Tag Archives: John Fulton

Live Post: 2013 A-Day

Posted on April 20, 2013 by | Comments Off

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).

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Spring Football Practice Report: April 16, 2013

Posted on April 16, 2013 by | Comments Off

Alabama's defensive coordinator Kirby Smart observes as Reggie Ragland goes through a drill in Tuesday's practice. (Copyright photo by Brett Hudson)

Alabama’s defensive coordinator Kirby Smart observes as Reggie Ragland goes through a drill in Tuesday’s practice. (Copyright photo by Brett Hudson)

To start off the final week of spring practice before A-Day, the Crimson Tide practiced outdoors in full pads. This was also the first Tuesday practice of the spring schedule, as Alabama moved from its normal Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule to Tuesday-Thursday so the players are fresh for A-Day.

Here’s the news.

– Injured cornerback John Fulton was off the exercise bike today, but not doing light running like he has before. Instead, he was alongside his fellow defensive backs on the practice field for drills. I did not notice Fulton doing any drills, but he seems to be getting closer to practicing. Linebacker Trey Depriest and wide receiver Kevin Norwood were still on the exercise bike.

– I was unable to spot running back Derrick Henry at practice today. That does not mean that he was without a doubt absent, but it is a possibility since he has just recently had surgery on his broken leg. Plus, I like to think my eyes are not bad to the point that I would miss a character like Henry walking around.

– The quarterback rotation is still hidden for the time being. Clearly, AJ McCarron is the front runner, but behind him remains a clouded mess. It appears that Blake Sims, Phillip Ely and Alec Morris are battling for the No. 2 spot behind McCarron while the freshmen: Cooper Bateman, Parker McLeod and Luke Del Rio are trying to separate themselves from the pack for the future.

– Former linebacker Nico Johnson was in town to observe practice. Johnson has recently been working out in hopes of being taken in next week’s NFL Draft.

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Football Practice Report: April 10, 2013

Posted on April 10, 2013 by | Comments Off

Starting quarterback AJ McCarron in Wednesday's practice. (Copyright photo by Brett Hudson)

Starting quarterback AJ McCarron in Wednesday’s practice. (Copyright photo by Brett Hudson)

With the ESPN College Gameday crew in Tuscaloosa for a leg of their spring practice tour, the Crimson Tide took to the practice field again, outside for the second practice in-a-row for what feels like the first time all spring. Here’s the news.

– As expected, Trey Depriest was out of practice on the exercise bike, wearing a protective boot over his right foot. Depriest, as reported by several outlets, had surgery on a stress fracture in his right foot and will miss the rest of spring practice.

– Vinnie Sunseri and HaSeaon “HaHa” Clinton-Dix look like the starting safeties in the defensive backfield, while Deion Belue and Geno Smith look to be the starting cornerbacks. Some key bodies in the reserves include Bradley Sylve and Jabriel Washington.

– Running back Dee Hart was a running back for the entirety of the open periods of practice today, not working with the defensive backs at all. Christion Jones was with the defensive backs for the entirety of the open period, as he has been all spring.

– Cornerback John Fulton (toe) continues to show great improvement, today running and cutting on his injured foot. The cuts he did were not at full speed, and some of them weren’t even at half-speed, but the foot is taking more weight now. Video of that can be seen below.

– Wide receivers were practicing receiving short back shoulder routes on jam man coverage. You can see video of the quarterbacks playing pitch-and-catch with the wideouts below.

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Football Practice Report: April 8, 2013

Posted on April 8, 2013 by | Comments Off
Alabama linebacker Trey Depriest (33) is being held out of practice alongside cornerback John Fulton (10) and Kevin Norwood (right, behind Scott Cochran). Copyright photo by Brett Hudson.

Alabama linebacker Trey Depriest (33) is being held out of practice alongside cornerback John Fulton (10) and Kevin Norwood (right, behind Scott Cochran). Copyright photo by Brett Hudson.

The Crimson Tide went quickly back to contact after the first spring scrimmage on Saturday (video and stats from that scrimmage). Here is the news from the open practice viewing.

– Alabama linebacker Trey Depriest was held out of practice today, in a noncontact black jersey riding the exercise bike under the supervision of strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran. Depriest was sporting a protective boot on his right leg. He was alongside Kevin Norwood (toe) and John Fulton (toe), who had appeared to be making improvements before the scrimmage, getting off the bike and doing light running.

– At the defensive end spot, Ed Stinson was practicing alongside Dalvin Tomlinson in the No. 1 line. LaMichael Fanning and Dakota Ball were the No. 2 team and Korren Kirven was in the No. 3 team.

