Tony Brown's mystique seemed to bloom in the time he couldn't play for Alabama. The defensive back, regarded as one of the best athletes on a Crimson Tide chock full of them, has been out of the spotlight ever since he left the scene following an unspecified NCAA violation before the College Football Playoff national semifinal last December.

But during the first four weeks of this season when he was suspended by the collegiate sports governing body, he has left quite the impression on his teammates.

"He's one of the fastest out there," said cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Brown's physical traits have always inspired awe. At 6-0, he ran a 4.34 40-yard dash in the spring.

Even receiver Calvin Ridley admitted Brown is "faster" than he is.

Now, a whole slew of Alabama players are eager to see how Brown can help this year's team. In 26 career games, he has contributed 26 tackles, one forced fumble and three pass breakups -- serving as a reserve defensive back and a special teams ace.

"Tony will add some depth to the secondary," said cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick. "He brings a whole lot of energy to the team."

That's been evident in practice, where Brown has been especially active.

Linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton observed that Brown "always has the juice."

"Tony is a maniac," he added.

According to head coach Nick Saban, Brown will reprise his role as a special teams contributor while working at both the slot and outside cornerback positions.

"Tony's got to work on -- and I told him this-- developing trust in his teammates and the coaches," Saban said.

The other players on the roster, however, are already embracing him and anticipating his impact now that he's eligible to play again.

"He's going to help us a lot [on] defense and special teams," Ridley said. "One thing I know is he's a great special teams player and he's gives his all for the team. He's a team player."

Hamilton agrees and said he can't wait to see what Brown does Saturday against Kentucky -- his first game in almost 10 months.

"He's a guy who's made a lot of big plays for us," Hamilton said. "Expect to see some big hits out of him this weekend."