By Ken Rogers
Anthony Grant is an impressive guy who made a terrific first impression as Alabama’s basketball coach Sunday night.
I like the fact that the first people he recognized during his opening statement – besides his new bosses at Alabama and his former bosses at Virginia Commonwealth – were his family.
He joked that his wife, Christina, is the decision-maker of the group. They have four children. The oldest, Anthony Jr., recently turned 13. The Grants have three sons – Anthony Jr., Preston and Makai – and a daughter, Jayda.
“I think without my wife none of this would be possible,” Grant said. “I think we all know that when things really need to get done, they (wives) are the ones who get it done.”
Christina is a runner who participates in marathons. They are an active, sports-loving family.
“My oldest plays basketball and football,” Grant said. “He says he’s going to play in the NFL on weekends, the NBA during the week and fly jets in his free time. I told coach Saban, when we had a conversation on the phone, I said, ‘Coach, my whole household plays football. They all love it, but maybe the best football prospect is my daughter, Jayda.’ She played flag football this past year and she averaged about 50 yards per carry. They all want to play running back. They think they can all do what she does.”
Grant knew he struck a chord when he discussed his love of college football.
“I am a Nick Saban fan,” the coach said. “I I love college football. When my son saw the stadium his eyes lit up. I think he was more excited when he saw the football stadium than he was when he saw the basketball stadium.”
Posted by Ken Rogers on 03/30 at 03:07 AM
(0)
Comments |
Permalink
By Ken Rogers
Alabama football coach Nick Saban said linebackers Prince Hall and Brandon Fanney have been suspended for the start of spring practice.
Hall has been in and out of Saban’s doghouse the past two seasons. The inside linebacker was suspended for the start of last season and played sporadically on defense, but was on special teams.
Fanney started every game last season at outside linebacker.
“Prince Hall is not going to be participating in spring practice for violation of team rules and policies,“ Saban said Friday. “Brandon Fanney will not participate today because of violation of team rules and policies. I don’t know when he will return. Prince Hall is suspended indefinitely.“
.
Posted by Ken Rogers on 03/13 at 12:50 PM
(0)
Comments |
Permalink
By Ken Rogers
Alabama’s annual A-Day Game on Saturday, April 18, will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.
Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Admission is free.
“This is a great opportunity to showcase the University of Alabama and our football program,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said Tuesday in a statement released by the university. “A-Day is a special weekend at Alabama and our fans have responded with two of the largest crowds to ever watch a college football spring game the last two years. That positive energy and enthusiasm by our fans has had a significant impact on our success. I encourage all of our Crimson Tide fans to fill Bryant-Denny Stadium on April 18th and show everyone why we have the best fans in the land. There’s nothing better than coming out of the tunnel to a full stadium, whether that is A-Day or at our home games in the fall.“
A-Day has been a huge event under Saban. A capacity crowd of 92,183 showed up in the spring of 2007 at the coach’s first spring game in Tuscaloosa. Last season’s game drew a crowd estimated at 78,200. That total trailed only Nebraska, which topped spring football attendance last year when a crowd of 80,149 saw Bo Pelini’s first team take the field.
“College football fans follow the sport year round and as proven in the past, Alabama has some of the most loyal and passionate followers in the country,” said Dave Brown, vice president, ESPN programming and acquisitions, in the university’s press release. “We look forward to capturing the exciting atmosphere at Bryant-Denny Stadium and to provide a preview at the 2009 Crimson Tide. We thank Alabama for their cooperation in making this work.”
Alabama starts spring practice on Friday, March 13 and then will take the next week off for spring break. The second practice is scheduled for Monday, March 23.
Posted by Ken Rogers on 03/03 at 07:09 PM
(0)
Comments |
Permalink
By Ken Rogers
Anthony Brock still isn’t sure how he did it.
Saturday’s hero against Ole Miss, who scored a career-high 17 points on 5-of-6 3-point shooting, wasn’t even supposed to be at the game, let alone star in it.
