This a truly awesome video for anyone who loves he history of Crimson Tide football!
I hope we have more of these days to come!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Monday, July 16, 2007
A few more articles from June 2007
Vote: College football's top moments - ESPN
For over 100 years the college gridiron has given sports fans plenty to talk about. Bitter rivalries, larger-than-life personalities, dynasties, and, of course, controversies are what give college football one of the richest histories on the American sports landscape. With that in mind, ESPN.com's Ivan Maisel put together a list of college football's 100 defining moments.
Stacy learning off field - Mobile Press Register
Life is going just fine for former Alabama running back Siran Stacy in the second phase of his adult life, or A.F. -- After Football.
Croyle ready to run offense, walk down aisle - Mobile Press-Register
This has been quite a summer for Kansas City Chiefs and former Alabama quarterback Brodie Croyle, and it's far from complete. The Crimson Tide's all-time career passing yards leader is making news both on the football field and off. He's aiming to make more news as the upcoming NFL season approaches. Saturday, Croyle, his father John (the founder and director of the Big Oak Boys and Girls Ranches and a former Crimson Tide defensive end) and his brother-in-law John David Phillips (also a former Alabama quarterback) joined several others at Jeremiah Castille's AC Celebrity golf tournament at The Golf Club at The Wharf.
Early Pick: Saban top story so far
A year ago at this juncture, halfway through 2006, the top stories concerned Alabama linebacker Juwan Simpson's legal trouble and Tide coach Mike Shula coming off a 10-2 season. Would anyone like to take a guess on what has been the top story so far in 2007? Of course, the story from day one until now has been Nick Saban. Something tells me that won't change much in the coming months.
For over 100 years the college gridiron has given sports fans plenty to talk about. Bitter rivalries, larger-than-life personalities, dynasties, and, of course, controversies are what give college football one of the richest histories on the American sports landscape. With that in mind, ESPN.com's Ivan Maisel put together a list of college football's 100 defining moments.
Stacy learning off field - Mobile Press Register
Life is going just fine for former Alabama running back Siran Stacy in the second phase of his adult life, or A.F. -- After Football.
Croyle ready to run offense, walk down aisle - Mobile Press-Register
This has been quite a summer for Kansas City Chiefs and former Alabama quarterback Brodie Croyle, and it's far from complete. The Crimson Tide's all-time career passing yards leader is making news both on the football field and off. He's aiming to make more news as the upcoming NFL season approaches. Saturday, Croyle, his father John (the founder and director of the Big Oak Boys and Girls Ranches and a former Crimson Tide defensive end) and his brother-in-law John David Phillips (also a former Alabama quarterback) joined several others at Jeremiah Castille's AC Celebrity golf tournament at The Golf Club at The Wharf.
Early Pick: Saban top story so far
A year ago at this juncture, halfway through 2006, the top stories concerned Alabama linebacker Juwan Simpson's legal trouble and Tide coach Mike Shula coming off a 10-2 season. Would anyone like to take a guess on what has been the top story so far in 2007? Of course, the story from day one until now has been Nick Saban. Something tells me that won't change much in the coming months.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Oklahoma
I talked with a guy from Oklahoma today while watching the Cubs - Astros game at Wrigley Field. I asked him about the recent addition to OU's probation. He said that he thought Alabama would be better now that they had a good, new coach. I said my opinion was he same, but I thought it might take a few years.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Bama news in June
Here are some articles and opinion columns about the Tide from publications this month.
USA Today SEC Preview 6/25/07
ALABAMA
INSIDE SLANT
Steele right at home on Bama staff - Florence Times Daily 6/23/07
Coaching at Alabama is a dream come true for a man who spent much of his youth in Tuscaloosa.But it took several coaching stops along the way before Kevin Steele ended up back in Tuscaloosa as a member of the Crimson Tide coaching staff.His journey began when he played under Johnny Majors at Tennessee in the late 1970's. He then began his coaching career, serving as a student assistant, graduate assistant and then a full-time assistant with the Vols.
Saban, his huge salary worth risk - Paul Finebaum, Mobile Press-Register 6/19/07
University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban finally signed his eight-year, $32 million contract the other day and the Tide Nation rejoiced. But is he worth the money?
Absolutely not. In fact, he's probably worth twice that amount.
(This is a great column!)
A team player? - Anniston Star 6/18/07
If he hasn't already, new University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban will strongly — no, emphatically — urge his athletes to be team players in the reclamation project that is Crimson Tide football. He'll ask them to sacrifice, to go beyond personal stats to create a winning team.
So why isn't Saban, the U.S.'s highest-paid college football coach, heeding his own advice?
National media takes shot at Saban again - Montgomery Advertiser 6/17/07
You could've given me a million chances to guess this week's Nick Saban scandal and I would've blown them all before I got to Jimmy Barnes. The backup Crimson Tide quarterback left the team a few days ago and his dad, who is apparently a football coach somewhere, had some not-so-nice things to say about the way Saban is treating is players. It became, as is now standard with all things Saban, a national story. At least one national sports show picked up the story and discussed it at length. And by "discussed," I mean the host and guests bashed Saban for a good 15 minutes or so. Another national show or two covered the coverage of Barnes' departure.
If I had to boil this whole sordid situation down to a single word description, I'd say ridiculous fits pretty well.
Saban makes his priorities clear - Decatur Daily 6/16/07
Alabama's Nick Saban is a football coach, not a pitch man. His domain is the football field and film room, not the podium and banquet circuit. It's in his contract. Right there on page 11.
The Crimson Tide coach knows, after all, that he'll be judged on wins and titles rather than speeches and commercials, anyway. "Here's what everybody needs to understand: Why did I get hired here? To do what? Coach football, right? I'm a coach," Saban said Friday in a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press. Saban and his wife, Terry, have already had some highs and lows during their first six months since leaving the Dolphins. The biggest high: More than 92,000 fans filling Bryant-Denny Stadium for a spring game, believed to be a national record for what essentially amounts to a scrimmage. "Never was there a more heartfelt moment by the Sabans (than) to see that kind of support for what we're trying to do as what there was at the spring game, with all those people coming to support the team," Saban said.
Board approves Saban's contract - Huntsville Times 6/14/07
Nick Saban's contract with Alabama is now official. The university Board of Trustees compensation committee unanimously approved the eight-year, $32 million contract this afternoon. Saban signed it Wednesday. Saban will make a base salary of $225,000 annually for the duration of the contract. His personal service fees (for doing radio and television shows) will start at $3.275 million for this year and will grow to as high as $3.975 million for each of the last three years of the contract. Saban will make $3.5 million in 2007 and will make $4.2 million over the last three years of the contract from 2012-2014.
Offseason pro football just a substitute - Cecil Hurt, Tuscaloosa News 6/13/07
On the other hand, measuring demand can be deceiving. Alabama athletics director Mal Moore recently announced that there were 6,000 people who were on the waiting list for Crimson Tide season tickets. That doesn’t mean that those 6,000, if shut out of seats in Bryant-Denny Stadium, will suddenly spend their newfound disposable income on the Birmingham Bunnies, or whatever they will be called.
Applewhite makes major move up the coaching ranks - ESPN.com 6/13/07
The ascent of Major Applewhite's college football coaching career has been rocketlike in speed, if not direction. At 28, only six seasons removed from setting nearly every career passing record in the Texas record book, Applewhite has ascended to the position of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Alabama. If that sounds quick, think about this: It's been only three years since Applewhite served at his alma mater as a graduate assistant, which ranks just above pizza delivery guy on the Division I-A coaching ladder.
Smith Only Soph on Preseason Outland Watch Bamamag.com 6/12/07
The Outland Trophy has been awarded to the best interior lineman in college football since 1946. The winner is selected by the FWAA's All-America Committee, which selects the association's 25-man All-America team and picks the three Outland Trophy finalists and the winner. Andre Smith, who started at left tackle for Alabama as a true freshman and played more snaps than any other Crimson Tide player last year, was the only sophomore on the list.
Quarterback Jimmy Barnes leaving Crimson Tide Tuscaloosa News 6/10/07
Sophomore quarterback Jimmy Barnes has decided to leave the University of Alabama football team to pursue his career at another school.
Who do SEC fans hate - LSUbeat.com 6/2/07
Alabama coach Nick Saban talks with players before the team’s spring football game in April. Saban, who is making about $4 million a year, could be on his way to becoming the most hated football coach in the SEC.
In all honesty, Tide coach Saban should know better Montgomery Advertiser 6/2/07
I honestly believe the Univer sity of Alabama's football program is cursed. That's the only explanation for what's happened to it over the past several years. Nothing else fits. Nothing else makes sense. Look at the list of problems. You had one mediocre coach have an affair with his secretary and allowed all the gory details to seep out. You had another coach get caught with a stripper in his hotel room. There was another coach who didn't discipline anyone -- ever. And now, after millions and millions of dollars have been spent to hire a solid, seasoned, successful head coach -- a coach who's supposed to put an end to all the nonsense -- what's happened? More nonsense.
USA Today SEC Preview 6/25/07
ALABAMA
INSIDE SLANT
Nick Saban and his coaching staff didn't spend their first spring practice at Alabama focused solely on evaluating personnel, installing new systems and determining depth charts.
They focused their time and energy instead on developing a foundation of discipline, purpose and mental toughness that has often been missing at Alabama in recent seasons.
In the process, Saban and his coaches have discovered some untapped resources, such as nose tackle Brian Motley. He started the spring on offense but moved to defense when injuries limited other potential nose tackles. Motley went on finish the spring as the team's most improved player, according to Saban.
A previously suspect offensive line also made progress in its first spring under veteran NFL assistant Joe Pendry, showing signs of building the sort of depth and effectiveness it often lacked the past two years.
A lot of work is yet to be done as offensive coordinator Major Applewhite continues to install a multiple-formation offense based on Alabama's available personnel, starting with quarterback John Parker Wilson and receivers DJ Hall and Keith Brown.
The same is true on the other side of the ball, where defensive coordinator Kevin Steele is putting together pieces for a 3-4 defense that will attempt to make use of versatile players such as a hybrid linebacker/defensive end.
"The bottom line is, the team's character is made up of individuals and what kind of character they have," Saban said. "We set the standard, but nobody can create it except for the individuals. It's their choice. It doesn't take any ability to have effort, it doesn't take any ability to show toughness. Don't just go out there and endure. Go out there and improve."
NOTES, QUOTES
SPRING MOVERS:
NT Brian Motley
RB Terry Grant
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It shows the passion that people have for the University of Alabama, and it certainly makes me feel great about being here as head coach."
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
2007 OUTLOOK: With the arrival of new coach Nick Saban, Alabama starts over with a more experienced head coach who has proven himself as a college head coach in the past. Saban and his new staff spent the spring trying to build a sense of mental and physical toughness that was often lacking in recent seasons under former coach Mike Shula. With only five returning starters on defense and an offensive line with a lot to prove after struggling the past two seasons, the Tide must buy into Saban's demands to improve on last season's underachieving 6-7 finish.
OFFENSE: New offensive coordinator Major Applewhite ran a spread offense at Rice last season but Saban, veteran offensive line coach Joe Pendry and Applewhite remain adamant that the new offense will be shaped to fit Alabama's personnel. The offense returns QB John Parker Wilson and WRs DJ Hall and Keith Brown but must establish a go-to tailback or two and improve up front to give the offense a more solid foundation.
DEFENSE: The move from a 4-3 base to a 3-4 scheme is based primarily on Alabama's depth problem on the defensive line. The three-man front won't be the team's exclusive defense. Instead, Keith Saunders will play the new "Jack" position, a hybrid of defensive end and outside linebacker that should give the Tide some versatility in the front seven and even the ability to transition from 3-4 to 4-3 on a play-to-play basis. The line returns two proven veterans in DEs Wallace Gilberry and Bobby Greenwood while MLB Prince Hall and CB Simeon Castille are quality talents.