– The linebackers seemed to be practicing more tackling drills than normal, with more contact that the norm, as well.

– Former Alabama defensive end Quinton Dial was observing practice, much closer to the action than most of the other visitors. You can see him in the practice video below.

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Spring Football Practice Report: April 5, 2013

Posted on April 5, 2013 by | Comments Off

Backup quarterback Phillip Ely (12) throws in spring practice on Friday. (Copyright photo by Brett Hudson)

Backup quarterback Phillip Ely (12) throws in spring practice on Friday. (Copyright photo by Brett Hudson)

On a beautiful afternoon in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide took to the outdoor practice facility for the final time before the first spring scrimmage on Saturday. Alabama will move to Bryant-Denny Stadium for its scrimmage.

Here is the news from Friday’s practice:

– Injured cornerback John Fulton was running faster than he was on Wednesday, almost sprinting. There is no official word on Fulton’s status going forward, but he seems to be much further along than wide receiver Kevin Norwood, who is also battling with a toe injury.

– Practice today seemed to be more geared towards game situations and game speed. The quarterbacks were practicing playaction drops and throwing on the run, while the running backs were moving from drill-to-drill quicker than usual.

– Linebacker Denzell Devall was seen moving from the contact drills with the outside linebackers to the coverage drills. This move was often pulled by C.J. Mosley during the fall, so it looks as if Devall’s role in the defense is growing for the time being.

We also have practice video for you.

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Football Practice Report: April 3, 2013

Posted on April 3, 2013 by | Comments Off
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Wide receiver DeAndrew White (left, black jersey) waits for his turn in drills after Kenny Bell (right). Copyright photo by Brett Hudson.

A late afternoon rain shower forced the Crimson Tide inside the Hank Crisp Practice Facility next door to the brand new weight room for its Wednesday practice. Here is the news:

- Amari Cooper is leading the wide receiver in drills. He is followed up by DeAndrew White who seems to be running fine after tearing his ACL last season. Chris Black is third coming back from his shoulder injury, while Kenny Bell is fourth and true freshman Raheem Falkins is fifth, before the scout team comes in from there.

Alabama does have Eddie Jackson and Robert Foster coming in for the fall as true freshmen.

- The drills also revealed some depth chart decisions made the the tight end and H-Back positions. Brian Vogler as the starting tight end alongside Harrison Jones as the first H-Back. Tight end Malcolm Faciane practiced with H-Back O.J. Howard as the second team and on the third team was tight end Kurt Freitag alongside H-Back Corey McCarron.

- Contact seems to be picking up in preparation for the first spring scrimmage, as we saw the outside linebackers go to battle with the tight ends and H-Backs in some rough blocking drills today.

- Cornerback John Fulton was off the exercise bike and doing some light running drills in his first practice activity after injuring his toe against Texas A&M last season. He was not doing much, but he was moving. You can see video of that below.

Kevin Norwood, also trying to come back from a toe injury, is still out of practice.

- The wide receivers were doing a jump ball drill today, which I have never seen them do before. That could be something new wide recivers coach Billy Napier brought from Florida State. You can also see that drill in the video below.

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Practice Report: March 18, 2013

Posted on March 18, 2013 by | Comments Off

Freshman running back Derrick Henry running through drills in Monday's practice. (Copyright photo by Brett Hudson)

Freshman running back Derrick Henry running through drills in Monday’s practice. (Copyright photo by Brett Hudson)

Some strong (making field goal posts sway violently, strong) winds, followed by rain, forced the Alabama Crimson Tide inside the Hank Crisp Indoor Practice Facility for its second spring practice. Here are the notes, with video posted at the bottom.

– Wide receiver Kevin Norwood and cornerback John Fulton were still held out of practice, but still found a way to compete thanks to a push-up contest sparked by strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran, who was working with them before and after the contest. Cochran won. Video is posted below.

– Offensive lineman Anthony Steen got reps at left guard, right guard and right tackle in practice, but most of his reps came at right guard alongside projected starting center Ryan Kelly. Also seen running with starters were Chad Lindsay, Austin Shepherd and Kellen Williams.

– Quarterback Blake Sims not only did not throw, but did not do much of anything in practice today. He didn’t seem to be experiencing excruciating pain, but regardless was not practicing.

– True freshman quarterback Cooper Bateman seems to be moving along quite nicely, working his way ahead of practice squad walk-on Edward Aldag, but still behind starter AJ McCarron and backups Phillip Ely and Alec Morris. This may not sound like much, but it is more than what the other two true freshman quarterbacks, Parker McLeod and Luke Del Rio, can say at this point.

