TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — When it comes to MVP awards in sports, there’s an age-old debate about what’s more important: statistical production or value to one’s team, i.e. the athlete his team can least afford to be without.
The University of Alabama’s offense this season provides a perfect example of how the two categories are often not represented by the same player. Running back Derrick Henry is clearly the best player on paper, having already achieved his first 1,000-yard rushing season, but the guy the Crimson Tide really can’t replace is center Ryan Kelly.
“I’m not going to say he’s the MVP of the offense, but I will say that center position is so important in college, especially when you’re in an uptempo offense and doing so much at the line of scrimmage,” said former Alabama offensive lineman Barrett Jones, the most decorated player in Crimson Tide history when it comes to national honors.