Tide Tidbits – February 2, 2010

Winning is not just physical
Last month, the Crimson Tide started out the BCS National Championship Game by throwing an interception on a fake punt on the game’s fourth play and failing to field a kickoff minutes later, allowing Texas to take a quick 6-0 lead. Alabama players gathered themselves and overcame the shaky start to defeat the Longhorns 37-21 to claim UA’s 13th national championship. “The team the year before would have fallen apart and did, as we all know,” Antowaine Richardson said. “The beauty to me was how they came together and overcame that dysfunction in the first quarter.” Richardson should know. Alabama players know him as the team’s unofficial mental conditioning coach, but his full-time job is project director for the Seattle-based Pacific Institute. He is an expert in developing mental toughness. [More]

Recruiting: Alabama looks to be out of contention for Keenan Allen
With National Signing Day almost here, Alabama has all but lost the top-rated commitment on its board. North Carolina wide receiver/defensive back Keenan Allen has dropped Alabama from consideration, according to multiple sources familiar with his recruitment. The Rivals.com database no longer lists Allen as a Crimson Tide commitment. Allen has not publicly confirmed a decommitment from Alabama, but his family was expected to inform Nick Saban of that news today, a source close to the prospect told BamaOnline.com. [More]

Saban doesn’t rebuild, he reloads
You would think that losing two of the best cornerbacks in the country would put your chances for a second-consecutive National Championship in doubt. You would be mistaken. Gone from the 14-0 National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide are cornerbacks Javier Arenas (senior) and Kareem Jackson (junior) who are headed for the NFL. Alabama head coach Nick Saban saw this coming and made the necessary adjustments. The master recruiter has already locked down two four-star cornerback prospects in DeMarcus Milliner and John Fulton and recently received a verbal commitment from junior college transfer Dequan Menzie, to add to a top-five recruiting haul. Winning makes it easy to keep a steady flow of talent circulating through a football program. [More]

Alabama’s Nail Biting Time as National Signing Day Draws Near
For the first year in three years, Alabama goes into National Signing Day without a No. 1 recruiting class seemingly locked up. There are some players they’ve been trying to sway late in the game to solidify a top five class, but will they come through? Shon Coleman was a solid Auburn commitment, until the bigger schools took notice and came calling. With James Carpenter only having one more year to start at left tackle, this is a player that Alabama could certainly use in the coming years. He was also visiting University of Miami this weekend and this is one recruit that it seems no one is counting in their corner 100 percent. With the recent signing of JUCO cover cornerback Dequan Menzie, a great shot in the arm for Alabama 26 of the 28 slots that Alabama has are already filled, unless Allen picks elsewhere which would leave them three spots. [More]

Smart’s new deal coming up for approval
How much money was defensive coordinator Kirby Smart offered when he decided to stay on Alabama coach Nick Saban’s staff? That dollar figure should come out soon. The compensation committee of the board of trustees of the University of Alabama System will meet via teleconference Tuesday morning to consider the contracts of four coaches. Smart turned down a lucrative offer to return to his alma mater, the University of Georgia, as defensive coordinator last month. There was talk of Georgia doubling his salary. Then there was talk of Alabama matching Georgia’s offer to get Smart to stay. Smart’s current contract calls for a salary of $375,000 this year and $390,000 in 2011. Smart and offensive coordinator Jim McElwain have been paid at the same rate, but they were not the highest-paid assistant coaches last year. Offensive line coach Joe Pendry’s salary for 2009-10 was $390,000. [More]

Roll Tide!

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