Football coaches cherish players that 100 percent buy into team goals. Those that combine that commitment with an ability to lead are indispensable. Asking how important Minkah Fitzpatrick is to the 2017 Alabama football team is near pointless. Minkah is irreplaceable. Not just because of his considerable player skills, but also because even Nick Saban acknowledges Minkah is like a ‘coach’ on the field.
For Alabama football fans, too many 2017 game-weeks have involved doubt about Minkah’s health. For weeks it has been his hamstring. Days before the biggest game of his career, rumors abound of another injury.