You don't need a map to know that the straightest line from Hephzibah to Tuscaloosa, Ala., isn't by way of Coffeyville, Kan. But the road less traveled has certainly made all the difference for James Carpenter.

The former Hephzibah High offensive guard is now the starting left tackle for the No. 2 team in the nation. Alabama had never even heard of Carpenter three years ago when the 6-foot-5, 300-pounder was largely overlooked by every major college.

But it was nothing that a little midwestern detour couldn't change as Carpenter rebuilt himself as a left tackle in junior college to become one of the most sought-after transfers in the country.

"When people put a strong desire on something and don't give up, most of the time something happens in the end toward that," said his father, James Carpenter Sr. "We know it's all by God's working in his life to bring him this far. We're very happy about it."

Carpenter got only one Division I-A offer out of Hephzibah from Iowa State, and he accepted it. But he failed to qualify academically, so the Cyclones coaches recommended he go to Coffeyville Community College in southeast Kansas.

The Red Ravens have been in the junior college football business since 1923 and have been a launching point for players such as Mike Rozier, Mel Gray, Jeff Wright, Ron Springs, Leonard Little and Brandon Jacobs.

But a junior college with a history, including 29 appearances in bowls such as the Papoose, Wool, Beef Empire, Mineral Water and Top of the Mountain, hardly compares to the Southeastern Conference football empire Bear Bryant built and Nick Saban has restored.

"It was a good program, but you know there ain't no 92,000," Carpenter said of the comparison between Coffeyville and the faithful who show up at Alabama's Bryant-Denny Stadium. "There were probably about 500 on Saturdays. I enjoyed the whole experience, but it's nothing like Alabama."

While his two seasons in Coffeyville didn't even generate any winning records, Carpenter developed into an offensive tackle that the big schools coveted. He got offers from Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Ole Miss and South Carolina. But it was Alabama, which climbed to No. 1 in the polls last season, that got his attention and made his choice a simple one.

"I wanted to go to a team that wins and gives me the best chance of getting better," Carpenter said. "I talked to the Alabama coaches and I know they want to win. I had to do it."

By the same token, Alabama needed to get someone like Carpenter. The Tide lost Outland Trophy winner and All-American left tackle Andre Smith when he declared for the NFL Draft, and its new quarterback would need somebody with some experience protecting his blind side.

"In James Carpenter's case, we anticipated that Smitty would go out for the draft and we felt like it would help us, even though we had some good young players who were developing, if we had a little older mature guy playing left tackle for us," coach Lou Saban said of the only starter to come from his 2009 class of signees. "So it worked well for us, but it also worked well for him in that he had an opportunity and he's been able to develop and take advantage of it."

Quarterback Greg McElroy has been even more effusive in his praise of Carpenter.

"His signing this year was as big as any by far," McElroy told the Tuscaloosa News in September. "I think he's a great player, I really do."

Carpenter said he expected to play a big role immediately out of junior college. He joined Alabama last December before bowl practices, enrolled in January and began competing with the first unit in spring practices. He's started all six games this season and was named by the coaching staff as one of three offensive players of the week after a win over Florida International.

"It wasn't given to me, I just worked hard," Carpenter said. "I knew it was going to be good but I didn't know it was going to be this good. I love it down here."

It didn't take long to get a taste of just how big football is in Alabama. At the annual A-Day spring game, more than 80,000 fans showed up to watch a scrimmage . So far it's the only game Carpenter's parents have had a chance to attend because of some health issues.

"That's his only real passion now," his father said of football. "I just really hope he gets all his heart's desire. I know it's gonna be a tough journey."

Alabama's 2009 journey began with a big win in the Georgia Dome over Virginia Tech.

"It was crazy and I loved it," he said of the intense atmosphere in his home state for the opener.

The journey still must get past a tough three-game home stretch beginning Saturday with South Carolina before Tennessee and Louisiana State come calling. And it must get past a road game at Auburn, where the same Gene Chizik, who signed Carpenter at Iowa State, is now head coach.

Ultimately, the Tide want get back to the Georgia Dome to settle a year-old grudge with No. 1 Florida in the SEC Championship game to determine who will likely play for the BCS title.

This is Carpenter's dream now, and something he didn't see coming when he left Hephzibah for a small town in Kansas.

"I just want to help the team win so that we can win the national championship," he said. "We've got a lot of great players down here and I think we can win it all."