FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida — We’ve got video from the Orange Bowl committee of this morning’s news conference with Alabama offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier and Crimson Tide quarterback AJ McCarron.
It’s a long video, however — 41 minutes, 7 seconds long. But if you wanted to watch it all, or scan and watch parts of it, we wanted you to have the chance:
Alabama team captain Damion Square (92) at practice Thursday at Barry University. (Copyright photo by Gary Cosby Jr.)
MIAMI SHORES, Florida — We have an excellent photographer along with us on this trip, Gary Cosby Jr., which means you don’t have to put up with my blury shots with every post.
For 41 images of practice today at Barry University, click here.
For 22 images from the morning news conferences involving Alabama offensive personnel, click here.
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MIAMI SHORES, Florida — Alabama freshman linebacker Denzel Devall practiced today in his regular jersey, leaving the black non-contact one behind.
Devall sprained his knee Dec. 19, but has made significant progress recently. Here’s a short video of Devall (No. 30) going through a drill with the other outside linebackers:
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Alabama’s Nike Pro Combat Uniforms.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Earlier today, Nike unveiled the Pro Combat uniforms Alabama will wear Monday for the BCS National Championship Game, and in the photos, the jersey has “Alabama” written on the back instead of a player’s name. That caused some confusion for fans posting about the uniforms on social media.
According to a school spokesman, the jerseys Alabama will wear Monday will have player names on the back, as they have all season. The pictures provided by Nike have “Alabama” on the back because the company can’t use a player’s name.
According to a Nike release, the uniforms “will debut a new highly innovative, lighter weight Nike Pro Combat Hypercool Uniform chassis that is built for speed.”
The release says Alabama’s uniforms “will be upgraded to include Nike Chain Maille Mesh — a lightweight, ultra-breathable material that emphasizes improved thermoregulation. This new fabrication is incorporated into the back and under the arms of the jersey for exceptional ventilation without sacrificing durability.”
Alabama’s uniforms also will feature “new Nike Vapor Fly Glove featuring seamless Nike Hyperfuse construction on the back of the hand, no-cuff construction to reduce weight and increase grip coverage.”
Click here for the full news release and more photos.
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MIAMI, Florida — Alabama running back Eddie Lacy revealed Thursday that his quarterback, AJ McCarron, has a bit of a thing for shoes. Lacy referred to it as a “fetish.”
Apparently, McCarron really likes his shoes. He said he brought a “whole bagful” to Miami with him. He added he has about 130 pairs of shoes in all.
“I’ve got a lot of shoes,” McCarron said, smiling. “I’ve always been that way ever since I was little. I figure you can wear the same outfit and change the shoes and it looks like a totally different outfit.
“I’m just big into shoes. Me and Kenny (Bell) kind of go back and forth and king of compete and see how many each of us have. But, yeah, I definitely brought a lot.”
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4
— Carson Tinker (@carsontink) January 3, 2013
Each day until the BCS National Championship Game, Daily Bama Blog contributor Brett Hudson will count down to kickoff, giving us bits and pieces of that day’s significance to Alabama and Notre Dame. Today is four days until the game, which means Brett is examining the number “four.”
–Alabama’s defense (second in the nation in scoring behind Noter Dame’s) is giving up only 4 yards a play (782 plays, 3,198 yards)
–To compare, Notre Dame is giving up 4.55 yards a play (757 plays, 3,442 yards)
–Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron is tied for fourth in the nation with David Fales of San Jose State in yards per pass attempt with 9.3. Georgia’s Aaron Murray is No. 1 with 9.8.
–Robert Lester and HaHa Clinton-Dix lead the Crimson Tide with four interceptions each.
–Alabama has lost the time of possession battle four times this season, in games against Western Kentucky, LSU, Texas A&M and Western Carolina. The combined score for games in which Alabama loses the time of possession battle is 129-46 in the Tide’s favor.
–The Alabama defense has forced four shutouts this season: Western Kentucky, Arkansas, Western Carolina, and Auburn. The 2012 season was the first time Alabama has had four shutouts in one season since 1979.
–Alabama’s No. 4 is true freshman running back T.J. Yeldon, who came from Daphne High to the Tide and rushed for 1,000 yards. Yeldon has been the No. 2 running back in the 1-2 punch with Eddie Lacy.
–Notre Dame has two players wearing No. 4s, including reserve running back George Atkinson III. Atkinson, a sophomore from Stockton, Calif., has rushed for 361 yards this season on 51 carries. Atkinson has not been stopped for a loss this year. Notre Dame’s other No. 4 is sophomore safety Eliar Hardy from Reynoldsburg, Ohio. Hardy has not played this season after missing the 2011 campaign due to a knee injury.
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Tagged BCS countdown, Brett Hudson, HaHa Clinton-Dix, Robert Lester
Wide receiver Kenny Bell ran, cut and caught passes in practice at Barry University.
MIAMI SHORES, Florida — Alabama receiver Kenny Bell drew some attention at the Crimson Tide’s workout Thursday afternoon, courtesy of his quarterback, AJ McCarron.
Bell is recovering from surgery for a broken leg Nov. 25, but he is practicing and running well. And nobody made a bigger deal out of that than McCarron, one of Bell’s best friends on the team. As Bell made a nice catch of a ball thrown by Blake Sims, McCarron shouted, “Coach, put him in the game!” McCarron continued playing up Bell’s every run, cut and catch.
Bell still hasn’t been cleared for contact, and he is wearing black jersey that injured players wear at practice.
