Alabama works hard to stay healthy

TUSCALOOSA — It’s like mentioning a no-hitter in the seventh inning — it’s tempting fate to even talk about it.

But on a Tuesday late in preseason camp — three days after Alabama’s second full-contact scrimmage — a scan of the Crimson Tide’s practice fields for players on stationary bikes or wearing black (non-contact) jerseys revealed just one. Freshman receiver Kenny Bell was in a boot and wearing a black No. 7 jersey. That’s it.

Roy Upchurch? In white. Trent Richardson? On the field. Offensive and defensive linemen? All working.

In other words, Alabama remains remarkably healthy. This follows a season in which the Crimson Tide had very few significant injuries. All-American left tackle Andre Smith missed the Tulane game with a sprained knee. Right guard Marlon Davis missed the Western Kentucky game with a strained hamstring.

Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban acknowledged good fortune is a factor, but also noted Alabama has adopted proactive policies to avoid injuries.

“I don’t think it’s any one particular thing,” Saban said Tuesday when asked how his team has managed to stay relatively healthy. “I think it’s a combination of things — and it’s really guys learning how to practice.”

Saban attributes some of it to his experience in the NFL, where teams have much smaller rosters than a college program.

“You have to figure out a way to practice effectively, efficiently and fast and improve, but not get players hurt, because you certainly can’t afford to get them hurt,” Saban said about the challenges of practicing in the NFL. “I think we practice more in that style. Keep players off the ground as much as possible. We don’t tackle in practice, we thud runners.”

The coach credited the offseason strength and conditioning program and its direction under Scott Cochran.

“We’re much stronger now, which I think the No. 1 thing that comes from strength and development and conditioning is probably the ability to sustain and endure and eliminate the possibility of some injuries,” Saban said.

Wide receiver Darius Hanks had nagging injuries last season. He’s gained 10 to 15 pounds of muscle mass and sees the results. Hanks is also convinced that attitude helps keep injuries away.

“I think it’s all in your head,” Hanks said. “Even if there’s an injury, if it’s not too serious, it’s all in your head.”

In addition, players who are rehabbing minor injuries learn quickly that it’s no fun. Working with Cochran or one of the trainers with a medicine ball on the sidelines can be even more exhausting that any practice drills.

Saban said it’s a physical game, but he doesn’t regard it as dangerous.

“I think you’re always going to have some injuries,” the coach said. “Most of the time, when we’ve gotten guys hurt in practice it’s been because we aren’t sort of practicing by the rules that we set forward.”

He also noted two most serious injuries in camp — knee injuries to Jeramie Griffin and a walk-on he did not identify — were both non-contact, change-of-direction injuries.

“Sometimes that happens,” he said.

The coach also believes that practicing his best players against each other has worked.

“We practice good against good a lot and I think that actually enhances guys getting better as well as eliminates guys getting injured,” Saban said.