Tag Archives: Jalston Fowler

Live Post: 2013 A-Day

Bryant-Denny Stadium while the players warmup for the 2013 A-Day game. (Copyright photo by Brett Hudson)

Bryant-Denny Stadium while the players warmup for the 2013 A-Day game. (Copyright photo by Brett Hudson)

Here is your home for 2013 A-Day updates, as this post will be updated constantly during the game.

**NOTE: The Live Post will end after the third quarter for on-field access. Photos and video from on-field time to come with postgame coverage here on Daily Bama Blog.

Third Quarter

The third quarter ends without a score. White 10, Crimson 7.

2:56. Not a good day to be a reserve quarterback. Parker McLeod comes in for first snap as the White team’s QB, fumbles the snap. He does recover it, however.

3:23.

6:32. Del Rio hits running back Trey Roberts for a 31-yard pass on a dump-off, puts the Crimson offense around the 50.

8:08. Luke Del Rio misses on his first pass attempt for the Crimson team. He’s the last of the four Crimson quarterbacks to enter the game (Bateman came in for one snap).

Halftime: White 10, Crimson 7

White Stats
– 30 plays, 157 yards
– T.J. Yeldon: 6 carries, 23 yards; 5 catches, 45 yards.
– Kenny Bell: 3 catches, 71 yards, 1 touchdown
– Amari Cooper: 3 catches, 17 yards
– AJ McCarron: 12-17, 136 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
– Phillip Ely: 2-4, 8 yards
– Time of Possession: 17:21

Crimson Stats
– 25 plays, 147 yards
– Kenyan Drake: 5 carries, 24 yards; 2 catches, 12 yards
– Raheem Falkins: 2 catches, 40 yards
– Chris Black: 2 catches, 15 yards
– Blake Sims: 4-6, 40 yards, no touchdowns, 2 interceptions
– Alec Morris: 4-7, 29 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions
– Time of Possession: 12:39

Second Quarter

0:00. Vinnie Sunseri catches a bobbled pass and returns 86 yards for a touchdown. HALFTIME: White 10, Crimson 7.

0:16. AJ McCarron leading a little bit of a last-second drive here, might get in field goal range with a another good play.

3:18. AJ McCarron overthrows Amari Cooper and has it intercepted by HaHa Clinton-Dix. Clinton-Dix returns it 50- or 60-something yards for a touchdown, but it’s called back by an offsides call on Ed Stinson.

Update on the man injured on the play:

3:33. Alec Morris throw to the sidelines is jumped and picked off by Landon Collins. Collins returned it for 28 yards, then was pushed out-of-bounds into a person on the sidelines. Pretty hard contact. The person is receiving medial attention, being taken off on a stretcher.

4:01. Bateman lasted just one play. False start called and Alec Morris came back in. His first play, completed a pass to freshman tight end O.J. Howard.

4:37. Things getting sloppy now. Kenny Bell catches a pass and tries to make more of it, has the ball poked out and recovered by C.J. Mosley. Cooper Bateman in at QB for Crimson team.

6:20. Well, there goes that. A not-so-great exchange from Morris to Kenyan Drake turns the ball over to the White team. Dillon Lee recovered the fumble on the 25-yard line.

6:54. Alec Morris continues his impressive first drive of action with a 36-yard completion to DeAndrew White. First down, Crimson.

9:35. Nice punt from Cody Mandell flips the field, announced as a 58-yarder. Alec Morris enters as the new QB for the Crimson team, Phillip Ely in for the White team.

First Quarter

White 10, Crimson 0

White Stats:
– 11 plays, 100 yards
– T.J. Yeldon: 4 carries, 20 yards
– Kenny Bell: 2 catches, 63 yards, 1 touchdown
– AJ McCarron: 5-6, 89 yards, 1 touchdown, no interceptions

Crimson Stats:
– 11 plays, 60 yards
– Kenyan Drake: 4 carries, 12 yards
– Raheem Falkins: 1 catch, 31 yards
– Blake Sims: 4-6, 40 yards, no touchdowns, 2 interceptions

2:40. Another Blake Sims interception right on the goal line to Nick Perry (again) sends the Bryant-Denny into silence. Probably don’t like what they see. White ball, inside the 1-yard line.

3:12. First Raheem Falkins sighting of the game with a easy drag route turned into a 31-yard play and a first down. First time the Crimson offense has been in White territory all game.

7:09. FIELD GOAL, WHITE. McCarron was sacked by Ed Stinson and forced a 29-yard field goal from Cade Foster. That will surely be good for his resume when making his case to be Jeremy Shelley’s replacement. White 10, Crimson 0.

