Tide Tidbits – March 3, 2010

Tide meets the president on Monday
Alabama’s national championship football team will tour the sights in Washington, D.C., on Monday, including a stop by the White House to meet with President Barack Obama. The White House and University of Alabama on Tuesday confirmed details of the trip, which has been expected since the Crimson Tide beat Texas in the Jan. 7 BCS national championship game. The Crimson Tide will depart Tuscaloosa on Monday morning. Coaches and players will return in time for next Wednesday’s on-campus pro day workouts for NFL draft-eligible players and the start of spring practice, which is scheduled two days later. It is customary for national championship teams to receive an invitation to the White House. Florida’s team visited after winning the 2008 national championship and presented Obama with a Gators custom jersey and football. Obama placed a congratulatory phone call to Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban the morning after the BCS title game in Pasadena, Calif. [More]

Several coaches will feel the heat in 2010
Les Miles, LSU: You have to pity the “Mad Hatter.” Miles is 51-14 in five seasons at LSU and won the national title in 2007. Still, he never seemingly has been embraced because, well, he isn’t Saban. But it is difficult to ignore this: The past two seasons, LSU has lost a combined nine games. In his first three seasons in Baton Rouge, he lost a combined six. And Miles is just 8-8 in SEC play in the past two seasons. Compounding matters is that the SEC West is the best division in college football. Forget about catching Alabama. Miles needs to worry about fighting off Arkansas, Auburn and Ole Miss. [More]

Another player to watch …
You can always keep an eye on draftable guys who played for college coaches connected to Bill Belichick. And in that regard, no pipeline has been more fruitful for New England than the Nick Saban Pipeline. So here’s another name for you: Javier Arenas. I’ve felt since back in the fall, when he was lighting it up for Alabama, that this kid would be a great fit for the Patriots because of his physical style and versatility to contribute in the return game. The big question on him coming in to the scouting combine was how he’d run. He acquitted himself fairly well earlier this morning with an unofficial 4.52 in the 40, clocking that time despite pulling up lame during the run and being unable to get a second shot at it. [More]

Alabama LB Rolando McClain evokes comparisons to Lewis, could go to Dolphins
Rolando McClain is a matter-of-fact, no-nonsense kind of guy. While some of his college contemporaries at the NFL Scouting Combine might ramble on for a minute or two, it’s pretty much name, rank and serial number with the former Alabama All-America linebacker. “I don’t know,” is one of his favorite answers. Why use 300 words when three will suffice? Yet when talk turns to the most popular comparison that’s been making the rounds, the one with Ravens and former University of Miami linebacker Ray Lewis, McClain loosens up just a bit. If you look closely, you might even see the hint of a smile tug at the corners of his mouth. “I love Ray Lewis,” McClain says. “I like the way he plays the game. He’s arguably one of the best to ever play linebacker. Not just his play, but the way he’s able to get the guys up. He’s inspirational and he’s a real leader.” [More]

SEC West spring football preview
Alabama
PRACTICE STARTS: March 12
SPRING GAME: April 17
KEY LOSSES: LB Rolando McClain, DL Terrence Cody, CB Javier Arenas, K Leigh Tiffin
KEEP AN EYE ON: How loaded was Alabama last season? The Crimson Tide’s entire defensive line and three members of their secondary were in Indianapolis for the NFL combine. But shed no tears for Nick Saban, who returns Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram, quarterback Greg McElroy and a slew of young talent from three top-five recruiting classes. The Tide have a shot at becoming the first school to win back-to-back national championships since Nebraska in 1994-95. [More]

2010 Alabama Football: Offensive Replacements (Tight Ends)
Some coaches play without a tight end in their offenses. That was the main reason Alabama got their tight end from last year, Colin Peek, to leave Georgia Tech and come to Alabama. However, Nick Saban is not “some coach” and we have a lot of formations that need not only one tight end, but two. In the last two seasons, Alabama has relied on having at least one tight end to keep the defense honest by making catches when needed. In 2008, it was Nick Walker who snagged 32, and last year Peek—his one, and only year—came down with 26. Getting playing time at tight end with Alabama is the same as it is for a running back: You don’t get it if you can’t block. So anybody that wants to step into this role has to be able to shoulder that load and also have soft hands. With Preston Dial returning on one end, who will take Colin Peek’s spot as the go-to tight end? [More]

Roll Tide!

~ _____________________________________



Have BamaFootball4Life eMailed to You for Free


_____________________________________


Enter your email address:

Other subscription options.

~

______________________________________


Quick Links

______________________________________


FREE Magazines!

Recruiting
mybama.com
Polls/Rankings
Links and More Links...