Lester reportedly returning for senior season
by Matt Dover on Jan 11, 2012 4:46 PM CST
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According to multiple sources, redshirt junior safety Robert Lester has informed coaches he plans to return for his senior season next year with the Crimson Tide. Lester has been a full-time starter for both of the last two seasons. He led the SEC in interceptions during the 2010 season.
If these reports are true, this is huge news for the Tide's secondary in 2012. With senior starters Mark Barron and DeQuan Menzie set to graduate, and junior Dre Kirkpatrick, a projected first-round draft pick, almost certain to declare for the NFL, Lester will likely be the only returning starter in the secondary. Sophomore corner Dee Milliner, who started in 2010 and played significantly in 2011 as the nickel back, will also return with a good deal of experience under his belt.
With Lester returning, Saban and company will only need to replace one starter at the safety spot rather than two. Young safeties like Vinnie Sunseri, Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix, NIck Perry, Jarrick Williams, and Will Lowery will compete to replace Barron and also pick up snaps as dime back in certain packages.
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I figured he'd make the right decision.
Dee will be playing for his draft stock next year. If Dixon and Belue are the real deal, this secondary won’t come close to resembling the 2010 squad. As long as Jesse comes back this defense might challenge to be the best in the country again, though they won’t come close to repeating this year’s ridiculous performance.
'There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment,'- Nick Saban
JT, do you think Jesse Williams will declare for the draft?
His improvement was steady, but I’m not sure it nabbed the attention of NFL scouts to the tune of raising him to the level of 1st Round material… or did it?
With Dixon on his way to T-town, Lester staying and the experience Sunseri got (and the impact he made therein!!!!!!), the secondary looks head and shoulders above the 2010 team. If Belue qualifies (see: Duron Carter), there is going to be some seriously high-quality competition in the secondary.
9th January, 2012: Section 101, Row 1, Seat... I'll let y'all spot that one.
"And a crashin' blow from a huge right hand
Sent a Louisiana fellow to the Promised Land"
-- "Big John" by Jimmy Dean
by TiderUpNorth on Jan 11, 2012 5:18 PM CST up reply actions
I know you asked JT but...
I just don’t see him going this year. He’s still pretty green re: experience and that will hurt him. He’d be better off getting another year of experience under Saban and Co.
Talent can only get you so far. Give me a player who has less talent, but the heart of a champion and the will to succeed.
I think he stays.
'There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment,'- Nick Saban
It's a personal decision, but . . .
I think he would profit more than most by staying another year. He’s still on the learning curve and improving steadily. With a year of Saban coaching, he’s a first-rounder.
Counterpoint on Williams
While I agree with everyone else that he has a lot he can get better at, he is still a freak of nature (6’ 4" 320lbs). He is incredibly fast, and seems to be picking things up much quicker than anyone could have anticipated.
We all know NFL teams have drafted players higher than their production based on perceived potential. I doubt there are five linemen coming out that have more potential than Williams.
I think/hope Williams wants to stay for his senior year.
This coaching staff has really brought him along at an amazing pace.
9th January, 2012: Section 101, Row 1, Seat... I'll let y'all spot that one.
"And a crashin' blow from a huge right hand
Sent a Louisiana fellow to the Promised Land"
-- "Big John" by Jimmy Dean
by TiderUpNorth on Jan 11, 2012 7:32 PM CST up reply actions
Reloading...
"All I wanna do is drive around in my truck and drink Jack Daniels... and they just don't understand."- Kenny Stabler
Did I hear right
that there is a “Gino Sunseri” coming to the team? I heard it on the radio and so, It is probably just someone using the wrong first name.
"Some people have a way with words....some people....not have way." - Steve Martin
"A sign of intelligence is an awareness of one's own ignorance." - Unknown
I think you mean
'There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment,'- Nick Saban
Cool
The young man got more offers than a sailor on payday though! I am glad he picked Alabama!
"Some people have a way with words....some people....not have way." - Steve Martin
"A sign of intelligence is an awareness of one's own ignorance." - Unknown
#4 CB in the country usually will
'There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment,'- Nick Saban
if this is true it's great news
We are in the glory days, cherish it now it won’t last forever.
by TideinOklahoma on Jan 11, 2012 5:30 PM CST via mobile reply actions
ROOOOOOLLLLLLL TIIIIDDDDEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Make their ass quit
Good news, I wasn't really worried he'd declare, but itvwas in the back of my head.
