Crimson Tide Places 2 On Biletnikoff Watch List
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| Calvin Ridley Wide Receiver Graphics/Photo: RollTide.com |
Senior Gehrig Dieter and sophomore Calvin Ridley were two names on the list with 31 seniors and 16 juniors, the six sophomores.
The list will be cut down to 10 semifinalists in mid-November, with a trio of finalists announced a week later. The winner will be revealed during the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN on Dec. 8th.
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| Gehrig Dieter Photo Credit: CollegeSpun.com |
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Saban Speaks...Everyone Listens
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Alabama Coach Nick Saban Addresses The Crowd
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| Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban Photo Credit: hookemheadlines.com |
There are no photographs of the parting of the Red Sea with Moses and Israel crossing through. But I suppose that photograph could be similar to that of the huge crowd at SEC Media Days parting as University of Alabama Crimson Tide head coach NICK SABAN his contingent entered the building, and eventually made their way to the stage and podium. (Oh, and did I mention that FOUR police escorts got him to the venue in Hoover?)
Yes, Alabama fans love Saban. But so does much of the nation. Oh, there are the detractors, sure. But the man does get respect...from other team's fans and coaches. Why shouldn't he? Look how quickly he has racked up National Championships, and four from the same school just in a few short years. Other coaches and programs emulate him, or try. Many have started using some form of Saban's "Process" in their programs. Yes, even with the multitude of pressures (many of which he puts on himself to win and teach "his" kids) it's good to be Nick Saban.
Surprisingly enough he wasn't asked the numerous questions most of us thought would be asked. Nope. Nothing about Cam (Robinson) and Hootie (Jones), or the internal discipline taking place for their arrests in May, or whether or not one or both would be playing in the season-opener against the Southern California Trojans.
There wasn't even anything said about the resignation of then-defensive line coach Bo Davis. No question nor anything volunteered.
Basically we heard things we've been hearing about for the past several weeks or months. But it came from Saban. Makes all the difference.
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| Fans Just Want To Be Where Nick Is Photo Credit: Montgomery Advertiser |
(More later today on what Saban actually said.)
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Foster, Anderson, Williams Honored
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Trio Make Preseason Butkus Award Watch List
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| Graphics/Photo Credit: RollTide.com |
Three University of Alabama Crimson Tide have been named to the watch list for the prestigious Dick Butkus Award which annually honors the nation's top linebacker. Alabama leads all teams as the only school with three players selected.
The three players chosen for the preseason watch list are Reuben Foster, Ryan Anderson and Tim Williams. According to The Montgomery Advertiser, with statistics compiled by Duane Rankin, Foster had 73 tackels and eight stops for loss, Anderson had 37 stops, 11.5 tackles for loss and six sacks with Williams adding another 10.5 sacks last season.
Butkus Award semifinalists are scheduled to be announced on October 31st, finalists on November 21st and the winner on December 6th.
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This Is The One
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Saban Speaks Today At SEC Media Days
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Over 100 Tennis Players Invade Tuscaloosa This Weekend
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Tide Tennis Hosts ITA Summer Circuit Tournament
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This Is The One
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Saban Speaks Today At SEC Media Days
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| Saban, Allen, Howard, Jackson Speak Today Graphics/Photo Credit: RollTide.com |
University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban will step behind the podium at SEC Media Days in Hoover, Alabama at 9 a.m. CT this morning, and the college football world will be listening. Joining St. Nick will be a trio of really big elves, Jonathan Allen, O.J. Howard and Eddie Jackson say a few words themselves.
Of course one of the issues he will be asked about will deal with the arrest and subsequent dismissal of charges for players Cam Robinson and Hootie Jones. In addition, the usual questions about the starting quarterback, will you retire or change schools, satellite camps and recruits will be addressed, more than likely. Probably questions concerning transfers, as Alabama football has had three come up fairly recently looking to leave, or have already left.
Of course expect questions concerning the players. Besides quarterbacks, everyone is interested in the running backs, receivers, injuries and operations and recovery.
