The move was made during the spring, one that initially surprised Eddie Jackson.
After starting four games at cornerback as a freshman and 10 of the 11 games he played in last year, Alabama's junior defensive back entered the spring as, once again, one of the top contenders for a starting cornerback job.
Then came a talk with coach Nick Saban, who told Jackson safety may be a better fit for him. While the move began as an experiment, the Florida native has done well enough at safety that he has not moved back to cornerback and has consistently practiced as the Tide's first-team strong safety dating back to April.
"It was kind of a surprise, but I put my trust in coach Saban," Jackson said, later adding, "Just doing what I have to do for the team. If they need me at safety, I'm going to play safety. If they need me at linebacker, I'll play linebacker. Wherever they need me at and I can help the team."