Tide linemen grow stronger together

TUSCALOOSA — Every football player dreams of playing on Sundays, but maybe not like this.

Drew Davis and Mike Johnson were freshmen at Alabama in 2005, headed for redshirt seasons.

Then-head coach Mike Shula would have the redshirts scrimmage on Sunday nights. It was the only action Davis and Johnson would see that first year. Most sessions would only drive home the realization of how far they had to come.

The 6-foot-7 Davis and 6-foot-5 Johnson might be ringers for a pickup basketball game, but they weren’t ready for Southeastern Conference gridirons. They had growing — and growing up — to do.

Time, fortunately, was on their side. Five years later, Johnson is an All-American left guard, awarded that honor by Pro Football Weekly last season. He is the Crimson Tide’s most versatile and experienced offensive lineman.

Davis, who came to Alabama from tiny Sparta Academy in Evergreen, has started for the past two seasons at right tackle.

The senior starters blocked for NFL rookie Glen Coffee a year ago and are clearing the way for Heisman Trophy candidate Mark Ingram this fall.

“We’re going to miss them next year,” quarterback Greg McElroy said. “They’re as vital a part of this team as anybody.”

As they prepare for their final start in Bryant-Denny Stadium this Saturday against Chattanooga, Johnson can’t believe what’s happened since those Sunday night scrimmages.

“Me and Drew were at opposite tackles,” Johnson recalled. “Both of us have just grown so much. He’s married now. I’m feeling old, and I always called him old. We just both have come a long way.”

Johnson laughs when asked just how far he’s come. Pine Forest High in Pensacola ran the veer when he was in high school.

“When I came here, I didn’t know how to pass protect or get in a left-handed stance or do any of that,” Johnson said. “I had a lot of guys help me along the way.

“Antoine Caldwell was a big influence, just keeping me in line, bringing me through things and helping me out technique-wise. ... It took me a little longer to kind of get my wheels up under me. He just kind of helped me in that direction.”

But once he got there, Johnson improved rapidly.

“I think he’s as good as any offensive lineman in the SEC,” McElroy said.

“He’s kind of the heart and soul of the offensive line as far as making plays and helping out first-year starters on either side. ... He’s had some adversity with some ankle stuff and things like that, but he’s played tough and he’s played hard.”

Davis’ trek was even more unlikely. Sure, he had to get bigger and stronger. But he also admitted, “Coming from a small school, I really didn’t know football.”

“We’d play offense, then turn around and play defense, kick the ball and go play offense some more,” Davis said. “My technique wasn’t there. ... Getting up here, the athlete was obviously a different type.”

He discovered that in a hurry.

“The first person I went up against was Mark Anderson, who now plays for the Bears and does a great job,” Davis recalled. “The first thing I thought was, ‘I don’t know if I can do this.’ ”

But he stuck it out, through the self-doubts and the skepticism of others. And, of course, the coaching change.

“I really enjoyed coach Shula’s coaching staff, and then coach Saban came in,” Davis said. “Obviously, he does a great job, we all love him. I think I’ve come a long way. But don’t get it confused. I still have a long way to go.”

That message is hammered home by offensive line coach Joe Pendry, who cuts his unit no slack in practice.

“He’s been huge for us,” Johnson said of his position coach. “He keeps pushing you and will keep pushing you until your last game. He’s not going to take ‘no’ for an answer. That’s just the kind of guy he is.

“He’s been doing it for a long time. He knows how it needs to be done, and until it’s done that way he’s not going to let you get by with doing it any other way.”

Davis’ work ethic impressed the coaching staff and his teammates. He earned the 2008 Bart Starr Award as Alabama’s Most Improved Player following spring practice. He also earned the Iron Man Award for the his dedication in the strength and conditioning program.

“He’s worked harder than anybody I’ve been around,” McElroy said. “He won the Iron Man award last year, and no one was even close to being able to do what he’s done.

“He’s made as much improvement as any player on the team over the last four years that I’ve been here. He is really playing great right now.”

Johnson also said Davis may be the most improved player in a senior class full of overachievers.

“He’s grown as a player and a person,” Johnson said. “We were roommates a couple years ago. Just shared a lot of good times.”

Johnson said these final games together will be special for him and Davis.

“It’s coming to an end slowly, but I’m sure that won’t be the last we see of each other,” he said. “I hope he continues to do well in whatever he does.”