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NFL Thursday night: Former Alabama ball-carrier matches Barry Sanders

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NFL Thursday night: Former Alabama ball-carrier matches Barry Sanders


Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs scored three touchdowns in a 44-30 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night to put his name beside Barry Sanders for a pair of NFL bests.

Sanders scored 47 touchdowns from 1989 through 1991 for the Lions — the most for any player in NFL history in his first three seasons and before his 24th birthday.

Gibbs lifted his touchdown total to 47 as he equaled Sanders for both bests. The former Alabama standout has four games remaining in his third NFL season, and his 24th birthday is on March 20.

Gibbs scored on a 1-yard run as Detroit took a 10-3 lead with 2:14 left in the first quarter, a 10-yard run with 7:17 to play as the Lions went ahead 37-27 and a 13-yard run with 2:19 remaining to set the final margin.

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Gibbs’ first touchdown also became part of a record-setting pair when Detroit running back David Montgomery broke away on a 35-yard touchdown run with 4:27 left in the first half. Gibbs and Montgomery have scored in the same game 15 times, the most for a pair of running backs in the NFL’s Super Bowl era. They surpassed the 14 games of the Cowboys’ Emmitt Smith and Daryl Johnston.

Gibbs finished with 43 yards on 12 rushing attempts. He also caught seven passes for 77 yards.

“He’s unique. He’s special,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “Everybody knows what he can do in the run game, and really we couldn’t quite get him going the way we wanted to in the run game. But yet, he did find some paydirt on a couple of those. But the pass-game stuff, he continues to grow. The more we give him and the more we work with him in practice, we just continue to try to open his horizons and give him a little bit more, man, he just grows. He gets better and better, and then he gets in the game and the routes get crisper and crisper.

“He just keeps going, man. There’s just not a cap on this dude yet. And there again, he works his tail off. He’s freaking smart. He’s instinctive. He’s a team guy. He’s something else, so the sky’s the limit for him. He’s just getting started now.”

Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams runs after catching a pass during an NFL game against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, at Ford Field in Detroit.(AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

In addition to Gibbs, 11 other players from Alabama high schools and colleges got on the field on Thursday night at Ford Field in Detroit:

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  • Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold (Alabama) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
  • Tyler Booker (Alabama) started at right guard for the Cowboys.
  • Cowboys cornerback Trikweze Bridges (Lanett) did not record any stats.
  • Brian Branch (Alabama) started at safety for the Lions. Branch made six tackles, registered one quarterback hit, broke up one pass and recovered one fumble. Branch recovered a fumble at the Detroit 47-yard line with 6:15 left in the first half, and the Lions turned the takeaway into a touchdown for a 17-6 lead. Branch left the game because of an ankle injury with 3:45 to play.
  • Lions wide receiver Malik Cunningham (Park Crossing) gained 1 yard on his first NFL rushing attempt. Detroit elevated Cunningham from its practice squad to make him eligible to play, and he made his first appearance since playing in two games in the 2023 season.
  • Lions linebacker Zach Cunningham (Pinson Valley) is on the injured reserve and not eligible to play.
  • Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs (Alabama) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
  • Cowboys tight end Rivaldo Fairweather (Auburn) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
  • Cowboys wide receiver Traeshon Holden (Alabama) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
  • Lions offensive lineman Chris Hubbard (UAB) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
  • Cowboys linebacker Shemar James (Faith Academy) made one tackle on defense and three tackles on special teams.
  • George Pickens (Hoover) started at wide receiver for the Cowboys. Pickens had five receptions for 37 yards.
  • Reddy Steward (Austin, Troy) started at defensive back for the Cowboys. Steward made three tackles.
  • Lions safety Daniel Thomas (Lee-Montgomery, Auburn) made one tackle on defense, broke up one pass and had one tackle on special teams. Playing without safety Kerby Joseph, Detroit lost safeties Thomas Harper and Brian Branch to injuries during the game, which put Thomas, usually a special-teams specialist, in the Lions secondary.
  • Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert (McGill-Toolen, South Alabama) was designated as a game-day inactive.
  • Jameson Williams (Alabama) started at wide receiver for the Lions. Williams equaled his career single-game high for receptions set on Sunday with seven, which gained 96 yards. He also gained 7 yards on a rushing attempt.
  • Quinnen Williams (Wenonah, Alabama) started at defensive tackle for the Cowboys. Williams made four tackles and registered one quarterback hit.
  • Cowboys defensive end Sam Williams (Lee-Montgomery) made three tackles, registered one quarterback hit and blocked one field-goal attempt.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

The Lions and Cowboys entered the game battling to stay in the NFC playoff race, with both teams outside the current seven-team field. Each team now has four games remaining on its regular-season schedule.

In its next game, Detroit (8-5) plays the Los Angeles Rams at 3:25 p.m. CST Dec. 14 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

Dallas (6-6-1) plays the Minnesota Vikings at 7:20 p.m. Dec. 14 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.



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3 Alabama players who helped their draft stock at 2026 NFL combine

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3 Alabama players who helped their draft stock at 2026 NFL combine



Each player had a pivotal role on the Crimson Tide in 2025.

Alabama had a multitude of former players who performed at an elite level at the NFL combine this past weekend.

Former Alabama star quarterback Ty Simpson was among those who put his talents on full display in Indianapolis, as Simpson continues to emerge as a top quarterback prospect available in April’s draft.

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Numerous Crimson Tide stars on both sides of the football were able to have an excellent showing at the combine as well, with each playmaker a vital component to the Tide’s success in 2025.

Here are three Alabama players who helped their draft stock rise at the NFL combine.

