Alabama tight ends face end of careers

NEW ORLEANS — Steadman Shealy didn’t throw passes to Nick Walker. Major Ogilvie didn’t run behind blocks thrown by Travis McCall.

It just seems that way. Alabama’s tight ends have been around a long time.

The seniors’ last game for the Crimson Tide will tie a longevity milestone at the school. Both players will participate in their 52nd game when Alabama plays Utah Friday night.

They will tie Tarrant Lynch for the most games. Lynch, who played from 1990-94, had a fifth year of eligibility due to a medical hardship.

Walker, of Brundidge, and McCall, of Prattville, won’t be remembered for that record. They will be missed because of their contributions on the field.

“I think those two guys are unsung, because we’re asking a guy to really do some things that a true fullback should do,” offensive coordinator Jim McElwain said this week. “We’re asking them also, in the passing game, to be able to do a lot of things.

“I think those two guys, to me, don’t get enough credit to what we’re doing, offensively, to run the ball. They have to handle defensive ends. I’ve been really happy with those guys.”

While they can be used interchangeably, Walker has been a go-to receiver on possession downs. McCall has often lined up in the backfield and been the lead blocker for running backs Glen Coffee and Mark Ingram.

Walker is Alabama’s No. 2 receiver with 29 receptions for 299 yards and two touchdowns this season. That is the most catches by a tight end since Lamonde Russell set the school record for receptions by a tight end in 1989.

McCall has seven catches for 52 yards. He is a fierce blocker who has helped the Tide average nearly 200 yards per game on the ground.
The tight end tandem has caught Utah’s attention.

“The tight ends are a huge part of (Alabama’s) offense,” co-defensive coordinator Gary Andersen said.

“I think Alabama has three or four quality tight ends that can come in and do a lot of things for them. They use their tight ends as blockers, and they do a nice job of using their tight ends again in the boot and play-action game.”

On a team with an NCAA-low nine scholarship seniors, to have two senior tight ends who have played in more than 50 games is beyond unusual. Walker and
McCall have forged a strong friendship over the years, despite battling each other for playing time.

“Since the first time I got here, we’ve always been close,” McCall said. “We hang out together and try to have fun together, and I think practice is easier when we’re both out there. We push each other through it.”

McCall noted that not only do their games complement each other, so do their personalities.

“I’m quiet, he’s a talkative person. He gets me started, then I turn into the talkative person,” McCall said.

Senior defensive end Bobby Greenwood, like McCall a Prattville product, has faced them both every day in practice for years.

“With (Travis) and Nick, it’s like a one-two punch,” Greenwood said. “I’ve never gone against another tight end that’s as good a blocker as Travis. He’ll drive you back on the field. And Nick Walker’s fast and has good hands. If we could mold them both together ...”

Walker is convinced that the tight ends’ role in the Alabama attack won’t go away after he and McCall move on.

“We’ve got a lot of athletic tight ends that are coming up as juniors and seniors. Colin Peek, you’ve got Preston Dial, (Chris) Underwood, all those guys,” Walker said. “They’re great. They can catch the ball, they can block, whatever.”

McCall said he wants to finish strong in the Sugar Bowl.

“I think if we didn’t go out on a good note, it would be sort of a letdown for the season because we’ve worked so hard to get to where we are,” he said.