yourself every single day on that football field.”
So far, the Tide’s takers have lived up to their name.
Alabama’s wideouts are well-known for their big-play ability, but the unit has also rolled up its sleeves for some dirty work this season. According to Pro Football Focus, the Tide’s highest-graded run blockers the past two weeks have been receivers takers. Ryan Williams led Alabama with a 78.2 run-blocking grade against South Florida, while Germie Bernard posted a sterling 87.2 mark against Wisconsin.
The Tide piled up 184 yards on 34 carries against the Badgers over the weekend. According to PFF, 128 of those yards came on a combined 20 attempts to the outside of the right and left ends. That’s an average of 6.4 yards a pop on running plays where the takers helped spring blocks.
Here’s a look back at how the Tide’s wideouts cleared the way for some of those runs.
Alabama's receiving corps delivered a few good blocks during the Crimson Tide's win at Wisconsin.
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