Alabama Football DL Tim Keenan Turns Patience Into an NFL Opportunity

(© Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK)

Some stories aren’t about first-round hype or overnight stardom.

Some stories are about staying.

About grinding.

About waiting your turn and never once letting go of who you are.

That’s exactly what Tim Keenan III just did.

The former Alabama defensive lineman is officially headed to the NFL after being selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the seventh round with the No. 232 overall pick. And if you know anything about Keenan, you know this moment didn’t come easy, it was earned.

Keenan’s journey at Alabama Crimson Tide wasn’t built on headlines.

It was built on consistency, toughness, and loyalty in an era where those things don’t always get the attention they deserve.

A Birmingham native who stayed home to represent the state, Keenan gave five years to the program and left it better than he found it.

That alone says everything.

In 2025, he stepped into a leadership role as a team captain, and that tells you exactly how that locker room viewed him. Not just as a player, but as someone they trusted. Someone who showed up every single day, even when things weren’t going his way.

And they weren’t always easy.

He missed the first three games of the season with an ankle injury. A setback that could’ve derailed a lot of players. But not Keenan. He came back, started 12 games, and quietly went to work, finishing with 16 tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble.

No excuses.

Just production.

But if you watched Alabama last season, you know his impact can’t be measured by stats alone.

One of the biggest moments of the year came in the College Football Playoff against Oklahoma Sooners football. Alabama was down 17-0, searching for anything, any spark.

And Keenan delivered it.

A blocked punt.

A recovery.

A momentum shift that helped flip the entire game.

That’s who he is.