(AP) -- NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (AP) - Rolando McClain is No. 1 Alabama's top defensive player and the quarterback of one of the nation's best defenses.
The All-American linebacker will lead the Crimson Tide defense against Colt McCoy and No. 2 Texas on Thursday night in the BCS championship game.
The 6-foot-4, 258-pound Butkus Award winner is Nick Saban's coach on the field.
He was ailing early in the week with a stomach virus but Saban said he should be fine for the game.
He's the leading tackler and team captain. Plus, he has mastered Saban's complex schemes so well that coaches have even sought out his input for defensive tasks like stopping Virginia Tech's dual-threat quarterback Tyrod Taylor early in the year.
The Tide held Taylor to 65 total yards.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
(Copyright ©2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