9:34. Blake Sims under pressure, threw a highly questionable pass that was intercepted by Nick Perry and returned to the redzone. White team sitting pretty.

12:05. TOUCHDOWN, WHITE. Again, welcome back, Kenny Bell. Bell follows up his 23-yard catch by catching a 40-yard touchdown pass from McCarron. White 7, Crimson 0. Scoring drive only took 2:55.

12:48. Welcome back, Kenny Bell. Bell catches a 23-yard pass from McCarron for a first down.

The first play of the game was a AJ McCarron hand-off to T.J. Yeldon that would have gone for a first down, but was called back by a holding call on Christion Jones. We’re underway.

The JumboTron here in Bryant-Denny Stadium has spotted the following former players: D.J. Fluker, Julio Jones, Eddie Lacy and Mark Ingram.

Pregame

Running back Dee Hart is not wearing a noncontact black jersey for the first time this spring, fully dressed out in his white jersey. Hart is running drills with the rest of the running backs and looks good doing it.

The players that are in the noncontact black jerseys (other than all of the quarterbacks) are: linebacker C.J. Mosley (shoulder), cornerback John Fulton (toe) and running back Jalston Fowler (knee).

Wide receiver Kevin Norwood is walking around, off crutches, in windpants. The press box is way too high for me to see if he has a boot over his toe. Also not in pads is defensive lineman Wilson Love (concussion).

Countdown to Spring Football: Running backs Preview

T.J. Yeldon's game-winning touchdown in Death Valley cemented him in Alabama football history. His play for the entire 2012 season did the same thing for his starting job in 2013. (AP photo)

T.J. Yeldon’s game-winning touchdown in Death Valley cemented him in Alabama football history. His play for the entire 2012 season did the same thing for his starting job in 2013. (AP photo)

Daily Bama Blog correspondent Brett Hudson, like he did for the BCS National Championship Game against Notre Dame, will count you down to the beginning of spring practice with another series. Each day, Brett will break down a different position group going into spring practice until the beginning of practice on March 16. Here is the schedule.
Today: Quarterbacks (click here to read it)
Tomorrow: Running backs
Saturday: Wide receivers
Sunday: Tight ends/H-Backs
Monday: Offensive Line
Tuesday: Defensive Line
Wednesday: Linebackers/Pro Day
March 14: Cornerbacks
March 15: Safeties
March 16: Opening day of spring practice

Another year, another starting running back leaving early for the NFL Draft. As has been the case for the last two years, the Crimson Tide has a stable of bodies able to replace the lost back.

Following in the wakes of Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson, Eddie Lacy left his last season of eligibility behind to move on to the NFL and, just like Ingram and Richardson, will leave his spot to a group of breakout young backs.

As was the case with yesterday’s quarterback preview, there was one name that is seemingly set-in-stone for having a large role in the rotation: T.J. Yeldon.

Yeldon (freshman year highlights), a 1,131-yard rusher with 12 touchdowns as a true freshman in 2012, is the far-and-away shoe-in candidate for the No. 1 spot as a running back, or at least the 1A that Lacy was last year.

Again, like the quarterbacks, the biggest question is the No. 2, or for running backs, 1B spot.

The leading candidate judging from the 2012 season is Kenyan Drake (freshman year highlights), another true freshman on last year’s team that filled in during blowouts and gained valuable experience from it, carrying the ball 42 times for 285 yards and five touchdowns despite being suspended for the Western Carolina game.

However, Alabama has two players coming back from season-ending knee injuries: Jalston Fowler and Dee Hart. Hart will be coming back from a torn ACL for the second time in his short career at the Capstone, while Fowler was seeing time as a fullback and occassional ball carrier early in the season before his injury.

The addition of three more freshmen, only one in for spring training, makes the Alabama backfield a crowded bunch. Early enrollee Derrick Henry (high school highlights) has been the fan favortie, accruing numerous records and national player of the year awards in high school before coming to Alabama. Altee Tenpenny (high school highlights), one of the best prospects out of Arkansas, will be joined by Tyren Jones (high school highlights) and Alvin Kamara (high school highlights) as freshmen running backs from Georgia entering the program in the fall.

Breakdown: Five players (eight in the fall) vying for two and a half spots (1A, 1B, mop-up time). One senior (Fowler), one redshirt sophomore (Hart), two sophomores (Yeldon, Drake), four true freshmen (Henry in the spring; Jones, Tenpenny and Kamara in the fall).

Prediction: The battle for the 1B spot will fall to one of the following: Drake, Fowler, Hart. The losers of that battle will join Henry to battle it our for the mop-up position. The rest, most likely the true freshmen that did not enroll early, are likely due for a redshirt season.

