Alabama's defense suffered a major blow heading into the final games of the regular with edge rusher Que Robinson out for the rest of the season with a left arm injury.
Robinson was injured in the second half of No. 9 Alabama's 42-13 victory over then-No. 14 LSU on Saturday night. Coach Kalen DeBoer confirmed that the fifth-year senior's injury was season-ending on Monday, but didn't elaborate on the nature of it.
“Just a special, special person in every way,” DeBoer said. "You hate to see a guy that pours so much into it go through what he’s going through.
“The one thing when I think about Que is not just what he is on the field, but pre-practice, he is mentoring, doing things for other guys. He just cares so much about the team. He just cares so much about this place. This is just something that sticks out on top of what you see on game days.”
The win over LSU pushed the Crimson Tide more firmly into playoff and Southeastern Conference contention. Alabama closes the season with games against Mercer, Oklahoma and Auburn.
Robinson has 23 tackles this season and his four sacks is tied for the team lead. He also has five quarterback hurries with a forced and recovered fumble.
Robinson, a key special teams contributor during his career, had played a progressively bigger role on defense each season. He is one of four current Tide players who were members of the 2020 national championship team, though he didn't see action.
Qua Russaw and Yhonzae Pierre could see increased snaps, while linebacker Jihaad Campbell has played some at that position, too.
“Those guys are excited for the challenge, next man up mentality,” Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said. "As the season goes on, these are the defining moments — do players step up in the moment when they’re needed? And ultimately that will determine our success here on the back end of the season.”
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John Zenor, The Associated Press