SCOUTING THE SPECIAL TEAMS: K Jamie Christensen and P P.J. Fitzgerald return for the Tide but both must become more consistent and dependable. Sophomore return specialist Javier Arenas is a potential star, but veteran special-teams coordinator Ron Middleton has a lot of work to do to make an underachieving kicking game more productive.
ROSTER REPORT: Spring practice allowed the coaches to experiment with players at different positions. While the decision to move Brian Motley from the offensive line to nose tackle will be permanent, the coaches can afford to keep looking at players such as Ali Sharrief, who moved between running back and safety; redshirt freshman Taylor Pharr, who moved between offensive tackle and the defensive line; Cory Reamer, who moved between safety and outside linebacker; and Matt Collins, who moved between linebacker and the defensive line.Steele right at home on Bama staff - Florence Times Daily 6/23/07
Coaching at Alabama is a dream come true for a man who spent much of his youth in Tuscaloosa.But it took several coaching stops along the way before Kevin Steele ended up back in Tuscaloosa as a member of the Crimson Tide coaching staff.His journey began when he played under Johnny Majors at Tennessee in the late 1970's. He then began his coaching career, serving as a student assistant, graduate assistant and then a full-time assistant with the Vols.
Saban, his huge salary worth risk - Paul Finebaum, Mobile Press-Register 6/19/07
University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban finally signed his eight-year, $32 million contract the other day and the Tide Nation rejoiced. But is he worth the money?
Absolutely not. In fact, he's probably worth twice that amount.
(This is a great column!)
A team player? - Anniston Star 6/18/07
If he hasn't already, new University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban will strongly — no, emphatically — urge his athletes to be team players in the reclamation project that is Crimson Tide football. He'll ask them to sacrifice, to go beyond personal stats to create a winning team.
So why isn't Saban, the U.S.'s highest-paid college football coach, heeding his own advice?
National media takes shot at Saban again - Montgomery Advertiser 6/17/07
You could've given me a million chances to guess this week's Nick Saban scandal and I would've blown them all before I got to Jimmy Barnes. The backup Crimson Tide quarterback left the team a few days ago and his dad, who is apparently a football coach somewhere, had some not-so-nice things to say about the way Saban is treating is players. It became, as is now standard with all things Saban, a national story. At least one national sports show picked up the story and discussed it at length. And by "discussed," I mean the host and guests bashed Saban for a good 15 minutes or so. Another national show or two covered the coverage of Barnes' departure.
If I had to boil this whole sordid situation down to a single word description, I'd say ridiculous fits pretty well.
Saban makes his priorities clear - Decatur Daily 6/16/07
Alabama's Nick Saban is a football coach, not a pitch man. His domain is the football field and film room, not the podium and banquet circuit. It's in his contract. Right there on page 11.
The Crimson Tide coach knows, after all, that he'll be judged on wins and titles rather than speeches and commercials, anyway. "Here's what everybody needs to understand: Why did I get hired here? To do what? Coach football, right? I'm a coach," Saban said Friday in a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press. Saban and his wife, Terry, have already had some highs and lows during their first six months since leaving the Dolphins. The biggest high: More than 92,000 fans filling Bryant-Denny Stadium for a spring game, believed to be a national record for what essentially amounts to a scrimmage. "Never was there a more heartfelt moment by the Sabans (than) to see that kind of support for what we're trying to do as what there was at the spring game, with all those people coming to support the team," Saban said.
Board approves Saban's contract - Huntsville Times 6/14/07
Nick Saban's contract with Alabama is now official. The university Board of Trustees compensation committee unanimously approved the eight-year, $32 million contract this afternoon. Saban signed it Wednesday. Saban will make a base salary of $225,000 annually for the duration of the contract. His personal service fees (for doing radio and television shows) will start at $3.275 million for this year and will grow to as high as $3.975 million for each of the last three years of the contract. Saban will make $3.5 million in 2007 and will make $4.2 million over the last three years of the contract from 2012-2014.
Offseason pro football just a substitute - Cecil Hurt, Tuscaloosa News 6/13/07
On the other hand, measuring demand can be deceiving. Alabama athletics director Mal Moore recently announced that there were 6,000 people who were on the waiting list for Crimson Tide season tickets. That doesn’t mean that those 6,000, if shut out of seats in Bryant-Denny Stadium, will suddenly spend their newfound disposable income on the Birmingham Bunnies, or whatever they will be called.
Applewhite makes major move up the coaching ranks - ESPN.com 6/13/07
The ascent of Major Applewhite's college football coaching career has been rocketlike in speed, if not direction. At 28, only six seasons removed from setting nearly every career passing record in the Texas record book, Applewhite has ascended to the position of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Alabama. If that sounds quick, think about this: It's been only three years since Applewhite served at his alma mater as a graduate assistant, which ranks just above pizza delivery guy on the Division I-A coaching ladder.
Smith Only Soph on Preseason Outland Watch Bamamag.com 6/12/07
The Outland Trophy has been awarded to the best interior lineman in college football since 1946. The winner is selected by the FWAA's All-America Committee, which selects the association's 25-man All-America team and picks the three Outland Trophy finalists and the winner. Andre Smith, who started at left tackle for Alabama as a true freshman and played more snaps than any other Crimson Tide player last year, was the only sophomore on the list.
Quarterback Jimmy Barnes leaving Crimson Tide Tuscaloosa News 6/10/07
Sophomore quarterback Jimmy Barnes has decided to leave the University of Alabama football team to pursue his career at another school.
Who do SEC fans hate - LSUbeat.com 6/2/07
Alabama coach Nick Saban talks with players before the team’s spring football game in April. Saban, who is making about $4 million a year, could be on his way to becoming the most hated football coach in the SEC.
In all honesty, Tide coach Saban should know better Montgomery Advertiser 6/2/07
I honestly believe the Univer sity of Alabama's football program is cursed. That's the only explanation for what's happened to it over the past several years. Nothing else fits. Nothing else makes sense. Look at the list of problems. You had one mediocre coach have an affair with his secretary and allowed all the gory details to seep out. You had another coach get caught with a stripper in his hotel room. There was another coach who didn't discipline anyone -- ever. And now, after millions and millions of dollars have been spent to hire a solid, seasoned, successful head coach -- a coach who's supposed to put an end to all the nonsense -- what's happened? More nonsense.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Friday, June 01, 2007
They've got a name for the winners in the world!
My friend since high school, Sharp, sent me this e-mail. I have never heard of anyone besides Alabama being referred to as the Crimson Tide!
High School Crimson Tides
High School Crimson Tides
Glencoe, OR (Erik Ainge's alma mater)
http://www.hsd.k12.or.us/glencoe/
Pottsville, PA
http://www.pottsvillefootball.com/
Concord, NH (Christa MacAuliffe's alma mater)
http://www.concord.k12.nh.us/schools/chs/
Edgerton, WI
http://www.edgerton.k12.wi.us/hs/
Dunbar - DC
http://www.exploredc.org/index.php?id=245
....here's my addition...
Deacon Blues
This is the day
Of the expanding man
That shape is my shade
There where I used to stand
It seems like only yesterday
I gazed through the glass
At ramblers
Wild gamblers
That's all in the past
You call me a fool
You say it's a crazy scheme
This one's for real
I already bought the dream
So useless to ask me why
Throw a kiss and say goodbye
I'll make it this time
I'm ready to cross that fine line
CHORUS:
I'll learn to work the saxophone
I'll play just what I feel
Drink Scotch whisky all night long
And die behind the wheel
They got a name for the winners in the world
I want a name when I lose
They call Alabama the Crimson Tide
Call me Deacon Blues
My back to the wall
A victim of laughing chance
This is for me
The essence of true romance
Sharing the things we know and love
With those of my kind
Libations
Sensations
That stagger the mind
I crawl like a viper
Through these suburban streets
Make love to these women
Languid and bittersweet
I'll rise when the sun goes down
Cover every game in town
A world of my own
I'll make it my home sweet home
CHORUS
This is the night
Of the expanding the man
I take one last drag
As I approach the stand
I cried when I wrote this song
Sue me if I play too long
This brother is free
I'll be what I want to be
CHORUS
Crimson Tide stuff for June
Here it is, June 2007. School is now out! My boys are now in bed. Tomorrow morning Joe has his last baseball game and we are all thinking about our upcoming vacation to Texas (Galveston and Dallas)! In the midst of all of this summer stuff, in Alabama, college foootball is never out of the sports pages!
Report: Alabama, Saban nearing completion of contractTUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama and Nick Saban are nearing completion of his eight-year contract, the richest in college football, The Tuscaloosa News reported Friday. "The final details are being worked out," University President Robert Witt told the newspaper at the Southeastern Conference spring meetings in Destin, Fla. "All the key elements have been agreed to."The Crimson Tide made Saban college football's highest paid coach in luring him away from the Miami Dolphins for an eight-year deal worth more than $30 million in January.
Mal Moore To Be Honored
Mal Moore, athletics director at The University of Alabama will be one of two recognized as the 2007 Distinguished Alabama Sportsmen at the 39th Annual Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet on Sunday in Birmingham.
Iron Bowl back where it belongs by Brent Maze, Clanton Advertiser
Although this year’s Alabama vs. Auburn game won’t be played on Thanksgiving Day, it is still going to be played on Thanksgiving weekend, and that’s good news for me. It’s been a while since I’ve had something to look forward to on Thanksgiving besides the food and annual family football game. The Alabama vs. Auburn game has been played before Thanksgiving for the last 15 years, but the game really feels more natural to be played on the Thanksgiving weekend.
Report: Alabama, Saban nearing completion of contractTUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama and Nick Saban are nearing completion of his eight-year contract, the richest in college football, The Tuscaloosa News reported Friday. "The final details are being worked out," University President Robert Witt told the newspaper at the Southeastern Conference spring meetings in Destin, Fla. "All the key elements have been agreed to."The Crimson Tide made Saban college football's highest paid coach in luring him away from the Miami Dolphins for an eight-year deal worth more than $30 million in January.
Mal Moore To Be Honored
Mal Moore, athletics director at The University of Alabama will be one of two recognized as the 2007 Distinguished Alabama Sportsmen at the 39th Annual Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet on Sunday in Birmingham.
Iron Bowl back where it belongs by Brent Maze, Clanton Advertiser
Although this year’s Alabama vs. Auburn game won’t be played on Thanksgiving Day, it is still going to be played on Thanksgiving weekend, and that’s good news for me. It’s been a while since I’ve had something to look forward to on Thanksgiving besides the food and annual family football game. The Alabama vs. Auburn game has been played before Thanksgiving for the last 15 years, but the game really feels more natural to be played on the Thanksgiving weekend.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Down Season Articles
Not much happening in the world of college football? That's what we thought in May when I was a kid. How wrong these days! From allegations that Saban is cheating for Bama, to Paterno's discipline, to Jerry Duncan's induction to the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame; there is never a quiet moment!
Duncan dreamed of hoops glory
He made a name for himself as an undersized but overachieving lineman at the University of Alabama, fulfilling the dream of kids throughout the state. But Jerry Duncan's childhood dream had nothing to do with the gridiron or Bear Bryant or the Crimson Tide. "I always wanted to play basketball at North Carolina," said Duncan, who grew up in tiny Sparta, N.C. "If I hadn't signed with Alabama, I was going to walk on at Chapel Hill.
Let's go down to Jerry Duncan on the sideline!
