TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - There's a sight no Alabama blocker hopes to see any given day in practice.
A speeding 41 in crimson is cringe-worthy at best. After three weeks of practicing, Tide offensive players are frankly sick of getting in Courtney Upshaw's way.
Even the biggest and strongest blockers look forward to the day Alabama's pass-rushing outside linebacker finds someone else to hit.
That includes running back Trent Richardson, who actively seeks contact in most situations.
"It's not pretty," Richardson said. "He's one of the strongest and biggest guys you'll ever find on a football field, and he's pretty fast, too. When I look at him and know he's blitzing, I'm like, 'Maaaaannn!'"
At 6-foot-2 and 265 pounds, Upshaw's strength and power make it hard to truly stop him completely. For Richardson, who made a name for himself as one of the strongest players on the team, practice rules don't do him any favors.
There's no cut blocking allowed when Alabama plays Alabama.
"So I've got to go toe-to-toe with him. We're about the same in strength, but that body he's got is something else," Richardson said. "It's not pretty. People who aren't used to him, it's going to be an ugly sight for them this year. I can't wait to see what he does off the edge."
Slowed by a sprained ankle in the 2010 season opener, Upshaw displayed his full potential at the tail end of his junior season. Recording five sacks in the final two games set expectations high for his final go-round in Tuscaloosa.
"He has trained himself, conditioned himself to be able to sustain that way. Not only does he have really good physical ability, he is just relentless as a competitor," coach Nick Saban said. "That's one of the great things about most good pass rushers - they have that kind of relentless attitude about trying to get to the quarterback, and he is one of the most relentless guys we have on our team when it comes to competitive spirit, competitive ability, giving effort - great effort, extra effort in finishing plays."
That intensity is great for the Tide when someone else is on the other side of the ball.
When teammates have to impede his pursuit, their thoughts are clear.
"Can I say the four-letter word? Every day that's how it is," said Michael Williams, the Tide's 6-foot-6, 269-pound tight end. "He stands up, he gets down, and you've got to try to keep him off-balance with your releases and blocking techniques. It's just that word."
Barrett Jones, the No. 1 left tackle throughout August, deals with Upshaw quite a bit. Protecting the blind side of right-handed quarterbacks AJ McCarron and Phillip Sims means dealing with the best pass-rusher every team has.
He describes Upshaw's ability in simple terms.
"The thing about Courtney is he is the perfect hybrid of speed and power," Jones said. "He's so fast off the edge and he can beat you with a speed rush. But the second you kind of soft-set him so you set back and handle that speed rush, he'll just run right over you.
"So he really is an extremely difficult guy to block, and we're looking for him to have a great year."