Now we just need Dont’a, Dre, J. Williams and Richardson to return and I’ll be happy.
/putsxanexinhismouthsothathe’lldream
I LOVE THE ASTROS. Now lets win something!
by ccislanders on Jan 11, 2012 5:47 PM CST via mobile reply actions
Possibly the biggest good news
is the tentative news that Mosley will be healthy for spring training. I wasn’t even expecting him to be healthy in the fall. He will be the key to our D next year if he is healthy, and he is the guy we can least afford to lose.
I was THRILLED to hear Mosely would be okay soon because man, did the aftermath of that injury look BAD.
9th January, 2012: Section 101, Row 1, Seat... I'll let y'all spot that one.
"And a crashin' blow from a huge right hand
Sent a Louisiana fellow to the Promised Land"
-- "Big John" by Jimmy Dean
by TiderUpNorth on Jan 11, 2012 6:59 PM CST up reply actions
So is it too early to start predicting lineups for next year?
I’m thinking:
DL – Square, Williams, Dial
LB – Mosley, DePriest, Nico, Tana Patrick(?)
DB – Milliner, Travell Dixon, Lester, Vinnie/Lower/Clinton-Dix
No way Patrick plays Jack.
That will come down to Adrian Hubbard and Xzavier Dickson.
'There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment,'- Nick Saban
You think he's to small?
"There are 40 rules all Schrute boys must learn by age 5. Rule #17- There are 3 things you never turn your back on--- Bears, men you have wronged, and a dominant male turkey during mating season."
He's played inside since he's been here from my understanding.
'There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment,'- Nick Saban
Got ya.
You think Hubbad or Dickson can fill the shoes?
"There are 40 rules all Schrute boys must learn by age 5. Rule #17- There are 3 things you never turn your back on--- Bears, men you have wronged, and a dominant male turkey during mating season."
Hubbard looks like a beast to me.
Looks a lot like a young Courtney looked.
'There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment,'- Nick Saban
the Jack position was taylor made
for Alfy Hill. I’m still pissed about how that all went down.
"Make no mistake, Florida is the South's trashcan" Peter Griffin
is he back this year though?
or for the 2013 season?
i've been fallin' so long it's like gravity's gone and i'm just floatin'...
by JunctionCrimson on Jan 11, 2012 7:00 PM CST up reply actions
He's eligible in 2013
but can go anywhere.
'There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment,'- Nick Saban
With all the verbals we have in the incoming class
It would be hard to see a fit for Alfy. Who knows though.
Talent can only get you so far. Give me a player who has less talent, but the heart of a champion and the will to succeed.
DT will be interesting position battle for next year
That’s going to be a tough battle for starter at that position or they may not be a true starter with heavy rotation. While Chapman didn’t make the headlines that Mt Cody did, he was a force as the rushing stats (or lack thereof) show.
Talent can only get you so far. Give me a player who has less talent, but the heart of a champion and the will to succeed.
You mean the strongest man in college football?
Yeah, he was aight….
"High standards come from passion within...." --Coach Nick Saban
by NiceLittleSaturday on Jan 13, 2012 7:34 AM CST up reply actions
Those 4 linebackers will fight for two positions
They’re all inside backers.
Although I wouldn’t be shocked if Mosley (assuming he is healthy) plays Sam in the base set and rotates inside in the nickel and dime sets.
Nope.
CJ plays WLB, Nico SLB. DePriest will likely play either Sam or Mike- I hope he’s able to win the MLB job so we’ll have our defensive QB in place for 2013 with a year under his belt.
'There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment,'- Nick Saban
How is Clinton-Dix progressing....
I haven’t heard anything about him at all this year. Did he play or was he redshirted?
He played some special teams
with Garcia y Vega.
'There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment,'- Nick Saban
Will Lowery will not be back next year
There have been several tweets from him that were pretty clear, including one after practice on Saturday.
jwlowery29 Will Lowery
Well that wraps up the last practice I will ever be a part of. And it feels great to say that it was one of the best I’ve been a part of too
Buzzkill.....
"There are 40 rules all Schrute boys must learn by age 5. Rule #17- There are 3 things you never turn your back on--- Bears, men you have wronged, and a dominant male turkey during mating season."