To a generation of Alabama fans, Jerry Duncan was better known for his excitable personality on Crimson Tide football broadcasts than his playing exploits. Duncan, a successful stockbroker and investor living in Vestavia Hills, worked as the sideline reporter for 24 years, paired with play-by-play men John Forney, Paul Kennedy and Eli Gold. I wasn't there to brag on the other team," Duncan said. "I was there to talk about Alabama."
Loss of Prothro was a big blow to Tide
One play turned the tide for Alabama's football success over the past few years, former defensive coordinator Joe Kines told members of the Escambia County University of Alabama Alumni Association Tuesday night. (this is an INSIGHTFUL aricle about Kines!)
Leadership
From my friend Johnny: "At this moment, I am humbled and awed by Joe Paterno. I am a huge college football fan but I have been embarrassed by the off-the-field behavior of players for years. Many act like nothing more than thugs with scholarships. But I am even more appalled by the weak, unprincipled, self-defeating responses of the head coaches involved."
Saban may have violated NCAA recruiting rules
According to reports, University of Alabama coach Nick Saban may have violated NCAA rules when he talked to recruits during last week’s trip to South Florida. However, Saban almost certainly isn’t the only coach overstepping the rule, and any violation would likely be considered “secondary," without significant penalty. College coaches are permitted to evaluate high school players on their campuses between April 15 and May 31, but “no contact may occur in this evaluation." According to NCAA bylaws, “contact is any face-to-face encounter between a prospective student-athlete and their parents or guardians and an institutional staff member during which any dialogue occurs in excess of exchange of a greeting."
Duncan dreamed of hoops glory
He made a name for himself as an undersized but overachieving lineman at the University of Alabama, fulfilling the dream of kids throughout the state. But Jerry Duncan's childhood dream had nothing to do with the gridiron or Bear Bryant or the Crimson Tide. "I always wanted to play basketball at North Carolina," said Duncan, who grew up in tiny Sparta, N.C. "If I hadn't signed with Alabama, I was going to walk on at Chapel Hill.
Let's go down to Jerry Duncan on the sideline!
To a generation of Alabama fans, Jerry Duncan was better known for his excitable personality on Crimson Tide football broadcasts than his playing exploits. Duncan, a successful stockbroker and investor living in Vestavia Hills, worked as the sideline reporter for 24 years, paired with play-by-play men John Forney, Paul Kennedy and Eli Gold. I wasn't there to brag on the other team," Duncan said. "I was there to talk about Alabama."
Loss of Prothro was a big blow to Tide
One play turned the tide for Alabama's football success over the past few years, former defensive coordinator Joe Kines told members of the Escambia County University of Alabama Alumni Association Tuesday night. (this is an INSIGHTFUL aricle about Kines!)
Leadership
From my friend Johnny: "At this moment, I am humbled and awed by Joe Paterno. I am a huge college football fan but I have been embarrassed by the off-the-field behavior of players for years. Many act like nothing more than thugs with scholarships. But I am even more appalled by the weak, unprincipled, self-defeating responses of the head coaches involved."
Saban may have violated NCAA recruiting rules
According to reports, University of Alabama coach Nick Saban may have violated NCAA rules when he talked to recruits during last week’s trip to South Florida. However, Saban almost certainly isn’t the only coach overstepping the rule, and any violation would likely be considered “secondary," without significant penalty. College coaches are permitted to evaluate high school players on their campuses between April 15 and May 31, but “no contact may occur in this evaluation." According to NCAA bylaws, “contact is any face-to-face encounter between a prospective student-athlete and their parents or guardians and an institutional staff member during which any dialogue occurs in excess of exchange of a greeting."
Monday, May 14, 2007
Friday, May 11, 2007
By popular demand...
...well, at least a request by my good friend Sharp!
Listen, y'all. This is funny. I respect Coach Bryant and his winning legacy as much as anyone. He was a treasure for the State of Alabama and he was a positive influence in the lives of thousands of young men. But, having said that, with all due respect, listen to how he mispronounces names, loses his train of thought, and mixes up the names of towns and you have to laugh! That is doubly true if you lived through those days as I did. Rest in Peace, Coach Bryant. We love you!
Listen, y'all. This is funny. I respect Coach Bryant and his winning legacy as much as anyone. He was a treasure for the State of Alabama and he was a positive influence in the lives of thousands of young men. But, having said that, with all due respect, listen to how he mispronounces names, loses his train of thought, and mixes up the names of towns and you have to laugh! That is doubly true if you lived through those days as I did. Rest in Peace, Coach Bryant. We love you!
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Elite QB visits UA
Elite QB visits UA - BamaOnLine
Nick Saban and staff have made the quarterback position a priority in the 2008 class with the Tide having offered several of the nation's top signal-callers. On Wednesday, likely five-star prospect Blaine Gabbert made a surprise trip to the Capstone with his parents, and the Tide made a big impression on the 6-foot-5, 229-pounder.
"Me and my dad flew in this morning, and we are flying out tomorrow. We decided to come and see Alabama since we haven't yet and I'm glad we did. I was very impressed with everything I saw," Gabbert said. "When I got there this morning, I met pretty much all the coaches. They were all great and very down to earth. After that, I left with Coach Applewhite and we toured the facilties.
"I was extremely impressed with everything. We toured the campus, academic center and the dorms. I know it was going to be nice, and it was better than I expected. Everything was top notch. The athletes have everything they need on and off the field."
Gabbert spent a lot of time with Coach Applewhite, and the two have developed a strong relationship.
"Coach Applewhite is a good guy. He's very approachable and down to earth. We have a strong bond and today strengthened it more. He talked to me about more than just football. We discussed everyday life stuff and about how life would be as a student as well as a player. I learned a lot."
Tide head coach Nick Saban was on the road recruiting, but he made a special trip back to the Capstone to visit with the Missouri native.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Recent Articles
Gimino: Houndstooth cap still looms large in 'Bama - Anthony Gimino, Tucson, Citizen
"Having had my fill of barbecue, slaw and sweet tea, I was getting ready to leave a Birmingham, Ala., restaurant last week when a friend nudged my shoulder. "Look over there," he said. I turned, and there at a table sitting with her family was a girl, possibly 10 years old, wearing a baseball cap. A houndstooth baseball cap. And so it is in Alabama."
Early Returns are Encouraging - Kirk McNair, BamaMag.com
No one doubts that Nick Saban is a hands-on coach. Even though media gets only a glimpse of practice each day (at least that was the case during spring practice), it doesn’t take much of a gander to get a sense that Alabama’s football coach is on the move, checking on every detail. Players at every position back up the observation that Saban coaches everyone. So it was only mildly surprising during warm-ups prior to the A-Day Game that Saban was correcting the stretching procedure of a Crimson Tide player. That is the kind of thing that a head coach ordinarily would not trifle with. But Nick Saban is no ordinary coach.
QUICK HITS: A Comparison: 2006 team vs. 2007 A-Day
By Jess NicholasTideFans.com Editor-in-ChiefApril 22, 2007
Quarterbacks 2006: John Parker Wilson, Marc Guillon, Jimmy Barnes Quarterbacks 2007: John Parker Wilson, Greg McElroy, Jimmy BarnesSummary: There’s not much of a change here, except in the continued maturity of John Parker Wilson. A-Day 2007 revealed improvement in Wilson’s footwork and comfort level in the pocket. Wilson also seemed to have a good feel for screen passes which appear to be a big part of the upcoming offense. With Jimmy Barnes out for most of the spring with a knee injury, Greg McElroy won the backup job by default. His poise and game management skills looked sound Saturday, but he made a half-dozen ill-advised throws into coverage that, if Alabama’s defensive backs would pay a bit more attention to the tip drill, may have resulted in a handful of interceptions. Advantage: 2007. Wilson is better, McElroy offers solid backup....
"Having had my fill of barbecue, slaw and sweet tea, I was getting ready to leave a Birmingham, Ala., restaurant last week when a friend nudged my shoulder. "Look over there," he said. I turned, and there at a table sitting with her family was a girl, possibly 10 years old, wearing a baseball cap. A houndstooth baseball cap. And so it is in Alabama."
Early Returns are Encouraging - Kirk McNair, BamaMag.com
No one doubts that Nick Saban is a hands-on coach. Even though media gets only a glimpse of practice each day (at least that was the case during spring practice), it doesn’t take much of a gander to get a sense that Alabama’s football coach is on the move, checking on every detail. Players at every position back up the observation that Saban coaches everyone. So it was only mildly surprising during warm-ups prior to the A-Day Game that Saban was correcting the stretching procedure of a Crimson Tide player. That is the kind of thing that a head coach ordinarily would not trifle with. But Nick Saban is no ordinary coach.
QUICK HITS: A Comparison: 2006 team vs. 2007 A-Day
By Jess NicholasTideFans.com Editor-in-ChiefApril 22, 2007
Quarterbacks 2006: John Parker Wilson, Marc Guillon, Jimmy Barnes Quarterbacks 2007: John Parker Wilson, Greg McElroy, Jimmy BarnesSummary: There’s not much of a change here, except in the continued maturity of John Parker Wilson. A-Day 2007 revealed improvement in Wilson’s footwork and comfort level in the pocket. Wilson also seemed to have a good feel for screen passes which appear to be a big part of the upcoming offense. With Jimmy Barnes out for most of the spring with a knee injury, Greg McElroy won the backup job by default. His poise and game management skills looked sound Saturday, but he made a half-dozen ill-advised throws into coverage that, if Alabama’s defensive backs would pay a bit more attention to the tip drill, may have resulted in a handful of interceptions. Advantage: 2007. Wilson is better, McElroy offers solid backup....
Hating Saban is becoming an obsession
On Saturday there was an interesting column by Paul Finebaum titled "Hating Saban is becoming an obsession" Here is an exerpt:
Attacks
Why all the hating?
What is everyone so afraid of?
Or is it laughter and mockery resonating throughout the world of college football since the staggering Alabama A-Day crowd of 92,123 became known a week ago?
Regardless, the fire has been lit again in relation to Nick Saban and his maiden voyage in Tuscaloosa. This has become a recurring theme since Saban's hiring but what is it really saying? What does it all mean?
Of the many catcalls and "delusional fan" cracks from all the usual suspects, the most amazing came from Barry Scanlon of the Lowell (Mass.) Sun. I understand ESPN and the south Florida media mafia hating on Saban. But a shot across the bow from a toxic waste dump in Massachusetts -- whose only claim to fame is being the hometown of Ed McMahon and for being featured in an HBO documentary as a haven for crack cocaine and as one of the most dreary and depressing cities in America -- almost has to be considered a compliment.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Sunday, April 22, 2007
People are talking...
They are talking about my videos!
Check out Tidesorts.com here and here.
Check out "Every Day Should be Saturday" here.
More coverage of A-Day...
An overflow crowd watches Saban's Bama debut - Espn.com
Nick Saban is already filling Alabama's Bryant-Denny Stadium -- and then some.
An overflow crowd of 92,138-plus fans attended the Crimson Tide's spring game Saturday, nearly doubling the school's A-Day attendance record and forcing university officials to start turning people away in the first half. That kind of turnout for essentially a scrimmage was yet another indication of how much Saban's hiring in January has stirred up a rabid fan base hungry for a championship. "It shows the passion that people have for the University of Alabama, and it certainly makes me feel great about being here as head coach," Saban said.