Ty Simpson, Quarterback

Simpson is widely regarded as the best quarterback prospect available outside of Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. The talented redshirt junior put on an absolute show at the NFL combine, as Simpson delivered multiple perfect throws and put his talents on full display throughout Saturday’s events.

The former Alabama star is a candidate to potentially shine day one in his campaign in the NFL, as Simpson’s draft stock continues to rise prior to April.

Jam Miller, Running Back

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Miller is an extremely fast and athletic running back, despite struggling in the Tide’s backfield last season. The star running back recorded an impressive 4.43u 40-yard dash time, as Miller could very easily shine in the NFL next season with consistent playing time.

Miller was nothing short of elite throughout his entire performance at the combine in Indianapolis, as the former Tide running back continues to rise in a multitude of draft rankings around the football world.

Kadyn Proctor, Offensive Tackle

Proctor played a crucial role on Alabama’s offensive line last season. The star lineman reportedly slimmed down prior to the NFL combine, as Proctor displayed elite speed and athleticism throughout Sunday’s combine in Indianapolis.

Proctor is widely expected to be a mid-to-late first round selection in April, as the talented lineman’s efforts during the combine could quickly begin to work in Proctor’s favor during next month’s draft.

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The 2026 NFL draft will take place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania starting on April 23, as each Crimson Tide star will look to shine throughout their rookie campaign in the NFL.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.





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Husband, 19, fatally shot wife, 24, himself at Alabama hospital moments after welcoming their first child

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Husband, 19, fatally shot wife, 24, himself at Alabama hospital moments after welcoming their first child


A husband fatally shot his wife before turning the gun on himself at an Alabama hospital just moments after they welcomed their first child on Sunday.

Kynath Terry Jr., 19, gunned down 24-year-old Precious Johnson before fatally shooting himself inside the Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital around 9:30 p.m. Sunday night, WTVM 13 reported.

Johnson delivered a healthy baby just before she was murdered. It’s not immediately clear if the baby was present during the shooting, but police said that Terry and Johnson were the only ones injured.

Kynath Terry Jr., 19, shot 24-year-old Precious Johnson at an Alabama hospital after she gave birth to their child. WVTM

Terry’s mother told the outlet that the couple were having some marital issues leading up to Johnson’s due date, but nothing that made her fear her son would become violent.

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She told the outlet that Terry completed Army National Guard training before tying the knot with Johnson.

She noted that Johnson didn’t want Terry’s side of the family at the hospital for her child’s birth, but it’s unclear if anyone from the mother-to-be’s own family was there.

The hospital was plunged into a lockdown “out of an abundance of caution” while police investigated reports of a shooting. It wasn’t lifted until hours later when they determined there was “no active threat to patients, team members or the public,” the outlet reported.

The Homewood Police Department described the tragedy as “an apparent murder-suicide and is domestic in nature.”

Terry completed Army National Guard training before marrying Johnson. WVTM
The shooting sent Brookwood Baptist Medical Center into an hours-long lockdown. Google Maps

Danne Howard, the president of the Alabama Hospital Association, told the outlet that the chilling attack “was an isolated incident” unlike anything she’d encountered during her three decades working in the state.

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Howard said, in the wake of the tragedy, the Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital would undergo a security overhaul implementing “lessons learned” from a mandated after-action report.

Just three months ago, in a town six miles outside of Homewood, a beloved sports reporter was fatally shot by her husband before taking his own life. Their 3-year-old son, who was unharmed, led his grandfather to his parents’ bodies.



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Air Force base security tightens, AL reacts after attacks in Iran

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Air Force base security tightens, AL reacts after attacks in Iran


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The United States and Israel-led attacks on Iran are having an impact in Central Alabama.

The military actions that began Saturday targets the military forces of Iran and the nation’s ability to build nuclear weapons.

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In Montgomery, Maxwell Air Force Base and Gunter Annex have stepped up security so that all entry points will have a 100 percent ID check, the bases said on social media. The Trusted Traveler Program is suspended, which allowed Department of Defense identification holders to vouch for passengers.

Visitors without base access will have to go through the visitor center to get a pass.

Central Alabama residents react to the Iran attacks

For Travis Jackson of Montgomery, the attacks bring back memories, bad memories. He served one tour in Iraq from 2007-2008 with the U.S. Army. He attained the rank of sergeant before leaving the service and has worked the last 10 years as a community activist and diversity, equality and inclusion coordinator.

“I had a flashback of being overseas again,” he said when he first heard news of the attack. “The first thing I thought of was corporate greed. Of yet again seeing what has transpired throughout the years of any war overseas.”

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He feels the attacks are a mistake.

“It’s going to be detrimental to the economy, notably with the increase in oil prices,” he said.

Removing the current regime in Iran and establishing a more western friendly country could improve hopes for a more stable Middle East, said Amy Stephens of Elmore County.

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“I don’t know if there will ever be peace there,” Stephens said. “But Iran has been the causing trouble over there for almost 50 years.”

Ray Roberts of Prattville served in Operation Desert Shield/Storm in 1990 and 1991 after Iraq invaded Kuwait. He served in an ordinance company with the Alabama Army National Guard. He was a sergeant when he left the service and now works as a draftsman at a Montgomery manufacturing plant.

“It wasn’t a surprise,” Roberts said of the attacks. “President Trump had said they were coming. When he says something like that, he means it. I am glad we are working with Israel so it’s not just the United States. I wonder if Europe and some of the other Gulf nations will join the attacks.”

Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@gannett.com. To support his work, please subscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser.

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