Charlie Potter recounted an amusing story a few weeks ago on BOL. In a discussion about Mac Jones having to step up to No. 1 Alabama quarterback following the season-ending injury to Tua Tagovailoa, Crimson Tide senior safety Jared Mayden recalled a time when Jones was a freshman on the Bama scout team.

The way Mayden remembers it, Jones was “throwing bombs” to wide receiver Tyrell Shavers against the first-team secondary. Alabama Coach Nick Saban, who works with the cornerbacks, reportedly shouted to Jones to “stop throwing it to him!”

Jones, according to Mayden, replied to Saban, “Well, tell your defense to stop it.” Bama players took notice of Jones’s confidence.

And we had not heard about this earlier because?

Because one rarely hears anything about the scout team. Also called the “look team,” the scout team members are an important part of the equation for football success. Made up primarily of young players and walk-ons, it is the responsibility of the scout team to provide a look of what the upcoming opponent will look like to those who will be playing for Bama on Saturday.

For those on the scout team, that means using the scouting report to learn the plays and schemes the upcoming opponent will be running and then preparing on the field to best replicate it in practices.

In the near future, some scout team player at Michigan will be trying to give a look as to what Mac Jones will do in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando on January 1.

Alabama freshman linebackers King Mwikuta (30) and Kevin Harris (44)

A year ago John Parker, a 6-0, 190-pound senior wide receiver from Huntsville’s Westminster Christian School, was one of four players who had been named a Scout Team Player of the Week on four occasions. Parker did even better this year, being selected by Tide coaches a team-high nine times.

Freshman scholarship linebacker King Mwikuta was selected seven weeks.

Six-time honorees are senior linebacker Joe Donald of Mountain Brook, junior linebacker William Cooper of Huntsville, and sophomore defensive lineman Jackson Roby of Huntsville.

Freshman scholarship defensive back Brandon Turnage was among those with selection in preparation for five games. Others were senior wide receiver Joshua Lanier of Tuscaloosa; freshman linebacker Kevin Harris II of Loganville, Ga.; junior defensive back Josh Robinson of Hoover; and freshman running back A.J. Gates of Mountain Brook.

In addition to Mwikuta and Turnage, scholarship players earning recognition during the year included Jahlell Billingsley, Jarez Parks, Vita Musika, Chadarius Townsend, Taulia Tagoivailoa, Stephon Wynn, Amari Kight, Paul Tyson, Braylen Ingraham, and Eddie Smith.

Here are those selected by opponent:

Duke – Jahleel Billingsley, Melvin Billingsley, Joshua Lanier, DéMarquise Lockridge, Joe Donald, Kevin Harris II, Jarez Parks, William Cooper, John Parker, Eric Poellnitz

New Mexico State – Joshua Lanier, John Parker, Jackson Roby, Joe Donald, Vita Musika, King Mwikuta, Brandon Turnage, Wes Baumhower, Taylor Wilson

South Carolina – Jahleel Billingsley, Melvin Billingsley, William Cooper, Joe Donald, Vita Musika, Loren Ugheoke, Drew Kobayashi, Jalen Jackson, DéMarquise Lockridge

Southern Miss – John Parker, Daniel Powell, Jackson Roby, Chadarius Townsend, Joe Donald, Kevin Harris II, Vita Musika, Brandon Turnage, Loren Ugheoke, Wes Baumhower, William Cooper

Ole Miss – Melvin Billingsley, Rowdy Garza, John Parker, Taulia Tagovailoa, Kevin Harris II, Sean Kelly, Josh Robinson, Stephon Wynn, Matthew Barnhill, Joe Donald

Texas A&M – Richard Hunt, Joshua Lanier, DéMarquise Lockridge, Brandon Turnage, Stephon Wynn, John Parker, Taylor Wilson

Tennessee – A.J. Gates, Amari Kight, John Parker, Jackson Roby, Kevin Harris II, King Mwikuta, Brandon Turnage, Josh Robinson, Joe Donald, Loren Ugheoke

Arkansas – A.J. Gates, Joshua Lanier, Jackson Roby, Wes Baumhower, King Mwikuta, John Parker, Josh Robinson

LSU – A.J. Gates, Jackson Roby, Joshua Lanier, Matthew Barnhill, William Cooper, King Mwikuta, Carson Ware, D.J. Douglas, Preston Malone

Mississippi State – A.J. Gates, Amari Kight, DéMarquise Lockridge, Paul Tyson, Braylen Ingraham, King Mwikuta, Jarez Parks, Eddie Smith, Brandon Turnage, Michael Collins, Grant Krieger

Western Carolina – John Parker, Jackson Roby, Chadarius Townsend, D.J. Douglas, Kevin Harris II, King Mwikuta, Joshua Robinson, Eddie Smith, William Cooper, Taylor Wilson

Auburn – A.J. Gates, Amari Kight, Michael Collins, D.J. Douglas, King Mwikuta, Joshua Robinson, William Cooper, John Parker