Oba Femi, the Alabama football star?

It apparently isn’t as far-fetched as you would think.

Before he was “The Ruler” of NXT and winner of the NXT Championship and the NXT North American Championship, he was Isaac Odugbesan of Nigeria who joined the Middle Tennessee State track team before transferring to Alabama, where he won the 2021 SEC indoor and outdoor shot put titles and defended his indoor title the following year.

During an appearance on the “No-Contest Wrestling” podcast, Femi was asked if he was ever approached to play football by former Alabama football coach Nick Saban.

“Not personally, but he definitely had his eye on me for sure,” he said, per Fightful.com. “Him and all the strength coaches, especially when we got to the end of the year and we started doing tests to find out our maxes and I’m throwing 700 pounds on the squat and all that so one go around, we have this freaking animal here. It came down to an issue where because I hadn’t played before, I’m from Nigeria, we don’t play football. So, you can’t give a full ride to someone who’s never played in a top tier school like Alabama, let’s just put it that way.”

Femi told AL.com in October his most memorable moment in Tuscaloosa was football-related.

“The one (football) game is Alabama vs. LSU in 2019,” he said. “We actually lost, but that was the very first Alabama game I ever went to, so it has a very special place in my heart.”

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.

Dr. Stuart R. Bell, the 29th president of The University of Alabama, has announced his plans to step down from the presidency mid-summer, completing a decade of excellence in leadership.

“It has truly been an honor to serve and represent The University of Alabama as president over the last 10 years,” Bell said in a press release. “I am grateful for the longstanding support of our Board of Trustees and filled with pride and gratitude for all the accomplishments of our students, faculty, staff and alumni. Collectively, we have witnessed record-breaking successes and as our University continues its positive trajectory, the moment is right to initiate the completion of my tenure as president.” 

Under Bell’s leadership, Alabama and the SEC were highlighted on the world stage as Crimson Tide student-athletes shined across many sports with three national championships in football, the first Final Four appearance in men’s basketball history and tons of SEC championships. Numerous student-athletes won individual national championships and recorded the highest academic performance rate in school history.

“Stuart Bell has provided a decade of exceptional service to The University of Alabama where his steady leadership has proved valuable in managing the myriad challenges present in modern day higher education,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said in the press release. “The lives he touched through his passion for the advancement of the Alabama student experience will be his lasting legacy. He has also been an important leader in the Southeastern Conference during a time of significant change in college sports and I am appreciative of the wise counsel he has provided on the transformative issues that are shaping the future of college athletics.” 

“I could not have asked for a better president than Dr. Bell to work with over the last eight years at Alabama,” Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter). “He is an incredible leader and cares deeply about our university and athletics programs. We are grateful for the impact he’s made throughout his tenure and are thankful for the support he and Mrs. Bell have shown to our teams over the years.

No. 19 Alabama women’s basketball vs. No. 2 South Carolina at 6 p.m. CT in Coleman Coliseum and on SECN+

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January 16, 1995: Jonathan Allen was born in Anniston, Ala.

January 16, 2007: Nick Saban made one of his final additions for his first coaching staff at Alabama, adding the man who would be the position coach for two Heisman Trophy winners, Mark Ingram Jr. and Derrick Henry. Burton Burns was hired from Clemson to be the Crimson Tide’s running backs coach and associate head coach.

“Lee Roy was the best college linebacker, bar none. He would have made every tackle on every play if they had stayed in bounds.”

–– Paul W. “Bear” Bryant on Lee Roy Jordan, who played in Super Bowl VI on this date in 1972, a 24-3 victory for the Cowboys over the Dolphins.

Former South Alabama wide receiver Jamaal Pritchett has accepted his invitation to play in the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl.

Jaguars head coach Major Applewhite made the announcement during an appearance at Wednesday night’s South Alabama basketball game vs. Southern Miss at the Mitchell Center. The Jaguars football team was on hand to be recognized for winning the Salute to Veterans Bowl in Montgomery last month.

The 5-foot-8, 175-pound Pritchett led the Sun Belt Conference in both receptions (91) and yards (1,127) in 2024, while tying for second in the league with nine touchdown receptions. The Jackson native joined the South Alabama team as a walk-on in 2022 after spending his freshman season at Tuskegee.

Pritchett is the 12th South Alabama player to participate in the Senior Bowl. The Jaguars have had at least one player in the Senior Bowl for five straight years, with Pritchett joining quarterback Carter Bradley (2024), cornerback Darrell Luter and wide receiver Jalen Wayne (2023), wide receiver Jalen Tolbert (2022) and linebacker Riley Cole (2021).

The Senior Bowl takes place Feb. 1 at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the South Alabama campus, meaning Pritchett will get one more game at his home stadium. A Jackson native, Pritchett joins Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard (Fairhope) and Florida linebacker Shemar James (Faith Academy) as players with southern Alabama ties in this year’s edition of the annual college football all-star game and NFL draft showcase.

Additional Senior Bowl players will be announced periodically as game week approaches. A full list of accepted invitations is available by clicking HERE.

Kickoff for the 2025 Senior Bowl is set for 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 1, with television coverage on NFL Network Tickets are available at seniorbowl.com/tickets.

Players with state of Alabama ties in 2025 Senior Bowl