As is the case with the quarterback position, Alabama could see a player, or possibly two, transfer away from the Tide for playing time in the next year or two.

Thoughts from Alabama’s Monday practice

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama — The Crimson Tide practiced inside its indoor facility today in shorts, shoulder pads and helmets.

We saw true freshman receiver Chris Black in a regular white jersey instead of the black non-contact jersey, which is what injured players are assigned. He looked explosive when running his routes.

We also watched the tight ends and H-backs at work, and once again, we realized how much of a loss Alabama suffered when Jalston Fowler went down with a knee injury in the second game this year. While he wouldn’t have played a ton at running back, he gave Alabama a real threat at fullback and H-back. The Tide misses the pass-catching option Brad Smelley gave the team last year.

Here’s a quick video of receivers Kevin Norwood, Black and Danny Woodson Jr. running a route in practice today. Norwood, who has struggled with leg injuries, looks 100 percent, and Black looks good, too. You can judge for yourself:

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Thoughts from Monday’s practice

Alabama worked out in its indoor facility Monday afternoon as rain hit Tuscaloosa.

The Tide worked out in helmets, shoulder pads and shorts. Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron seemed fine, despite bruising his hand in Saturday’s 52-0 win over Arkansas. Somebody stepped on it when McCarron went after a fumbled snap.

Injury-wise, Alabama coach Nick Saban said everybody is fine, except for the normal bumps and bruises that come with a game. Running back Jalston Fowler had his knee surgery Thursday.

“He did stay in the hospital for a few days,” Saban said. “Part of that was because we weren’t here and they could care for him better there when our medical staff is not here.”

For today’s practice video, here are receivers going out for passes from the quarterbacks:

Jalston Fowler undergoes his surgery

Jalston Fowler had a big game against Michigan. (Copyright photo by Gary Cosby Jr. of The Decatur Daily)

Jalston Fowler (45) rushed for 18 yards on three carries against Western Kentucky. (Copyright photo by Brennen Smith)

Alabama head coach Nick Saban said Thursday on his radio show Tide running back Jalston Fowler had surgery on his knee earlier in the day and will be fine.

“The doctor says he’s going to be fine,” Saban said. “It was a pretty significant injury.”

Fowler got hurt toward the end of the Crimson Tide’s win over Western Kentucky — one play before Saban told running backs coach Burton Burns to take out Fowler and insert Dee Hart.

“It was just unfortunate timing there,” Saban said.

Fowler has played two seasons in two years at Alabama. Because he has played in only two games this season, he is eligible for a medical redshirt.

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Saban: Fowler out for the season

Jalston Fowler (45) rushed for 18 yards on three carries against Western Kentucky. (Copyright photo by Brennen Smith)

Alabama head coach Nick Saban announced today Tide running back Jalston Fowler will miss the rest of the season after injuring his knee Saturday. The injury will require surgery.

“Jalston’s been a great player in the program, a great special teams guy, a great backup player for us and a really good attitude guy and has lots of character,” Saban said. “A really good competitor. I know he feels badly, and we feel badly too, for him, that he can’t be a part and continue to contribute to our team this year.”

As for a replacement, Saban said Dee Hart and Kenyan Drake will get more chances at running back. Kelly Johnson was his backup at fullback. Fowler also was part of the kickoff return and punt return teams.

“We are going to miss him,” Saban said. “It’s going to take a number of people to replace him in various roles that he played on our team.”

Saban made the announcement at his regular game-week news conference. Because Fowler has played in only two games, he is eligible for a medical redshirt. He has played in two seasons in his two years on campus and would have two more seasons of eligibility, even if he redshirted.

Fowler got hurt with 5:41 left in the fourth quarter of the No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide’s 35-0 win over Western Kentucky.

He ranks second on the team with 85 rushing yards on 11 carries in two games this season. Last season as a sophomore, he compiled 385 rushing yards and four touchdowns. He had 111 rushing yards as a freshman.

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T.J Yeldon impresses a fellow running back

Alabama junior Jalston Fowler is competing with freshman T.J. Yeldon for playing time at running back, but that doesn’t mean Fowler can’t say nice things about his young teammate.

When asked Tuesday what impresses him about Yeldon, Fowler smiled and said, “The kid can do everything. I mean everything. Catch, run, he’s physical … everything.”

Yeldon enrolled at Alabama in January and went through spring practice. He was the star of the A-Day Game, rushing 16 times for a game-high 88 yards and catching five passes for 91 yards, another game high. He also scored on a 50-yard pass reception.

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