ATLANTA – On Day One of SEC Media Days, we spoke with a former Alabama great and leader of the New Orleans Saints Super Bowl team: Roman Harper. There was one comment that caught Off The Hook Sports off guard.
An Alabama native, Harper played safety at the University of Alabama under head coach Mike Shula (yes, there were coaches before Nick Saban) and was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Harper left the NFL as a two-time NFL Pro-Bowler and a Super Bowl Champion. He now stars on SEC Nation, a show on ESPN’s SEC Network.
It’s clear that Roman Harper knows more than most about the game we all love. He explained the major differences between college and the NFL, not only in the physicality of certain positions, but the changes in maturity throughout the league. He gave his opinion on the NIL and what he thinks the future holds financially for collegiate sports. When asked about conference realignment and the possibility of breaking up a historic rival like Alabama/Tennessee, Harper quickly protested.
The most surprising comment Harper made was about the upcoming Alabama-Tennessee game on October 15th. Coincidentally, this will be the 15th time the Vols will face the Tide since winning a game in the series (last win was October 21st, 2006). Many college football fans, especially Vol fans, count this meeting as an automatic loss for Tennessee. However, Roman Harper sees things a little bit differently.
“That Tennessee game this year is the scariest game on Alabama’s [schedule]… that following week at Neyland Stadium is gonna be a rough one, especially with this much improved Tennessee team.”
With the V-O-L-S letters going back on Neyland Stadium, is this a sign that Tennessee ends Alabama’s 14-year winning streak in 2022? Or does the Tide roll on to victory for the 15th straight time?
