Experiencing Saban in the summer
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By Shannon J. Allen
The Reporter </td> <td align="left" width="175">
</td> </tr> </tbody></table> Published June 25, 2009
SARDIS CITY — Alabama football coach Nick Saban’s summer camps are noted for their toughness, and Sardis assistant coach Dusty Darnell is a first-hand observer.
Darnell, who has worked camps at Alabama since 2006, served as a staff member for Saban’s one-day camp Saturday.
Darnell will work another Alabama camp in July.
“His first year down there, all of us coaches went from (Mike) Shula to Saban,” Darnell said.
“Shula was a dog-and-pony show, and Saban came in and it was daylight to dark (the difference).
“He said we’re going to treat these little kids and high school kids like we do our guys. They demand out of them like they do all their players.
“They work them … they work the fire out of them.
“The first camp, in ’07, there were 150 kids that went home during flex. They were just shell-shocked. It was hot doing Scott Cochran’s conditioning program … there were a lot of unhappy mommas.
“They’re going to get their money’s worth. I’m an Auburn fan, but I told Alabama’s coach the other day if I had a kid right now, I’d send them to Alabama. They’re going to work if you send them down there.”
Darnell’s contact for the Alabama camp is Jeremy Pruitt, a Rainsville native who serves as director of player development on Saban’s staff.
“Jeremy told me I could come anytime I wanted to,” Darnell said.
Darnell said Saturday’s camp featured a five-hour session.
“The three-day camp is pretty long,” he said. “We start at 7 o’clock with wakeup, breakfast. We practice twice and they let them play Bama ball in the afternoon.
“We’re teaching Alabama’s drills, and I always try to learn something. You can get in there and watch film with coaches or whatever.
“It’s a great opportunity to go down there and meet Alabama’s coaches and learn something new.”
Darnell, who coaches linemen, said Saban spends his time with the secondary.
“He stays away from the d-line. He stays with the DBs, and he’s even been known to make a few kids cry down at camp.”
Darnell worked the Auburn camp from 2006-08 for former head coach Tommy Tuberville.
His contacts were Phillip Lolley, who is now coaching cornerbacks for new Tigers head coach Gene Chizik, and Jimmy Perry, the former director of football operations.
“I didn’t get to work the Auburn camp this year,” Darnell said. “They closed the doors at the Auburn camp and wouldn’t let us in. I worked it the last three years.
“I got to be good friends with Jim, and now he’s at St. Paul’s, I think.”
Darnell took two Sardis linemen — junior Kody James and senior Brad Gaylor — with him to Alabama’s camp.
It was the first time both players had participated in one of Saban’s camps.
“It was real tough,” Gaylor said. “It was a good experience though because I learned a lot down there.
“I got to meet a bunch of new coaches and people, and got to see different coaching styles.
“We had eight circuits, and we had probably 20 different coaches all day.
“(I learned) you can never be physical enough. You can always improve your game somehow.”
James echoed his teammate’s comments.
“It was pretty tough,” James said. “The coaches down there, they wanted you to do exactly what they said, and you were all right as long as you did that.
“It was pretty fun. We got to see their weight room, and it was nice, the best I’ve ever seen.
“We got to see a lot of great athletes, and got to go up against a lot of great talent.”
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td>
By Shannon J. Allen
The Reporter </td> <td align="left" width="175">
</td> </tr> </tbody></table> Published June 25, 2009
SARDIS CITY — Alabama football coach Nick Saban’s summer camps are noted for their toughness, and Sardis assistant coach Dusty Darnell is a first-hand observer.
Darnell, who has worked camps at Alabama since 2006, served as a staff member for Saban’s one-day camp Saturday.
Darnell will work another Alabama camp in July.
“His first year down there, all of us coaches went from (Mike) Shula to Saban,” Darnell said.
“Shula was a dog-and-pony show, and Saban came in and it was daylight to dark (the difference).
“He said we’re going to treat these little kids and high school kids like we do our guys. They demand out of them like they do all their players.
“They work them … they work the fire out of them.
“The first camp, in ’07, there were 150 kids that went home during flex. They were just shell-shocked. It was hot doing Scott Cochran’s conditioning program … there were a lot of unhappy mommas.
“They’re going to get their money’s worth. I’m an Auburn fan, but I told Alabama’s coach the other day if I had a kid right now, I’d send them to Alabama. They’re going to work if you send them down there.”
Darnell’s contact for the Alabama camp is Jeremy Pruitt, a Rainsville native who serves as director of player development on Saban’s staff.
“Jeremy told me I could come anytime I wanted to,” Darnell said.
Darnell said Saturday’s camp featured a five-hour session.
“The three-day camp is pretty long,” he said. “We start at 7 o’clock with wakeup, breakfast. We practice twice and they let them play Bama ball in the afternoon.
“We’re teaching Alabama’s drills, and I always try to learn something. You can get in there and watch film with coaches or whatever.
“It’s a great opportunity to go down there and meet Alabama’s coaches and learn something new.”
Darnell, who coaches linemen, said Saban spends his time with the secondary.
“He stays away from the d-line. He stays with the DBs, and he’s even been known to make a few kids cry down at camp.”
Darnell worked the Auburn camp from 2006-08 for former head coach Tommy Tuberville.
His contacts were Phillip Lolley, who is now coaching cornerbacks for new Tigers head coach Gene Chizik, and Jimmy Perry, the former director of football operations.
“I didn’t get to work the Auburn camp this year,” Darnell said. “They closed the doors at the Auburn camp and wouldn’t let us in. I worked it the last three years.
“I got to be good friends with Jim, and now he’s at St. Paul’s, I think.”
Darnell took two Sardis linemen — junior Kody James and senior Brad Gaylor — with him to Alabama’s camp.
It was the first time both players had participated in one of Saban’s camps.
“It was real tough,” Gaylor said. “It was a good experience though because I learned a lot down there.
“I got to meet a bunch of new coaches and people, and got to see different coaching styles.
“We had eight circuits, and we had probably 20 different coaches all day.
“(I learned) you can never be physical enough. You can always improve your game somehow.”
James echoed his teammate’s comments.
“It was pretty tough,” James said. “The coaches down there, they wanted you to do exactly what they said, and you were all right as long as you did that.
“It was pretty fun. We got to see their weight room, and it was nice, the best I’ve ever seen.
“We got to see a lot of great athletes, and got to go up against a lot of great talent.”
