Interesting Tid-Bit .. Again OL ...

Backing up Vlachos (C)? Tyler Love & John Michael Boswell..  Wow, Tyler is a beast for a center! I like the concept...

Spring has Sprung in T-Town

To me the most interesting battle this spring will be on the O-Line. There are some "monsters" going after starting roles on Bama's O-Line ..

- DJ Fluker - 6'6" @ 335lbs
- Anthony Steen - 6'3" @ 303
- Brandon Ivory - 6'4" @ 308
- John Michael Boswell - 6'5" @ 300
- Tyler Love - 6'6" @ 307
- Aaron Douglas - 6'7" @ 275
- Austin Shepherd - 6'5" @ 321

Other misc practice tid-bits:

Alabama senior Robby Green was not at practice Monday after he was suspended by the team for violating team rules and policies, Saban said.

QB's - I believe it's AJ's job to loose, but by no means can you count out Phillip Sims, Phillip Ely or Blake Sims.

Spring Practice begins Today

The Crimson Tide opens the first of 15 spring practices today at 3:30 p.m. in Tuscaloosa.

Alabama Spring Practice begins MONDAY 3/21

QB? Who will it be? Redshirt sophomore A.J. McCarron, redshirt freshman Phillip Sims or true freshman Phillip Ely?


RB. Trent Richardson begins his Heisman Run. Who's gonna be #2? Eddie Lacy? Can Eddie get past his fumble issues? True freshman Dee Hart?

OL: Jesse Williams (6'4" @ 330LBs) & Aaron Douglas (6'6" @ 280LB) JUCO Xfers.. OL will be stacked by fall.

Defense will be stout this year. CJ Mosley, Dont'a Hightower, Mark Barron, Dre Kirkpatrick, Courtney Upshaw and more... Don't forget that True Freshman Trey DePriest will be in the mix too.

2011 Spring Practice Dates

Alabama 2011 Spring Practice Dates
Practice #1 March 21
Practice #2 March 23
Practice #3 March 25
Practice #4 March 26
Practice #5 March 28
Practice #6 March 30
Practice #7 April 1
Practice #8 April 2
Practice #9 April 4
Practice #10 April 6
Practice #11 April 8
Practice #12 April 9
Practice #13 April 12
Practice #14 April 14
A-Day April 16

Full Speed - Milliner Returns

Freshman cornerback DeMarcus Milliner returned to full-speed work at the University of Alabama's practice Wednesday.

Source - Tuscaloosa News

Bama's 2nd Scrimmage is in the Books ...

After giving up nine touchdown passes in the first major scrimmage of the preseason, Alabama's defense did a better job of answering the challenge in the second scrimmage last Saturday.

"I think the number one thing we wanted to get from scrimmage one to scrimmage two was to improve as a team," Saban said. "I think we made some improvement. I'm certainly not disappointed in the improvement that we made as a team, but at the same time, I think we are not satisfied with where we'd like to be and we need to focus on continued improvement."

Reviewing Alabama's scrimmage

Big DJ back at Practice

After missing last night's practice while ill, big right tackle D.J. Fluker was back today.

Source - Gentry Estes, Mobile Press-Register

Scrimmage #1

Scrimmage #1 summed up by Coach Saban:

"The offense is way ahead of the defense," coach Nick Saban said. "Both AJ and Greg are playing very well at quarterback."

The defense is on the other end of the spectrum.

"I don't think defensively as a whole we played very well at all," Saban said. "We didn't tackle. We didn't finish. We didn't clean up tackles and knock runners back. We didn't have the eye of the tiger we need to be a good defensive team, and that's all 11 of them."

Source - Gentry Estes, Mobile Press-Register

Practice Nuggets from Around the Web

- Kendall Kelly has been knocked out so far by heat-related issues, missing drills Friday and Saturday.

- Mark Ingram was also out today (and Sunday) while attending his grandfather's funeral in Michigan.

- RB Jeramie Griffin (knee) was not included on the 105 man roster.

- Freshman LB Jalston Fowler could be used when Alabama goes to nickel defenses this season.

- DB DeQuan Menzie (recovery from Achilles tear) needed a few extra minutes of stretching today early in practice. Menzie, however, popped back up and was going through drills full speed a few moments later.

(Gentry Estes, Mobile Press-Register)


- QB McElroy went to the Manning Passing Academy for a second straight year.

