In the first 12 games of his rookie season, Washington Redskins inside linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton was on the field for 202 special-teams plays, but he played only nine snaps with the Washington defense -- none in the first 10 games.

Then came Game 13, and Hamilton made his first NFL start and followed that with another starting assignment on Sunday.

Washington coach Jay Gruden said the former Alabama standout had earned his chance to play because he “made the most” of his practice reps.

Hamilton's first start came in a 40-16 loss to the New York Giants on Dec. 9. Zach Brown, a seven-year veteran who made 127 tackles for the Redskins last season, had missed a couple of days of practice because he was sick, although he practiced fully in the final workout before the game.

“Shaun Dion took the reps and was ready to go,” Gruden said about putting the rookie in the lineup.

Hamilton played 28 defensive snaps against the Giants before suffering a shoulder injury. Despite the abbreviated outing, Hamilton tied for the team lead with seven tackles. He also made a tackle on special teams.

Washington didn't let Hamilton's shoulder keep him from starting on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Hamilton again played 28 snaps, with Brown relieving him for 18 plays, mainly in passing situations.

Hamilton made four tackles and got in on his first sack as the Redskins' defense helped stop a four-game losing streak by smothering the Jaguars in a 16-13 victory.

“The most progress he’s made is health,” Gruden said of Hamilton. “When he first started training camp, he was fresh off that knee surgery that he had at Alabama, and I think you can just see him getting progressively healthier and healthier, and the more reps he’s gotten, his legs have gotten under him.

“He’s a smart player, very instinctive. … He’s done a pretty good job.”

Hamilton's 2016 season ended early when he suffered a torn ACL in the SEC Championship Game. Last season, Hamilton sustained a fractured knee cap in Alabama's 24-10 victory over LSU in November.

Washington visits the Tennessee Titans at 3:30 p.m. CST Saturday. At 7-7, the Redskins will be battling to stay in the NFC East and NFC wild-card races in the game, which will be televised by NFL Network.

At 8-6, the Titans will be trying to stay in the postseason picture in the AFC. Tennessee has won three straight games, with running back Derrick Henry carrying the Titans over the past two weeks by rushing for 408 yards and six touchdowns.

If Washington keeps Hamilton in the starting lineup, the Redskins will open the game with four former Alabama standouts trying to stop the Crimson Tide's 2015 Heisman Trophy winner.

Defensive end Jonathan Allen, safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and nose tackle Da’Ron Payne also are starters for Washington. It might take all of them to bring down Henry, Hamilton said.

“It’s going to be important that we throw marbles at him,” Hamilton said. “Three, four guys around him. If he makes one man miss, the next guy is right there. Throw marbles at him, so that way, if one guy misses the tackle, boom, you got two, three guys right there.”

Hamilton knows something about what trying to tackle Henry feels like from practice at Alabama.

“We met in the hole a few times," Hamilton said. “He’s a big guy.”

Saturday's game won't be practice, though, so Hamilton won't be holding back anything.

“Now we’re at this level, it’s going to be on come Saturday,” Hamilton said. "I remember my sophomore year when he ended up winning the Heisman, he was getting all those carries and stuff, so they wanted us to kind of lay off of him because he was getting all those touches.

"It’s going to be exciting on Saturday."

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Hamilton earned All-State recognition at Carver-Montgomery in 2012 and 2013, when the Wolverines compiled a 22-5 record. Hamilton was a member of two CFP national-championship teams at Alabama. He entered the NFL as a sixth-round draft choice on April 28.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.