Tide’s Foster: We consider ourselves like the Denver Broncos

ATLANTA — It was only fair.

A day after Alabama head coach Nick Saban said Washington’s secondary resembled the Seattle Seahawks, Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster came up with an NFL comparison of his own for the Crimson Tide.

When asked Tuesday what defense No. 1 Alabama strives to be like, Foster naturally named a fellow defending champion.

“Broncos,” Foster said wearing his signature ear-to-ear smile. “You’ve got Tim (Williams) outside on the edge, Ryan outside on the edge. You’ve got me, it was (Shaun Dion Hamilton) at linebacker, but now we’ve got Rashaan (Evans). Our front line is sick. (Da’Ron) Payne, Dalvin Tomlinson, Jonathan Allen. It can’t get no better than this.”

This season, Alabama (13-0) has had more success than the defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos (8-7). Alabama ranks as the nation’s top defense, allowing 247.8 yards per game while giving up just 11.8 points per game.

Denver’s defense, while not its league’s best, hasn’t been too shabby either. The Broncos rank No. 6 in the NFL in both total defense (322.4 yards per game) and scoring defense (19.4 points per game).

Foster said his favorite player to watch on the Broncos is linebacker Demarcus Ware, a fellow Auburn native. However, when asked who he would be on Denver’s defense, Foster said he couldn’t imagine being anybody else.

“I’m myself,” Foster said. “All of us are ourselves, but we consider ourselves like the Denver Broncos.”

After all, it won’t be long until Foster and several of the rest of the Tide’s defenders are suiting up in the NFL themselves.

Humphrey mum on NFL possibility

Speaking of the future NFL prospects, Alabama defensive back Marlon Humphrey might be making his way to a professional roster after this season.

Humphrey, a redshirt sophomore, is projected to be selected by the New Orleans Saints with the No. 8 overall pick in the NFL Draft, according to ESPN’s Todd McShay’s most recent mock draft. McShay calls Humphrey, 6-foot-1, 196 pounds, the “ideal size for the cornerback position.” However, Humphrey said his draft status is the farthest thing from his mind at the moment.

“I’m just trying to focus on getting this Peach Bowl in, and when we get done with the season, I’ll think about that more in-depth,” Humphrey said. “It’s not really difficult because (the draft is) not going anywhere. It’s not difficult, but it’s been kind of annoying just hearing about it all the time. That’s it.”

Humphrey has tallied two interceptions, four pass breakups and a forced fumble through 12 games this season.

He was forced to sit out the SEC Championship Game earlier this month after injuring his right hamstring the week before against Auburn. Humphrey was still wearing a hamstring-support apparatus on his leg during practice Tuesday but said he is “100 percent” and expects to play in the Peach Bowl on Saturday.

“I’m definitely hungry now,” Humphrey said. “I didn’t like watching that game from the sideline. It was fun to watch those guys do their thing, but I hated I couldn’t be out there with them.”

Huskies’ Ross praises Sarkisian

Washington receiver John Ross believes Alabama is getting an “offensive guru” in recently named future offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian. The redshirt junior should know, after all, it was Sarkisian who recruited him to Washington.

"He's an amazing dude," Ross said. "It's good to see him back on his feet. He deserves it."

Sarkisian served as the head coach at Washington from 2009-13 where he coached the Huskies to a 34-29 record before taking the head coaching job at Southern California in 2014. However, midway through his second season, Sarkisian was fired by the Trojans last year after he reportedly showed up to team events intoxicated on multiple occasions.

Alabama brought Sarkisian in as an offensive analyst at the beginning of the season. He will replace current offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, who accepted the head coaching job at Florida Atlantic earlier this month.

“It’s awesome,” Ross said of Sarkisian. “A lot of people don’t get to bounce back, and a lot of people don’t land back on their feet, and he did. So, it’s good. I’m happy for him, and it’s awesome.”

Mazza, Tomlinson to join Anderson in Senior Bowl

Alabama defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson and long snapper Cole Mazza will join teammate Ryan Anderson in the Senior Bowl, as the duo accepted invitations to the bowl Tuesday.

Tomlinson is sixth on the team with 54 tackles this season and has also tallied 4.5 tackles for a loss, three sacks, seven quarterback hurries, four pass breakups and a forced fumble.

Mazza, a four-year starter for the Tide, handled snaps on punts, field goals and extra points this season.

Anderson, who was named to the team earlier this month, leads the team in tackles for a loss with 17 and is tied for the team lead in sacks with 8.5. He also has 51 tackles to go with 10 quarterback hurries, three pass breakups and three forced fumbles.

The Senior Bowl will be held on at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile on Jan. 28.

This story was originally published December 28, 2016 at 3:55 PM with the headline "Tide’s Foster: We consider ourselves like the Denver Broncos."