TideFans 2009 Crown Jewel Countdown - #8 - NT Kerry Murphy .

[LCN]

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#8 - NT Kerry Murphy 6' 5" 315
Hoover , AL
Coached by Robert Prunty at Hargrave Military Academy .

TideFans consensus rating - 4
CS - 4.5
BET - 4.5
RTO - 4
LCN - 4

Recruited by Bo Davis and Nick Saban .
Murphy enrolled in January after having spent the 2007 season at Hargrave .
4th ranked DT by Rivals.com ('07)
7th ranked DT by ESPNU ('07)
15th ranked DT by Scout.com ('07)

Kerry spent his last season of organized football playing offensive tackle .

On paper he's an All-American and destined to make seven figures in the NFL but , which Kerry Murphy signed with Alabama ? One Murphy is the player who was once thought to be the best defensive tackle prospect in the country following his junior season . The other ? That would be the guy who gained forty pounds before taking the field as a senior . As a junior , Kerry was a beast who simply could not be blocked . During his senior season he looked like he was in slow motion at times as his ability to pursue had all but vanished and it appeared that Kerry was winded every time he ran more than five yards .

Yes , he's obviously had conditioning issues in the past and there's no certainty as to how he will respond after a couple of years away from football . That said , Murphy has been dedicated and working hard over the past two years . If Kerry is able to maintain his focus and dedication to the game , his potential is off the charts . At his best , he's an outstanding athlete for a player of his size and handles double teams very well .

Murphy will have to regain his fundamentals for the position and while it may take some time to shake off the rust , seeing the field this Fall is not a major stretch by any means . When a player has a history of academic issues , you play them while you have them . Long-term , he could be a superstar . Kerry signed with Alabama over Auburn , Clemson , Louisville and Miami .

[CraigD]

I'm looking forward to seeing Kerry perform up to his potential.

[resmith]

After having seen Murphy play in high school as a junior, I thought he looked like a man playing with boys. As a senior he looked like an old fat man playing with boys.
I truly admire him, however, for having the fortitude to stay with his dream of playing for the Crimson Tide, and I wish him nothing but the best. He will be on the playing field this year, and he will be a force before he leaves the Tide.

[CapstoneGrad06]

I expect big things out of Kerry once he gets his conditioning, technique, and academics all in order.

[BigEasyTider]

As mentioned earlier on Murphy, he's a big-time splitter. Had he remained in good shape during his junior season, he would have been a five-star and probably a top ten national prospect. And the potential is there... if he performs up to his true physical ability, this guy is an All-American and a first round NFL Draft pick.

But if not...

At any rate, it's nice to see that he is performing well early this Spring. We didn't know exactly what we were getting in Murphy, but early returns seem promising. He's done well at nose guard, so well in fact that we've taken both Square and Darius away from the position and moved them permanently out to defensive end. Again, it's early, but the initial projections look promising.

And oh yes, I fully expect Murphy to play this Fall if he is healthy. He's going to be 20 by the time the 2009 season starts, and will technically be draft eligible after the 2009 season. He'll play, and he'll play immediately. I expect that he'll get some time as a third-string nose guard, and if he maintains his conditioning at a high level, he could very well give Chapman a run for his money later on this year. This isn't going to be a kid who is 25 as a fifth-year senior, he's likely going to leave pretty soon one way or the other, so play him while you have him.

[BEATtutorsee]

If he's able to keep his academics in order he should be a fixture on the line of scrimmage for us for several years. He could easily be Cody's long term replacement at NG. Like it's been mentioned his potential and athleticism for his size have always been off the charts.

[Alasippi]

He's obviously pretty darn good or we wouldn't have waited 25 years to finally get him on campus

[runtheoption22]

As expected, Kerry has been a little sluggish this spring. He looks to be around 330 lbs right now, and is running behind Cody and Chapman. With his academic past, I think we have to play him at some point this year. Hopefully, it's because he's improved and will contribute.

