Tag Archives: NFL

Big day for football in Birmingham (and beyond)

Joe Webb. Courtesy of Minnesota Vikings website.There are a lot of Crimson Tide fans getting ready for the BCS Championship game in Miami on Monday, January 7. They can’t say they’re enjoying a slow sports day today as they wait for their game against the Fighting Irish to begin.

Earlier today, Ole Miss represented the SEC well against Pittsburgh at the BBVA Compass Bowl, winning 38-17 at historic Legion Field. The announced attendance at today’s game, 59,135, is a record for the seven-year old postseason college football game. It is also at least 5,000 more than the number of folks who went to this year’s Sugar Bowl (the worst it’s been there since 1939).

This evening, football fans get another gift – in the form of a surprise from the NFL. UPDATE below.

After learning Minnesota Vikings starting quarterback Christian Ponder was declared ineligible for tonight’s playoff game against the Packers, local social media networks lit up after learning it meant former UAB standout and Birmingham native Joe Webb would get the starting nod. He will become the first NFL quarterback to start a playoff game after not making any passing attempts during the regular season according to Elias Sports Bureau. The game is scheduled to begin locally on Alabama’s 13  at 7 p.m.

Webb drew a great deal of attention locally in late 2010 when he not only scored his first NFL touchdown, but won his first ever start the following week.

UPDATE: Webb and the Vikings unfortunately weren’t able to pull out a victory at the Frozen Tundra, losing to the Green Bay Packers, 24-10.

UPDATE: Joe Webb wins his first NFL start

Joe Webb. Courtesy of Minnesota Vikings website.UPDATE: Joe Webb won his first NFL start this evening, beating the Philadelphia Eagles 24-14.

He threw for 195 yards and ran for 31 yards and a touchdown (and yes, he did the Birmingham Walk afterwards).

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If you missed UAB adjunct professor Alice Jackson’s appearance on Jeopardy this evening (we’re still trying to figure out how she did), don’t worry…

There’s another chance to see a member of the UAB alumni community in action on television tonight.

Joe Webb will follow up his performance last week – including his first NFL regular season touchdown – with his first career start. Incidentally, that touchdown last week made Webb the first UAB Blazer to score an NFL touchdown at quarterback. The start will be against the Eagles in Philadelphia after it was postponed on Sunday night due to concern for public safety.

It’s going to be historic in another way too; this will be the first NFL regular season game played on a Tuesday since 1946.

Photo: Joe Webb. Courtesy of Minnesota Vikings website.

Joe Webb scores 1st NFL touchdown during MNF

Birmingham native and former UAB starting quarterback Joe Webb ran 13 yards for the Minnesota Vikings to record his first career NFL touchdown during Monday night’s 40-17 loss to the Chicago Bears at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN.

The Wenonah High School graduate was originally scheduled to start last night for the Vikings but future NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre had other plans, starting for the 298th time in his career instead after his consecutive starts streak ended last week.

A sack knocked Favre out of the game in the 2nd quarter with a head injury, leading to Webb taking over behind center. He finished the game completing 15 of his 26 pass attempts, good for 129 yards. He had one fumble, two interceptions and three sacks to go along with that touchdown.

Saturday’s Birmingham News interview of Webb covered not just the understandable nervousness about this game, but also the unusual conditions associated with it.

Alexander’s back in the NFL

Shaun Alexander 2. mr. l/FlickrCrimson Tide fans now have something else to be cheering about this fall as former Alabama football standout Shaun Alexander has signed a one-year deal with the Washington Redskins. According to the report on ESPN.com, the former Seattle Seahawk will be backing up Clinton Portis while Ladell Betts recovers from a knee injury, expected to take about 3 weeks.

Photo: Shaun Alexander 2. mr. l/Flickr.