Alabama's NFL Rookies Get Paid
by kleph on Jul 30, 2010 9:44 PM CDT
in Football
17 comments
While we we've been getting all hot and bothered over the prospect of our beloved Crimson Tide football team reporting to fall camp next week (OMG! OMG! OMG! /runs in a circle, hits wall, passes out)
Uhh... where was I?
Yeah, football. Seems all those guys who get paid to play the game are getting ready to start their training camps as well. And, as of today, each and every one of Alabama's NFL rookies have taken care of business and are ready to go.
All seven players chosen last April in the NFL Draft have penned contracts and will be reporting to their respective teams in time for the first day of practice (if they haven't done so already). In the case of the late rounders, business got sorted months ago but it was only in the past week or so that Terrence Cody, Rolando McClain and, as of this afternoon, Kareem Jackson were able to get things sorted.
Here's the tally and links to the various sources I've been able to dig up. (Mucho big tip of the houndstooth cap to the Press-Register's Genry Estes who's been on top of this all off season):
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In addition to these seven, several other Alabama players who went undrafted were able to snag free agent contracts around the league. While this means they'll have a chance to compete in training camps their careers in the pros are far from certain.
Colin Peek got a phone call from the Falcons right after the draft ended, made a big impression in mini-camp and got that paper signed. Cory Reamer made his way to the Jets' rookie mini camp and wowed them in a big way. His contract followed soon after. We also heard PJ Fitzgerald was with the Rams but haven't been able to confirm it.
Sadly several others haven't been so lucky. Lorenzo Washington got a contract with the Cowboys but got injured in camp and was subsequently cut. Leigh Tiffin signed a free agent contract with the Browns and then was cut the very next day. Roy Upchurch finally snagged a tryout with the Ravens and then failed the physical and couldn't participate in their mini camp.
If anybody has any info (and, hopefully, a link) about where these guys have ended up, we'd love to know.
The most interesting story has to do with Justin Woodall, who went undrafted but has set his sights on baseball. In June, he was chosen by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 26th round of the Major League Baseball draft. So, technically, Alabama had eight players from the 2009 National Championship squad drafted into the pros.
Huge, huge, huge recruiting news here, as Trey DePriest picks Alabama over Ohio State and others. Point blank, you don't find much bigger recruiting coups than this one. DePriest is from near Springfield, Ohio -- a good 600 miles from Tuscaloosa -- and he was recruited heavily by the in-state Buckeyes. Quite frankly, we haven't had a recruiting coup of this geographic magnitude in ages. Off the top of my head, I cannot even think of a signee in many years of this high of a billing and from this far of a geographic distance that would even be comparable to DePriest.
Scout.com has DePriest as a five-star prospect, and he instantly becomes one of the top two or three commitments of the 2011 recruiting class. He had offers from literally every school in the country, and he will be enrolling early in Tuscaloosa to boot. Making matters even better, at roughly 6'2 and 225 pounds, DePriest has the flexibility to play any of the four linebacker positions in Nick Saban's 3-4 defense. Life is good, folks.
Big thanks to That Other Dave for posting the trailer, but I figured I'd embed it on the main page to make it easier to watch. I cannot wait to see this. Can. Not. Wait.
about 10 hours ago
Nico2.0
14 comments
1 recs
Basketball Sneak Peek: the Shooting Guards
by Matt Dover on Jul 30, 2010 11:00 AM CDT
in Basketball
17 comments
With football practice still a week away, we here at RBR will be taking an early position-by-position look at the Alabama basketball team as Anthony Grant's indoor version of "The Process" enters Year 2.
Earlier this week, we previewed the point guards, and today we move on to the shooting guards. Whereas the point guard position features virtually no experience for the Tide, the shooting guard position offers boatloads of experience, if not star-power, for Anthony Grant's team this season.
