[Tuck4Bama]

Crimson Tide Football In Full Pads For First Time Release: 03/28/2007


TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama football team practiced in full pads for the first time in the 2007 spring football season as they conducted a two-hour workout Wednesday at the Thomas-Drew Practice Facility.
The third practice of the spring season brought out a warm and sunny afternoon for the Crimson Tide as they continued to work towards the spring football game on April 21.
“Everything is fast tempo,” said senior wide receiver DJ Hall. “We are further along at this time and the guys have a different mindset of what we want to do. We are going to do whatever it takes.”
Junior tight end Travis McCall said the practices have been intense but the team is learning the new systems and improving.
“Everything is a learning process and once you do it over and over again it gets easier,” said McCall. “Everyone wants to improve and get better.”
One of the reasons the team has been able to practice at a fast pace and accomplish a lot has been the off-season conditioning program which junior center Antoine Caldwell attributes to the improvement of the team.
“The four quarter program we just got done doing was amazing for both on-the-field stuff and off-the-field stuff,” said Caldwell. “It taught us a lot about what was going on with the football team and what we need to do to become a better football team. It unified the whole team and made us a stronger football team. I have been doing a lot on my own before we started spring ball so everything is coming pretty easy for me.”
The Tide will resume practice on Friday, March 30 with the fourth of 15 scheduled workouts for the team. All practices are closed to the public.
-UA-

[Stoney]

Any injuries to report?

[cliffbamafan]

I dont believe Saban likes to report injurys,but I have another question.Who will be back up QB to John Parker?

[Tuck4Bama]

Originally Posted by cliffbamafan

I dont believe Saban likes to report injurys,but I have another question.Who will be back up QB to John Parker?

QB14 John Parker Wilson (6-2, 209, So.)
15 Jimmy Barnes (6-5, 239, Fr.)


Things could easily change but as of the end of last year Jimmy Barnes was listed as th #2 Quaterback

[Stoney]

According to Saban "ALL" jobs are open. So we don't know yet.

[Tuck4Bama]

Tide Still with Lots to Learn

By Mitch Dobbs

Posted Mar 28, 2007

Wednesday was Bama’s third spring practice and its first in full pads, but rather than crashing into one another at high speeds, Alabama football players are mostly still learning how to practice at the tempo Head Coach Nick Saban wants without making themselves susceptible to injury.


“It’s a physical, tough practice but everybody needs to learn how to practice, too, because there’s a tempo that everybody practices with,” Saban told reporters in the Naylor Stone media suite after the Tide’s first day in full pads. “When one guy doesn’t know how to practice it messes it up for everybody.”
Most injuries occur when players hit the ground, Saban said. “We want to practice with safety but we want to be physical, tough and intense in what we do. Everybody’s got to learn how to stay up and play on their feet. Even in something as simple as the receivers and the DBs. We had two guys get up slowly today and both of them were diving for a ball. Both of them were okay but those are the kinds of situations that create problems relative to injuries.”
Saban also made official the rumored departure of Andy Davis from the team for “personal reasons” after Wednesday’s practice. Davis was a defensive back from Briarwood Christian in Birmingham who signed with Alabama last season and redshirted. Davis is expected to remain in school at Alabama, Saban said.
Saban said Wednesday’s practice was “a little better” in terms of intensity level. “Now we have practice and school. It was a little bit tough yesterday in getting them focused again after having two days off but I was really encouraged today that we had a little better intensity and sense of urgency about what we’re doing.”
Saban said there were “three or four” receivers who were making good plays on a consistent basis, that quarterback John Parker Wilson “has done a pretty good job in his decision making,” and that the offensive line said their knowledge and experience was helping them be consistent.
“Everything is fast tempo,” said senior wide receiver DJ Hall. “We are further along at this time and the guys have a different mindset of what we want to do. We are going to do whatever it takes.”
Junior tight end Travis McCall said the practices have been intense but the team is learning the new systems and improving.
“Everything is a learning process and once you do it over and over again it gets easier,” said McCall. “Everyone wants to improve and get better.”
“Defensively, we’ve got a lot to learn relative to how we’re going to do things and how we’re going to get the togetherness and execution that we need to have to be a good team,” Saban said. “Special teams is a work in progress.”
Saban also said there weren’t any injuries that were significant so far that he could think of through the first three days.
On the position moving front, Brian Motley has moved to defensive line in order to get another body on that depth-poor side of the ball, and B.J. Stabler has been working at right offensive tackle in the absence of Chris Capps, who is out of contact for the spring. “We don’t have any defensive linemen,” Saban said when asked about Motley, “and he’s actually done a pretty good job. There were a few candidates on the team that we could put at the defensive line to get through the spring. He was one of the most athletic guys. He was one of the guys that was a little down on the dept chart and we said we’d try him on defense and actually he’s shown some promise and maybe has a chance to develop into a guy who can add some depth at that position. But the front seven players on defense is really thin personnel wise, numbers.”

[Stoney]

Good to see them learning how to play positions before contact drills.

[Tuck4Bama]

Crimson Tide Completes First Week of Spring Drills Release: 03/31/2007


Practicing in somewhat cooler and windier conditions than most of the first week of spring practice, the University of Alabama football team completed its fifth team workout at the Thomas-Drew Practice Facility Saturday afternoon. The practice was the second in as many days for the Tide after Friday’s workout.
“Obviously, the past two days have been very hectic for our staff, with back-to-back practices and the clinic going on,” Tide head coach Nick 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. Consistency and performance with our team is the biggest thing that we’re trying to emphasize right now.”
The Tide went through the practice in approximately two hours in front of a large contingent of coaches from throughout the state of Alabama, who were on campus this weekend as a part of the University of Alabama Football Coaching Clinic. Nearly 800 coaches were on hand, representing all levels of the coaching profession.
“I thought our clinic this weekend was very positive,” Saban said. “It gave us a great opportunity as a staff to meet the coaches in the state of Alabama, to see some of the coaches we knew, build on the relationships we had and give them some University of Alabama hospitality.
“We have over 50 players on our team that were developed by, motivated by and inspired by coaches from the state of Alabama and we appreciate that. The better the high school football is in this state, the better prospects we have and the better chance we have to be successful.”
No new injuries were reported and players have two days to rest, with the next scheduled workout for the Tide slated for Tuesday, April 3. All practices remain closed to the public.

[Stoney]

Gee... was Hoover's coach there I wonder?