Alabama fans win argument - Chattanooga Times Free Press
One of the best SEC football arguments is among fans from different regions arguing why their school is the most passionate. Tennessee fans will nod toward the Vol Navy and point to huge crowds inside Neyland Stadium. Florida and Auburn fans will cup their ears, a signal to acknowledge the deafening noise. A Georgia fan would describe the tailgating scene on North Campus. And so on. It's a great argument because there's no winner. Almost every SEC school boasts tradition, huge attendance figures and exuberant tailgaters who arrive on Wednesday for a Saturday game. There's no statistic to anoint one school definitively the most passionate about football. Well, until this one: 92,138. The argument is over. There were 92,138 Alabama fans packed into Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday for a televised spring game, and officials had to turn people away in the second quarter. "I hate they did that," Alabama defensive lineman Wallace Gilberry said. "I wish the fans could have flooded the place out." All this for a glorified practice. Allen Iverson would be astounded by this turnout. More than 90,000 for practice? We're talking about practice? And that's why Saturday's A-Day game, won 20-13 by the White team, was so bittersweet. A crowd like this makes the SEC so great. But it also ends one of my favorite arguments. We have a winner, and they were wearing crimson and white Saturday afternoon.
A-Day makes top 10 plays on ESPN Sportscenter
92,138 attend Alabama spring game - AJC
Kayla McCoy and her dad, Stephen, arrived at Gate 6 of Bryant-Denny Stadium at 9 a.m.
The gate wouldn't open until 11 a.m. For a spring football game that wouldn't start until 1:05 p.m. "We just think that this is going to be a historic day," said Kayla, from Dothan, Ala. "We just wanted to be first in line to see it." Kayla didn't know how right she was. Hope is a powerful emotion. So powerful that it brought a crowd of 92,138-plus to Bryant-Denny on one of the most perfect Saturday afternoons you'll ever see. Alabama officials, expecting about 60,000 fans for Nick Saban's much-anticipated first spring game as coach, had to stop them from entering the stuffed stadium in the second quarter. The NCAA doesn't keep records on such things, but it is believed to be the largest spring-game crowd in college football history. It beat the SEC record of 73,000 set by Tennessee in 1986 and dwarfed school-record Saturday turnouts at Penn State (71,000) and Notre Dame (51,852). If there was any doubt that Saban, who took over as coach in January, was worth the $4 million Alabama is paying him, well, there's less of it now. You just can't put a price on this kind of excitement.
Standing room only Alabama draws 92,000 for Saban's first spring game - Sports Illustrated
(This was an AP article run in various papers across the country)
Nick Saban is already filling Alabama's Bryant-Denny Stadium -- and then some. An overflow crowd of 92,138-plus fans attended the Crimson Tide's spring game Saturday, nearly doubling the school's A-Day attendance record and forcing university officials to start turning people away in the first half. That kind of turnout for essentially a scrimmage was yet another indication of how much Saban's hiring in January has stirred up a rabid fan base hungry for a championship. "It shows the passion that people have for the University of Alabama, and it certainly makes me feel great about being here as head coach," Saban said.
Two extremes of college football fanaticism: SU, 'Bama - Syracuse Post Standard
In "The Longest Day," that dusty flick detailing the invasion of Normandy, an American officer (played by John Wayne) and a German commandant (played by Curt Jurgens) mutter to colleagues at different times, "Sometimes I wonder which side God is on." I was reminded of those cinematic musings while mulling the stunning crowd sizes at Saturday's spring football games at the University of Alabama (92,138) and here at SU (maybe 2,000). Because at all times, and leaving God for other matters, I wonder which side gets it when it comes to the chin-strapped set. The greater Tuscaloosa area has a population of some 120,000. Greater Syracuse weighs in around 700,000. And yet, the Crimson Tide drew a gathering 46 times larger than did SU. Perhaps even more revealing, the Orange would have needed roughly 537,000 fans to descend upon the Carrier Dome Saturday afternoon to proportionally match the 'Bama house at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Ask one of our former football coaches around here about that and he'd likely blurt, "That's out of whack." But which way? Are those lunatics with a hobby who follow the Tide, or are they loyal supporters of the cause? Is our community filled with apathetic mopes, or with savvy folks bearing discriminating enough taste to recognize a meaningless scrimmage when it is hawked, barker style, in front of them? "We," said Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson, "were standing around there, like, 'Man, there's a lot of people here.' We didn't expect that."
CECIL HURT: Biggest A-Day changes visible to all - Cecil Hurt, Tuscaloosa News
It was the best seat in the house – an enviable position when every one of the 92,318 seats in the house are full.Nick Saban invited a half-dozen reporters to be “media coaches” for Saturday’s A-Day game at Bryant-Denny Stadium. In a wise move by Saban, that invitation didn’t involve any actual coaching decisions. Instead, it just gave those reporters (myself included) an up-close look at what we had really only gotten a far-away glimpse at all spring: the University of Alabama football team.What was fascinating about the day wasn’t just the chance to watch the team on the field, although the game itself – won by the White team, 20-13 – had its revelatory moments. Blocking and tackling, catching and running, are pretty much the same, year in and year our, regardless of the vantage point from which you are watching. But a few things were obvious.
Photos from the Tuscaloosa News - 1
Photos from the Tuscaloosa News - 2
Photos from the Tuscaloosa news - 3
Check out Tidesorts.com here and here.
Check out "Every Day Should be Saturday" here.
More coverage of A-Day...
An overflow crowd watches Saban's Bama debut - Espn.com
Nick Saban is already filling Alabama's Bryant-Denny Stadium -- and then some.
An overflow crowd of 92,138-plus fans attended the Crimson Tide's spring game Saturday, nearly doubling the school's A-Day attendance record and forcing university officials to start turning people away in the first half. That kind of turnout for essentially a scrimmage was yet another indication of how much Saban's hiring in January has stirred up a rabid fan base hungry for a championship. "It shows the passion that people have for the University of Alabama, and it certainly makes me feel great about being here as head coach," Saban said.
Alabama fans win argument - Chattanooga Times Free Press
One of the best SEC football arguments is among fans from different regions arguing why their school is the most passionate. Tennessee fans will nod toward the Vol Navy and point to huge crowds inside Neyland Stadium. Florida and Auburn fans will cup their ears, a signal to acknowledge the deafening noise. A Georgia fan would describe the tailgating scene on North Campus. And so on. It's a great argument because there's no winner. Almost every SEC school boasts tradition, huge attendance figures and exuberant tailgaters who arrive on Wednesday for a Saturday game. There's no statistic to anoint one school definitively the most passionate about football. Well, until this one: 92,138. The argument is over. There were 92,138 Alabama fans packed into Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday for a televised spring game, and officials had to turn people away in the second quarter. "I hate they did that," Alabama defensive lineman Wallace Gilberry said. "I wish the fans could have flooded the place out." All this for a glorified practice. Allen Iverson would be astounded by this turnout. More than 90,000 for practice? We're talking about practice? And that's why Saturday's A-Day game, won 20-13 by the White team, was so bittersweet. A crowd like this makes the SEC so great. But it also ends one of my favorite arguments. We have a winner, and they were wearing crimson and white Saturday afternoon.
A-Day makes top 10 plays on ESPN Sportscenter
92,138 attend Alabama spring game - AJC
Kayla McCoy and her dad, Stephen, arrived at Gate 6 of Bryant-Denny Stadium at 9 a.m.
The gate wouldn't open until 11 a.m. For a spring football game that wouldn't start until 1:05 p.m. "We just think that this is going to be a historic day," said Kayla, from Dothan, Ala. "We just wanted to be first in line to see it." Kayla didn't know how right she was. Hope is a powerful emotion. So powerful that it brought a crowd of 92,138-plus to Bryant-Denny on one of the most perfect Saturday afternoons you'll ever see. Alabama officials, expecting about 60,000 fans for Nick Saban's much-anticipated first spring game as coach, had to stop them from entering the stuffed stadium in the second quarter. The NCAA doesn't keep records on such things, but it is believed to be the largest spring-game crowd in college football history. It beat the SEC record of 73,000 set by Tennessee in 1986 and dwarfed school-record Saturday turnouts at Penn State (71,000) and Notre Dame (51,852). If there was any doubt that Saban, who took over as coach in January, was worth the $4 million Alabama is paying him, well, there's less of it now. You just can't put a price on this kind of excitement.
Standing room only Alabama draws 92,000 for Saban's first spring game - Sports Illustrated
(This was an AP article run in various papers across the country)
Nick Saban is already filling Alabama's Bryant-Denny Stadium -- and then some. An overflow crowd of 92,138-plus fans attended the Crimson Tide's spring game Saturday, nearly doubling the school's A-Day attendance record and forcing university officials to start turning people away in the first half. That kind of turnout for essentially a scrimmage was yet another indication of how much Saban's hiring in January has stirred up a rabid fan base hungry for a championship. "It shows the passion that people have for the University of Alabama, and it certainly makes me feel great about being here as head coach," Saban said.
Two extremes of college football fanaticism: SU, 'Bama - Syracuse Post Standard
In "The Longest Day," that dusty flick detailing the invasion of Normandy, an American officer (played by John Wayne) and a German commandant (played by Curt Jurgens) mutter to colleagues at different times, "Sometimes I wonder which side God is on." I was reminded of those cinematic musings while mulling the stunning crowd sizes at Saturday's spring football games at the University of Alabama (92,138) and here at SU (maybe 2,000). Because at all times, and leaving God for other matters, I wonder which side gets it when it comes to the chin-strapped set. The greater Tuscaloosa area has a population of some 120,000. Greater Syracuse weighs in around 700,000. And yet, the Crimson Tide drew a gathering 46 times larger than did SU. Perhaps even more revealing, the Orange would have needed roughly 537,000 fans to descend upon the Carrier Dome Saturday afternoon to proportionally match the 'Bama house at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Ask one of our former football coaches around here about that and he'd likely blurt, "That's out of whack." But which way? Are those lunatics with a hobby who follow the Tide, or are they loyal supporters of the cause? Is our community filled with apathetic mopes, or with savvy folks bearing discriminating enough taste to recognize a meaningless scrimmage when it is hawked, barker style, in front of them? "We," said Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson, "were standing around there, like, 'Man, there's a lot of people here.' We didn't expect that."
CECIL HURT: Biggest A-Day changes visible to all - Cecil Hurt, Tuscaloosa News
It was the best seat in the house – an enviable position when every one of the 92,318 seats in the house are full.Nick Saban invited a half-dozen reporters to be “media coaches” for Saturday’s A-Day game at Bryant-Denny Stadium. In a wise move by Saban, that invitation didn’t involve any actual coaching decisions. Instead, it just gave those reporters (myself included) an up-close look at what we had really only gotten a far-away glimpse at all spring: the University of Alabama football team.What was fascinating about the day wasn’t just the chance to watch the team on the field, although the game itself – won by the White team, 20-13 – had its revelatory moments. Blocking and tackling, catching and running, are pretty much the same, year in and year our, regardless of the vantage point from which you are watching. But a few things were obvious.
Photos from the Tuscaloosa News - 1
Photos from the Tuscaloosa News - 2
Photos from the Tuscaloosa news - 3
A-Day Game, April 21, 2007
Here are three short clips I took at the A-Day game yesterday. The first video is from pre-game warm-ups. The second video is of the NCAA record crowd doing the wave. The third is Coach saban presenting spring practice awards after the game.
Friday, April 20, 2007
A-Day Tomorrow
I cannot wait for the A-Day game Saturday! I will be posting photos and my "take" on the event later in the weekend!
