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The Sports Ledger www.TheSportsLedger.com
PAGE 11 May 2026 E-Edition
Alabama trio selected in first two rounds of 2026 NFL Draft
The of Alabama football program had two former players selected in round one of the 2026 NFL Draft. Offensive tackle Kadyn University Proctor was taken by the Miami Dolphins at No. 12, immediately followed by quarterback Ty Simpson who is going to play for the Los Angeles Rams. Simpson was the 13th overall draft pick and he was one of two quarterbacks drafted in the first round. The other was Fernando Mendoza, who was the No. 1 overall selection by the Raiders. The Crimson Tide has now had four first-round picks at quarterback since 2020. That total is double LSU, Ohio State and Oregon, who have each had two first-round signal-callers since ’20. Also, following Simpson’s selection, each of Alabama’s last six starting quarterbacks have been drafted in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft. With the selection of Kadyn Proctor, Alabama has had at least one offensive lineman taken in the first round in seven of the last eight Drafts, including each of the last three. The Crimson Tide is the only program to produce a first-rounder on the offensive line the last three years. Overall, Alabama has had at least one first-round pick in each of the last 18 years and 51 first-rounders in total over that stretch. Since 2000, the Crimson Tide has produced an NCAA-leading 53 first- rounders, a number that is seven better than Ohio State (46). The Crimson Tide continued to help fill NFL rosters in the second round as Alabama wideout Germie Bernard was selected on night two of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Crimson Tide’s leading wide receiver each of the last two seasons was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was the 47th overall draft pick this year. Bernard transfered to Alabama from Washington with head coach Kalen DeBoer. He played in and started 27 games from 2024-25, totaling 1,656 yards and nine touchdowns on 114 receptions.
Snead State Community College sophomore guard Ansar Osman has been named a Third-Team All-American in NJCAA Division II men’s basketball. Osman, a 6-foot-7 guard from the Atlanta area, was one of 10 players selected to the third team by the NJCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Committee. He was the lone player from Snead State to earn All-America honors this season and one of the top performers nationally at the Division II level. Osman led the Parsons during the 2025–26 season with 17.9 points per game, ranking among the conference’s top scorers while shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 44.9 percent from 3-point range. He also averaged 5.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game, starting all 30 contests for Snead State. His perimeter shooting ranked among the best in the Alabama Community College Conference, where he finished first in total made 3-pointers during conference play. Courtesy of Snead State
Courtesy of UA Athletics
Alabama Quarterback Ty Simpson was the 13th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams.
A versatile playmaker, Bernard also rushed 22 times for 138 yards and two scores to go with two completed passes in as many attempts across his two seasons at UA. As a senior, Bernard tied for fifth in the SEC and ranked second on the team in receiving touchdowns at seven while leading UA and tying for 11th in the league
for total touchdowns with nine. In addition to pacing the team in scores, Bernard led all pass-catchers with 64 receptions and 862 yards in 2025. He also contributed 18 rushes for 101 yards and two scores on the ground while accumulating 15 yards on his two completed passes. In his first season in Tuscaloosa, Bernard
led Alabama with 50 receptions totaling 794 yards and two touchdowns in addition to a two-point conversion. He added four rushes for 37 yards and a score in 2024. Prior to Alabama, the Las Vegas native played in 14 games with seven starts at Washington after beginning his career at Michigan State.
Courtesy of Snead State
Snead State freshman Kaman Rouse earned All-Conference honors after a strong showing at the Region Men’s Golf Tournament. Rouse, a native of Homewood, competed against the top golfers in the Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) and Region 22, finishing among the tournament’s top performers.
Photos by Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger
HIGHLIGHT PHOTO REEL
All photos in this issue's Highlight Reel are from a pair of youth softball games in Collinsville, which features the Panthers, the Fyffe Red Devils and the Albertville Aggies.
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