ESPN.com's 2011-12 All-Bowls Team
Courtney Upshaw
Linebacker | AlabamaEven prior to the Allstate BCS National Championship Game, Alabama's Dont'a Hightower said that Upshaw was the team's defensive MVP because he's the one who gets everybody else going. Hightower obviously knew what he was talking about, because that's exactly what Upshaw did against LSU in earning defensive MVP honors.
The 6-foot-2, 260-pound senior tied for team honors with seven total tackles, including a sack. Upshaw also made several big-time stops outside when LSU tried to run the option. In short, he lived in the Tigers' backfield all night and was a key piece in an Alabama defense that will go down as one of the best in school history.
-- Chris Low
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