Tide linebacker coaches learning on the fly

TUSCALOOSA — Alabama put on pads for the first time this spring Wednesday for a two-hour football practice forced by rain into the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility.

Linebacker Eryk Anders said the difference from Monday’s workout in shells was noticeable.

“When we got pads on, everybody cuts loose and plays fast and not afraid of a collision or getting hurt,” Anders said. “So it’s a lot better and more fun when we’ve got pads on.”

The experimenting in the linebacker corps continues with players who played inside moving outside and vice-versa.

But not lost on the players is the education of the Crimson Tide’s new linebacker coaches: inside linebackers coach James Willis and outside linebackers coach Sal Sunseri.

“It’s surprising how fast they’ve both caught on to our defense and really been able to coach us on the field,” rising senior Cory Reamer said after practice.

“They’re still figuring out a few little kinks here and there, but for the most part they’ve got it pretty good.”

Reamer has worked with both coaches since he’s splitting time at the “Sam” position (strong side outside linebacker) and the “Will” spot (weak side inside linebacker post).

“They’re both good guys. We’re lucky to have them in here,” Reamer said. “They’ve got a lot of experience. They both know what they’re doing.”

Anders said it’s not easy to pick up the defense.

“It’s a pretty complicated playbook. Every play has got about three audibles. It’s almost like an offensive call,” he said, adding he has worked almost exclusively with Sunseri. “He’s still learning the terminology of the defense. He doesn’t know it all 100 percent, but he’s got a pretty good grip on it. If he tells us something wrong, we do it wrong and just get it corrected. … The scheme is the scheme. He’s gotta learn it just like we do. He’s doing a pretty good job doing it, too.”

Sunseri coached for the Carolina Panthers in the NFL for years. He was Julius Peppers’ position coach, and don’t think he doesn’t use that.

“Coach Sal definitely brings an NFL mentality to the plate,” Anders said. “If he sees us slacking in a drill, he says, ‘I had Julius Peppers doing this same drill.’ So we say, if Julius Peppers did it, and I’m trying to get where he is, maybe I need to …”

Sunseri is maybe the loudest voice on the staff.

“He’s pretty laid-back in the meeting room, but he definitely want us to understand that we can get better, we need to get better,” Anders said. “So there’s always kind of … I don’t want to say tension, but he gets his point across.”

Reamer isn’t bothered by the noise.

“Some people don’t like that but I prefer it,” the linebacker said. “There’s a difference between somebody being loud and now knowing what they’re doing. He’s loud and you know he knows exactly what’s going on. He’s coached Julius Peppers in the league. He’s coached a lot of good players over the years. So you listen when he yells at you.”

Willis’ credibility is enhanced because he was an outstanding player at Auburn and in the NFL, Reamer said.

“He’s from the state of Alabama and he played in the NFL. You don’t hold it against somebody that he went to the other school,” Reamer said. “He’s here now coaching us and we’re lucky to have him.”

Standout inside linebacker Rolando McClain said he sees similarities between Willis and Kevin Steele, who was McClain’s position coach for the past two years before joining Dabo Swinney’s staff at Clemson.

“He’s animated, he’s into it, he’s intense, but at the same time he has his laid-back features, same as I do,” McClain said of Willis. “When it’s time to practice and time to be serious, he’s serious. When it’s time to joke, he jokes. There’s a lot of things he’s taught me already.”