Tide Tidbits – January 23, 2010

SEC Football by the Numbers: Season wrapup
Alabama’s Mark Ingram had the most rushing yards of any SEC player in 2009 — 1,658 to Dixon’s 1,391. 1 Time that teams from the same conference have finished No. 1 in the final AP poll for four consecutive seasons. The SEC has held the top spot in the final AP poll since 2006 when Florida finished first, followed by LSU in 2007, Florida in 2008 and Alabama in 2009. 2 SEC ballcarriers who set school single-season rushing records in 2009. Alabama RB Mark Ingram’s 1,658 yards bettered the Crimson Tide mark of 1,471 set by Bobby Humphrey in 1986. Mississippi State RB Anthony Dixon’s 1,391 yards broke the Bulldogs mark of 1,383 yards set by former Davidson High School star James Johnson in 1998. 5 Consensus All-Americans for Alabama in 2009, the most for one team in SEC history. [More]

$30,000 for a replica of the Crimson Tide crystal trophy
It might be the ultimate gift for the ultimate Crimson Tide fan — a limited-edition replica of the Waterford crystal football trophy won by the national champions, sitting on a specially designed wooden frame. Asking price: $30,000. The trophy is being sold by Bromberg’s, the 174-year-old Birmingham-based jeweler that’s led by a prominent family of University of Alabama backers. Only six of the trophies are being made, including one already donated to the university. The trophy was designed by Harald Herglotz, a master engraver who has crafted thousands of crystal items, including other Crimson Tide mementos, for Bromberg’s customers over 40 years. [More]

Boswell focused on getting better
When he was a ninth grader at Tuscaloosa County High School, John Michael Boswell received a valuable piece of advice from a hall of fame football coach. Then-Wildcats coach Robert Higginbotham, an Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame member since 2002, told the oversized freshman that if he was willing to work for it, he could be a major Division I college football player. Boswell took his coach’s advice and was a three-year starter at TCHS and a Class 6A first-team All-State selection his senior year. After his senior season he signed to play football at the University of Alabama as part of Nick Saban’s heralded 2008 recruiting class, ranked No. 1 by virtually every recruiting service. Boswell was one of 16 members of the 2008 class to play their freshmen years, and Boswell earned Freshman All-Southeastern Conference honors while playing in eight games. He was the back-up at right guard behind fellow sophomore Barrett Jones this season and will compete for more playing time this spring with left guard and right tackle vacated by the loss of seniors Mike Johnson and Drew Davis, respectively. [More]

Bama’s next decade: Here’s what to look for
There’s been a lot of reflecting back lately on the past decade. Guess it’s time now to look ahead. And do a little prognosticating. Here’s my guess at what will happen in the next decade for the Crimson Tide: 1. Bama wins at least three more national titles and at least three more recruiting national titles. That’s one more national title than both Schlabach and Low predicted. They didn’t bring up recruiting crowns, but I thought I’d throw that in, too. 2. Bama adds at least one more Heisman to its trophy case. Mark Ingram just earned the Tide its first this past season, but with as much talent as Nick Saban is hauling in to Tuscaloosa now, you gotta believe another Heisman will soon be forthcoming. Maybe Julio Jones. Maybe Trent Richardson. Maybe Phillip Sims. Maybe someone that’s playing junior high ball right now. [More]

Recruiting: As signing day nears, Tide covets big names, big players
The countdown to sign­ing day 2010 is 12 days — or two weekends — and as Alabama heads to­ward the finish line, there still are some big names available. And some big players. Don’t confuse the second group with the first. The big names include linebacker Christian Jones of Lake Howell High School in Winter Park, Fla.; de­fensive lineman Calvin Smith of Hialeah, Fla.; and wide receiver Markeith Am­bles of Henry County High School in McDonough, Ga. The big players include Brandon Ivory. At 6-foot-3, 330 pounds, he’s huge. But the defensive lineman isn’t a big name. A little bit like All-Ameri­can nose guard Terrence Cody was when he was coming out of high school in Florida and even junior college in Mississippi. In fact, because it takes more than one offensive lineman to block him, Ivory is drawing comparisons to Cody. [More]

Roll Tide!

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