Ex-Tide linebackers continue to make an impact

Sacrifice, team effort and showing appreciation brought Cornelius Bennett and Derrick Oden success on the field.

On Tuesday, the two were in Dothan to tell Alabama alumni the same applies to off-the-field endeavors.

Bennett, a five-time NFL Pro Bowl performer at linebacker, and Oden, a linebacker for the 1992 Crimson Tide national championship team, spoke at the Houston and Henry counties’ Alabama Alumni Association’s 28th annual Bama Day at the Wiregrass Rehabilitation Center.

The event annually raises scholarship money for students in Henry and Houston counties, said alumni association member Jimbo Loftin. An average of nine to 12 scholarships are awarded each year, he added.

“(It’s about) sacrifice — giving up self for the betterment of others,” Bennett said. “I’m here to help raise money, especially in these tough economic times. It’s trying on everybody.”

Bennett, Alabama’s only  Lombardi Award winner for being the best college interior lineman, said success on the field did not come from just hard work players put in, noting the same applies in scholarship fundraising.

“It’s not just the team — it’s the fans, it’s the managers,” he said, mentioning players would be in trouble if equipment personnel did not test the gear teams used. “It’s the little things that people don’t think about.”

Oden said the event and others like these give former players a chance to show fans and alumni they “appreciate the effort” the donors display.

He said it also gives him an opportunity to encourage alumni to “get involved and be active” in children’s lives today.

Of course, the two former Alabama stars were happy to discuss the Crimson Tide’s 2009 title.

Oden, as a member of the last team to win a title before the latest one, said he was glad Alabama snapped the long title drought.

“You can only relive something that happened 17 years ago for so long,” he said. “When our university is successful, our football team is successful, it makes everyone look better, whether you played 50 years ago or 17 years ago.”

Bennett believes the Crimson Tide has a chance to repeat, even with the loss of Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram through possibly the first few games due to an injured knee.

“I’m very excited. We’re fortunate enough to be two or three deep (at all the positions). One thing I think this does is give a chance for (quarterback Greg) McElroy and (wide receiver) Julio (Jones) to jell,” he said.

Both stay actively involved in the game of football even after quitting their playing careers.
Bennett is chairman of the former players board of the NFL Players Association. Oden serves on the board of directors for the First & Ten Club of Alabama and vice president of the A Club.

 Bennett said he would like to be more involved with Alabama athletics and has extended open arms to the current University of Alabama administration. He said if they called him for help, he’d do everything in his power to provide assistance.

With First & Ten, Oden helps Crimson Tide athletes transition to the post-graduate world.
With Oden’s and Bennett’s appearance Tuesday, Loftin said Bama Day has raised more than $650,000 in scholarship funds.