– Wide receiver Christion Jones and running back Dee Hart were still working with the defensive backs, and from what I was able to see, it appears that Jones’ transition is going more smooth than Hart’s is.

– Tight end/H-Back Brian Vogler seems to be leading the rotation at that position. The distribution of players between the H-Back and tight end position could have an impact on depth chart decisions, however.

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Sunday Notebook: Injury update, breaking in new coaches and more

Posted on March 17, 2013 by | Comments Off

Kevin Norwood (front, 83) is set to miss at least a portion of spring workouts with a toe injury. (AP photo)

Kevin Norwood (front, 83) is set to miss at least a portion of spring workouts with a toe injury. (AP photo)

While the wide receiving corps took a hit from moving of Christion Jones and Cyrus Jones to defensive back (click here to read more about that), it was also suffering through the absence of wide receiver Kevin Norwood.

Norwood, along with cornerback John Fulton, missed the first practice of the spring practice season with toe injuries and will likely miss more.

“Both guys will be OK in the summer and fall, but probably pretty questionable for the spring,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said. “Kevin for sure. John probably for sure as well.”

Fulton had offseason surgery on his toe after injuring it in the loss to Texas A&M while Norwood continued to play through the BCS National Championship Game win over Notre Dame.

Back from vacation

Guaranteed money was simply too much to pass up for Jai Miller, who passed up both college football and college basketball to sign with the then-Florida Marlins after being taken in the fourth round of the 2003 MLB Draft.

After nine years of baseball, including 20 games with the 2010 Kansas City Royals and seven games with the 2011 Oakland Athletics, Miller has returned to his homestate to play for the Crimson Tide football team.

“I think anytime you’re off for awhile, it takes a little bit of time to transition back into it,” Saban said. “But I’ve been encouraged by his athleticism and his size. He’s a bright guy. He does learn. I saw him make a tremendous amount of improvement on the field today.

“Everything it new to him, every technique is new to him. I’m sure things are running a little bit together for him on the first day but I’m encouraged by how he might be able to help us.”

New direction

Alabama's new offensive line coach Mario Cristobal. (Photo courtesy of UA Athletics)

Alabama’s new offensive line coach Mario Cristobal. (Photo courtesy of UA Athletics)

In its first practice, Alabama welcomed in three new assisstant coaches for their first showing with the Crimson Tide: offensive line coach Mario Cristobal, wide receivers coach Billy Napier and defensive backs coach Greg Brown.

The trio replaced Jeff Stoutland after his move to the Philadelphia Eagles, Mike Groh after his move to the Chicago Bears and Jeremy Pruitt after his move to Florida State, respectively.

“All those coaches were out there coaching and teaching every play,” Saban said. “I’m encouraged by the energy and enthusiasm they’re bringing, and the new ideas they’re bringing. It’s all been positive from my standpoint.”

But Saban recognized that they were in fact thrown into a fire of sorts.

“I think we try to cover as many things as we possibly can in terms of what the expectations are and trying to define how we do things, what we want, and all that,” Saban said. “But inevitably, until you do it, you probably aren’t going to hit every circumstance that can possibly come up, and how you’d like to manage it and what you’d like to do. But I thought the energy and enthusiasm was good.”

Saban visited Moore before his departure for Duke

Alabama Athletic Director Mal Moore, currently undergoing testing at Duke University Medical Center with pulmonary issues, received a visit from Saban on Wednesday before he was transported to Duke.

“I know Mal’s in good spirits. I went to see him on Wednesday,” Saban said. “I think he’s in great hands with a lot of good people and I know he’s got a lot of family around him that are being very supportive, including his daughter Heather.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with him and certainly appreciate all of our fans and everyone out there who supports Alabama football to have a thought and prayer for Mal and his family as well.”

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Countdown to Spring Football: Cornerbacks Breakdown

Posted on March 15, 2013 by | Comments Off

Deion Belue (left) is following Dee Milliner (right) as Alabama's No. 1 starting cornerback from 2012 to 2013. (AP photo)

Deion Belue (left) is following Dee Milliner (right) as Alabama’s No. 1 starting cornerback from 2012 to 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.
March 7th: Quarterbacks (click here to read it)
March 8th: Running backs (click here to read it)
March 9th: Wide receivers (click here to read it)
Sunday: Tight ends/H-Backs (click here to read it)
Monday: Offensive Line (click here to read it)
Yesterday: Defensive Line (click here to read it)
Today: Linebackers/Pro Day (click here for the linebackers preview and click here for the Hub of Pro Day coverage)
Tomorrow: Cornerbacks
Friday: Safeties
Saturday: Opening day of spring practice

The practice videos throughout the years showcase different players going through different drills from year-to-year, even being led by different position coaches. But there is always on constant.

