Alabama
NFL Thursday night: Pick-6 pair have Alabama football roots
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Two defensive backs with Alabama football roots returned an interception for a touchdown during an NFL preseason game on Thursday night.
Former Alabama safety Jordan Battle’s pick-six came in the Cincinnati Bengals’ 27-14 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
Former Troy cornerback Reddy Steward’s pick-six came in the Chicago Bears’ 34-21 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Battle picked off Indianapolis starter Anthony Richardson and returned the interception 14 yards for a touchdown as the Bengals tied the score at 7-7 with 3:01 left in the first quarter.
Steward picked off former Samford quarterback Chris Oladokun and returned the interception 48 yards for a touchdown as the Bears took a 20-7 lead with 22 seconds left in the first half.
Battle wasn’t the only Alabama alumnus who scored for the Bengals. Rookie wide receiver Jermaine Burton caught a 21-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Logan Woodside
The touchdown was the second of the preseason for the third-round draft choice. Burton caught a 37-yard touchdown pass from Woodside during Cincinnati’s 17-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Bengals’ preseason opener on Aug. 10.
Burton had four receptions for 56 yards against the Colts.
And Steward wasn’t the only Alabama prep standout who scored for the Bears. Former Saraland High School star Velus Jones Jr. ran 39 yards for a touchdown with 28 seconds left in the third quarter.
A wide receiver in his first two NFL seasons, Jones has been working at running back this preseason, and against Kansas City, he ran for 111 yards on 13 carries, caught two passes for 11 yards and made two tackles – one on special teams and one after a fumble.
Battle and Steward are in different circumstances.
A third-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, Battle started the final seven games of his rookie season. But he’s back competing for playing time this year after the Bengals signed safeties Vonn Bell and Geno Stone.
Battle also had five tackles on defense and one tackle on special teams against Indianapolis.
A two-time All-State selection for Austin High School in Decatur before becoming an All-Sun Belt Conference choice at Troy, Steward is trying to convert a long-shot opportunity to make the Bears’ roster as an undrafted rookie.
The pick-six was Steward’s second interception of the game. Steward also intercepted Oladokun with 11:28 left in the second quarter with the Chiefs at the Chicago 3-yard line. He intercepted the pass at the goal line and returned it 11 yards. Steward also had two tackles in the game.
Twenty other players with Alabama football roots got on the field as the final week of the NFL’s preseason started on Thursday night:
Cincinnati Bengals safety Jordan Battle returns an interception for a touchdown during an NFL preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.(Photo by Jeff Moreland/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Indianapolis Colts 27, Cincinnati Bengals 14
· Travis Bell (Jeff Davis) started at defensive tackle for the Bengals. Bell did not record any stats.
· Colts defensive tackle Raekwon Davis (Alabama) made one tackle. Davis had not practiced at training camp until Tuesday, when he was cleared after being held out because of high blood pressure.
· Allan George (Andalusia) started at cornerback for the Bengals. George made eight tackles.
· Colts safety Ronnie Harrison (Alabama) made two tackles on defense, registered one tackle for loss and recorded three tackles on special teams.
· Shedrick Jackson (Hoover, Auburn) started at wide receiver for the Bengals. Jackson had an 8-yard reception.
· Cedric Johnson (Davidson) started at left defensive end for the Bengals. Johnson made three tackles. He lost a sack to a penalty on a teammate.
· Ryan Kelly (Alabama) started at center for the Colts.
· Bengals kicker Evan McPherson (Fort Payne) made two extra points. He did not have a field-goal attempt.
· Colts cornerback Jaylin Simpson (Auburn) made one tackle on special teams.
· Braden Smith (Auburn) started at right offensive tackle for the Colts.
· Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt (Park Crossing) did not play.
Indianapolis and Cincinnati kick off their regular-season schedules on Sept. 8. The Colts host the Houston Texans, and the Bengals host the New England Patriots.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun passes under pressure during an NFL preseason game against the Chicago Bears on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Chicago Bears 34, Kansas City Chiefs 21
· Khari Blasingame (Buckhorn) started at fullback for the Bears. Blasingame also had a 4-yard run.
· Byron Cowart (Auburn) started at defensive end for the Bears. Cowart made one tackle.
· Bears tight end Gerald Everett (UAB/South Alabama) did not play.
· Neil Farrell Jr. (Murphy) started at defensive tackle for the Chiefs. Farrell did not record any stats.
