You know the saying.
‘You don’t know what you have until it’s gone.’
After this Saturday, Leigh Tiffin will never again take aim at the Bryant-Denny Stadium goal posts. After the next four games, he’ll never again kick field goals for the Alabama Crimson Tide. The kid who came to Alabama known more as the son of a Tide legend is about to be gone.
Interestingly enough, Leigh Tiffin may go down as a legend in his own right. No, he hasn’t had that Daniel Moore moment yet like his dad, Van, had – and he may never have one – but he’ll likely end his career as the most prolific kicker in Alabama football history, and there have been some very good ones come through Tuscaloosa.
Funny thing, if there’s one guy on this year’s team who is most taken for granted, Tiffin might just be the one. Maybe it’s because Bama fans are mostly miffed -- miffed because the Tide offense failed to find the end zone -- when Tiffin trots on the field and hammers home another three-points. Maybe Tiffin has simply become so good and so reliable that his exploits are viewed mostly as ho-hum.
It’s guys like Mark Ingram, Greg McElroy, Julio Jones and Trent Richardson who receive most of the fans’ adoration because those are the guys who usually account for the more desirable six points. Those are the guys who bring Tide fans to their feet and get those crimson-and-white shakers really going. It may not be until next year – when Alabama is in the process of breaking in a new kicker -- that Tiffin’s value is fully realized and appreciated. And not just his value to this year’s team but his value over the past several seasons.
Mr. Automatic has hit his last nine field goal attempts and 15-of-16 over the past five games. He leads the nation – yeah, that’s right, the nation – in ...
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