Tide Tidbits – March 11, 2010

McClain says he has Crohn’s disease
Just after completing a tough agility drill at the University of Alabama’s Pro Day on Wednesday after­noon, standout linebacker Ro­lando McClain dropped to a knee and took a moment to gath­er himself. After the workouts, McClain revealed to reporters that he has Crohn’s disease, an incurable, autoimmune disease that affects the gastrointestinal tract. “I found out I had it when I was a freshman in high school — I had to go to the hospital and spent a couple of weeks in there,” said McClain, who is ex­pected to be a first-round selec­tion in this April’s NFL Draft. “I take four or five pills a day,” he continued. “It’s not something I’ve kept hidden (from NFL teams). I put it on my report. They know. It doesn’t af­fect me very much.” Unless, of course, it causes him to become ill. Among other symptoms, Crohn’s can cause vomiting and severe abdominal pain. That means that McClain often ends up battling “flu-like” symptoms — such as those that kept him out of practices for the BCS Na­tional Championship Game in January — that can limit his play for a few days at a time. [More]

Where are the best states for Notre Dame to go recruiting for all positions
Beyond the big three — California, Texas and Florida, which makes up 88 of Rivals.com’s 250 top prospects for 2011 — it’s Georgia, Ohio, Louisiana, Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Alabama from a pure volume standpoint. From a per capita view, though, it’s 1. Louisiana, 2. Mississippi, 3. Alabama, 4. South Carolina, 5. Florida, 6. Georgia, 7. Hawaii, 8. Texas, 9. Nebraska, 10. Virginia. “Not all the high per-capita states produce players who are a good fit for Notre Dame, though,” Lemming said. Mississippi and Alabama, for example. lack a foreign language requirement. “There aren’t a lot of kids with grades in those states too,” Lemming said. “There might be two elite prospects a year in Alabama and Mississippi that match up with Notre Dame, and then you have to battle (Alabama coach) Nick Saban and Auburn for them. “Louisiana’s also difficult, because LSU evaluates those kids and offers them so fast. If you’re going to compete with LSU in Louisiana, you’ve got to evaluate and offer kids on LSU’s timetable.” [More]

Cody drops more weight for Pro Day
Terrence Cody was never quite able to get under 350 pounds as a player at the University of Alabama, but with the 2010 NFL Draft approaching for the Crimson Tide’s former nose guard, there is every reason for the senior to break new ground where weight loss is concerned. Wednesday, he did just that. According to a UA release, Cody weighed in at 349 pounds, five fewer than he weighed just a couple of weeks ago at the NFL Scouting Combine. Yet, with Cody’s status as a potential first-round choice still uncertain, 349 still isn’t enough for the senior. “I feel like I can keep going. I feel like I can be a lot better at 340 (pounds), but it depends on where teams want me,” Cody said. Former Pro Bowl linebacker Bryan Cox was among the NFL coaches at the workout who took time to work specifically with Cody during drills. Cox is the Cleveland Browns’ defensive line coach, but was unavailable for comment. Cody, one of 18 athletes who participated Wednesday, said he was motivated by criticism he received for weighing in at 370 pounds in late January at the Senior Bowl. [More]

Countdown to spring practice: Secondary a major priority
The secondary will be a major priority in spring practice, not only for the loss of three starters but for the loss of experienced depth as well. Cornerback, especially, is a concern because Alabama’s oft-used nickel package puts three corners on the field at once. The good news is that Barron emerged as one of the top safeties in the Southeastern Conference last season, and now has a year of experience on which to build. Just about everyone with significant experience other than safety Mark Barron is gone. UA’s top three cornerbacks — Kareem Jackson, Javier Arenas and Marquise Johnson — leave a major void. Starting safety Justin Woodall and a couple of reserve safeties are gone as well. [More]

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