Maybe he was paying Bell back for Wednesday night. Bell managed to sneak away with McCarron’s phone and posted several things on the quarterback’s Twitter account. He wasn’t pretending to be McCarron — after all, the one post about how McCarron’s followers really, really should follow Kenny Bell was a giveaway.
Alabama worked out at Buccaneer Stadium at Barry University. It’s typically a soccer field, but for the past 18 years, it has served as a practice facility for one of the teams in the Orange Bowl or BCS National Championship. Last year, Barry hosted West Virginia before its 70-33 win over Clemson in the Orange Bowl. When Alabama played Michigan in the Orange Bowl at the end of the 1999 season, Barry hosted the Wolverines.
Alabama center Barrett Jones looked fine. He worked in his regular white jersey, and during the period in which reporters were allowed to watch practice, he was participating in contact drills. He looks ready to go. In fact, he looked good enough that all that time he spent on the sideline in the past month looks precautionary in hindsight.
Alabama freshman linebacker Denzel Devall practiced in his regular jersey as well. He hurt his knee Dec. 19 while working on the field goal block team.
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Alabama coach Nick Saban comes off the plane, followed by Alabama athletics communcations football director Jeff Purinton and football adminstrative assistant Cedric Burns. (Copyright photo by Gary Cosby Jr.)
A link to photos by Gary Cosby Jr. of Alabama’s arrival at Miami International Airport: click here.
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Alabama team captain Barrett Jones speaks to reporters at Miami International Airport. (Copyright photo by Gary Cosby Jr. of The Decatur Daily)
MIAMI — How has Alabama handled the crush of hype for the BCS National Championship Game? Chance Warmack’s smile answered that.
Let’s back up for a moment until we get to the smile.
As Alabama’s charter flight took off from Tuscaloosa, two bus loads of reporters pulled into Miami International Airport to wait for the Crimson Tide to touch down, which it did at about 4:25 p.m. Miami time. Those waiting included about 25 volunteers and workers with the Orange Bowl committee, which is in charge of organizing this year’s national title game.
Even the Miami International Airport’s director of security, Lauren Stover, waited. She had her own camera crew following her around. The Travel Channel’s reality show “Airport 24/7: Miami” tracked her every move, and if you stumbled near her, somebody with the show would run up and get you to sign a release. (I didn’t do that, but a few of my colleagues did and looked a little shellshocked at the experience).
When the team filed off the plane, Tide head coach Nick Saban spoke to that gaggle of reporters for about five minutes. Then came the team captains: Barrett Jones, Damion Square and Warmack.
Everbody was outside, and with noise from the buses, the airplanes moving around, and the wind, the reporters packed closely around each player so they could hear. So what does Warmack do when he sees all these faces and cameras ready to crowd around him as tightly as a defensive line trying to close down every possible gap?
He just smiles and says, “Heeeyyyy!” Then he answers questions as easily as if about 50 old friends just happened to come invade his personal space on the airport’s tarmac.
A pack of reporters? Heck, these Alabama players have been there, done that and answered every possible question about it.
Hype? They know all about hype. The seniors have made the BCS National Championship Game three times in four years. They’ve helped Alabama win 48 of its past 53 games.
The non-seniors have played a part in plenty of Crimson Tide wins, too.
More importantly, they’ve played a part in big games that drew plenty of attention.
Alabama played in four of the six highest rated regular-season games this year, including against Georgia at No. 1 on the list (9.8 Neilsen rating), LSU at No. 3 (6.8), Texas A&M at No. 4 (6.6) and Michigan at No. 6 (4.8).
The Crimson Tide played in the highest-rated bowl game last year against LSU and the highest-rated regular season game, also against LSU. In 2010, the highest-rated regular-season game was Alabama vs. Auburn. In 2009, the season’s highest-rated game was Alabama’s win over Texas for the national championship.
When reporters asked Saban about the experience factor during his own media session on the tarmac, he declined to make much of it. He did as he often does with those questions — turned back to the old Michael Jordan quote he likes.
“He said it doesn’t matter how many game-winning shots you’ve made in the past,” Saban said. “What matters is the next one.”
But he did concede this much: “Since (the players) have been there before, they might be able to handle the distractions better.”
Notre Dame enters this one as just about the polar opposite. The Irish haven’t won a national title since 1988 or played in a game of real national significance this late in the season since 1993.
Still, if you want a comparison that goes in Notre Dame’s favor, consider the Sugar Bowl 20 years ago. Unbeaten Alabama hadn’t played a game of real significance in a long time (just like Notre Dame now), and Miami entered having won two of the previous three titles and an overwhelming favorite for another (just like Alabama now). Alabama won that one by three touchdowns.
But Saban is guarding against being too comfortable with the hype, too. After all, if he has used that Jordan quote so often with reporters, imagine how often the team has heard it.
In addition, the over-confident, too-relaxed Miami players 20 years ago weren’t saying anything like Jones did when he got off the plane Wednesday:
“People ask me all the time if you get tired of playing for a national championship,” he said. “Of course not. Every game is a little different, and this one is going to be a big challenge for us.”
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Tagged Barrett Jones, Chance Warmack, Damion Square, Nick Saban
As the Crimson Tide arrived at the Fountainbleau on Wednesday evening in Miami Beach, we still were making our way back from Miami International Airport.
Never fear, however, former Daily Bama Blog editor Michael Casagrande was on the scene at the Fountainbleau, recording video, which he has made available for us.
Also, click here to read Michael’s story on the team pulling into the Fountainbleau.
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