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Tide secondary must stay on the same page

September 05, 2007

krogers

Want to know what really sets Nick Saban off? What inspires a real — as he calls it — “eruption?”
It’s communication — or lack of it on the football field. Alabama free safety Rashad Johnson earned praise for keeping the Crimson Tide secondary in sync throughout most of last week’s season-opening victory over Western Carolina.
But the stakes — and the opponent — increase dramatically when the Tide opens SEC play against Vanderbilt in Nashville.
Keeping the Tide secondary on the same page against the pass-run option style of quarterback Chris Nickson will be a huge challenge. Whether it’s a series of hand signals or just screaming at each other, Johnson’s job won’t be any easier.
Saban says there are no excuses, either.
“If you talk to the defensive players and ask them what really makes coach Saban mad, the answer to that was to ever say that you didn’t get the call,” said Saban, who personally coaches secondary personnel. “That’s like ... an eruption. ‘I didn’t’ get the call.’ How could line up if you didn’t get the call? Somebody’s making the call, so that means you’re not listening for it, didn’t hear it. You can always say, ‘Excuse me? What’d you say? Give me the call.’ But don’t tell me you didn’t get it. You’re responsible to get it. So I’m really adamant about communication, because when you don’t have it you have busts.”
Vanderbilt is good enough, particularly with Nickson throwing to Earl Bennett, to break big plays on its own. Saban just doesn’t want the Tide secondary helping out.
Alabama players have gotten that message. Johnson visibly winces when asked if he ever says he didn’t get the call.
“If a guy doesn’t get the call, it might be better if he says, ‘I messed up,’ instead of ‘I didn’t get the call,’” Johnson said, a smile replacing the grimace. “Right then, he’s throwing another guy under the bus. If they didn’t get the call, guys pretty much know now to say, ‘I just messed up’ instead of ‘I didn’t get the call.’”
Simeon Castille didn’t have to learn that lesson first-hand.
“I don’t try that excuse. That doesn’t fly with him at all,” Castille said, referring to the head coach. “That’s why I try to learn the calls and try to get them myself, so I don’t have to ask anybody else.”
Vanderbilt could borrow a page from Western Carolina’s no-huddle attack, which had what little success it enjoyed when it quick-snapped the ball.
“It was kind of hard for us last Saturday because they were taking a long time before showing us what personnel were going to be in,” Castille said. “That slowed us before we went into nickel or dime. Then sometimes they were quick-snapping it.”
Johnson said it was more difficult early in the game.
“It was tough. You had to get the signals and the crowd was very loud,” Johnson said of the opener. “We’re kind of defense that makes checks off the offense. Lot of verbal communication. It was tough at the beginning, but we all relaxed and got better at it. At first it was a lot of yelling. Hand signals went out the window with all the nerves. But as the game went on it got easier.”
Castille said using hand signals may be easier on the road.
“I would prefer it,” the senior cornerback said. “When that crowd starts yelling you can’t hear nothing. So hand signals would be easier. It’ll get easier. We’ll practice it more and everybody will be more familiar with the calls, instead of having to ask, ‘What’s the play, what’s the play?’”

