Four players help rescue accident victim

TUSCALOOSA | As if being a collegiate student-athlete wasn’t demanding enough, four members of the University of Alabama football team took on a little extra responsibility Sunday afternoon, serving as an impromptu rescue unit.

Junior left guard Mike Johnson, junior fullback Baron Huber, sophomore tight end Preston Dial and walk-on tight end Drew Cummings pulled a driver out of his overturned truck and helped contain an accident scene until police arrived.

The accident, involving a truck and another vehicle, occurred at approximately 12:30 p.m. on Veterans Memorial Parkway, ironically near Kicker Avenue, near American Christian Academy.

“We were in the car and we heard something screeching across the ground,” Johnson said. “We got out of the car and this truck was on its roof.

“Preston went to the driver’s door, Drew went to the passenger’s door. Baron came out from inside and I was blocking traffic trying to tell everyone not to hit the guy.”

Dial had to get the driver to roll down his window so he could pull him out. There were apparently no significant injuries, and the four players didn’t even give statements to police since they didn’t witness the accident.

“(The truck driver) was all right. He was a little shook up,” Johnson continued. “He only had one shoe on.”

Actually, that was one more than Johnson, who was left directing traffic because he was barefoot and the road was covered with broken glass.

“It was crazy,” Johnson said.

Reach Christopher Walsh at christopher.walsh@tuscaloosanews.com or at 205-722-0196.