Bama Practices 4/12-4/20
Crimson Tide Wraps Up 10th Practice
The University of Alabama football team completed its 10th practice of the spring Wednesday afternoon with a two-hour practice in full pads at the Thomas-Drew Practice Facility.With five practices remaining in the spring, Alabama head football coach Nick Saban talked character building and improving as a team heading into the final week of practice."The team's competitive character is made up of the individuals and what kind of competitive character they have, what kind of discipline they have, what kind of effort they give, what kind of toughness they play with, how responsible they are, and what kind of condition they are in, that's really what is most important." Saban said."In whatever we do the individuals on the team will make up the teams character and no on can create it but the individuals on the team."We want to make sure we know what to do, so we can go out there and do it over and over again, not just go out and endure the practice but improve and get better," Saban added.Alabama will practice again Friday, April 13 and hold its second scrimmage of the spring Saturday, April 14 at Bryant-Denny Stadium. All practices and Saturday's scrimmage are closed to the general public.
Defensive tweaks-Saban teaching Tide the 3-4 defense he used with the Miami Dolphins
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
Add defensive terminology to the list of things by which Alabama football Nick Saban insists he won't be bound this spring. Saban has already rigidly refused to make evaluations, predictions or comparisons about both his team's personnel and his new surroundings. Now, he's refusing to get caught in the trap of revealing what type of defensive package the Crimson Tide will feature most prominently in 2007. Since practices and scrimmages this spring have been closed to the media, it's hard to tell exactly whether Alabama will operate out of a 4-3 (four linemen, three linebackers) or a 3-4 (three linemen, four linebackers).
ALABAMA FOOTBALL: Saban not putting much stock in stats - Montgomery Advertiser
Alabama went through a two-hour scrimmage on Saturday, with the defense and the rain dominating the Crimson Tide offense at Bryant-Denny Stadium. "We made improvement in a lot of areas," Alabama coach Nick Saban said. "It was a little difficult for the offense to function in the passing game. We had a lot of drops. The weather was tough. We thought it was going to quit raining." Instead, the light rain turned into a heavy downpour midway through the scrimmage, limiting the offense to a pair of touchdown receptions by DJ Hall and walk-on Reyn Willis, and a 3-yard touchdown run by Jimmy Johns. There were other plays from the closed scrimmage that did not make their way to the statistics sheet as more than half of the workout focused on situational drills. "It seems like we ran it more, so I don't know where these stats came from," Saban said as he glanced over the page. "Are these from the whole scrimmage? Three quarters of the scrimmage was situational, so this is not very accurate. There were more plays that aren't counted in this than are. It's not my fault. You can call me a jerk, you can put it on national headlines, but I didn't do this."
College football beat Sunday, April 15, 2007 ALABAMA A-Day Game schedule released
TUSCALOOSA - Alabama released its schedule for next Saturday's annual A-Day Game, which is sponsored by Golden Flake and will air on Comcast Sports South. The gates of Bryant-Denny Stadium will open at 11:30 a.m. Fullback Le'Ron McClain and Juwan Simpson, captains from the 2006 season, are scheduled to participate in the Walk of Fame ceremony at Denny Chimes at 12:15 p.m.. Former defensive coordinator and interim coach Joe Kines will also be in attendance. Kickoff is slated for 1:05 p.m. Tickets to the event are free. In the broadcast booth for CSS will be play-by-play man Chris Stewart and color commentator Tyler Watts, while former cornerback Antonio Langham will report from the sidelines. The Crimson Tide Sports Radio Network will also air the game. Unlike previous years, there will not be a Fan Photo Day until August. Receiver Keith Brown sat out most of Saturday's scrimmage with a leg bruise, though he had two catches for 15 yards. Linebacker Keith Saunders was "hit in the head," coach Nick Saban said, so he did not participate. Saban did not think it was serious. (B'ham News)
Caddell strives to finish career on a high note-Christopher Walsh Tuscaloosa News
The full reality has already hit wide receiver Matt Caddell like a well-thrown ball to the gut.This is it, his last season playing football for the University of Alabama. One final chance to do something special as an individual, and as a part of team.“Going into my last year, I just want to turn it up a notch," Caddell said. “Coach [Nick] Saban, he’s picking up the intensity each day so we’re getting better each day.“I don’t want to have any regrets when I leave here -- I just want us to win."Saturday afternoon, Caddell and the rest of the Crimson Tide held the second of three spring scrimmages in the rain at Bryant-Denny Stadium, which was closed to the public and media. Although Saban seemed extremely pleased with the timing and execution of the passing game in the previous practice, he didn’t seem overly surprised that there were dropped passes and missed opportunities in the poor conditions.Caddell didn’t have a reception in the run-dominated scrimmage, and only Keith Brown had more than one.However, Caddell led the Tide with four catches for 80 yards last week.
Saban defends his media policies at AlabamaFormer LSU coach's restrictions drawing criticism-Associated Press
Coach Nick Saban’s honeymoon with the media didn’t last very long at Alabama.
Yet to take the field for anything but a practice with the Crimson Tide, Saban has found himself on the defensive lately. The $4 million-a-year coach is dealing with critical columns, radio talk shows and reporters’ questions about restrictions imposed on the media since his arrival. Saban said he’s not doing anything differently from previous coaching stops.“I don’t know if I really do things that much differently than everybody else,” Saban said Thursday during a teleconference with reporters. “I just think people lately, at least since I went to Miami and came here, a lot of people seem to want to point out things I do differently.“It may not be as different from everybody else in a lot of ways.”The Saban Way is somewhat different for Tuscaloosa. Saban has allowed only limited access to players and assistant coaches, alternating days when he and Tide players are available to the media. Assistant coaches generally don’t speak publicly.
Alabama could draw largest crowd ever for a spring football game - LindysSports.com
The spring football game to end all spring football games will be played next Saturday in Tuscaloosa when the Alabama Crimson Tide winds up its spring drills with the annual A-Day Game.Bryant-Denny Stadium on the Alabama campus holds 92,138 fans. It might not be enough. Spring football games as a whole are not important, even those that have been televised on cable the past few years. When it is a team divided and playing itself, what can you actually discern? If your offense looks good, your defense looks bad and vice versa. It might be important for individuals who are trying to impress coaches and make a depth chart move, but it won't really tell you anything about to how a team will play in the fall. Fans have tried to make spring games more important than necessary because by the time they are played, the college fan has gone two to three months without a football game. They are ready to see anybody in pads knock heads. There's nothing wrong with that. But deep down those same fans know spring games are nothing more than reasons to return to the campus and spend an afternoon pretending to get the inside scoop on the upcoming football season.
Tide's Saban taps into Castille's 'star' quality - Montgomery Advertiser
It shouldn't surprise Alabama fans to learn Simeon Castille is a natural for the new "star" position on the Crimson Tide defense.
But it isn't his favorite role.
Part of first-year coach Nick Saban's defensive alignment is a set of names that have not been part of the Crimson Tide vocabulary in the past. There is a "jack" linebacker, a combination defensive end and outside linebacker. Then there's the "star" defensive back, the fifth secondary player in a nickel scheme. "It's the same position I played last year, just a different name," Castille said. "I never really thought about it. We have a 'money' position, too. I'd love to be called 'money. " He's been as good as money for the Crimson Tide defense this spring, picking up a fumble and returning it for a touchdown in the first scrimmage and intercepting a pass and returning it for a touchdown in the second. "He's done a really good job," Saban said. "He's smart, he plays multiple roles. It's good to have a few guys like that on your team. He makes a lot of plays because he is instinctive. But I think he can also take a lot of what you're trying to teach and apply it on the field without needing multiple reps of it because he is smart, he is instinctive and he's a good athlete."
Life with Saban's policies - Josh Cooper - Decatur Daily
Well, it's time to chime in about Alabama football coach Nick Saban's media policies, and no, there will not be any big-time bashing. If anything, this will be an attempt to be informative by letting people know how things have changed under Saban's regime, how reporters are coping and how it will change the coverage of football news. In terms of facts that are known, reporters are allowed to watch the first 20 or so minutes of practice. After practice, either Saban or random players talk to us. As for scrimmages, we are not allowed to watch them. So it is true, we cannot give you a sense of how the team is doing in game-time situations.
Crimson Tide Practice Notebook - The Tuscaloosa News - April 19, 2007
The University of Alabama football team wrapped up its final regular practice of the spring Thursday afternoon and now all that remains is the annual A-Day game, which will be played Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium at 1 p.m. Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban said he has used different scrimmage styles during spring games, but getting the players on the field in a competitive atmosphere is the most important thing.“Regardless of the format, it’s a game-like situation, where you can see which players go out and perform better on the field,” Saban said.“I always try to choose the best [format]. When you have a lot of depth, I think splitting the squad is the best one. I’d much rather have a competitive game. If we were looking for show dogs, we’d put all the show dogs on one team and let them show. If we’re looking for hunting dogs, you put them in a competitive situation, and see which ones can find the ducks.”
(video included with link)
Saban has yet to sign lucrative contract - Tuscaloosa News
Announced as University of Alabama football coach in early January, Nick Saban has yet to sign a contract for employment, a technicality those involved say is not worrisome. “I’m not concerned about that right now,” Saban said Thursday after the Crimson Tide’s 14th practice of the spring. “I’m focused on spring practice. There are no issues relative to it. These things just take a little time sometimes.”It’s been 15 weeks since Saban arrived to a rock-star welcome at the Tuscaloosa Regional Airport, ending weeks of speculation about whether he would leave the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and return to college football.It’s been widely reported since his arrival that Saban and UA officials have agreed to an eight-year, $30 million — some say $32 million — contract, making him the highest-paid college football coach in history. However, Saban’s contract and those of his assistants have yet to be brought before the UA trustees’ compensation committee for approval.“Those negotiations are proceeding fine, and parties are working well together,” said Doug Walker, spokesman of University of Alabama athletics. “It’s not a point of contention for anybody here.”
The University of Alabama football team completed its 10th practice of the spring Wednesday afternoon with a two-hour practice in full pads at the Thomas-Drew Practice Facility.With five practices remaining in the spring, Alabama head football coach Nick Saban talked character building and improving as a team heading into the final week of practice."The team's competitive character is made up of the individuals and what kind of competitive character they have, what kind of discipline they have, what kind of effort they give, what kind of toughness they play with, how responsible they are, and what kind of condition they are in, that's really what is most important." Saban said."In whatever we do the individuals on the team will make up the teams character and no on can create it but the individuals on the team."We want to make sure we know what to do, so we can go out there and do it over and over again, not just go out and endure the practice but improve and get better," Saban added.Alabama will practice again Friday, April 13 and hold its second scrimmage of the spring Saturday, April 14 at Bryant-Denny Stadium. All practices and Saturday's scrimmage are closed to the general public.
Defensive tweaks-Saban teaching Tide the 3-4 defense he used with the Miami Dolphins
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
Add defensive terminology to the list of things by which Alabama football Nick Saban insists he won't be bound this spring. Saban has already rigidly refused to make evaluations, predictions or comparisons about both his team's personnel and his new surroundings. Now, he's refusing to get caught in the trap of revealing what type of defensive package the Crimson Tide will feature most prominently in 2007. Since practices and scrimmages this spring have been closed to the media, it's hard to tell exactly whether Alabama will operate out of a 4-3 (four linemen, three linebackers) or a 3-4 (three linemen, four linebackers).
ALABAMA FOOTBALL: Saban not putting much stock in stats - Montgomery Advertiser
Alabama went through a two-hour scrimmage on Saturday, with the defense and the rain dominating the Crimson Tide offense at Bryant-Denny Stadium. "We made improvement in a lot of areas," Alabama coach Nick Saban said. "It was a little difficult for the offense to function in the passing game. We had a lot of drops. The weather was tough. We thought it was going to quit raining." Instead, the light rain turned into a heavy downpour midway through the scrimmage, limiting the offense to a pair of touchdown receptions by DJ Hall and walk-on Reyn Willis, and a 3-yard touchdown run by Jimmy Johns. There were other plays from the closed scrimmage that did not make their way to the statistics sheet as more than half of the workout focused on situational drills. "It seems like we ran it more, so I don't know where these stats came from," Saban said as he glanced over the page. "Are these from the whole scrimmage? Three quarters of the scrimmage was situational, so this is not very accurate. There were more plays that aren't counted in this than are. It's not my fault. You can call me a jerk, you can put it on national headlines, but I didn't do this."
