🏈 Bama Football Staff Changes & Updates

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

JaMarcus Shephard's WR coaching spot has been filled... Nix had several options and has chosen Bama. Some may recall, Nix and his family have a very close relationship with the Wommack's. He's a respected coach, players love him, good recruiter, tons of HS relationships in the south (especially in MS), and also good knowledge of how to run an offense (as well as coach RBs).

 

[Justneedme81]

This is good get for Alabama.
Players love him. Got me thinking if we will get certain Auburn players..

 

[rammerjammer]

I really liked Shepard and his whole vibe and feel like he was very motivating and hyped the guys up a lot..........but I hope Nix teaches our receivers to catch the ball.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

I really liked Shepard and his whole vibe and feel like he was very motivating and hyped the guys up a lot..........but I hope Nix teaches our receivers to catch the ball.

A lot of the problem IMO is it's bad habits that develop early in HS and before... kids are not taught to catch the ball with their hands, or at least its not coached with the importance that it should be... it's one of the little things... how often do we see these one handed catches go viral and get celebrated on social media... catches that could have been made with both hands... but it's practice... or warm ups, so who cares? Anyway, these kids then get to college and catching the ball with their body instead of their hands is their natural instinct. It has to be coached and drilled out of them. If some of these players knew that scouts were watching every catch they made to see how they did it, it might put their habit changing motor into another gear.

 

[BamaFan615]

I’ve been out of the loop lately, so not sure if this has been discussed elsewhere.

This hire has my mind going straight to “Cam Coleman”.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

I’ve been out of the loop lately, so not sure if this has been discussed elsewhere.

This hire has my mind going straight to “Cam Coleman”.

I doubt Bama is going to pay what Coleman would cost (if he even left auburn, which I also don't think is a foregone conclusion).

 

[UAgrad93]

Yep! Nix is a good get! An Alabama product, went to Etowah HS, then to USM and has some deep roots here in state and is well respected.

 

[TerryP]

A lot of the problem IMO is it's bad habits that develop early in HS and before...

 

[TerryP]

Yep! Nix is a good get! An Alabama product, went to Etowah HS, then to USM and has some deep roots here in state and is well respected.

In your mind, compare this to bringing Lance back on staff. Tell me what you feel, think.

 

[UAgrad93]

In your mind, compare this to bringing Lance back on staff. Tell me what you feel, think.

I might be missing something Terry. Lance was a great recruiter, I think Nix is that plus a great developer of talent.

 

[Justneedme81]

I might be missing something Terry. Lance was a great recruiter, I think Nix is that plus a great developer of talent.

Think on and off the field.

 

[BamaFan334]

A lot of the problem IMO is it's bad habits that develop early in HS and before... kids are not taught to catch the ball with their hands, or at least its not coached with the importance that it should be... it's one of the little things... how often do we see these one handed catches go viral and get celebrated on social media... catches that could have been made with both hands... but it's practice... or warm ups, so who cares? Anyway, these kids then get to college and catching the ball with their body instead of their hands is their natural instinct. It has to be coached and drilled out of them. If some of these players knew that scouts were watching every catch they made to see how they did it, it might put their habit changing motor into another gear.

My biggest one is jumping to catch a ball that is right in their frame. Instead of catching in stride and running they jump in the air leaving their feet allowing defenders to make up ground and limit their ability to make a cut/move in time.

 

[UAgrad93]

Think on and off the field.

Off the field he was a whore like Kiffin. Nix a whore too?

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

My biggest one is jumping to catch a ball that is right in their frame. Instead of catching in stride and running they jump in the air leaving their feet allowing defenders to make up ground and limit their ability to make a cut/move in time.

...they have to jump so they can catch it with their body... LOL Seriously, I get what you mean, and yes, it's also prevalent.

 

[UAgrad93]

My biggest one is jumping to catch a ball that is right in their frame. Instead of catching in stride and running they jump in the air leaving their feet allowing defenders to make up ground and limit their ability to make a cut/move in time.

You have got to make the routine catch look “spectacular” in order to make SportsCenter!!

 

[Krimson]

You have got to make the routine catch look “spectacular” in order to make SportsCenter!!

Big part of my issues with the current state of college ball, It's all about me.

 

[mando]

Is there a stats place that we could see if drops are overall higher than they used to be? I ask because it is up everywhere then this would make a lot of sense that it is how they are learnign in high school. It certainly makes sense it would be but I woul love to see if it is backed by data, I may go down that rabbit hole and see if I can find something..

 

[UAgrad93]

Is there a stats place that we could see if drops are overall higher than they used to be? I ask because it is up everywhere then this would make a lot of sense that it is how they are learnign in high school. It certainly makes sense it would be but I woul love to see if it is backed by data, I may go down that rabbit hole and see if I can find something..

Don’t know of a stat tracker website, but I would agree with the assumption that it starts in HS. I coached WRs for a time and I would practice routes and catching. HC didn’t give two shits about that. He just wanted blockers. Then when in a game and we had to throw, we dropped passes since he made me focus on blocking.
I stayed on his ass and made him buy a Juggs football machine. I went to coaching QBs the next year and that machine collected dust!!
My son played TE and I worked with him at home on catching the ball. We used tennis balls, ping pong balls, and me slinging it at him from about 15 yards. Always using the hands!!! He had 3 passes thrown his direction his senior year, 2 catches for 55 yards. The one miss was overthrown. Another HC that thought the forward pass was illegal.

 

[mando]

Don’t know of a stat tracker website, but I would agree with the assumption that it starts in HS. I coached WRs for a time and I would practice routes and catching. HC didn’t give two shits about that. He just wanted blockers. Then when in a game and we had to throw, we dropped passes since he made me focus on blocking.
I stayed on his ass and made him buy a Juggs football machine. I went to coaching QBs the next year and that machine collected dust!!
My son played TE and I worked with him at home on catching the ball. We used tennis balls, ping pong balls, and me slinging it at him from about 15 yards. Always using the hands!!! He had 3 passes thrown his direction his senior year, 2 catches for 55 yards. The one miss was overthrown. Another HC that thought the forward pass was illegal.

Then the stats would show this is common not just in Tuscalloosa. It is likely for sure. I recall the Barn dropping numerous passes. If systemic then the coaching staff that does the best job overcoming it has an advantage.

 

[No Huddle]

Every practice we would practice catching with hands. Settle and noose, bubble routes, digs, and fades. When practice was over, wrap your arms around the goal post and catch 10 balls before you can leave. If any pass, at any time, in practice was caught with their chest, that pass catcher would get down beside me and do 10 fingertip pushups. If the ball was catchable and the pass catcher did not catch it 10 fingertip push ups. We can control attitude, effort, and focus. We thought that ball in the air is mine. We will do whatever it takes to catch it. We will focus on the tip of the ball until it is in our hands and secured.