Ross steps right in for Alabama

TUSCALOOSA — John Parker Wilson’s guardian angel — OK, left tackle Andre Smith — was down on the Georgia Dome turf, squirming in pain.

“Yeah, I was like, ‘He’s all right. Don’t worry about it,’” Wilson said, more for his own benefit than anyone else’s. “I don’t know what was wrong with him. ... I don’t think it’s that big of a deal ... thank goodness.”

While Smith limped off the field with a sprained knee, lineman David Ross raced onto the field determined not to interrupt the momentum established along the offensive line.

Ross squeezed between Mike Johnson, who slid over from left guard to play Smith’s position, and center Antoine Caldwell.

“It all happened so quick, I was sort of surprised the crowd and everything didn’t affect me like I initially thought,” said Ross, a 6-foot-3, 295-pound sophomore from Homewood. “I would definitely say I was nervous as could be that first play, but me and Mike had a double-team and after I got that first play under my belt, I was OK.”

Not before a little encouragement from his teammates, particularly Johnson.

“He just told me to get after it because they had been establishing the line of scrimmage all day,” Ross recalled. “Everybody just told me to put my big-boy pads on and try to get after it.”

It worked well enough that Alabama coach Nick Saban said if Smith — who remains listed day-to-day — can’t go in Saturday’s home opener against Tulane, that Johnson and Ross would start on the left side.

That’s fine with Wilson, whose left side has been protected by Smith since his first start 27 games ago.

“Mike is a pretty diverse guy. He’s kind of played everything on the right side,” Wilson said. “He’s an athletic guy who can move and play the tackle position. David stepped in and we didn’t miss a beat when those guys came in, so it was good to see.”

Saban said the plan all along was for Ross to the first man off the bench if a lineman went down.

“No, sir,” Ross said if he knew that plan going into the game. “You’ve got to prepare every week to play and coach Pendry prepares everybody to play every week. When my number was called, I tried to step up.”

Johnson said Ross earned his spot up front.

“You can’t say enough about how hard he worked during camp. It was obvious,” Johnson said. “We didn’t miss a beat. We pushed the ball down the field with him in there. We drug out the clock in the fourth quarter with him in there. We didn’t miss a beat. He had been waiting on his opportunity for a while and his time came.”

“Mentally, he’s probably the most ready out of all the younger guys,” Caldwell said. “I was really pleased at how poised he was when he was in the game. He really didn’t let the crowd and everything get to him. He knew his assignments and went out there and executed.”

Ross, whose only game action he had seen outside of special teams was against Western Carolina last season, said Johnson and Caldwell helped calm him down.

“No doubt. Any time you play next to guys like that, they’re going to make you look better,” Ross said. “And having confidence in the guys next to you is going to help you feel better, too. Those guys are the real deal, so being able to know my right side is protected and my left side is protected is a great feeling.”

Ross said he did “OK” after seeing himself on film.

“I’ve got a long way to go to be able to do what I want to do,” he said. “Just speed for one. Practice speed and game speed is a big difference and being able to adjust to that. And having some experience with that.”

Still, he’s putting the team first this week. If Smith is ready to play, Ross knows he’ll be back on the sidelines.

“I’m taking reps and I have to have the same mindset as last week,” he said. “If my number’s called again, my number’s called again. I’ve got to continue to prepare like that’s going to happen.”

Johnson said Ross and everyone else on the line will be ready.

“Any time a guy like (Smith) goes down, everybody needs to step their game up to make up for it,” Johnson said. “I’ll go in there and try to do the same things I do at guard - dominate your opponent, push the ball down the field.

“David did a great job. He really has a good handle on what we’re trying to do as an offense, and the job we’re trying to do as an offensive line. I think it showed. He was prepared. He knew when he got the shot that he was going to show out.”