Nick Saban. And not just his presence, but where exactly he is: with the cornerbacks.

Saban’s hands-on approach with the Crimson Tide cornerbacks has produced NFL Draft talent such as Dre Kirkpatrick and DeQuan Menzie, all being replaced in-stride. Alabama has to do the same for 2013 after losing Dee Milliner to what could be a Top 5 pick.

The Tide has Deion Belue returning for his second season of starting at the cornerback position in as many seasons after transferring to Alabama from Northeast Mississippi Community College. Belue intercepted two passes, broke up seven and defended another nine last season.

Geno Smith began to rise as his freshman season carried on, at one point prompting Saban to say, “the light came on,” for him. Smith broke up two passes and defended two more in his limited playing time in 2012, but it was enough to make him a favorite for the 2013 season.

Smith would have been competing with John Fulton, the South Carolina native, had he not suffered a toe injury in the loss to Texas A&M and is out indefinitely for spring practice. Saban has not addressed whether or not he wil practice in spring, but it seems unlikely that Fulton will be ready for the first one on Saturday.

Redshirt sophomores Bradley Sylve and Jabriel Washington will also compete in the spring.

The Tide has four defensive backs coming in as a part of the 2013 recruiting class, all of whom could land at cornerback. Jonathan Cook, from Spanish Fort, Ala., played cornerback in high school and will likely stay at the position. New Jersey product Anthony Averett, listed as an athlete out of high school, has said that Saban plans to try him out as a cornerback.

ArDarius Stewart and Maurice Smith will also enter the program in the fall with their first positions in the defensive backfield.

Breakdown: Two seniors (Belue, Fulton), two redshirt sophomores (Sylve, Washington), one true sophomore (G. Smith), four true freshmen (none in spring training: Cook, Averett, Stewart, M. Smith).

Prediction: Belue is a sure thing as a starter, and G. Smith has a great opportunity to separate himself as the other in Fulton’s absence. Sylve and Washington have the opportunity to compete for the nickelback spot, but so do the incoming freshmen. G. Smith did just that last year: found an opportunity as the nickelback and did not fall back after his initial tryout.

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Four arrested players no longer with Alabama football team, other news

Posted on February 27, 2013 by | Comments Off

Brent Calloway catching a pass in practice for the BCS National Championship Game against Notre Dame. Calloway is no longer on the Alabama football team. (AP photo)

Brent Calloway catching a pass in practice for the BCS National Championship Game against Notre Dame. Calloway is no longer on the Alabama football team. (AP photo)

Numerous reports have confirmed that the four players arrested in connection with two robberies on campus: Tyler Hayes, Eddie Williams, Brent Calloway and D.J. Pettway, are “no longer associated with the team.”

The four were indefinitely suspended from the team after their arrests and were later barred from campus before being kicked off the team, according to Wednesday’s reports.

The University of Alabama released a statement on the matter Wednesday afternoon.

“UA’s judicial review has been completed. The four students involved in the robberies on campus are no longer enrolled in UA,” the statement noted.

Alabama coach Nick Saban said the players’ actions did not “reflect the spirit and character that we want our organization reflect.”

“Their actions do not reflect the spirit and character that we want our organization to reflect,” Saban said. “It’s obviously very disappointing and unacceptable what happened.”

The wide receiving corps has also taken a hit, according to the same reports. Marvin Shinn has decided to forego offseason workouts and is expected to transfer. Shinn caught six passes for 42 yards in 2012, two for 14 yards in the BCS National Championship Game.

Another Mobile area product, wide receiver Danny Woodson Jr., has been suspended for a violation of team rules and will not participate in spring practice. Woodson Jr., the son of former Alabama quarterback Danny Sr., caught one pass for nine yards in the 2012 season.

Finally, in the wide receiving corps, Kevin Norwood, Alabama’s No. 2 wide receiver behind Amari Cooper last season, has been held out of offseason workouts with a toe injury and has an uncertain status for spirng practice. Norwood caught 29 passes for 461 yards last season. Cornerback John Fulton is in a similar situation after injuring his toe in the Texas A&M loss and having surgery on it.

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The Crimson Tide, the trip to Miami and Twitter

Posted on January 2, 2013 by | Comments Off

MIAMI, Florida — Some of the better Twitter posts from Alabama players as they traveled to Miami today and checked into the Fountainbleau Miami Beach:

And this one from a fan:

Also find and follow The Daily Bama Blog on:
Twitter: @DailyEdwards
Facebook: Facebook.com/dailybamablog

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Countdown: 10 days until the BCS National Championship Game

Posted on December 28, 2012 by | Comments Off

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 10 days until the game, which means Brett is examining the number “10.”