College football beat Sunday, April 15, 2007 ALABAMA A-Day Game schedule released
TUSCALOOSA - Alabama released its schedule for next Saturday's annual A-Day Game, which is sponsored by Golden Flake and will air on Comcast Sports South. The gates of Bryant-Denny Stadium will open at 11:30 a.m. Fullback Le'Ron McClain and Juwan Simpson, captains from the 2006 season, are scheduled to participate in the Walk of Fame ceremony at Denny Chimes at 12:15 p.m.. Former defensive coordinator and interim coach Joe Kines will also be in attendance. Kickoff is slated for 1:05 p.m. Tickets to the event are free. In the broadcast booth for CSS will be play-by-play man Chris Stewart and color commentator Tyler Watts, while former cornerback Antonio Langham will report from the sidelines. The Crimson Tide Sports Radio Network will also air the game. Unlike previous years, there will not be a Fan Photo Day until August. Receiver Keith Brown sat out most of Saturday's scrimmage with a leg bruise, though he had two catches for 15 yards. Linebacker Keith Saunders was "hit in the head," coach Nick Saban said, so he did not participate. Saban did not think it was serious. (B'ham News)
Caddell strives to finish career on a high note-Christopher Walsh Tuscaloosa News
The full reality has already hit wide receiver Matt Caddell like a well-thrown ball to the gut.This is it, his last season playing football for the University of Alabama. One final chance to do something special as an individual, and as a part of team.“Going into my last year, I just want to turn it up a notch," Caddell said. “Coach [Nick] Saban, he’s picking up the intensity each day so we’re getting better each day.“I don’t want to have any regrets when I leave here -- I just want us to win."Saturday afternoon, Caddell and the rest of the Crimson Tide held the second of three spring scrimmages in the rain at Bryant-Denny Stadium, which was closed to the public and media. Although Saban seemed extremely pleased with the timing and execution of the passing game in the previous practice, he didn’t seem overly surprised that there were dropped passes and missed opportunities in the poor conditions.Caddell didn’t have a reception in the run-dominated scrimmage, and only Keith Brown had more than one.However, Caddell led the Tide with four catches for 80 yards last week.
Saban defends his media policies at AlabamaFormer LSU coach's restrictions drawing criticism-Associated Press
Coach Nick Saban’s honeymoon with the media didn’t last very long at Alabama.
Yet to take the field for anything but a practice with the Crimson Tide, Saban has found himself on the defensive lately. The $4 million-a-year coach is dealing with critical columns, radio talk shows and reporters’ questions about restrictions imposed on the media since his arrival. Saban said he’s not doing anything differently from previous coaching stops.“I don’t know if I really do things that much differently than everybody else,” Saban said Thursday during a teleconference with reporters. “I just think people lately, at least since I went to Miami and came here, a lot of people seem to want to point out things I do differently.“It may not be as different from everybody else in a lot of ways.”The Saban Way is somewhat different for Tuscaloosa. Saban has allowed only limited access to players and assistant coaches, alternating days when he and Tide players are available to the media. Assistant coaches generally don’t speak publicly.
Alabama could draw largest crowd ever for a spring football game - LindysSports.com
The spring football game to end all spring football games will be played next Saturday in Tuscaloosa when the Alabama Crimson Tide winds up its spring drills with the annual A-Day Game.Bryant-Denny Stadium on the Alabama campus holds 92,138 fans. It might not be enough. Spring football games as a whole are not important, even those that have been televised on cable the past few years. When it is a team divided and playing itself, what can you actually discern? If your offense looks good, your defense looks bad and vice versa. It might be important for individuals who are trying to impress coaches and make a depth chart move, but it won't really tell you anything about to how a team will play in the fall. Fans have tried to make spring games more important than necessary because by the time they are played, the college fan has gone two to three months without a football game. They are ready to see anybody in pads knock heads. There's nothing wrong with that. But deep down those same fans know spring games are nothing more than reasons to return to the campus and spend an afternoon pretending to get the inside scoop on the upcoming football season.
Tide's Saban taps into Castille's 'star' quality - Montgomery Advertiser
It shouldn't surprise Alabama fans to learn Simeon Castille is a natural for the new "star" position on the Crimson Tide defense.
But it isn't his favorite role.
Part of first-year coach Nick Saban's defensive alignment is a set of names that have not been part of the Crimson Tide vocabulary in the past. There is a "jack" linebacker, a combination defensive end and outside linebacker. Then there's the "star" defensive back, the fifth secondary player in a nickel scheme. "It's the same position I played last year, just a different name," Castille said. "I never really thought about it. We have a 'money' position, too. I'd love to be called 'money. " He's been as good as money for the Crimson Tide defense this spring, picking up a fumble and returning it for a touchdown in the first scrimmage and intercepting a pass and returning it for a touchdown in the second. "He's done a really good job," Saban said. "He's smart, he plays multiple roles. It's good to have a few guys like that on your team. He makes a lot of plays because he is instinctive. But I think he can also take a lot of what you're trying to teach and apply it on the field without needing multiple reps of it because he is smart, he is instinctive and he's a good athlete."
Life with Saban's policies - Josh Cooper - Decatur Daily
Well, it's time to chime in about Alabama football coach Nick Saban's media policies, and no, there will not be any big-time bashing. If anything, this will be an attempt to be informative by letting people know how things have changed under Saban's regime, how reporters are coping and how it will change the coverage of football news. In terms of facts that are known, reporters are allowed to watch the first 20 or so minutes of practice. After practice, either Saban or random players talk to us. As for scrimmages, we are not allowed to watch them. So it is true, we cannot give you a sense of how the team is doing in game-time situations.
Crimson Tide Practice Notebook - The Tuscaloosa News - April 19, 2007
The University of Alabama football team wrapped up its final regular practice of the spring Thursday afternoon and now all that remains is the annual A-Day game, which will be played Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium at 1 p.m. Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban said he has used different scrimmage styles during spring games, but getting the players on the field in a competitive atmosphere is the most important thing.“Regardless of the format, it’s a game-like situation, where you can see which players go out and perform better on the field,” Saban said.“I always try to choose the best [format]. When you have a lot of depth, I think splitting the squad is the best one. I’d much rather have a competitive game. If we were looking for show dogs, we’d put all the show dogs on one team and let them show. If we’re looking for hunting dogs, you put them in a competitive situation, and see which ones can find the ducks.”
(video included with link)
Saban has yet to sign lucrative contract - Tuscaloosa News
Announced as University of Alabama football coach in early January, Nick Saban has yet to sign a contract for employment, a technicality those involved say is not worrisome. “I’m not concerned about that right now,” Saban said Thursday after the Crimson Tide’s 14th practice of the spring. “I’m focused on spring practice. There are no issues relative to it. These things just take a little time sometimes.”It’s been 15 weeks since Saban arrived to a rock-star welcome at the Tuscaloosa Regional Airport, ending weeks of speculation about whether he would leave the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and return to college football.It’s been widely reported since his arrival that Saban and UA officials have agreed to an eight-year, $30 million — some say $32 million — contract, making him the highest-paid college football coach in history. However, Saban’s contract and those of his assistants have yet to be brought before the UA trustees’ compensation committee for approval.“Those negotiations are proceeding fine, and parties are working well together,” said Doug Walker, spokesman of University of Alabama athletics. “It’s not a point of contention for anybody here.”
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Bama Practices 4/7-4/11
Crimson Tide fans, meet 'Jack’ on defense - Christopher Walsh - Tuscaloosa News
TUSCALOOSA Even many non-football aficionados are already familiar with the standard nicknames associated to linebackers: Mike, Sam and Will.The first letter of each name corresponds to the player’s place on the field: Mike is the middle linebacker, Sam is on the strong side and Will the weak side.Well, University of Alabama fans have a new name they need to become familiar with, due to coach Nick Saban’s unique version of the 3-4 defense (three down linemen, four linebackers).Say hello to “Jack," which could be short for “Just about everywhere else," because there’s nearly nothing typical about the position that’s a cross between defensive lineman and linebacker.“A guy that has some size, maybe he’s not truly linebacker-type athleticism, but has some of those characteristics," Saban said. “A guy that may be a good pass-rusher, but not be a true defensive lineman relative to his physical characteristics. So you can kind of co-mingle those things into a guy who is sometimes a linebacker and sometimes a defensive end, sometimes a linebacker who does a lot of rushing."
Crimson Tide Football Prepare for First Scrimmage - Ben Blevins, UA Media Relations
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Crimson Tide football team was in helmets and shoulder pads on Thursday for a two-hour practice at the Thomas-Drew Practice Facility. It was the last practice before the team scrimmages for the first time Friday afternoon. The team has been working on its new offensive and defensive systems andwill be able to get a good look of where they stand halfway through spring drills on Friday as they go head-to-head. "We have a lot of stuff in," said junior quarterback John Parker Wilson. "We are just going to go out there and work on those plays and try to get as good as we can with everything we have in so far."
Tide taking baby steps in scrimmage-Establishing depth a priority-Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
The Alabama football team will take a break from the tedium of spring practice today, conducting the first of two spring scrimmages under new head coach Nick Saban this afternoon at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
The scrimmage will also mark the halfway point of spring practice, with two weeks of work remaining before the annual A-Day spring game on April 21.
"I think it is going to be fun," quarterback John Parker Wilson said. "It will be like walking baby steps where the coaches let us go and see what we can do. It is important for us to know where we stand so far. When we go against the defense tomorrow, it is going to be faster."
Of course, it will be difficult to gauge how much progress Alabama will make in its first spring scrimmage. Unlike past Crimson Tide events, this one is closed to the public and the media.
Practice Notebook - By Dan Sellers - Special to The Tuscaloosa News
Sophomore running back Jimmy Johns has not participated in the last two Alabama spring football practices, including Friday’s scrimmage, because of academic issues. “If he does what he is supposed to do, both yesterday and today, and again on Monday, we will see if we end up letting him back on the field,” head coach Nick Saban said.Saban said the running back position was wide open, even before Johns’ absence from practice.“It’s wide open,” he said. “Dependability is a part of it. If a guy can’t even do what he’s supposed to do to get into practice, that’s not saying much in terms of where he’s at.”In Johns’ absence, Saban said Glen Coffee (15 carries, 81 yards, TD), Jamar Taylor (10 carries, 32 yards, TD) and Terry Grant (12 carries, 53 yards, TD) performed well during the scrimmage at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
(Video Included with this link)
Football practice, 4/6/2007 Photo Gallery - Tuscaloosa News
COMMENTARY: Saban's stingy media policies only hurting fans - Montgomery Advertiser
The hypocrisy of Nick Sa ban is astonishing. So far this spring, the University of Alabama head coach has blown off the media several times.
He's prevented reporters from speaking to players and assistant coaches most of the time. On Friday, after the Crimson Tide's first scrimmage of the spring, Saban refused to make players available to the media and opened the scrimmage up for only the first six minutes.
This from a guy who owes most of his financial success to the very media he's now giving the shaft.
Let's be real here, Nick Saban's reputation is mostly hype.
He was overrated at Michigan State, overrated at LSU and rated about right in Miami. He's an average coach who, through mostly media attention, has garnered this reputation of being a great coach.
In truth, he's not as successful as Auburn's Tommy Tuberville. The two have roughly the same coaching records and Tuberville has a better record in head-to-head meetings.