- QB depth #1 Greg McElroy, #2 A.J. McCarron is a redshirt freshman, and #3 Phillip Sims is a true freshman.

(A. Stacy Long, montgomeryadvertiser.com)

The Tide is Back at Work!

Practice Updates Nuggets:

- Blake Sims was at practice tonight.
- Alfy Hill practiced at Jack linebacker.
- Arie Kouandjio, did not look like a freshman at right tackle.

Alabama will practice as a full team for the remainder of the preseason. The next workout will be at roughly 2:30 p.m. Friday.

Practice Report

Blake Sims has Qualified

Alabama signee Blake Sims has been cleared academically by the NCAA and will practice tonight with other Crimson Tide newcomers, according to his father.

JR (CB) DeQuan Menzie, Possibly back by Sept 4?

Junior college cornerback signee DeQuan Menzie could play for Alabama against San Jose State despite tearing his Achilles tendon in early April and initially planning to redshirt during the 2010 season, per Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban.

Noting that Menzie is "ahead of schedule in terms of his rehab," Saban said today that the Crimson Tide's hopes are Menzie will be nearing 100 percent by the Sept. 4 season opener.

"We're hopeful that he'll be able to participate in practice and hopefully will be full-speed by the first game," Saban said.

Source - Gentry Estes, Mobile Press-Register

Players Report 8/4 & Practice Starts on 8/5

James Carpenter Returns to Practice! RTR!!!

Alabama left tackle James Carpenter was back on the practice field after missing Monday's workout with what must have been a mild case of the flu.


(Source - blog.al.com, Gentry Estes, Mobile Press-Register)

Game Prep has Begun ... Bama Returns to Practice for Texas ...

Alabama's team practiced indoors Saturday in helmets and shoulder pads, avoiding the frigid cold while shaking off the rust of the past two weeks.


The Crimson Tide will practice once daily through Wednesday, when players will break for Christmas before reconvening Dec. 27 for four more practices. The flight to California will depart Tuscaloosa on New Year's Day. In the meantime, the upcoming days will be more like preseason camp. The focus will be on fundamentals and execution, rather than scouting Texas.


Blog.al.com - Alabama gets back to work in preparation for BCS championship game

Bi-Week ...

With no game to play Saturday, the No. 2 University of Alabama football team worked in full pads Thursday.

The players are scheduled to take part in a weight-lifting session this morning and will be off on Saturday. Practice will resume Monday.

Tide Football Team Practices in Full Pads

Grant, Ingram, Richardson & Goode ....

Terry Grant returned to running back at Monday's practice after spending the past week trying to learn a new role at wide receiver.

Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson were first in line with the tailbacks Monday. Saban also said Demetrius Goode could be an option if needed.

(Source - blog.al.com)

Practice Tid-Bits Day #5

The heat index reached well over 100 degrees as the Crimson Tide worked out for more than two hours Monday afternoon. Today begins the grueling period of two-a-days for the team.

- Freshman tackle D.J. Fluker is big, but he doesn't appear ready to step in at left tackle.

- Davis, who started at right tackle last season, has been receiving repetitions recently at right guard as Alabama continues to try to find the right fit to replace departed right guard Marlon Davis.

- Cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick looks like the real deal.

- Offensive lineman Tyler Love has been working with the second group at left tackle behind James Carpenter.

- Greg McElroy looked sharp with almost all of his throws as he looks to secure a starting role for the Crimson Tide.

It's scorching as Tide does first full-gear practice

Alabama's Harris ready to make impact

Monday practice report

Practice Tid-Bits Day #4

- DL Kerry Murphy, who returned to the team on Sunday, from hiatus because of the death of his brother.

- Interesting OL shifts continue. Yesterday RT Drew Davis practiced at right guard and freshman D.J. Fluker at right tackle.

- Crimson Tide gets serious tomorrow, straping on full pads for a 2:30 p.m. practice.

Alabama's Practice Hits: Fan Day edition

- Players practicing catching punts during Sunday’s open practice included cornerbacks Javier Arenas, Kareem Jackson and Dre Kirkpatrick, and wide receivers Julio Jones, Marquis Maze and Rob Ezell.

- During kickoff return drills, a group of about 12 players took reps, including Arenas, Mike McCoy, Jones, Mark Ingram, Terry Grant and Trent Richardson.

- Sophomore wide receiver Maze took snaps opposite Julio Jones.

Johnson’s experience provides leadership