–Alabama has given up 10.7 points per game this season, second only to Notre Dame, who has given up 10.3.

–Alabama is averaging 10 yards a punt return. Even more specific, Christion Jones is averaging 10.6 yards a return despite splitting time with Cyrus Jones and Dee Hart. Christian Jones ranks as 27th in the nation in average yards a punt return.

–Notre Dame has had 10 plays of over 40 yards this season, ranking in a tie for 79th nationally with Maryland, Bowling Green, Pittsburgh, South Carolina and Texas-San Antonio.

–Alabama’s defensive No. 10 is defensive back John Fulton, who has gotten more and more playing time throughout the season before suffering a turf toe injury in the loss to Texas A&M. Fulton played a great deal of the Tide’s defensive snaps in the loss to the Aggies. Fulton is credited with 15 tackles and five pass break-ups on the season.

– Alabama’s No. 10 on offense is AJ McCarron, looking to win back-to-back national championships as the starting quarterback. The last quarterback to win two national championships in college was Tim Tebow at Florida, but he was not the starter for both seasons. The last one to win back-to-back titles starting for both teams was Tommie Frazier, who quarterbacked the Nebraska Cornhuskers to back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995. McCarron has thrown for 2,669 yards and 26 touchdowns this season on 191-286 passing.

–Notre Dame’s No. 10 is its third-best wide receiver in terms of yards, DeVaris Daniels. Daniels, the sophomore out of Vernon Hills, Ill., has 375 yards on 25 catches this season, but no touchdowns. Daniels had seven catches for 86 yards in Notre Dame’s win over Pitt, his best game of the season.

Also find and follow The Daily Bama Blog on:
Twitter: @DailyEdwards
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Thoughts from Friday’s Alabama football practice

Posted on December 21, 2012 by | Comments Off

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama — Even with the sun shining brightly and the air not too chilly, Alabama practiced inside today for the second straight day.

Freshman linebacker Denzel Devall was on the field but only as an observer. Wearing a black non-contact jersey and a brace on his injured left knee, he watched the other linebackers work.

Noseguard Jesse Williams looks fine as he recovers from a sprained knee suffered in the SEC Championship Game.

Defensive back John Fulton, who suffered from a turf toe injury against Texas A&M, was limping a little but went through workouts. Cornerback Dee Milliner sat out one of the two periods reporters were allowed to view today, but it doesn’t appear serious. As Barrett Jones said earlier this week, because Alabama is going through preseason-style workouts, the reserves are getting a little more work than usual in practice.

Although Alabama is working mostly on Alabama, there is a little bit of practice time taken with preparing for Notre Dame. During the period in which the defensive backs and linebackers work on pass coverage, two of the scout-team tight ends had make-shift No. 80 jerseys. That’s the number of Notre Dame senior tight end Tyler Eifert.

Here’s practice video, shot by Brett Hudson:

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Thoughts from Wednesday’s Alabama practice

Posted on November 21, 2012 by | Comments Off

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama — The Crimson Tide practiced outside in full pads today, and it looked like a typical Wednesday practice.

During the time we were allowed inside the gates, the only hiccup appeared to come after a defensive backs drill when the position coach got angry and made his players run through it again. He yelled they weren’t getting anything out of it.

You probably can guess the position coach: Nick Saban.

All of the injured players ran and looked athletic, including cornerback John Fulton (turf toe), running back T.J. Yeldon, and receivers Kenny Bell (foot) and Kevin Norwood (leg). There’s no reason to think they’ll be limited in Saturday’s game against Auburn.

We have video for you of Saban working with the defensive backs. He stopped the work for a moment at the beginning to yell and make the players do the drill again.

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Tide injuries: Fulton ‘questionable,’ Lacy says he’s fine

Posted on November 13, 2012 by | Comments Off

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama — Alabama coach Nick Saban said Monday that Tide cornerback John Fulton is the only player questionable to play Saturday against Western Carolina because of injury.

“John Fulton has turf toe, a pretty good one,” he said. “And he actually finished the game with it. It really swelled up quite a bit and all that.”

Running back Eddie Lacy came out of Saturday’s loss to Texas A&M after getting hit in the head, but returned to the game.

“It was a bad hit, a pretty bad hit,” Lacy said. “My neck still hurts a little bit, but I’m rehabbing it and it’s getting a lot better.”

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