The game of football is akin to a ship full of sailors.

The captain of the ship may take a lot of the credit based on reputation, but it’s how the rest of the ship performs to make sure everything is going smoothly.

One of the reasons why I write in sports (especially in college) is because I truly love highlighting certain players that don’t often get a ton of love from pundits, fans, and everyone else in between.

Because at the end of the day, these young men have a dream, a dream that every boy has grown up wanting to accomplish. And for college players, they’re just one step closer to the dream that they’ve worked their whole lives to achieve.

Enter Alabama linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green, the fifth year player, who has had stints in Michigan, Charlotte and Colorado, before deciding that playing for the Tide was the best course of action for his development.

And he sure made the right decision.

"[Coming to Alabama is like] an entire 180 from every program I've seen,” he told On3’s Charlie Potter. “This is truly the standard of college football."

Hill-Green didn’t start the season as a key member of Alabama’s defense. It started off rather rocky in his first game against Florida State. Granted, that game wasn’t the standard for a lot of Bama players, but Hill-Green, the veteran, didn't fare well.

He posted a 53.9 PFF grade, and his tackling grade was at 37.3. But just like the rest of the team, that wasn’t indicative of the player he is.

In reality, the fifth year senior has become a tackling machine.

His snaps have rapidly grown, and so has his productivity. When you look at his play, you see a player who’s hungry with an insatiable appetite to tackle and someone who can bridge the gap in a hurry.

But don’t just take my word for it. As defensive coordinator Kane Wommack has said in the past about player evaluations, “you are accountable for what you put on tape.”

PFF doesn’t seem to be overly big fans of him, with his highest defensive grade being 74.0 against Missouri. However, his highest tackling grade came against Tennessee, where he posted an 80.1 tackling grade and a 70.0 run defense grade.

Beyond his exceptional play, Hill-Green has managed to become a legitimate leader in the locker room.

Defensive end Keon Keeley, who is one of the program’s highest rated recruits has had a hard time finding a consistent role within this defense – and many fans of the Tide wondered if Keeley would end up hitting the transfer portal.

But since then, even though he hasn’t received the snaps, he’s been effective, registering critical tackles against Missouri, and a game-clinching sack against South Carolina.

Hill-Green was the first player to offer praise for the sophomore.

The bigger the opportunity Hill-Green has received on the biggest stage, the brighter the outlook is for his post-college career.

Whether college football fans recognize him or not, he’s been a critical piece to what the Tide is building, and he’s upheld the Bama Standard, after only eight games played.