Tide Tidbits – July 28, 2009

Javier Arenas set for a standout senior year at Alabama, then the NFL
As the sun beat down on his University of Alabama cutoff T-shirt, former Robinson High athlete and rising Alabama senior cornerback and return specialist Javier Arenas tossed a football back and forth in his hands, staring down at the grass beneath his cleats. “It’s kind of like my sophomore year,” he said. “Sophomore year for me, I proved myself as a return man and I just had to prove myself as a corner. I didn’t see that much pressure. I felt as though I had a year after if I did screw up my sophomore year to redeem myself. I had no pressure going in, and I’m trying to catch that feeling [again].” This season will probably be the most important of his collegiate career. According to some NFL mock drafts on the Internet, Arenas is projected as a late first-round to early second-round pick.

UA freshman running back Preyear could be next to leave
University of Alabama freshman running back Jermaine Preyear has been given permission to talk to other schools about transferring, creating the possibility that the former Davidson High back could leave the Crimson Tide before ever going through a season. The Mobile native signed with Alabama in February of 2008, but was “grayshirted” last year – meaning he did not enroll until January – while recovering from shoulder surgery. He went through spring practice with the team, but now appears interested in exploring other options. Preyear has expressed interest in Jacksonville State, UAB, Southern Mississippi and South Alabama.

49ers sign Glen Coffee to four-year deal
The San Francisco 49ers have signed running back Glen Coffee, their third-round draft pick, to a four-year contract. The deal was announced by the team Monday night. The 6-foot, 209-pound Coffee, out of Alabama, is expected to be Frank Gore’s backup this season in coach Mike Singletary’s power running offense. Coffee ran for 1,383 yards and 10 touchdowns last season for the Crimson Tide. He finished his collegiate career with 2,107 yards on 410 carries with 14 TDs, and 42 catches for 351 yards and two touchdowns.

Five Reasons Why the Tide Will Roll Through the SEC
With all the predictions for the upcoming season in full swing, I thought I would take an optimistic look at the upcoming season. There are plenty of reasons why Alabama won’t go all the way this season. These are just five reasons why they could. In arguably the toughest conference in the land, running the table is never easy. Just ask Florida last year. But if it were to happen for Bama this year, here’s a list, in no particular order, explaining what you can attribute the success to… 1.) The Defense, 2.) Greg McElroy, 3.) The Backfield, 4.) The Receivers and 5.) Nick Saban

Five Downright Scary Players
Javier Arenas-Alabama: Arenas made a name for himself as a game-changing kickoff and punt returner. Now, he also prowls the secondary, and with amazing closing speed, what may look like an open receiver is now a picked-off pass. Moreover, his quick blitzing ability and his thunderous hits make him scary. At 5’9″ and a 198 pounds, Arenas attacks the ballcarrier like a 290-pound defensive tackle. That makes Nick Saban scared, too. “He’ll attack a huge fullback the same way he’ll tackle a small receiver,” said Saban, “But, so far, he’s always jumped back up.” Arenas is an all-purpose danger, and other teams should keep the ball as far away from him as possible.

Roll Tide!

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