There was a time when defensive end D.J. Pettway didn’t know if he’d play football for Alabama again so he may have relished winning the SEC championship more than most of his teammates.
“Awesome,” Pettway said in the locker room after Alabama’s 42-13 victory over Missouri. “It’s a blessing to be here. I love it here. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I love my teammates. It’s a great atmosphere playing for a brilliant coach and coaching staff.”
Pettway rejoined the Crimson Tide in December 2013 after he was kicked off of the team following his involvement in robberies of two Alabama students in February of that year. Pettway was one of four Tide players who were dismissed. The details of his involvement in the robberies were never made clear.
Pettway has played in all 13 games this season with one start. He had two tackles against Missouri.
Pettway played at East Mississippi Community College in 2013 before Alabama allowed him to re-enroll. Pettway said his teammates welcomed him back “with open arms.”
“They know who I am,” Pettway said. “They were glad to see me back and overcoming something.”
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