Eagle Alabama

AP ranking Alabama 24th in preseason poll

2008-08-16T23:28:00-06:00

Not sure what to make of Alabama’s No. 24 preseason ranking by the Associated Press.
My initial reaction was surprise that the Tide was ranked at all.
Then,

Saban: Injury-free camp a combination of preparation, luck

2008-08-15T00:35:00-06:00

TUSCALOOSA—Alabama coach Nick Saban talked about the conditioning drills, the limited contact in practice and his team’s improved strength.
All of those are factors in a comparably injury-free training camp.
But the coach said luck plays a role, too.
“I think sometimes in sports, you just get lucky,” the coach said Thursday after practice. “We try to practice safe. The fact that our players did a nice job in the offseason program, all the way back to offseason conditioning drills before the spring. We’re a lot stronger, we’re more physical. We had a great summer this summer. All the players were here and worked out every day.
“I think the level of conditioning can help that to some degree. I think strength — one of the the things you try to do in the weight room is put yourself in a position to where you can eliminate some injuries.
“But there’s also a certain amount of luck that goes along with guys not getting injured in practice. We try to practice safe, we try to stay off the ground. We try to play fast, get off blocks, thud people, but we try to stay off the ground. We don’t do some things in practice like cut (block), hopefully to keep guys off the ground. Most of the injuries we’ve had here in practice have come because of things that were done outside of the rules relative to how we want to practice. I think two guys last year were injured in practice and both of them were because a guy got cut and a guy got dragged down from behind, and that’s not how we want to do it. I don’t know if you can attribute it to it, but those are some of the things that we try to do eliminate (injuries).”

Moore mum about future football game against Troy

2008-08-13T02:04:00-06:00

Alabama athletics director Mal Moore has been around long enough to know how not to answer a question.
I talked to coach Moore Tuesday night before the Dale County Chapter of the university’s alumni association meeting in Ozark.
I noted that the Crimson Tide played La.-Monroe last year and faces Arkansas State this season. Since we were in the Wiregrass, I asked him why not Troy — and if Troy would ever be on Alabama’s schedule.
That’s when the former quarterback showed he can still be elusive.
“Well, our schedules are kind of ... we wait and see how the SEC aligns each game and then decide how we’re going to pick those teams,” he said.
“So we’re ... I think we’re set for 09 and pretty close to set for 10.”
He disclosed the Virginia Tech game, which has looked on and off at different times the past month, is probably on again.
“That’s very close to happening,” he said. “Some things have kind of happened here in the last week that maybe can make that happen.”
I tried to go back for a Troy comment, adding I mentioned them because of the other Sun Belt opponents on the schedule.
“Yeah,” he nodded.
That’s it. No acknowledgement about playing the Trojans.
Nick Saban has a history of playing in-state opponents in the past. When he was at Michigan State, he scheduled Central, Eastern and Western Michigan.
He played Tulane annually at LSU, as well as add one of the other state schools like Lafayette, Monroe and Louisiana Tech.
But Monroe’s victory over Alabama likely made a matchup against Troy more difficult to sell.
A loss to Monroe, while shocking and embarrassing, fades like a badly blackened eye. An in-state loss to Troy, which beat Monroe 24-7 last season, wouldn’t fade. It would leave scars.

Hit by Upshaw left Huber dazed

2008-08-11T22:43:00-06:00

Junior fullback Baron Huber didn’t play at all in Saturday’s first scrimmage of fall camp.
He was held out with a slight concussion after a big practice collision late last week with Eufaula freshman linebacker Courtney Upshaw.
“I don’t know if y’all have seen the size of his head, but you probably understand why I took the bad end of that hit,” Huber joked on Monday. “He did a really good job. He’s a really physical kid and he hit me right in the right spot.”
Huber, the fullback from Knoxville, Tenn., said the cobwebs have cleared.
“I just got a slight concussion,” he said. “We were just running a weakside power play. I tried to run up there and seal the end and he kind of hit me in the sweet spot in the side of my head. Sometimes it happens. You play hard enough, you’ll get those.”
After sitting out the weekend, Huber was back on the field for Monday’s practices.
“Felt great, felt like I did before I left. No problems really,” he said.