There's not an Alabama fan alive who believes Tuberville is anything other than an average coach. And maybe he is. But that leaves a serious question: If Tuberville is considered average, how has Saban managed to achieve his big reputation?
The answer is simple -- the media.
Alabama football - Sunday, April 08, 2007 IAN R. RAPOPORT - Birmingham News
The subject was Kevin Steele, and why he was hired to become Alabama's defensive coordinator. To explain, coach Nick Saban told a story: Back in 1994 when defensive guru Buddy Ryan was the Arizona Cardinals' head coach, Saban was the Cleveland Browns' defensive coordinator. Visiting Ryan to gain some insight, Saban asked him what was the toughest part about being a head coach? "When I become head coach, I lose my best assistant," Ryan, the architect of the great Chicago Bears' defenses, told Saban. "I was always somebody's best assistant, and when I became a head coach, I just turned the defense over to somebody else. It was never the same." Saban, who often was a head coach's top assistant, vowed he would not face the same dilemma when he was in charge. He would make sure this facet of the team was "done the right way." That's why he hired Steele, who has been a Saban confidant for years. Routinely, one would find himself calling the other and asking, "What do you think of this idea?"
"There has always been a common bond there," said Steele, whose resume includes stints as Baylor's head coach, as Florida State's executive coach and as an NFL assistant. "We've been personal friends for a long time, and he was always somebody I could lean on heavily from a football standpoint."
Saban has upper hand with media - Paul Finebaum - Tuesday, April 10, 2007
In what has become a common occurrence since early winter, another media attack has landed squarely on Nick Saban's noggin. Poor guy. Almost makes you want to feel sorry for Alabama's $4 million a year head football coach. Almost. However, the shocker was that the shots came from inside the boundaries of the state of Alabama. Not from ESPN, the New York Times or the Miami Herald, but from a sports columnist at the Montgomery Advertiser named Josh Moon. After waking up and reading his column on Easter Sunday, many Tide fans were probably ready to fly this guy to the Moon -- on a one-way ticket. "The hypocrisy of Nick Saban is astonishing," Moon's column began. Yep, got my attention, too. From there, Moon began to hammer the Tide coach's attitude toward the media -- from allowing reporters into a recent scrimmage for only six minutes to refusing to allow players to speak afterward. "This from a guy who owes most of his financial success to the very media he's now giving the shaft," wrote Moon. "Let's be real here. Nick Saban's reputation is mostly hype. ... When he needed the press for his personal advancement, we were great guys to have around." Oh my, I love a good spicy sports column that is full of great entertainment. This one certainly qualifies in every department. However, I began to wonder if Moon had hit his head against the wall before penning this particular entry. Or was he writing it with an AK-47 rifle being held to his head in the hands of some deranged Auburn fan? How does one equate two SEC championships and a BCS national championship at LSU with hype?
Does Saban know what he's in for? - Sporting News
It always comes back to the story of the brick. Doesn't matter who's preaching or pontificating, who's venting or fuming. It's the brick that begins and ends every coaching story at Alabama 25 years A.B. (After Bear). Yet there's this nagging detail in the anecdote as it grows larger and looms heavier with every dissertation on the obstacles facing each new coach who follows legendary Paul "Bear" Bryant: It wasn't that big of a deal. Hey, no self-respecting Alabama man can put up with a loss to Mississippi, especially on homecoming weekend. Bill Curry -- the coach in the barrel when the brick crashed through his office window nearly 20 years ago -- was lucky he didn't get worse. "Strange things happen to coaches everywhere," Curry says. "That was the least of it at Alabama, I can assure you."
ALABAMA: Motley right at home on 'D' - Montgomery Advertiser
TUSCALOOSA -- Alabama's Brian Motley was told the day before the start of spring training he would be moving to defense. Eight practices later, the former Autaugaville High two-way star recorded a surprising 11 tackles, including three for loss, in the team's first scrimmage. "I surprised myself," Motley said Tuesday. "The coaches told me I did a great job." As Motley and his teammates went through the Crimson Tide's ninth practice of the spring Tuesday, all of the buzz focused on the 6-foot-1, 280-pound Motley. Redshirted last season as a third-team center behind Antoine Caldwell and Evan Cardwell, he earned his teammates' respect last Friday by winning the battle of the trenches against those players.
Johnson, Carter quietly add stability to secondary-Christopher Walsh-Tuscaloosa News
If there’s one spot on the University of Alabama football team this spring where it appears the adage, “The more things change, the more they stay the same," holds true, it’s at safety.Although there are new coaches, a new defensive scheme, numerous changes to the depth chart, players moving around on a daily basis, and no Jeffrey Dukes, who has moved on and hopes to land with an NFL team later this month, the Crimson Tide still has two proven commodities in the middle of the secondary with junior Marcus Carter and sophomore Rashad Johnson.They’re the rocks of the position, the experienced players who have quietly gone about their business through the first nine practices -- although in the shadow of head coach Nick Saban, who has been very hands-on with the defensive backs thus far.So what’s new with the two? Actually quite a lot.“It’s a totally new system, a lot of new calls," Carter said. “We’re still trying to get a feel for him. Big difference from last year.
TUSCALOOSA Even many non-football aficionados are already familiar with the standard nicknames associated to linebackers: Mike, Sam and Will.The first letter of each name corresponds to the player’s place on the field: Mike is the middle linebacker, Sam is on the strong side and Will the weak side.Well, University of Alabama fans have a new name they need to become familiar with, due to coach Nick Saban’s unique version of the 3-4 defense (three down linemen, four linebackers).Say hello to “Jack," which could be short for “Just about everywhere else," because there’s nearly nothing typical about the position that’s a cross between defensive lineman and linebacker.“A guy that has some size, maybe he’s not truly linebacker-type athleticism, but has some of those characteristics," Saban said. “A guy that may be a good pass-rusher, but not be a true defensive lineman relative to his physical characteristics. So you can kind of co-mingle those things into a guy who is sometimes a linebacker and sometimes a defensive end, sometimes a linebacker who does a lot of rushing."
Crimson Tide Football Prepare for First Scrimmage - Ben Blevins, UA Media Relations
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Crimson Tide football team was in helmets and shoulder pads on Thursday for a two-hour practice at the Thomas-Drew Practice Facility. It was the last practice before the team scrimmages for the first time Friday afternoon. The team has been working on its new offensive and defensive systems andwill be able to get a good look of where they stand halfway through spring drills on Friday as they go head-to-head. "We have a lot of stuff in," said junior quarterback John Parker Wilson. "We are just going to go out there and work on those plays and try to get as good as we can with everything we have in so far."
Tide taking baby steps in scrimmage-Establishing depth a priority-Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
The Alabama football team will take a break from the tedium of spring practice today, conducting the first of two spring scrimmages under new head coach Nick Saban this afternoon at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
The scrimmage will also mark the halfway point of spring practice, with two weeks of work remaining before the annual A-Day spring game on April 21.
"I think it is going to be fun," quarterback John Parker Wilson said. "It will be like walking baby steps where the coaches let us go and see what we can do. It is important for us to know where we stand so far. When we go against the defense tomorrow, it is going to be faster."
Of course, it will be difficult to gauge how much progress Alabama will make in its first spring scrimmage. Unlike past Crimson Tide events, this one is closed to the public and the media.
Practice Notebook - By Dan Sellers - Special to The Tuscaloosa News
Sophomore running back Jimmy Johns has not participated in the last two Alabama spring football practices, including Friday’s scrimmage, because of academic issues. “If he does what he is supposed to do, both yesterday and today, and again on Monday, we will see if we end up letting him back on the field,” head coach Nick Saban said.Saban said the running back position was wide open, even before Johns’ absence from practice.“It’s wide open,” he said. “Dependability is a part of it. If a guy can’t even do what he’s supposed to do to get into practice, that’s not saying much in terms of where he’s at.”In Johns’ absence, Saban said Glen Coffee (15 carries, 81 yards, TD), Jamar Taylor (10 carries, 32 yards, TD) and Terry Grant (12 carries, 53 yards, TD) performed well during the scrimmage at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
(Video Included with this link)
Football practice, 4/6/2007 Photo Gallery - Tuscaloosa News
COMMENTARY: Saban's stingy media policies only hurting fans - Montgomery Advertiser
The hypocrisy of Nick Sa ban is astonishing. So far this spring, the University of Alabama head coach has blown off the media several times.
He's prevented reporters from speaking to players and assistant coaches most of the time. On Friday, after the Crimson Tide's first scrimmage of the spring, Saban refused to make players available to the media and opened the scrimmage up for only the first six minutes.
This from a guy who owes most of his financial success to the very media he's now giving the shaft.
Let's be real here, Nick Saban's reputation is mostly hype.
He was overrated at Michigan State, overrated at LSU and rated about right in Miami. He's an average coach who, through mostly media attention, has garnered this reputation of being a great coach.
In truth, he's not as successful as Auburn's Tommy Tuberville. The two have roughly the same coaching records and Tuberville has a better record in head-to-head meetings.
There's not an Alabama fan alive who believes Tuberville is anything other than an average coach. And maybe he is. But that leaves a serious question: If Tuberville is considered average, how has Saban managed to achieve his big reputation?
The answer is simple -- the media.
Alabama football - Sunday, April 08, 2007 IAN R. RAPOPORT - Birmingham News
The subject was Kevin Steele, and why he was hired to become Alabama's defensive coordinator. To explain, coach Nick Saban told a story: Back in 1994 when defensive guru Buddy Ryan was the Arizona Cardinals' head coach, Saban was the Cleveland Browns' defensive coordinator. Visiting Ryan to gain some insight, Saban asked him what was the toughest part about being a head coach? "When I become head coach, I lose my best assistant," Ryan, the architect of the great Chicago Bears' defenses, told Saban. "I was always somebody's best assistant, and when I became a head coach, I just turned the defense over to somebody else. It was never the same." Saban, who often was a head coach's top assistant, vowed he would not face the same dilemma when he was in charge. He would make sure this facet of the team was "done the right way." That's why he hired Steele, who has been a Saban confidant for years. Routinely, one would find himself calling the other and asking, "What do you think of this idea?"
"There has always been a common bond there," said Steele, whose resume includes stints as Baylor's head coach, as Florida State's executive coach and as an NFL assistant. "We've been personal friends for a long time, and he was always somebody I could lean on heavily from a football standpoint."
Saban has upper hand with media - Paul Finebaum - Tuesday, April 10, 2007
In what has become a common occurrence since early winter, another media attack has landed squarely on Nick Saban's noggin. Poor guy. Almost makes you want to feel sorry for Alabama's $4 million a year head football coach. Almost. However, the shocker was that the shots came from inside the boundaries of the state of Alabama. Not from ESPN, the New York Times or the Miami Herald, but from a sports columnist at the Montgomery Advertiser named Josh Moon. After waking up and reading his column on Easter Sunday, many Tide fans were probably ready to fly this guy to the Moon -- on a one-way ticket. "The hypocrisy of Nick Saban is astonishing," Moon's column began. Yep, got my attention, too. From there, Moon began to hammer the Tide coach's attitude toward the media -- from allowing reporters into a recent scrimmage for only six minutes to refusing to allow players to speak afterward. "This from a guy who owes most of his financial success to the very media he's now giving the shaft," wrote Moon. "Let's be real here. Nick Saban's reputation is mostly hype. ... When he needed the press for his personal advancement, we were great guys to have around." Oh my, I love a good spicy sports column that is full of great entertainment. This one certainly qualifies in every department. However, I began to wonder if Moon had hit his head against the wall before penning this particular entry. Or was he writing it with an AK-47 rifle being held to his head in the hands of some deranged Auburn fan? How does one equate two SEC championships and a BCS national championship at LSU with hype?