· Chris Oladokun (Samford) started at quarterback for the Chiefs. Oladokun completed 9-of-16 passes for 66 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions and ran four times for 6 yards.
· Justyn Ross (Central-Phenix City) started at wide receiver for the Chiefs. Ross had two receptions for 16 yards.
· Chiefs tight end Irv Smith Jr. (Alabama) had a 3-yard reception.
· Kadarius Toney (Blount) started at wide receiver for the Chiefs. Toney had two receptions for 26 yards.
· Bears cornerback Ro Torrence (Bessemer City, Auburn) made three tackles on defense, broke up two passes and made one tackle on special teams.
· Bears punter Corliss Waitman (South Alabama) averaged 44.3 yards on three punts, with a 39.0-yard net.
· Chiefs wide receiver Montrell Washington (Samford) had a 49-yard reception and a 30-yard kickoff return.
Kansas City kicks off the NFL’s regular-season schedule on Sept. 5 when the Chiefs host the Baltimore Ravens. Chicago opens on Sept. 8 with a home game against the Tennessee Titans.
FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
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Alabama
Alabama community colleges see surge in enrollment, bucking national trend
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Alabama community colleges are seeing the highest enrollment numbers in a decade.
According to the Alabama Community College System, more than 170,000 Alabamians enrolled in academic courses, adult education or workforce training in the last academic year.
Enrollment numbers at local community colleges haven’t been that high since 2013, according to the system.
“This enrollment achievement reflects the growing recognition of the critical role that community colleges play in providing accessible, affordable, and high-quality education to students from all walks of life,” said Jimmy Baker, Chancellor of the Alabama Community College System, in a news release.
The trend is pretty different from the rest of the country; nationally, many community colleges have had a string of “crisis” years, according to the Community College Research Center. Two-year public college enrollment has declined since 2010, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Neil Scott, vice chancellor of student success, told trustees recently that the system received 100,285 applications for the Fall 2024 semester, according to The Alabama Reflector.
Alabama officials attribute their increases to scholarships, flexible learning options and support services.
Many students are full-time and working toward a two-year and, eventually, four-year degree. Others are part-time students or are working toward a single credential.
About half of the state’s community college students are eligible for Pell awards and financial aid.
In recent years, several Alabama colleges have made substantial efforts to coach students and get more across the finish line to graduation.
And they now feature a lot of new programs: Hospitality courses, plumbing maintenance, diesel mechanic programs, meat cutter training and more.
Alabama
They're back: Fall 2024 is under way at University of Alabama – WVUA 23
![They're back: Fall 2024 is under way at University of Alabama – WVUA 23 They're back: Fall 2024 is under way at University of Alabama – WVUA 23](https://www.wvua23.com/content/uploads/2024/08/w/l/university-of-alabama-student-center.jpg)
University of Alabama students kicked off the new semester with students starting back to class.
Students are excited to be back and ready for the new year.
“I’m really excited for my classes and to meet a lot of new people. I come from a smaller school, a lot of my friends are here, but I’m really excited to have new friendships,” said freshman Celia Quintera.
Sophomore Jailin West said being back is refreshing.
“I feel like I have an understanding of what I’m doing now classwise,” West said. “I feel like I’ll be better like adapted and ready for classes this year than I was last year.”
Senior Reagan White agreed.
“It’s been great,” White said. “I only had one class this morning but I’m just happy to be back on campus, seeing everybody and getting started with the new year.”
Stillman College and Shelton State Community College started back on Monday.
sd
Alabama
Alabama congressional candidate to speak at Democratic National Convention Thursday
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CHICAGO (WSFA) – An Alabama congressional candidate will speak on the final night of the Democratic National Convention ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris.
Shomari Figures, who is running for Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District, will address the crowd of delegates and party leaders at 7 p.m. Thursday.
His speech will be centered around the theme “for our future,” honing in on the importance of the newly redrawn district.
“We’re going to deliver a unifying message that’s both informative and acknowledges the history of this district and the role that it has played here in this country, but also being very optimistic on our outlook of the future,” Figures said.
Figures’ opponent, Republican candidate Caroleene Dobson, said Figures being in Chicago instead of District 2 sends a message that he does not care about the concerns of Alabamians.
“I think it just shows how out of touch he is with the needs and concerns of the voters in District 2,” Dobson said. “I’ve spent the last eight months traveling all over the district.”
The two candidates are vying for the newly redrawn congressional district, hoping to make history in Alabama.
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