Jumbo Package: Gump Day!

Alabama players – and Nick Saban – had some fun in the middle of summer workouts.

Several of the Crimson Tide’s veterans spent time out on the lake with Saban earlier this week as a part of the team’s annual Leadership Lake Day, riding jet skis and inner tubes near Saban’s Tuscaloosa, Ala., residence. And Alabama’s video team captured some moments from out on the water, sharing them via Twitter in photo and video form on Monday and Tuesday.

Some of the Tide players that were featured included running backs Jase McClellan and Roydell Williams, wide receivers Ja’Corey Brooks and Jermaine Burton, offensive linemen JC Latham, Seth McLaughlin and Darrian Dalcourt, defensive lineman Justin Eboigbe, linebackers Deontae Lawson, Trezmen Marshall, Dallas Turner and Quandarrius Robinson, defensive backs Malachi Moore, Kristian Story and Jaylen Key and placekicker Will Reichard, among others.

Well, it’s that time of year where Nick Saban flips a bunch of college kids off of inner tubes at high speeds.

As always, this hopefully goes a long ways towards teambuilding and injuries are avoided.

98 DL Jamil Burroughs

2022: Took home Dwight Stephenson Most Valuable Lineman of the A-Day game after recording two sacks. From there, Burroughs saw action in 11 games as a redshirt sophomore. Posted eight tackles, including two for loss, a sack and two quarterback hurries. Five of Burroughs’ stops on the season came in win over Mississippi State.

Of note: Over the last three seasons, Burroughs has flashed the kind of disruptiveness that can lead to negative play production for both himself and others. Of his 15 career tackles, three have gone for loss, with two of those coming on sacks. In his latest A-Day game appearance, Burroughs worked at end for the White (second-team) defense. Weighing in at 309 pounds, the program veteran is capable of working both inside (nickel and dime) and outside (base and big nickel). Heading into the summer, Burroughs projected as a top reserve to Tim Smith and Justin Eboigbe.

It seems for a couple of years now we’ve been hearing about Jamil Burroughs flashing behind the scenes. With the depth chart opening up a good bit after DJ Dale and Byron graduated, he will finally get a shot to make his mark. Who knows, maybe he could become that late-bloomer breakout candidate.

Alabama baseball players claim their camouflage hats are just a nice look, but the good-luck charm has stood out during the Crimson Tide’s recent run.

It started during last month’s home series against Vanderbilt as part of Alabama’s salute to military service. After opening the series with a win in its traditional crimson caps, the Crimson Tide wore American flag hats for its Game 2 loss against the Commodores.

Then came the camo.

Donning its new favorite headwear, Alabama pulled out a 2-1 victory in Game 3 to claim a crucial series win over the nation’s No. 5 ranked team at the time. It didn’t stop there, either.

Maybe you subscribe to superstition... Maybe you don’t. Maybe Alabama’s baseball team just really likes camo? Who’s to say?

But when Roger shows up in a camo hat... You’ll know what happened.

Nick Saban has a soft side?

Grandchildren are the reason, according to his wife, Ms. Terry.

The Sabans spent Tuesday handing out talking toy ducks to children with cancer and posing for pictures. Children’s of Alabama hosted a special event for 18 patients. Nick Saban, a spokesman for Aflac, presented the company’s mechanical ducks to each child at the end of a scavenger hunt.

“I like the thing myself,” Saban told The Associated Press with a smile. “I wouldn’t mind having one myself. You just rub it and it makes little sounds and it makes you feel good. I kind of like that. Sometimes when we’re not stopping them on third down, or we’re having trouble on third down, I might need this thing on the sidelines.”

Terry Saban admitted it was nice to the more relaxed side of her husband out in public.

“I think us having our grandchildren really brought out the softer side of Nick,” Terry Saban said. “To see him on the floor playing with the babies, it really changes who you are. And then to see these children who are having a really tough time, you can’t help but be heartbroken when they come in and then be happy for them when they leave, that maybe you did just one little thing to brighten their day.

Nick Saban may be getting softer in public, but his hire of Kevin Steele to coach the defense indicates that he’s ready for his defense to get back to a more enforcing style of play.

Speaking of, Nick is headed to D.C. to do some lobbying:

If there was anyone who can whip the government officials in line, it would be Nick Saban.

Hopefully, this is a step toward getting some semblance of organization and direction in college football again.