Calvin Ridley can add another accolade to his resume -- the coaches' votes from his conference -- with the All-SEC team unveiled on Wednesday. The Alabama Crimson Tide receiver was unsurprisingly on that team. It creates a set of expectations for him to contend with in 2017, along with his team. If he wants to be the next Amari Cooper, however, the burden of expectations can't faze him.
Ridley makes the squad
Every coach in the conference had a vote for All-SEC, but none were allowed to vote for players on their own team. That led to plenty of Alabama players making the roster, since the team is considered one of the best in the country, let alone the conference.
On this fictional team, Ridley would line up across from all-purpose threat Christian Kirk -- one of the country's most exciting players hailing from Texas A&M. They would be catching passes from Crimson Tide sophomore Jalen Hurts in this hypothetical scenario.
Ridley actually has a lot to prove this season. During his freshman campaign, he grabbed seven touchdowns and recorded 1,045 receiving yards. He grabbed seven touchdowns again during his sophomore season, but saw his yardage drop all the way to 769. Some of that is a result of the development of tight end O.J. Howard (now in the NFL) and the introduction of a freshman quarterback. If Alabama is going to contend for a national title, however, Ridley needs to be an All-SEC caliber player throughout the season.
Other Alabama All-SEC players
In addition to Ridley and Hurts, Alabama placed two other offensive players on the All-SEC team. Offensive linemen Jonah Williams and Ross Pierschbacher will look to maintain strength for the Crimson Tide. Punter JK Scott also made the first team. Meanwhile, running back Bo Scarbrough made the second team, while center Bradley Bozeman and all-purpose player Trevon Diggs made the third team.
Alabama had little issue sending defensive stars to the All-SEC teams. Defensive lineman Da'Shawn Hand and Da'Ron Payne, in addition to defensive backs Minkah Fitzpatrick and Ronnie Harrison made the first team. Linebacker Rashaan Evans made the second team, while linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton and defensive back Anthony Averett made the third team.
Ridley and the Alabama Crimson Tide will open their season on Saturday, September 2, when they play a neutral site game against the Florida State Seminoles in Atlanta, Georgia.