BACKGROUND
Alabama's roster this year features three off-guards, or shooting guards. With two seniors and a junior, all of whom have a year in Grant's system, experience will not be a problem at this position. That doesn't mean, however, that the Tide is set to dominate here with All-SEC-type talent, but there are certainly pieces to work with.
Last season began with the same three shooting guards on the roster, and with only one small forward on the roster (a true freshman), Grant elected to insert two shooting guards into the starting lineup. For the first six games of the season, both junior Senario Hillman (see video below) and sophomore Andrew Steele appeared in the starting lineup each game, with junior college transfer Charvez Davis coming off the bench. However, Steele's season was abruptly cut short due to injury and Grant began more or less rotating Hillman and Davis at the position for the remainder of the season, sometimes alongside two point guards and sometimes alongside a point guard and a small forward.
With more depth at the wing and post positions this season, it is likely that all three returning players will be battling it out for just one position on the court, unless all three step up to the point that they start stealing minutes from the two wing players (more on them in our next piece). With each of the three shooting guards bringing different strengths and weaknesses to the table, it will be interesting to see how Grant manages the playing rotation and what kind of production he can get from the position this season.
Below the jump: full reports on each player and an outlook for the position...
#21 Senario Hillman -- Senior -- 6'2" -- 195 -- Irwinton, GA
#24 Charvez Davis -- Senior -- 6'3" -- 186 -- Montgomery, AL
#22 Andrew Steele -- Junior -- 6'4" -- 230 -- Birmingham, AL
2010 Alabama Record Breaking Watch
by Nico2.0 on Jul 30, 2010 9:00 AM CDT
in Football
19 comments
Mark Ingram could very well topple two long standing career rushing records in 2010: rushing yardage and rushing touchdowns, both currently held by the phenomenal Shaun Alexander. Needless to say, Ingram played out of his mind on his way to picking up the Heisman Trophy and helping the team win a national title last year and expecting to him to repeat that kind of dream season is a bit unrealistic to say the least. That being said, Ingram really only needs a solid season in order to break these career rushing records. We'll keep track of his stats throughout the course of the 2010 season and will update his progress toward these marks (no pun intended) after every game.
Ingram set the single season rushing record last year with 1,658 yards, eclipsing Bobby Humphrey's 23 year old feat of 1,471 yards in 1986. 2009 also saw Ingram turn in the third best single game rushing display by rolling up 246 yards against South Carolina in a game that saw him emerge as a legitimate Heisman candidate. That game only trails Shaun Alexander's 291 yard display against LSU in 1996 (how awesome would that have been if he'd rushed for 300 against LSU?) and Bobby Humphrey's 284 yard performance against Mississippi State in 1986.
Ingram needs 1,180 yards to break Shaun Alexander's record. We'll assume Alabama is good enough this year to make a bowl game and with 13 games on the schedule, Ingram would need an average of 90.7 yards per game to become Alabama's all-time rushing leader. There were only three games last year he didn't meet that number: Florida International, Arkansas and Auburn. If Alabama makes it to the SEC Championship Game against this year, Ingram will need 84.2 yards per game to become the Tide's all-time leader. While it certainly won't be a cakewalk, you've got to like the chances of a returning Heisman winner being able to produce those numbers considering he averaged 118 yards per game last year despite splitting time with true freshman phenom Trent Richardson. Ingram isn't currently in the Top 5 all-time rushers, but he's close to cracking the Top 5 with 2,386 yards in his first two seasons. The current Top 5 looks like this:
This is the Crimson Tide I remember. Lou looking suave, back-in-the-day. The legend took him to school that night in NOLA.
Yeah, it's a crazy world.
The University of Alabama football team’s annual Fan Day is set for Sunday, August 8. The team will hold an open practice in Bryant-Denny Stadium from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Players and coaches will be available for autographs immediately after the practice on the field.
The details on Fan Day are up at Rolltide.com but please note, due to expected demand fans will be limited to one item per person for autographs, and no posed photographs will be permitted.
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