Of course Saban has been through all this before. This will be his 15th SEC Media Days, the 10th as the head coach at Alabama and the first four as the leader at LSU. As things look, it won't be his last.
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Over 100 Tennis Players Invade Tuscaloosa This Weekend
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Tide Tennis Hosts ITA Summer Circuit Tournament
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| Photo Credit: RollTide.com |
University of Alabama tennis will host the ITA Summer Circuit Tournament this weekend in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Over 100 tennis
players will invade Tuscaloosa for the three-day weekend event. A full 64-person
singles and 32-team doubles draw is expected for both men's and women's
competition. Matches are set to run July 16-18 and will begin at 9 a.m. CT each
morning at the Alabama Tennis Stadium, the Roberta Alison Baumgardner
Tennis Facility and the Student Recreation Courts.
The 2016 ITA Summer Circuit features 50 tournaments spread across 24
states this summer. That is up 14 tournaments this year, up from 36 in 2015. The summer circuit will run for
six weekends, beginning the last weekend in June and continuing through
the last weekend in July. Players that advance out of the qualifying
tournaments will travel to Bloomington, Indiana to take part in the ITA
Summer Nationals, held August 13-16 at Indiana University.
This series of tournaments provides college tennis
players, along with junior players and alumni, the opportunity to
compete in organized events during the summer months.
No-Ad scoring will be used for both singles and doubles matches.
Singles matches will be best two out of three sets with a 10-point match
tiebreaker in lieu of a third set, while doubles will run as an
eight-game pro set with a tiebreaker at 7-7.
Consolation matches will be provided for first match losers in all singles draws.
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Avery Johnson Wants In-Stater John Petty To Stay Home
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| Photo Credit: Madison County Record |
University of Alabama men's head basketball coach Avery Johnson wants the No. 1 state of Alabama basketball recruit to stay where he belongs. In Alabama. Preferably playing for Johnson and The University of Alabama Crimson Tide basketball team.
And Johnson is working hard to make that happen.
Six feet, five inch John Petty out of Huntsville, Alabama is ranked the 28th-best prospect in the Class of 2017 by 247, Scout.com and Rivals.com. He seems to be very impressed with how the Kentucky staff got on to him early and has not relented. Petty says he hears from the staff "almost every day." So the Little General has his work cut out for him in the battle with Coach Cal.
Petty has averaged 13.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and has been shooting 36 percent from 3-point range on Nike’s EYBL circuit this summer.
The young man says he still plans to take all five official visits, none of which have been scheduled yet, before making a decision.
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After being overtaken by Ohio State for the top spot in 2015, The University of Alabama Crimson Tide is back as the No. 1 team in the College Football Future Power Rankings.
FPR is a projection of a program's strength over the next
three years, not just the 2016 season.
According To ESPN, an eight-person panel of ESPN
reporters and analysts consisting of Heather Dinich, Brad Edwards, Travis Haney,
Sharon Katz, Tom Luginbill, Ted Miller, Adam Rittenberg and Mark
Schlabach graded teams based on five criteria, which were weighed
differently to account for their impact on overall sustained success.
The criteria: coaching (27% of the formula), current talent (27%), recruiting (20%), title path (16%) and program
foundation (10%).
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Blake Sims Signs With National Gridiron League
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Will Suit Up For The Wollongong Devils
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| Blake Sims Former University Of Alabama Quarterback Photo Credit: 247Sports |
Former University of Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Blake Sims is back in football. Sims has signed a deal to play with the Wollongong Devils of the National Gridiron League
in Australia. This will be the inaugural season for the Devils beginning this October,
according to AussieNational.com.
Sims is now one of three quarterbacks listed on Wollongong’s roster and joins the first-year Australian team after a couple of unsuccessful stints as an NFL free agent and in the CFL.
The dual-threat Sims set an Alabama football record in his final season at Alabama. He had 3,487 passing yards and 28 passing touchdowns in 14 games during the 2014 season. He also ran for 350 yards and seven rushing scores.