[Crimson Surfer]

Kerry Murphy is a big, tall, interior lineman who is strong and aggressive with very good quickness off the ball. He has a truck load of potential to be a dominating defensive tackle. He was considered one of the top DTs in the country when he came out of Hoover HS. He was the first commitment Coach Saban received after his hiring in January 2007 and he signed with Alabama in the 2007 class.

He did not academically qualify in 2007 so he went to attend Hargrave Prep school where he played OT for one season. He signed again with Bama in 2008 and unfortunately again he did not qualify. He stayed another semester at Hargrave and left there and went back home. In Hoover he boosted his grade point average to meet NCAA eligibility standards by taking classes at Cahaba School in Hoover. The NCAA Clearinghouse declared him academically eligible to play for Alabama and he enrolled and joined the team in January 2009.

Hargrave coach Robert Prunty said that "Murphy is a great one and that he'll play on Sundays. Kerry Murphy, the kid is very talented. Now that we got that lazy streak out of him, we got him motivated -- all he needed was a motor, anyway. Kerry Murphy has NFL potential. I don't mean low-pick potential."

Early on in Spring practices Murphy was given a look at OT but he has settled back in on the defensive line where he is expected to play and be a contributer next season.

Coach Nick Saban said that he thinks "it is going to be work in progress to get Murphy back in the kind of condition he needs to be in. He gained some weight when he was out of football for a while. He came in about 345 and he is down to 320 right now and they want him at 305." CNS said "he has played well so far at nose and five technique (DE) and he is instinctive, he has some ability, he has a bright future if he does the things that he needs to do to be successful."

I expect Murphy to contribute this year as a back-up nose tackle and eventually to become a force in the middle of the defensive line. The key word here is potential. Hopefully he lives up to his tremendous potential at Alabama.

Crimson Tide Adds 32 Football Signees

	Quote:
	Kerry Murphy Defensive Line Hoover, Ala. (Hoover/Hargrave) Spent the 2007 season at Hargrave Military Academy after originally signing with Alabama in 2007 ... received a four-star rating and listed as the No. 4 prep school player in the country according to Rivals.com ... a Parade All-American as a senior at Hoover in 2006... The Birmingham News All-Metro Team ... rated as the top prospect on The Birmingham News Super Senior list ... one of 11 defensive tackles on The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Super Southern 100 ... rated No. 3 by The Mobile Press-Register’s Elite 18 players in the state of Alabama ... rated as the 15th-best defensive tackle in the nation by Scout.com ... rated No. 56 by Rivals.com Top 100 prospects ... rated as the No. 4 defensive tackle in the nation by Rivals.com ... rated as the No. 2 prospect in state of Alabama by Rivals.com Top 30 ... named to Rivals.com Super 250 Team ... rated No. 68 by The Mobile Press-Register’s Super Southeast 120 ... selected to play in the 2006 Alabama North-South All-Star Game ... a dominant force in the middle, Murphy made 142 tackles and 16 sacks in junior and senior seasons ... as a senior, had 77 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and eight sacks ... added 77 tackles and recorded eight sacks as a junior while leading Hoover to its second straight Class 6A State Championship.

[LCN]

	Quote:	Crimson Surfer
	Coach Nick Saban said that he thinks "it is going to be work in progress to get Murphy back in the kind of condition he needs to be in. He gained some weight when he was out of football for a while. He came in about 345 and he is down to 320 right now and they want him at 305." CNS said "he has played well so far at nose and five technique (DE) and he is instinctive, he has some ability, he has a bright future if he does the things that he needs to do to be successful."

That's why I'm pulling for him . It's hard not to when considering the road Kerry has traveled since he was a junior in high school . Most guys never make it this far back - Hamilton , Holifield , Branch , Forbes , etc. , etc. .

[BEATtutorsee]

	Quote:	LCN
	That's why I'm pulling for him . It's hard not to when considering the road Kerry has traveled since he was a junior in high school . Most guys never make it this far back - Hamilton , Holifield , Branch , Forbes , etc. , etc. .

I agree. To me it shows that Kerry has a level of dedication and willingness that will hopefully allow him to do what's necessary to become a big contributor for us.