Daily Archives: February 10, 2013

Everybody, we have some news: I’m moving to another newspaper and no longer will be editing The Daily Bama Blog.

Don’t worry, because the Tennessee Valley Printing Company is working toward bringing a new Alabama beat writer aboard, and that person will manage the blog. Also, correspondent Brett Hudson will continue to contribute regular reports, too, on various Alabama sports. I’m certain you’ll get the same quality and consistency in updates you’ve grown accustomed to seeing when you visit this corner of the Internet.

I can’t tell you how much fun it’s been editing this blog. It’s been the best part of covering the Alabama beat, because blogs allow us to reach readers in so many different ways. If I saw a cool video or a bit of odd news from another source, I immediately thought about how the blog readers might enjoy knowing about it, too, and posted it here.

I’ve worked at The Decatur Daily for 22 years, including the past nine as sports editor. I covered Alabama as either a beat writer or columnist for 18 of thos years, including four national championship teams (1992, 2009, 2011 and 2012). It’s hard to leave, but I’ve found a new challenge: I’ll serve as sports editor of The Anniston Star.

Thank you for visiting and supporting the blog. It meant more than you know.

Sincerely,
Mark Edwards

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama — Incoming freshman O.J. Howard joked Wednesday he deserves some credit for recruiting Muscle Shoals defensive lineman Dee Liner to Alabama.

“I went to a lot of camps this summer so every camp I went to, I tried to get guys to come,” Howard said. “Dee Liner is one of the biggest guys I think I had an impact on. Dee’s my boy and he ended up coming here so I’m happy.”

Back then, Liner was an Auburn commitment.

“He was trying to get me to come to Auburn for a long time and I was like, ‘Man, lets go to Bama. They’re winning championships. Lets just go up there and have fun together.’ He eventually ended up coming,” Howard said. “He saw the bigger picture, I guess, and he’s coming this way.”

Howard said he knew he had Howard headed to Tuscaloosa on Jan. 4 when the two played in the Under Armour All-American Game. Liner visited Alabama the following weekend, decommitted from Auburn and announced Wednesday he had picked the Crimson Tide.

Howard said it wasn’t a big secret by Wednesday, when Liner announced his decision on ESPNU.

“He told everybody,” Howard laughed. “He didn’t really care.”

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