Alabama long snapper Carson Tinker is one of hundreds of people injured by the catastrophic storm that devastated Alabama earlier this week.  Tinker is hospitalized after being thrown nearly 50 feet during a tornado that ripped through Tuscaloosa. He is expected to make a full recovery from some serious injuries.  "Carson Tinker was at his home with several others and was right in the middle of the storm," Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said Thursday on ESPN. "His house was completely destroyed. He was thrown probably 50 yards from the house, but has a concussion, has a fractured wrist and is pretty beat up, but is stable and will be fine."  Tinker was with his girlfriend, Ashley Harrison, at his home when the storm hit. Harrison was one of two Alabama students that died.  "They both got thrown from the house," former Alabama tight end Colin Peek told TheBirmingham News. "He didn't understand what happened. He had a concussion and got knocked out before he was taken away. She died instantly. Luckily she didn't suffer."  Crimson Tide offensive lineman Barrett Jones compared the damage in Tuscaloosa to what happened in Haiti, where visited and volunteered the last two spring breaks.  "I thought to myself, 'I'll never see anything like this again,'" Jones said. "But I was wrong. This is the same kind of devastation that I saw there. It's such a catastrophic event. You've seen the movie 'Twister' and you don't believe it could be like that. But that's exactly what it looks like. Wherever the tornado went, there's nothing left."  Follow Erick on Twitter at @erick_smith  See photos of: Nick Saban  To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor  . For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to  . Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to
Alabama football player Carson Tinker injured, girlfriend dies in tornado - Campus Rivalry: College Football & Basketball News, Recruiting, Game Picks, and More - USATODAY.com