Risk on Chapman not worth the reward

September 01, 2007

krogers

This coulda, woulda, shoulda been an opportunity for Alabama coaches to evaluate all of ithe Tide’s defensive linemen.
With first-teamer Brian Motley lost with a broken ankle at a position already thin and inexperienced, every defensive lineman was preening for a chance to play.
But Nick Saban couldn’t take a chance on Josh Chapman, the prized freshman from Hoover.
Chapman’s academics were called into question by an investigation into Hoover High School. Allegations of grade changing called several transcripts, including Chapman’s, into question.
As of Friday, Alabama did not confirmation that Chapman was approved by the NCAA Clearinghouse. The coach said he likely wouldn’t play.
“First of all, I don’t think anybody should know anything about Josh Chapman’s academics,” Saban said. “That’s a violation of a kid’s rights, and it’s a shame that anybody ever got that out That’s no. 1.
“No. 2, I’m going to talk to Josh Chapman, probably (Friday), and then make a decision relative to the information that we have as to what is the prudent way for us to move forward relative to Josh Chapman.”
Saban said the frustrating thing is, “He really didn’t do anything wrong. We really didn’t do anything wrong.”
Clearly, the problem is at Hoover, which has had more than its share in the offseason.
“This is an internal situation at their school. It all goes to the clearinghouse and we get that information,” Saban said. “The thing about it is, there are other options for guys to qualify that he didn’t have the opportunity to take advantage of because of an error. Somebody’s error.”
The risk of playing Chapman may not be worth the reward against WCU.
“If there is potential for the guy to be ineligible, which we need to get information from several sources on, then the prudent thing for us to do is maybe not play him in this game,” Saban said. “But that decision has not been made. We haven’t got all the information. But we’re going to do the most prudent thing relative to what’s best for our team, without penalizing the young man.”
Saban is a man who loves options. Taking Josh Chapman out of the mix takes one of those options away.
It shouldn’t matter against Western Carolina.
But I bet it matters to Chapman, who would love to play tonight.

Risk on Chapman not worth the reward

krogers

This coulda, woulda, shoulda been an opportunity for Alabama coaches to evaluate all of ithe Tide’s defensive linemen.
With first-teamer Brian Motley lost with a broken ankle at a position already thin and inexperienced, every defensive lineman was preening for a chance to play.
But Nick Saban couldn’t take a chance on Josh Chapman, the prized freshman from Hoover.
Chapman’s academics were called into question by an investigation into Hoover High School. Allegations of grade changing called several transcripts, including Chapman’s, into question.
As of Friday, Alabama did not confirmation that Chapman was approved by the NCAA Clearinghouse. The coach said he likely wouldn’t play.
“First of all, I don’t think anybody should know anything about Josh Chapman’s academics,” Saban said. “That’s a violation of a kid’s rights, and it’s a shame that anybody ever got that out That’s no. 1.
“No. 2, I’m going to talk to Josh Chapman, probably (Friday), and then make a decision relative to the information that we have as to what is the prudent way for us to move forward relative to Josh Chapman.”
Saban said the frustrating thing is, “He really didn’t do anything wrong. We really didn’t do anything wrong.”
Clearly, the problem is at Hoover, which has had more than its share in the offseason.
“This is an internal situation at their school. It all goes to the clearinghouse and we get that information,” Saban said. “The thing about it is, there are other options for guys to qualify that he didn’t have the opportunity to take advantage of because of an error. Somebody’s error.”
The risk of playing Chapman may not be worth the reward against WCU.
“If there is potential for the guy to be ineligible, which we need to get information from several sources on, then the prudent thing for us to do is maybe not play him in this game,” Saban said. “But that decision has not been made. We haven’t got all the information. But we’re going to do the most prudent thing relative to what’s best for our team, without penalizing the young man.”
Saban is a man who loves options. Taking Josh Chapman out of the mix takes one of those options away.
It shouldn’t matter against Western Carolina.
But I bet it matters to Chapman, who would love to play tonight.