Good on him, though...
…the young man’s a champion….
"High standards come from passion within...." --Coach Nick Saban
by NiceLittleSaturday on Jan 12, 2012 10:10 AM CST up reply actions
Izzy has a pretty good clue to the inevitable....
IzzyGould Izzy Gould
School started today. RT @KevinScarbinsky: Trent says he’s with his family in Pensacola now.
'There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment,'- Nick Saban
Good point.
Could fly in the morning though.
'There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment,'- Nick Saban
I'm sure he drove, Trent hates to fly, said he would have walked to Happy Valley if
he could rather than fly
by MDB Tide Roll on Jan 12, 2012 3:07 PM CST up reply actions
I’m sure he’s discussing options with his family.
I’m sure he’l leave.
"The same things win today that have always won, and they will win years from now. The only difference is the losers have a whole new bunch of excuses why they don’t win or can’t win."-Bear Bryant
(12-4)+2=12 hoping for a +1
Robot Chicken Star Wars should be canon.
by the thin red line on Jan 12, 2012 7:18 AM CST up reply actions
Point is
school had started back and he wasn’t there.
'There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment,'- Nick Saban
True, but yesterday was just syllabus day.
And if you’re truly undecided about the draft, it’s not a big deal to miss that first day to be at home and discuss with your family. Heck, from New Orleans he may have gone straight to Pensacola on Tuesday and then be planning to come back to T-town this morning. That’s what I would have done if I were him.
Still I fully expect him to go.
God bless our Dark Lord.
He'd be a fool not to.
'There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment,'- Nick Saban
...and he clearly ain't no fool....
"High standards come from passion within...." --Coach Nick Saban
by NiceLittleSaturday on Jan 12, 2012 10:10 AM CST up reply actions
There are non-foolish reasons not to go
It’s not as simple as people make out. People like Trent Richardson don’t have the same priorities as you and I.
The downside is not as large as people make it out to be. He could get a $5 million insurance package like Colt McCoy did. And if you think he is a hero in Alabama now, just wait til he gives up the top-draft-pick package to come back and play another season in Crimson. He would never be hurting for a high-pay/little-or-no-work job in Alabama.
The upside is not insignificant. I’d bet you dollars to nickels that a Heisman Trophy adds $10 million or so to your expected career earnings. And there is an entirely different quality and category of glory to be earned on the college stage compared to the NFL. I strongly suspect that glory is important to Trent.
If it were me? I’d go. Too much wear and tear on running backs. But even there, it’s not simple: as physical as Trent is, he probably shrugs off a lot of hits that would really wear other guys down.
Ummm....
I’d bet you dollars to nickels that a Heisman Trophy adds $10 million or so to your expected career earnings.
You would lose your dollars since there have been plenty of Heisman winners who did squat in the pros.At the RB position, Rashaan Salaam and Ron Dayne come to mind. As far as insurance goes, do you have any clue as to what a $5MM policy costs?
'There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment,'- Nick Saban
Isn't there some provision that the schools can take these policies out for them?
I seem to remember something like that. I think the amount has to be based on some fair evaluation of worth though.
God bless our Dark Lord.
Never heard that.
Sure as hell sounds like special benefits to me.
'There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment,'- Nick Saban
Here you go.
NCAA Bylaw 12.1.1.4.2.
An individual may borrow against his/her future earnings potential from an established, accredited, commercial lending institution, exclusively for the purpose of purchasing insurance (with no cash surrender value) against a disabling injury/illness that would prevent the individual from pursuing a chosen career, provided a third party (including a member institution’s athletics department staff members, pro sports counseling panel, or boosters) is not involved in arranging for securing the loan
So he’s allowed to use his future earnings to borrow money for the insurance premium. Seems like a hell of a risk for the lender, doesn’t it? If you were able to obtain this sort of loan, you’d have to think the interest would be astronomical.
'There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment,'- Nick Saban
Yeah, that's what I was thinking of.
It shouldn’t really be a risk for the lender. Either the player turns pro (the next year) and uses the NFL money to pay back the loan, or he gets injured, collects the insurance, and then uses that to pay back the loan.
The only risk to the lender would be if the kid doesn’t get injured but doesn’t get drafted for some other reason.
