[Stoney]

TUSCALOOSA — There's a secret Alabama wouldn't want Tennessee to know about concerning the well-publicized and oft-bemoaned knee injury to noseguard Terrence Cody.
Too bad for the Crimson Tide that Vols offensive coordinator Dave Clawson has already figured it out.
"He's a big player," Clawson said of Cody, "but the guy backing him up may be just as good if not better."
Contrary to widespread opinion, Josh Chapman has already proven to be an admirable fill-in for Cody, and Alabama's defense should be fine.
There's no doubt Cody will be missed these next two weeks, or however long he takes to heal. Alabama is worse off without the former Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College star, a difference-maker on the defense this year and an inspirational force in the locker room. He's a rare mix of overwhelming size and agility, a talented guy who has swallowed space and made a vast difference for the Crimson Tide's run defense.
But for anyone to suggest that Cody's injury is a death knell for Alabama's title hopes doesn't do justice to how well the entire team has played to this point.
The significance placed on Cody's injury — both nationwide and in the state — is not surprising. Part is due to his performance for Alabama this year, part because of his lovable persona.
Cody isn't some spoiled, hardened top prospect merely biding time in college until he can earn that big NFL payday. He's an emotional, friendly, big kid who hasn't really played much football and never thought he'd be where he is today. Now that it's all happening, he's enjoying the ride, chest-bumping and hugging all the way.
He's a great story.
He's also the only member of Alabama's top-ranked signing class that has been permitted under Nick Saban's policy to speak with the media. Surely, Julio Jones, Mark Ingram, Dont'a Hightower and others would be getting a larger share of the national stories were they allowed to be interviewed.
As true freshmen, they are not. But Cody is a junior.
And as headlines have flowed week after week, reporters showing up from all over in Tuscaloosa to encounter "Mount Cody," the reputation has almost grown beyond what Cody actually does. He is averaging barely two tackles per game and really is out there less than half the time. Cody rotates out about every fifth play, not including when he's subbed out for third-down passing situations.
Yet here was a photo caption on Sports Illustrated's Web site this week: "Terrence Cody is the most irreplaceable player on Bama."
No offense to the esteemed folks at SI.com, but that assessment is unfair to guys like offensive tackle Andre Smith, middle linebacker Rolando McClain, quarterback John Parker Wilson and particularly Chapman.
The man replacing Cody on Alabama's defensive front is just that: A man.
What the stocky Chapman lacks in size, he makes up for in strength. No player on Alabama's team is more impressive in the weight room. He's intelligent about the game, has played plenty this year, gave the Crimson Tide fits on the scout team last year and probably would have started all along were it not for Cody's emergence.
It's nothing new for Chapman, who was overshadowed by top prospect Kerry Murphy during his time at Hoover High.
But ESPN's Bruce Feldman remembers Chapman from his work on the book "Meat Market," which tracked Ole Miss through the recruiting process.
"He came to Ole Miss' summer camp and the Rebels staff loved him," Feldman wrote. "He was a 277-pound guy who clocked a 4.90 in the 40 and was relentless in all of the drills. At the time, no other schools had offered him. One of the coaches had remarked that he'd never seen Ed Orgeron push a kid so hard, and you could tell how much Orgeron appreciated Chapman. He didn't think Chapman was much more than 5-foot-10, but he just had so much toughness and strength that the Ole Miss head coach was convinced he'd be a good SEC nose man."
Teammates have all the confidence in the world in Chapman to fill in nicely. Why? Because he has been doing it all season.
On more than one occasion, I've seen an inert pile at the line and thought, "Cody," only to realize it was Chapman.
Looks like Tennessee coaches watched those same plays.
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