Ben Jones
TideSports.com Editor
Nick Saban at the podium for football media day today. Will post updates here.
TideSports.com Editor
Nick Saban at the podium for football media day today. Will post updates here.
- INJURIES: Chris Black day-to-day with twisted ankle. Ty Smith twisted an ankle and is also day-to-day. Cam Robinson sprained knee and is day-to-day, but Saban says "He's fine." Marlon Humphrey pulled an (unnamed) muscle and will be out for a few days.
- Says he's been able to see some progress in the first three days of practice, particularly yesterday as they were able to put shoulderpads on after the first couple days of practice.
- Saban: "Are you going to do what you feel like doing or are you going to do what you need to do? ... Sometimes you don't feel like getting up and lifting or getting on the field or going to a meeting."
- More about the attitude in camp: "You can say 'I'm going to survive this camp,' or 'I'm going to go out and try and thrive in this camp.'"
- Says the QB decision will not be made on the future, but "Based on who can help us and who can be the most effective player for us right now."
- Talking about Reggie Ragland: "When guys don't play the same position when they come here as what they played in high school, it takes a little more time to develop." Ragland played OLB in high school but Saban says he's gotten "better and better and better" with each year playing inside LB. Says he ranks up there with the best players they've had at that position since Saban has been here. "
- On the offensive line: "We would like for our offensive line to be ... very physical on the line of scrimmage, create movement and play with a relentless tenacity and toughness that makes it more difficult for the defensive front they're playing against." Wants the line to wear down defenses.
- On Cam Robinson playing through injuries last year: "Cam is one of those guys that when he sets his mind to something, he has a pretty strong personality and he's a pretty strong, effective competitor. I never questioned his mental toughness, even last year when he got hurt in the Tennessee game and we thought he would be out 2-4 weeks. We had a bye week and he played at LSU two weeks later ... Some guys can deal with those types of things and it doesn't bother them."
- "I think every offseason is different. When you win a national championship, you have a different offseason because you won. When you don't, you have a different offseason because you didn't ... I think the difference for our players is 'What did you learn from the experience you had?'"
- Talks about how important it is to have the whole offensive staff back for a second year, and how they helped him adjust last year. They used some things that Alabama had done previously and some things that Kiffin brought on his own.
- On running the no-huddle last year: "Really shows how (Saban) is always trying to improve the program, always trying to change if it makes the program better." Says "it was his idea."
- QB competition: "Wide open competition, just like last year. The best guy is going to win it whenever he wins it." No timetable.
- Lane says he saw his brother (Ole Miss assistant Chris Kiffin) at the beach in July, and after last year's game "he did say something about it."
- On OJ Howard: "We're going to find our players and get them the ball the best way they can." Says last year the targets were lopsided towards Amari because he was the best option. Hints that OJ could see a big workload this year and says he's one of the hardest working players he's ever had. "Hopefully OJ has a really big year."
- Lane misdirects a question from Aaron about last year's success as a playcaller, turns it into a recruiting pitch while talking about Amari Cooper: "Here's a story of a guy who did everything we asked and more, and it paid off for him."
- On the WRs who are left: "I think anytime players have to play, they do better a lot of times than people think they well." Says some guys might not prepare the way they actually need to, no matter what the coaches tell them, until they have to do it.
- Kiffin says he listened to calls he got at the end of the season last year, but doesn't sound like he seriously entertained any of them: "I felt we had done so many good things in Year 1, but this chapter wasn't over yet. There are so many things to learn from coach ... I feel like a sophomore now," where last year he was a freshman who was just learning how things operated.
- "This being our 9th year here, Coach Saban and myself... it's really a special time because you're starting to see a lot of the players who left here coming back."
- "Excited about this unit. Trying to improve in a lot of areas. Did not have the kind of season we're used to standard-wise." Says last year's defense was the worst "goal-wise" of the last seven years. Turnovers and big plays were unacceptable, but they were good in the red zone.
- Says Reuben Foster put some good weight on over the summer to protect him from injuries. Says injuries earlier in his career have partially been because of "lack of bulk" (a problem not many of us have) but also because of some poor tackling.
- On new defensive backs coach Mel Tucker: "Mel does a great job with the kids. He has a great demeanor." Came in already knowing all of the terminology and the system. "He's helped me with 'How do we create turnovers?"
- More on Mel Tucker: "When you turn on a clip of an NFL drill, eyes pop open."
- Says Reggie Ragland has the "experience, confidence, and accolades" to be the leader they need him to be.
- On Dillon Lee, who they consider a man of many positions but is their starting SAM backer: "He can play out in space and make the calls, but he also, when we go nickel, can go inside."
- Kirby says he spoke with Ohio State's offensive staff after last year about the game to see what worked. "Coach Hermann was very beneficial to us." Says he'll call Wisconsin's staff after the game as well. Doesn't usually return much benefit against conference opponents who play every year, but nonconference opponents are willing to help more often.