Tide looks younger, more athletic in Fan Day practice

2008-08-04T14:49:00-06:00

I saw more good than bad at Alabama’s Fan Day practice at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
There are more playmakers than there were a year ago, at least on offense. Sure, the Tide loses DJ Hall, Keith Brown and Matt Caddell, guys who produced a lot of yards and points a year ago. But freshmen Julio Jones and B.J. Scott are special. Redshirt freshmen Marquis Maze and Brandon Gibson looked ready to contribute. And Mike McCoy, Earl Alexander, Darius Hanks and Nikita Stover all return with experience. What I thought might be a problem area is going to be a strength at receiver. Plus, tight ends Nick Walker and Travis McCall are both returning for their senior seasons. In new coordinator Jim McElwain’s system, however, we’ll likely see less of Walker and McCall on the field at the same time, the way they were last season.
John Parker Wilson looks good. Star Jackson took a lot of snaps. McElwain will give him a close look early—how ready is he?—before setting the depth lineup behind Wilson.
It was mostly a throwing practice, but there didn’t seem like a lot of running lanes were created in the few periods dedicated to the ground game. Maybe I’m being oversensitive to the “spread offenses can’t run the ball when it counts” mentality. You have to run in the SEC, particularly with four returning starters on the offensive line.
Defensively, Cory Reamer spent a good bit of time at inside linebacker next to Rolando McClain. True freshmen Jerrell Harris of Gadsden, Courtney Upshaw of Eufaula and Don’ta Hightower of Lewisburg, Tenn., got a lot of work at various linebacker slots. Still way too early to tell.
The secondary and receiver corps will make each other better. They put on a good show Sunday. The secondary is more experienced, but I’m worried that teams will throw over their heads. Literally. Not deep, mind you, just high. Bama’s tall receivers had a reach advantage and the quarterbacks, particularly JPW, took advantage of that.
It’s early, but it’s encouraging.

Mal Moore remembers John Mark, Stallings family

2008-08-04T14:34:00-06:00

Mal Moore didn’t have to come to the Bryant-Denny Stadium press box and talk about John Mark Stallings. But he wanted to.
Alabama’s athletics director was a student at Alabama when John Mark was born 46 years ago.
“He was quite an ambassador for the university when he was here and I said in a previous statement that no coach, no player, nobody has ever had an effect on people as much as he has,” Moore said of the man who was born with Down syndrome.
Moore said he will head to Texas and be with the Stallings family. He talked about his admiration for Gene and Ruth Ann Stallings and their love for John Mark. He also noted how they have helped many people cope with the same struggles and fears over the years. Remember, there wasn’t an internet in the early 1960s and support groups were few and far between.
“I have always felt from my years with coach Stallings how people who have found themselves in the same situation have seeked advice from coach Stallings and how he has helped so many people throughout his career. He was always available and supportive of families that were in the same situation as John Mark. And I think that coach Stallings will be remembered here a long time, but he will be remembered stronger for how he handled John Mark and supported him throughout is life because I think he made a difference.
“Ruth Ann, too. Ruth Ann was unbelievable as a parent and we all have great memories of that.”
Moore also remembered that John Mark was tremendous with names.
“I have a hard time with names myself,” he said. “John Mark, you could go to him any time and he would help you out with who was who. It was an unbelievable gift for names and remembering people. When I would talk with him on the phone, he would always ask about Heather and ask about Steve, my son-in-law and ask about the children. He had quite a gift there.
“I’ve heard coach Stallings say many times, he and Ruth Ann would be riding down the road and couldn’t remember anyone’s name, and would turn to John Mark and he would tell them right off.”
Visitation is today from 6 to 8 p.m. at Starrett Funeral Home located at 425 South Church Street in Paris, Texas. The funeral service will be held on Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Lamar Avenue Church of Christ located at 3535 Lamar Avenue in Paris, Texas. Burial will follow at the Stallings’ Hike-A-Way Ranch.
For more information, contact the Starrett Funeral Home in Paris at 903-784-4333.

Andre Smith can relate to expectations of Tide freshmen

2008-08-02T03:55:00-06:00

If anyone can identify with the expectations Alabama’s touted freshmen carry into training camp, it’s Andre Smith.
The 6-foot-5, 335-pound crusher from Birmingham has been anchored at left tackle since he arrived on campus three years ago. He started for Mike Shula as a freshman and has only solidified his place up front.
Smith was a prep All-American at Huffman High, every bit as coveted as the most prized recruits of this freshman class.
“I can relate in several ways,” Smith said after the Tide’s first practice.
But his advice to the freshmen was simple.
“It’s just ultimately, you have to work hard and listen to your head coach or your position coach, and everything will take care of itself,” he said. “Work hard, clap off the last play and just look forward.”
It’s not uncommon for most freshmen, even the most talented, to look lost the first few days of camp. Even Smith had a brief learning curve, only about three days.
“I was physically able to do it, but by the third day I was mentally able to do it. So that’s when it all started,” he said. “When I was under (Huffman) coach (Curtis) Coleman, all we did was run the ball, so run blocking, that wasn’t a problem. We worked a lot on pass protection while we were in practice, so everything came pretty easy.”
Things have come easy until now for most of the freshmen. Smith liked what he saw this summer and on Friday.
“All of them did an outstanding job,” he said. “Everybody worked hard to finish and compete and ultimately made the team better.”