God bless our Dark Lord.
Eh.
It only protects in the event of a career ending injury. Wonder what happens if the kid blows out his knee, gets drafted in the fifth round as a flyer, then gets stuck on the practice squad and never pans out? I guess the fifth round money would pay off the loan, but not much would be left.
'There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment,'- Nick Saban
The NCAA doesn't write the policy
The drafters of the policy could interpret that provision liberally, and the NCAA’s only recourse would be sanctions against the school, and I really don’t think that liberal interpretation of an NCAA by-law in the drafting of an athlete’s insurance policy is going to warrant the death penalty. Everybody, INCLUDING THE NCAA, will be pulling for the athlete who was a big star and came back for his senior year only to get shafted by an injury.
Perhaps the NCAA most of all. Their self-interest in getting stars to come back for another year is quite obvious.
I think you could write a policy that would cover any significant injury-caused dimunition in expected value and the NCAA would not do squat, nor would a court have jurisdiction over the dispute.
It's not all about the pros
A Heisman winner is set for life in announcing and/or shilling-type ventures. Unless you blow it by becoming a druggie/rapist/criminal/etc., it’s money in the bank.
And see below about the costs. I’m sure it’s not cheap.
From CFTalk:
Alabama confirms Saban’s presser is to announce Tide players who are staying/leaving early for NFL.
presser @ 2pm Eastern
Whoa. Whoa.
We don’t do “eastern time” here. It’s god’s right and proper central time zone only, buddy.
Inanity @gothlaw
"Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not; a sense of humor to console him for what he is." -Sir Francis Bacon
by Stuck in the Plains on Jan 11, 2012 7:10 PM CST up reply actions
That's a lot coming from someone who has been "roughing" it in Hawaii.
…lucky fornicate-o.
9th January, 2012: Section 101, Row 1, Seat... I'll let y'all spot that one.
"And a crashin' blow from a huge right hand
Sent a Louisiana fellow to the Promised Land"
-- "Big John" by Jimmy Dean
by TiderUpNorth on Jan 11, 2012 7:34 PM CST up reply actions
Where have you been lately!?!?
Talent can only get you so far. Give me a player who has less talent, but the heart of a champion and the will to succeed.
I hide.
Inanity @gothlaw
"Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not; a sense of humor to console him for what he is." -Sir Francis Bacon
by Stuck in the Plains on Jan 12, 2012 12:33 PM CST up reply actions
Sure.
I’ll presser anytime she likes.
'There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment,'- Nick Saban
No means no, buddy....
"High standards come from passion within...." --Coach Nick Saban
by NiceLittleSaturday on Jan 12, 2012 10:11 AM CST up reply actions
Any chance....
….that Landon Collins or Eddie Williams sees significant playing time in the secondary next year? Keep hearing Williams will likely go to receiver. Looks like Nick Perry and Jarrick Williams time is now or never. Roll Tide fellas, still all warm and cozy inside. Will enjoy this one for awhile.
I hope not
Given the complexity of Saban’s schemes, I’d hate to think we’d be leaning too heavily on true freshmen.
by CrimsonCoast on Jan 11, 2012 7:34 PM CST via iPhone app up reply actions
But...but...
…TEH FRESHMANZ
"High standards come from passion within...." --Coach Nick Saban
by NiceLittleSaturday on Jan 12, 2012 10:11 AM CST up reply actions
Seems like we have returning with experience on D
for 2012 than for 2010.
"The same things win today that have always won, and they will win years from now. The only difference is the losers have a whole new bunch of excuses why they don’t win or can’t win."-Bear Bryant
(12-4)+2=12 hoping for a +1
Robot Chicken Star Wars should be canon.
by the thin red line on Jan 12, 2012 12:52 AM CST reply actions
I'm guessing there was supposed to be a "more" in there somewhere.
And yeah.
God bless our Dark Lord.
Especially if Dixon is ready to step in as it seems he is.
Dude is built just like Dre and everybody wanted him.
'There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment,'- Nick Saban
IMO "The Process" has failed if
we have to start true freshmen on D. Considering the complexity of our D I just don’t see one starting. Playing in a certain package, yes, but not starting/playing a majority of the game through most situations.
Make their ass quit
Dixon is an incoming junior.
'There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment,'- Nick Saban
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