Nick Saban Explains Why Alabama Played LB Ale Kaho on Offense

The Alabama Crimson Tide turned some heads Saturday when linebacker Ale Kaho came into on offense in their season-opener against Duke.

But as is so often the case with some of his quirky moves, head coach Nick Saban had a clear rationale for Kaho's appearance at fullback.

"He's a good athlete,” the head coach said.

“Most of the time, we've had some big guys that had enough experience that they could go in there and do something like that, and it was a good fit for them," said Saban.

Alabama has plenty of sizable players, and Kaho is one of them. Weighing in just a couple of pounds shy of 230, the 6-foot-1 sophomore has all of the tools to be a bruiser out of the backfield when a sturdy lead blocker is needed.

And while it might come as a surprise to fans, it isn't for Kaho himself. He's maintained that he's more than willing to play wherever the team needs him. If it's to help them win, then he's all in. "Anyway I can help the team out," he said. "I'm proud to be a part of this team."

When you win as much as Saban and the Crimson Tide have, it's easy to get players to buy in like that. Selling them on some position enhancement is significantly easier when everyone involved knows that the move is being made with an eye toward bolstering the chance to compete for trophies.