🏈 2012 SEC Post-Spring Football Notes - Alabama

[planomateo]

Was reading this link today and some things stuck out to me so I thought I would post some observations. There are an awful lot of Alabama led or leads the nation in the below data, as well as a few SEC.

As far as the number of NFL draft selections CNS has coached/recruited - at LSU, they had (2) 1st round picks in 5 years (2001-2005 drafts) - if you add the 2006-2008 drafts - LSU's best draft's, the number of 1st round selects increase to (8) total in 8 years. Alabama had (8) in the last two years. Now, some of this could easily be equated to CNS using what he did at LSU to help sell recruits on what he eventually would do (better yet, did do) at Alabama.

This tells me that either we started with better talent, or we developed talent faster than LSU from day 1.

Also, something of note: 38 student-athletes on the Academic All-SEC Honor roll, 22 on the bowl roster who earned their degree - need to look here and see how many got their degree's early (would be interesting to see this).

Anyways, just thought there were some things here that some of you might find interesting.

I looked up all of LSU's and Alabama's NFL draft selections during the time frames below and captured them - with the year followed by a value representing each draft selection according to the round, ex 1st = 1st round, 2nd = 2nd round, etc.)

Nick Saban was at LSU from 2000-2004.
LSU (22 NFL draft selections in 5 years - (2) 1st, (4) 2nd, (1) 3rd...)
2001 Draft (6th, 6th, 7th)
2002 Draft (2nd, 4th, 4th, 5th, 6th)
2003 Draft (4th, 4th, 4th, 7th)
2004 Draft (1st, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 7th)
2005 Draft (1st, 2nd, 4th)
---Post Nick Saban--- (LSU's best draft years, keep in mind, all guys CNS recruited)
2006 Draft (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th)
2007 Draft (1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 7th)
2008 Draft (1st, 3rd, 3rd, 3rd, 4th, 7th, 7th)

Bama (24 NFL draft selections in 5 years - (11) 1st, (3) 2nd, (4) 3rd...)
2008 Draft (n/a)
2009 Draft (1st, 3rd, 3rd, 3rd)
2010 Draft (1st, 1st, 2dn, 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 7th)
2011 Draft (1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 7th)
2012 Draft (1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd, 5th, 5th, 7th)

---- Data below ----

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http://www.secdigitalnetwork.com/NE...4551/2012-sec-post-spring-football-notes.aspx

• The attendance for A-Day was 78,526 (1st in the SEC and 2nd nationally this year to Ohio State) which was the fifth-largest in school history. Each spring game under head coach Nick Saban has had an attendance of 78,200 (2008) or higher.

• True freshman tailback T.J. Yeldon was named the Dixie Howell MVP in the game as he accounted for 179 all-purpose yards. He caught five passes for 91 yards and a TD and carried 16 times for 88 yards to lead the White team to a 24-15 victory.

• Sophomore outside linebacker Adrian Hubbard earned the Dwight Stephenson Lineman of the Game Award with a team-leading 7 tackles, including 3 sacks and 4 tackles for loss.

• The annual Walk of Fame ceremony took place prior to A-Day as the 2011 permanent captains (as voted on by teammates) had their hand prints and foot prints placed in cement at the base of Denny Chimes. Safety Mark Barron and linebacker Dont’a Hightower were recognized for a second year as captains and were joined by tailback Trent Richardson in the cermony.

• Eight early enrollees from Alabama’s top-rated recruited recruiting class began classes in January and took part in spring drills. Those players included six freshmen (LB Ryan Anderson, WR Chris Black, LB Dillon Lee, DL/OL Alphonse Taylor, WR Amari Cooper and RB T.J. Yeldon) and two juniors (DB Travell Dixon and DB Deion Belue).

• Alabama led the country with eight players selected in the 2012 NFL Draft including four first-rounders for a second straight year in Trent Richardson, Mark Barron, Dre Kirkpatrick and Dont’a Hightower. UA also leads the nation with 10 first round picks over the last three years and 11 over the last four.

• As an SEC head coach (beginning in 2001 at LSU and 2008 at Alabama), Nick Saban has totaled 73 NFL draft picks with 20 first round selections and 10 among the top 10 overall.

• During the last academic year, Alabama’s football program led the SEC (in what is believed to be a conference record) with a total of 38 student-athletes on the Academic All-SEC Honor Roll with 38 players. A total of 22 players were on the bowl roster who had already earned their degrees, which was tied for first nationally in terms of graduates on bowl rosters.

• The team visited the White House and met President Obama on April 19th. The President was presented with a #14 Alabama helmet and #14 jersey to commemorate UA’s 14th National Championship. After the visit, they team toured the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.

• Of Alabama’s 13 starters lost, all were either drafted or signed free agent contracts with the NFL. Included among those 13 were the four first-rounders listed above along with LB Courtney Upshaw (2nd round), NG Josh Chapman (5th round), DB DeQuan Menzie (5th round) and TE Brad Smelley (7th round). OG Alfred McCullough, WR Marquis Maze, WR Darius Hanks, C William Vlachos and LB Jerrell Harris each signed as free agents following the draft.

• The Tide returns five starters on offense, including Outland Trophy winner Barrett Jones, who played left tackle last year but moved to center in the spring. Also back is QB AJ McCarron, the offensive MVP of the National Championship Game, along with OG Chance Warmack, TE Michael Williams and OT D.J. Fluker. The defense has just four returning starters in DL Jesse Williams and Damion Square, LB Nico Johnson and S Robert Lester. Williams played DE last year, but moved inside to NG during the spring.