Does Saban know what he's in for? - Sporting News
It always comes back to the story of the brick. Doesn't matter who's preaching or pontificating, who's venting or fuming. It's the brick that begins and ends every coaching story at Alabama 25 years A.B. (After Bear). Yet there's this nagging detail in the anecdote as it grows larger and looms heavier with every dissertation on the obstacles facing each new coach who follows legendary Paul "Bear" Bryant: It wasn't that big of a deal. Hey, no self-respecting Alabama man can put up with a loss to Mississippi, especially on homecoming weekend. Bill Curry -- the coach in the barrel when the brick crashed through his office window nearly 20 years ago -- was lucky he didn't get worse. "Strange things happen to coaches everywhere," Curry says. "That was the least of it at Alabama, I can assure you."
ALABAMA: Motley right at home on 'D' - Montgomery Advertiser
TUSCALOOSA -- Alabama's Brian Motley was told the day before the start of spring training he would be moving to defense. Eight practices later, the former Autaugaville High two-way star recorded a surprising 11 tackles, including three for loss, in the team's first scrimmage. "I surprised myself," Motley said Tuesday. "The coaches told me I did a great job." As Motley and his teammates went through the Crimson Tide's ninth practice of the spring Tuesday, all of the buzz focused on the 6-foot-1, 280-pound Motley. Redshirted last season as a third-team center behind Antoine Caldwell and Evan Cardwell, he earned his teammates' respect last Friday by winning the battle of the trenches against those players.
Johnson, Carter quietly add stability to secondary-Christopher Walsh-Tuscaloosa News
If there’s one spot on the University of Alabama football team this spring where it appears the adage, “The more things change, the more they stay the same," holds true, it’s at safety.Although there are new coaches, a new defensive scheme, numerous changes to the depth chart, players moving around on a daily basis, and no Jeffrey Dukes, who has moved on and hopes to land with an NFL team later this month, the Crimson Tide still has two proven commodities in the middle of the secondary with junior Marcus Carter and sophomore Rashad Johnson.They’re the rocks of the position, the experienced players who have quietly gone about their business through the first nine practices -- although in the shadow of head coach Nick Saban, who has been very hands-on with the defensive backs thus far.So what’s new with the two? Actually quite a lot.“It’s a totally new system, a lot of new calls," Carter said. “We’re still trying to get a feel for him. Big difference from last year.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Bear Bryant Show, Part 1
This is a clip of the beginning of the Bear Bryant Show after Alabama's 25-18 defeat of Auburn in 1979.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Bama Practices 3/28-4/6
ALABAMA FOOTBALL: Crimson Tide players say coach is intense Montgomery Advertiser TUSCALOOSA -- Not surprisingly, Alabama players seemed to have one word to describe their new head coach. "He's very intense," receiver Keith Brown said, "but he's a fun guy." "Without a doubt, it's been very intense," defensive end Wallace Gilberry said. "It's been different. It's a good different." Alabama players, speaking to the media for the first time since Nick Saban was hired on Jan. 4, said a four-week offseason program -- twice the amount they encountered with former coach Mike Shula -- put the players in better condition for the unusually high March temperatures they have faced in football practices on Saturday and Tuesday. See above link for more.
ALABAMA FOOTBALL: Applewhite finally arrives at The Capstone Montgomery Advertiser TUCALOOSA -- Alabama's offensive coordinator inherited the tradition he now finds himself trying to rebuild. Major Applewhite's father Larry, a past president of the University of Alabama national alumni association, had the perfect name for his son, who was born in the summer of 1978. The future football star was named after Crimson Tide starting tailback Major Ogilvie, who would go on to lead the Crimson Tide to national championships in 1978 and 1979. And while he was never offered a scholarship to play football at the school he grew up adoring, he certainly understands the tradition and folklore that was built by years of winning championships. "I know what it means to be at Alabama," he said. "I grew up an Alabama fan and all that kind of stuff. It's not a shock, the expectations and the importance of football in the state and to the people." Applewhite lived up to his name, earning Parade All-America honorable mention status as a senior at Catholic High in Baton Rouge, La., after leading his team to a 25-2 record as a junior and senior. See above link for more.
Crimson Tide practice notebook by Dan Sellers - The Tuscaloosa News March 31, 2007
ALABAMA FOOTBALL: Saban wants Tide to improveBy by Tim Gayle, Montgomery Advertiser - TUSCALOOSA -- Alabama concluded its first week of practice Saturday in front of more than 800 high school and college coaches. Head coach Nick Saban stressed improvement. "Obviously, the past two days have been very hectic for our staff, with back-to-back practices and the clinic going on," Saban said. "Practicing two days in a row is always challenging for the players, especially at this time of the year with as much learning as we are trying to do." With a third of the Crimson Tide's spring practice in the books, the first-year Tide coach refused to evaluate his team's progress to this point. "It is what it is," he said. "Every player is what he is, the coaches are working hard, everybody's trying to improve and get better. I accept it is what it is, so I don't have any expectations of what it should have been after five days. "I don't have a calendar (planner) that says the football players are supposed to be 72 percent of their efficiency on this date and if it isn't I'm going to go jump off the Mal Moore Building."
Crimson Tide opens second week of spring drills Montgomery Advertiser
TUSCALOOSA -- The Alabama football team practiced for approximately two hours under muggy conditions on the first day of the second week of spring practice Tuesday. "Tempo is a hard characteristic that we need to really work on and develop, so that we can maintain intensity," said Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban. "A lot of that has to do with the consistency part I talked about on Saturday. With consistency in performance, one of the main things you have to do is to be able maintain your sense of urgency and maintain your intensity. Half of the plays we correct have to do with mental errors, not physical ones, so that's something we are continuing to work on." Saban announced that two offensive players from last season, offensive lineman Taylor Pharr and running back Ali Sharrief got a look on the defensive.
ALABAMA FOOTBALL: Applewhite finally arrives at The Capstone Montgomery Advertiser TUCALOOSA -- Alabama's offensive coordinator inherited the tradition he now finds himself trying to rebuild. Major Applewhite's father Larry, a past president of the University of Alabama national alumni association, had the perfect name for his son, who was born in the summer of 1978. The future football star was named after Crimson Tide starting tailback Major Ogilvie, who would go on to lead the Crimson Tide to national championships in 1978 and 1979. And while he was never offered a scholarship to play football at the school he grew up adoring, he certainly understands the tradition and folklore that was built by years of winning championships. "I know what it means to be at Alabama," he said. "I grew up an Alabama fan and all that kind of stuff. It's not a shock, the expectations and the importance of football in the state and to the people." Applewhite lived up to his name, earning Parade All-America honorable mention status as a senior at Catholic High in Baton Rouge, La., after leading his team to a 25-2 record as a junior and senior. See above link for more.
Crimson Tide practice notebook by Dan Sellers - The Tuscaloosa News March 31, 2007
The University of Alabama football team completed its fifth practice of the spring Saturday afternoon, and head coach Nick Saban said that consistency has been lacking thus far. “Consistency in performance is the biggest thing we’re trying to emphasize right now,” he said. “One day, we’ll have one group, or one side of the ball, or one set of players end up performing better, and then the next day they don’t seem to perform as well and another group seems to surface.”Saban said there hasn’t been as many players practicing with consistent effort or toughness as he would like. See above link for more.
Steele's not a stranger by Creg Stephenson - Columbus (GA) Ledger-Enquirer
New Alabama defensive coordinator Kevin Steele has spent a lot of time around Crimson Tide football in his nearly 48 years, perhaps an inordinate amount of time for someone who didn't play at the school and didn't work there until less than three months ago. Steele's father spent several years as a coach at Gordo High School, just one county over from Tuscaloosa (his parents still live just to the northeast in West Blocton). His uncle, Tommy White, played for the Crimson Tide on the first three teams coached by the legendary Paul "Bear" Bryant. It goes without saying that Steele's hiring at Alabama in early January was a major event in his family. But like everyone else on Nick Saban's Crimson Tide staff, that emotion faded quickly in a blur of late nights at the Alabama football complex and on the road recruiting. See above link for more.
ALABAMA FOOTBALL: Saban wants Tide to improveBy by Tim Gayle, Montgomery Advertiser - TUSCALOOSA -- Alabama concluded its first week of practice Saturday in front of more than 800 high school and college coaches. Head coach Nick Saban stressed improvement. "Obviously, the past two days have been very hectic for our staff, with back-to-back practices and the clinic going on," Saban said. "Practicing two days in a row is always challenging for the players, especially at this time of the year with as much learning as we are trying to do." With a third of the Crimson Tide's spring practice in the books, the first-year Tide coach refused to evaluate his team's progress to this point. "It is what it is," he said. "Every player is what he is, the coaches are working hard, everybody's trying to improve and get better. I accept it is what it is, so I don't have any expectations of what it should have been after five days. "I don't have a calendar (planner) that says the football players are supposed to be 72 percent of their efficiency on this date and if it isn't I'm going to go jump off the Mal Moore Building."
Crimson Tide practice notebook by Dan Sellers - The Tuscaloosa News
The third practice brought out yet another first for the Nick Saban era. The University of Alabama football team practiced in pads for the first time this spring Wednesday afternoon with a two-hour session at the Thomas-Drew Practice Facility. According to Saban, the Crimson Tide has made progress.“Today was actually a little better practice,” Saban said. “It was a little bit tough yesterday in terms of getting them to focus and getting them going again after two days off, but I was really encouraged today that we had a little better intensity and a little more sense of urgency.”
Crimson Tide opens second week of spring drills Montgomery Advertiser
TUSCALOOSA -- The Alabama football team practiced for approximately two hours under muggy conditions on the first day of the second week of spring practice Tuesday. "Tempo is a hard characteristic that we need to really work on and develop, so that we can maintain intensity," said Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban. "A lot of that has to do with the consistency part I talked about on Saturday. With consistency in performance, one of the main things you have to do is to be able maintain your sense of urgency and maintain your intensity. Half of the plays we correct have to do with mental errors, not physical ones, so that's something we are continuing to work on." Saban announced that two offensive players from last season, offensive lineman Taylor Pharr and running back Ali Sharrief got a look on the defensive.
Big Tide Football Day Coming by Kirk McNair, Bamamag.com posted Apr 4, 2007
Friday is a big day in Alabama football spring practice as the Crimson Tide is scheduled to have its first scrimmage under new coach Nick Saban. That practice will put Bama into the second half of 15 spring practice days. Alabama will have its second practice of the week and seventh practice of the spring Thursday before going to Bryant-Denny Stadium for the Friday scrimmage. The scrimmage will not be open to the public. The only open practice will be the A-Day Game to conclude spring training.
Friday is a big day in Alabama football spring practice as the Crimson Tide is scheduled to have its first scrimmage under new coach Nick Saban. That practice will put Bama into the second half of 15 spring practice days. Alabama will have its second practice of the week and seventh practice of the spring Thursday before going to Bryant-Denny Stadium for the Friday scrimmage. The scrimmage will not be open to the public. The only open practice will be the A-Day Game to conclude spring training.
A 'Major' hire Overachieving nothing new to Bama assistant by Josh Cooper, Decatur Daily
Alabama offensive coordinator Major Applewhite clearly is no Nick Saban. He wasn't mobbed when he arrived in Tuscaloosa, he didn't sign a contract worth $4 million a year and at age 28, he is a coaching neophyte. But if you make the southwestern trek to Texas, Applewhite may have the same rock-star status his current boss does in Alabama. People remember the gritty competitor, the Southern boy who beat out New Jersey-import Chris Simms for the University of Texas' starting quarterback job. They remember the 19-point comeback in the 2001 Holiday Bowl against Washington.
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