NFL Thursday night: Pick-6 pair have Alabama football roots

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:

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.

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.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.