Saban announces three-game suspension for Prince Hall

2008-07-31T16:46:00-06:00

TUSCALOOSA—Inside linebacker Prince Hall, who has been in and out of Tide coach Nick Saban’s doghouse for the past year and a half, will serve a three-game suspension to open the season but will play for the team this fall.
Saban announced the move Thursday as the Crimson Tide reported for fall camp.
Hall sat out spring practice, but worked with the team throughout the summer, Saban said.
“He will start practice. He will face some suspension and not play in the first three games. But he will be in camp; he will practice with the team; he will be a part of the team.”
Saban also noted that receiver Will Oakley has a stress fracturein his foot and will miss the first three weeks of camp.
Patrick Crump, a redshirt freshman offensive lineman, has left the team for personal reasons, Saban said.
The coach announced in addition to Brandon Lewis and Devonta Bolton, Kerry Murphy who was trying to earn academic eligibility at Hargrove Academy prep school, is still short and could be eligible in January. Saban said Alabama has appealed to the NCAA Clearinghouse.
Jermaine Preyear, a freshman running back, will miss the fall due to injury. Saban said he will rejoin the team in January, creating what amounts to a grayshirt for medical reasons.

Spurrier leaves ‘em laughing

2008-07-25T19:18:00-06:00

South Carolina head ball coach Steve Spurrier looked a bit surprised. There were still many writers in the room.
Spurrier was the last man at the podium, closing out the three-day SEC Football Media Days in Hoover.
“I’ve been waching all these other coaches on television the last couple of days, so I appreciate you guys hanging around to the end,” the coach said.
C’mon. You’d be nuts to miss a chance to see Spurrier in action.
The coach said he’s got better players than he’s had at South Carolina. “We’ve hopefully got better coaches,” Spurrier said.
He called last season’s 6-6 season “mediocrity at its best.” Amazingly, the Gamecocks were 6-1 and ranked No. 6 in the country before collapsing and losing their last five games.
“A couple of heartbreaking losses, at Tennessee, Clemson game, that would have changed things around, but we didn’t quite win ‘em,” the coach said. “Huge difference between 8-4 and 6-6.”
Being bowl eligible wasn’t good enough.
“We don’t like 6-6. We did qualify for a bowl,” he noted.
He mentioned Alabama’s Independence Bowl trip came at South Carolina’s expense.
“They had a little bit more pull than South Carolina did,” he said with a smile. “But that’s OK. That’s the way life is, and we understood it. We need to do better than 6-6.”

Growing up Saban, or playing checkers in a Wii world

2008-07-24T15:25:00-06:00

HOOVER—Alabama head coach Nick Saban loves to illustrate his points with personal anecdotes, often about his own family.
Thursday morning’s appearance at SEC Football Media Days was no different.
Asked about how things have changed regarding discipline and handling players differently over the years, Saban played the parent card.
“Well, I think we’re all aware that they have changed,” he said. “If you have children of your own, I think you can probably attest to anyone who has gone through adolescence with someone now knows that they’re different.
“My kids just flat-out tell me (things) I didn’t have the guts to tell my dad. When I sit and look at my kids and I say, ‘When I was your age, I worked for everything I had.’ And they just look at me and say, ‘Well, I don’t know anybody that does that anymore, Dad’—like you came from outer space.
“So it is different. I mean, people grow up different. It’s an instant coffee, instant self-gratification. Everything is on the internet. Everything is a picture. Everything is fast. Everything is quick. There’s not the same long-term commitment to something and sticking with it and learning from your mistakes.”
Saban said young people don’t understand that their actions come with consequences.
“You know, we played checkers when we were growing up. And when you moved the wrong guy, you lost your guy. You got immediate positive or negative self-gratification for it and you learn from that.
“You know, my kids push the restart button. They don’t even know if they got blowed up.”