Tide Tidbits – March 19, 2010

Jackson’s stock soaring, Tebow still looking at 3rd or 4th round
Alabama cornerback Kareem Jackson’s NFL draft stock has risen steadily since he posted a 4.48 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. Count ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay among the believers. McShay, who held a teleconference with media members on Thursday, rates the 5-foot-11, 192-pound Jackson as the third best cornerback in the draft behind Florida’s Joe Haden and Boise State’s Kyle Wilson and believes Jackson may have pushed himself into the first round. “He might be the most underrated player in the entire draft right now,” McShay said. “For some reason, people have not caught on to him. He’s about as good as Wilson, he should go in the top 25 picks and he has a chance to make an immediate impact coming from Nick Saban’s system.” [More]

Alabama’s Kirby Smart Proves He’s a Defensive Coach of All Positions
At the first spring practice it has already been well documented that many players were being tried at different positions. The same could be said of Alabama’s defensive coordinator, Kirby Smart. For the past few years, Alabama’s defensive secondary has been second to none because they had both defensive coordinator Kirby Smart and head coach Nick Saban tutoring them. Now Smart steps up to help the linebackers, and recently promoted director of player development Jeremy Pruitt has moved to full time coach and takes Smart’s place with the defensive backs. Saban has complete confidence that Smart can coach any position, but that may not be the real reason for the switch. While the Tide is absolutely loaded with talent at the linebacker spot and may not miss Rolando McClain so much from a physical standpoint, the biggest thing they lost in his departure was a natural leader and coach on the field. [More]

Nick Saban to throw out first pitch at Tide SEC opener
Nick Saban throws a football in practice daily. You would think he should have a pretty good delivery to the plate this Friday night in Tuscaloosa. Tide head football coach Nick Saban will show his support for the Alabama baseball program (14-1) as he will throw out the first pitch this Friday night before the SEC opener. Alabama Athletics Media Relations issued the release below with the details. Hopefully, this will take another step towards showing a lighter, fun side of Nick Saban away from football that many, especially nationally, aren’t often exposed to. [More]

Skelton reaps benefits as a Crimson Tide walk-on
Without playing a down in two years for the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Allen Skelton is reaping the same benefits as a full scholarship player. He rests at his Coker home in a tan recliner that just arrived as part of the NCAA’s gift to players for being in the BCS title game, wears a BCS national championship watch, and soon will be sporting three rings like the rest of the players for the No. 1 Crimson Tide. He just returned last week with the team after visiting the White House when President Barack Obama congratulated the Tide on their 2009 national championship. Skelton, a walk-on at Alabama two seasons ago, is a 2008 graduate of Tuscaloosa County High School. During the past two years he has worked on the scout team at center and offensive guard. The 6’2”, 270-pound lineman does all the work, both on the field and in the classroom, that scholarship players do. [More]

Don’t Be Shocked by Alabama Rookie Coach Leading the Defensive Backs
I’ve had friends call me in a panic asking what Nick Saban must be thinking to move Kirby Smart away from the defensive backs to linebackers and put in a rookie college coach at the position where Alabama, at least on paper, has the most new players and the biggest problems. The reason is simple. He knows his job, rookie or not, and he’s a rookie only at this level, not as a coach and certainly not a rookie as that position coach. Jeremy Pruitt’s pedigree reads like a blueprint toward this job. As a high school athlete he was a great defensive back in his own right and after playing two years for Middle Tennessee State where he started as both a safety and corner back, he transferred to Alabama, and fulfilled a lifelong dream of getting to wear Crimson. [More]

Roll Tide!

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