Alabama brotherhood hits NFL coast as Niners TE Cameron Latu shares precious moment with former teammate to console him after Lions loss
After Sunday's NFC championship game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions, 49ers tight end Cameron Latu consoled Brian Branch as the Lions lost 34-31.
Latu, who is on the injured reserve list and did not play in San Francisco's comeback victory, walked over to the Lions' bench and sat with safety Brian Branch. The two players are connected through their college, having played for the Crimson Tide and being part of their 2020 national championship win.
A USA Today reporter posted a still from the game's aftermath on X (formerly Twitter) and wrote:
“It is the little things that matter the most. A Bama brotherhood. A family. A picture that will forever be remembered by the Alabama faithful. Roll Tide forever and always!!”
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Cameron Latu and Brian Branch at Alabama
Cameron Latu was at Alabama between 2018 and 2022, while Branch was involved with the Crimson Tide between 2020 and 2022. They played three seasons together, albeit on different sides of the ball.
Their most notable moment together was when they were on the winning national championship team in 2020. Branch started the game in his freshman season, recording four tackles. However, Latu did not start the matchup and mostly played on special teams during the 2020 season, as he was making the switch between playing in the linebacker position to the tight end.
Alabama would again make the 2021 national championship game, and this time, both Latu and Branch would play. Latu scored one touchdown and recorded 102 yards, while Branch had three tackles. However, the Crimson Tide did not win this game, being defeated by the Georgia Bulldogs.
All together, Brian Branch and Cameron Latu played together for Alabama in 25 games.
This was enough to create a large bond between them, which remained as both players entered the NFL this season. Sunday's postgame moment shows that while they're now on different teams, their joint college experience at Alabama and the brotherhood that was created will last a long time.
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