Alabama Football Spring A-Day Game Date Set
 |
| Graphics/Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama - The University of Alabama Athletic Department yesterday announced the date of Alabama football's 2017 Golden Flake A-Day Spring Football Game. The game has been scheduled to be played on Saturday, April 22nd and will be televised. However, the network and kickoff time for the spring game has not yet been settled and will be announced at a later date.
Historically the A-Day Spring Game is the 15th and final practice allowed by the NCAA for organized spring workouts. The game will again be played inside Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. Admission once again will be free to the general public. As information concerning the festivities, special guests, activities, parking and other related topics will be given here when it becomes available. However one thing, besides the date, is certain: the Crimson Tide's four permanent captains will be placing their hand and cleat prints in cement in a ceremony in front of Bryant-Denny Stadium on the Quad. This past season's captains were Jonathan Harris, Reuben Harris, Eddie Jackson and Cam Robinson.
This will be Alabama head coach Nick Saban's 11th A-Day Game. Last season Saban watched as the Crimson team defeated the White team in a very low scoring affair, 7-3. Also of note this will be new offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian's first A-Day Spring Game calling offensive plays for one of the teams.
-------------------------------------------------------
 |
| Derrick Gore Photo Credit: GridironNow.com |
It took only two days after the national championship game. One of Alabama football's running backs has decided to leave the Crimson Tide.
Running back Derrick Gore announced yesterday that he is leaving UA football and transfer elsewhere to finish his college football career. Gore is no stranger to transferring, having come to Alabama from Coffeyville (Kansas) Community College. Gore was the sixth-leading rusher for the Crimson Tide this season, playing in only a limited role. He carried the ball 18 times for a total of 93 yards, with his best outing against Kent State with 45 rushing yards.
Gore scored Alabama's final touchdown in the Crimson Tide's victory over the Florida Gators in the Southeastern Conference Championship Game last month. In addition to the score, Gore blocked a first half punt that allowed Josh Jacobs to return for a score.
In an Instagram post, Gore stated, "These past two years have been nothing short of magical. It's difficult to come up with the words to describe this journey here
at The University of Alabama. At this time I've chosen to explore the
option of joining another program for my final 2 years of eligibility.
To be clear, I want to give a special thanks to Coach Saban and Coach
Burns for giving this kid from NY a shot, I'm forever grateful. So in
closing I leave you with, Roll Tide!"
---------------------------------------------------------
Former Alabama Player Kendall Sheffield To Ohio State
 |
| Kendall Sheffield Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
Former University of Alabama player Kendall Sheffield, a five-star recruit in the class of 2015 who was a redshirt at Alabama, has committed to Ohio State according to ESPN. Sheffield transferred to Blinn Junior College in the state of Texas back in August after having been a redshirt during his only season at the Capstone.
Though formerly a five-star recruit, Sheffield is now ranked as a four-star recruit in the 247Sports junior
college composite rankings. He is also listed as the No. 4 junior college recruit.
In a statement to ESPN, Sheffield said, "After a great season at Blinn College, and an exciting recruiting
process, I have decided to finish my collegiate career at The Ohio State
University. I am excited to join Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes, and look forward to
helping Buckeye Nation return to the College Football Playoff."
Sheffield will have three years of eligibility remaining.
--------------------------------------------------------
For the briefest of moments, approximately one day, Alabama football 2017 recruiting slid to second place following the announcement that former Crimson Tider Kendall Sheffield had committed to Ohio State moving the Buckeyes into the No. 1 slot. But then yesterday Ohio State slid back because of a decommitment.
Alabama retook the No. 1 spot when five-star receiver Tyjon Lindsey decommitted from OSU. The Buckeyes are ranked anywhere from No. 2 to No. 5 for the class of 2017 recruiting according to whichever service one chooses. Should this current ranking hold, this will be the Crimson Tide's seventh consecutive No. 1 recruiting class.
-----------------------------------------------------
Saban & Sark Say OC Change Not To Blame For Loss
 |
| Photo Credit: SaturdayDownSouth.com |
University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban and new offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian not only agreed upon the game plan used in this past Monday's loss in the CFP National Championship Game, but also agree that the offensive coordinator change only a week before the game wasn't to blame for the defeat at the hands of Clemson 35-31.