Bama players have own expectations

August 30, 2007

krogers

Even for a team with so many question marks and so little depth, it’s impossible for Alabama to contain expectations on the eve of the official opening of the Nick Saban era.
“We’re all on edge right now, tense,” center Antoine Caldwell said this week. “Everybody’s just ready to go.”
Caldwell said it seemed like it would never get here. A coaching change. A major attitude adjustment from a new coaching staff. Practicing at a higher, more intense pace. And the conditioning. 
“This team has handled it real well,” Caldwell said. “It was kind of rocky, kind of bumpy there at the beginning. But everybody has kind of settled in now. Coach Saban has got his plan in order and we’ve just been following his lead. This team is ready to go.”
From the chaos of new systems installed in the spring to a product that’s about to be unveiled, running back Terry Grant said his expectations have soared.
“You get that much more excited and you try to set higher goals and want to do better,” Grant said. “You never set a goal to be too low and hit it. I always set it higher. It’s amazing how excited I am. For us as a team, I’m excited. I think everybody’s kind of ready to see where we’re at.”
Darren Mustin, a former walk-on who earned a scholarship at the start of fall camp, will start at inside linebacker. He noted it’s not just the Nick Saban debut. Many players will see their first significant playing time, particularly on defense.
“We have a lot of new people. It seems like there’s new everywhere,” Mustin said. “Even the facilities are new. I don’t say we have to prove to the fans, but we want to prove to our opponents that we are here, and prove to our opponents that we will play four quarters of football fully.”
Mike McCoy, a speedster who will start at wide receiver, said more than wins and losses, his expectations are that Alabama will be a true team this year.
“I expect a lot out of this team. I expect everybody to give the same that I try to give,” the sophomore said. “I try to push myself 100 percent every day, every play. Coach Saban says you’re only as good as your last play. So, after every play I ask myself, ‘Did I give my all? If this was a game, would I be able to get the job done?’ So, when I think about that I think about my teammates doing the same thing. They’re giving their all, so I have to give my all. I feel like the team is coming a lot closer.”
A 6-7 record will do that — so will the attitude adjustment provided by Saban and his staff.
The coach has his own expectations and standards. But he cautions Tide fans to be realistic as the foundation for the future is installed.
“I wouldn’t want to coach any place where they didn’t have high expectations or they didn’t expect to win,” Saban said this week. “You’ve probably heard me say this before: It’s also important to be realistic about what you’re expectations are. It’s great to be optimistic, not very good to be pessimistic, but it’s probably most important to be realistic.”
Still, the coach has noted on many occasions that things aren’t going to turn around overnight, that a struggle is ahead.
“We have a 6-7 team and we’re trying to improve that team. And we are very pleased with the attitude that the team has in doing that,” Saban said during fall camp. “But what I’ve tried to do is create positive energy in the organization and with our fans. And I think when your expectation is that things are going to be difficult, then you’re more willing to overcome the adversities that are definitely going to be necessary for us to build the kind of program that we expect to have here.”

Castille makes a bad choice

August 19, 2007

krogers

I guess Alabama cornerback Simeon Castille got an early start on two days off.
The Tide senior made five tackles and intercepted a pass in the end zone during Saturday’s scrimmage at Bryant-Denny Stadium, but apparently he didn’t leave it all on the field.
Castille spent a brief time at Tuscaloosa County Jail after his arrest for disorderly conduct around 2 a.m. Sunday morning. Tide players have Sunday and Monday off.
It’s both easy and tempting to overreact to this story, but the more accounts I’m hearing of the incident, the better I feel for Castille. I wasn’t there, so this is strictly the result of reading between the lines. A carload of unidentified buddies recognized Castille walking the Strip near campus. They screamed at him, apparently in jest. He screamed back, apparently in jest. But a Tuscaloosa police officer thought it crossed the line of “orderly,” whatever that means. Hey, I’m not taking sides and I wasn’t there. I’m guessing the officer had a watch and it read 2 a.m. “Jesting” stops long before 2 for most cops, and I can’t blame them.
Of all the sports stories I’ve read and written in the past 25 years, I have concluded that nothing good ever happens outside at 2 a.m.
I’ve seen no suggestion that alcohol was involved. No one has hinted that Castille was abusive or confrontational.
The star football player has something else going for him: a good track record. He’s a leader on the team, on and off the field. Other guys look up to him. Nick Saban is counting on him. He was one of two players chosen to represent the team at SEC Media Days in Birmingham. He’s on the Peer Intervention Group that Saban started, where Tide players help recommend solutions for cases just like this one.
There are going to be those who equate his behavior as a betrayal of his coach, his teammates and his good name. He’s worked too hard for all of those entities to lose that with a poor decision of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
He won’t get off lightly, either. He may be running stadium stairs until Western Carolina’s bus arrives for warm-ups.