Brock’s grandmother died Wednesday night in Little Rock, Ark. The 5-foot-9 junior guard told Philip Pearson on Thursday morning.
“Just by chance we were going to take Thursday off, so we very quickly got it organized for him to take a plane from Birmingham through Atlanta to Little Rock,” interim coach Philip Pearson said. “I told him I did not want to put any pressure on him and felt like Oxford was probably two and half or three hours from Little Rock and if he felt like he was in a position to play, then obviously we’d love to have him. But we were going to leave that up to him.”
They talked again on Thursday after Brock got to Little Rock. Pearson also talked to Brock’s mother.
“I got a little bit nervous because his mother actually had a car accident on Friday and was out of commission from a driving standpoint,” the coach said. “But I think he had a cousin bring him up to Oxford on Saturday morning. He missed the practice on Friday, missed the shootaround, missed the pre-game meal, he just met us at the arena.”
Brock said he wanted to play.
“It was real emotional, just getting up that Saturday and coming back, knowing what I went home for,” Brock said. “I had decided to come back that morning, so my cousin and my brother, we just got on the road and came back. That was it. I just came back to play. I got there about two hours before the game.”
His teammates were glad to see him. But they wanted to make sure he was ready to play.
“My teammates told me, ‘Man, you’ve got to come out and play hard,’ so that’s what I did,” Brock said.
Pearson was uneasy, too.
“I was careful with his play,” the coach said. “I let him sit over there another minute or two, a little bit longer than usual, just to make sure he was settled and had a good feel.
“And then obviously when he got in I didn’t want to take him out, he played so well.”
Brock carried the team in the first half, as Alonzo Gee and Senario Hillman battled foul trouble.
“I ain’t going to say it was easy,” Brock said. “It’s different. I didn’t stop thinking about it. It was just time to play, and I was going to play for her. So it was just a mental thing, getting prepared for it.”
He played 20 minutes as Alabama snapped an 18-game SEC road losing streak.
“Attribute it to him, I know there were some heart-felt conditions for him and tough circumstances,” Pearson said, “He responded great.”
Posted by Ken Rogers on 03/03 at 07:01 PM
(0)
Comments |
Permalink
By Ken Rogers
Alabama nose tackle Terrence Cody and middle linebacker Rolando McClain are included on the preliminary watch list for the 2009 Rotary Lombardi Award, which goes to the nation’s top down lineman or linebacker.
McClain and Cody provided strength up the middle for Alabama’s defense, which allowed just 74.1 rushing yards per game last season. Alabama did not allow a running back more than 100 yards in 2008. The opposing team rushed for 100 yards in just three of 14 games.
Cody was an All-America after making 24 tackles with 4.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. More than those statistics, he was a disruptive force anchoring the middle of the Tide defensive line. Cody was also a semifinalist for the 2008 Chuck Bednarik Award and a unanimous first-team All-SEC choice.
McClain led the team in total tackles with 95 and tackles for loss with 12 (-45 yards). He also registered three sacks, one interception, six pass breakups, two quarterback hurries and two fumble recoveries, including one for a touchdown. The 2008 Butkus Award finalist was a first-team All-SEC selection by both league coaches and the Associated Press while earning third-team All-America honors from the AP.
Alabama is one of eight teams to have multiple candidates on the initial watch list. The Southeastern Conference and the Big 12 tied for the most players with eight, followed by the Sun Belt with six and the Western Athletic with five. The Big Ten and the Pac-10 have four each.
Andre Smith was a finalist for the 2008 Lombardi Award. Cornelius Bennett is the only Alabama to win the award, earning it in 1986.
The Rotary Lombardi Watch List will be periodically updated and revised through the conclusion of the voting to determine the 12 Semifinalists for 2009.
Posted by Ken Rogers on 03/03 at 05:45 PM
(0)
Comments |
Permalink