In an interview with ESPN, Sarkisian said, "The week of practice went really well. I wish we would have played a little better. I wished I could have called a better game and helped us to not be in the position we were in late. Who I feel for are our players. I feel for these seniors. These guys have accomplished a lot in their time here, and I know they wanted this game really badly.
"You go back and look at everything that you did and wish you could have done one more thing right, because that might have been the difference in the game, just one more play."
Saban decided to go with the change even though then-offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin had coached the CFP Semifinal Game, which Alabama won 24-7. The performance of the offense was, however, lacking. Reportedly the two coaches agreed that it was best for Kiffin to go ahead with his head coaching duties at FAU and turn the national championship game over to Sark, who had been Kiffin's replacement earlier.
Still speaking with ESPN, Sarkisian said, "I really don't think the transition had that much of an impact.
"I thought the players responded really well, and I thought the staff responded really well. We practiced well. The preparation was good. Our guys played really hard. We just missed some really good opportunities that we thought we had. We just missed them, and Clemson's guys made some really good plays.
"We never really possessed the ball to keep our defense off the field," Sarkisian explained. "Ultimately, our drives were short. We scored quickly or we were off the field quickly and put our defense in a really difficult situation. The passing game was spotty. We thought we had some good stuff but couldn't sustain drives to get the momentum back in our favor.
"In the end, they ran almost 100 plays, and we ran in the mid-60s, and that's not a good formula for success against a really good team like Clemson."
Saban agreed, saying that the players had handled the change of coordinators really well and downplayed its impact. Though the player hadn't interacted with Sarkisian much or often, they knew who he was and many had talked with him.
Saban said, "I think we had some drops. I think we had some tipped balls. I think there were things we could have done better, but I thought the preparation was good. I thought our organization was good, and I thought we gave our players a chance in this game to have success. Was it challenging? Yes. Did everyone involved handle it extremely well? Absolutely."
Saban agreed, saying that the players had handled the change of coordinators really well and downplayed its impact. Though the player hadn't interacted with Sarkisian much or often, they knew who he was and many had talked with him.
Saban said, "I think we had some drops. I think we had some tipped balls. I think there were things we could have done better, but I thought the preparation was good. I thought our organization was good, and I thought we gave our players a chance in this game to have success. Was it challenging? Yes. Did everyone involved handle it extremely well? Absolutely."
------------------------------------------------
More Than 400 Student Athletes To Be Honored Tonight
 |
| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – More than 400 University of Alabama student-athletes will be carrying a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better into the spring semester according to the University of Alabama
Athletics Department. All of these will be honored tonight in Coleman Coliseum during the Alabama-Kentucky women's basketball game slated to begin at 7 p.m. CT. The scholar-athlete recognition is scheduled to be held at halftime of the contest.
The university reports that of the more than 400 student-athletes representing all 17 varsity
programs who are carrying a career GPA of 3.0 or better, more than 70
have a 4.0 GPA for their careers and more than 250 carry a 3.5 or better
cumulative GPA.
University of Alabama student-athletes have attained a combined grade point
average of 3.270 for the fall semester, nearly a tenth of a point better
than any of the previous three years. The Crimson Tide women, led by the tennis
team's 3.9 GPA, posted a 3.482 overall GPA, while the Bama men earned a
3.046 GPA, led by the swimming and diving team's 3.55. Both the women's
and men's fall GPAs attained the highest levels over the last four years.
It should be noted that 14 of Alabama's 17 programs posted better than a 3.0 team GPA in the fall, with eight surpassing 3.50 and 11 exceeding 3.20.
---------------------------------------------------
Alabama Women's Basketball Hosts Kentucky Tonight
 |
| Photo Credit: UA Athletics/Robert Sutton |
Tonight there will be several promotions taking place for those in attendance. 250 rally towels as well as a 43" television will be given away, courtesy of Tuscaloosa Toyota.
Also taking place will be the Callie's Place Pet Food Drive. For the next two home games, Alabama women's basketball will be collecting pet food for Callie's Place, a 501(c)(3) animal welfare organization set out to improve the lives of pets and people in West Alabama with an emphasis on giving un-nurtured, unloved animals a second, real chance. The goal is to raise 1,000 pounds of food by the Arkansas game on Sunday, January 15th.
Other promotions will also be taking place as well.
