Alabama begins spring football work

TUSCALOOSA — Marcell Dareus is Exhibit A for why Alabama’s fourth-quarter conditioning program was particularly intense this offseason.
Dareus, remember, was the most outstanding defensive player in the national championship victory over Texas.

After Alabama’s first spring practice on Friday, Dareus still struggled for words when asked about his game-breaking interception and return for touchdown late in the first half.

“Overwhelming,” Dareus finally offered. “I could not describe it. I was still speechless after the game. ... I just didn’t believe I accomplished that. It was amazing.”

Which pretty much underscores the challenge Nick Saban and his coaching staff are facing in the afterglow of the program’s first national championship in 17 years.

Dareus also acknowledged that coaches have made it clear that last year is over.

“They stressed it a lot,” the 6-foot-3, 280-pound defensive lineman from Birmingham. “We talked about making a legacy of our own. We can’t live off last year’s team. We’ve got to start our own path and we’ve got to do it ourselves.”

The two-hour workout in shorts and helmets will be the only workout before players depart for spring break. Saban called it a “wild-card” practice.

“We feel like this particular team to get started, especially with the young guys we have on defense, it’s good to expose them, give them something to take home with them during the break,” the coach said.

There wasn’t a lot to see, but what Saban saw he liked.

“The condition of the team is good,” he said. “The spirit was good, the attitude was good. A lot of guys worked hard. I was really pleased with the starting point that we have as a team.”

Saban’s outline of what he wants to accomplish this spring sounds exactly like what it has been the past three years.

“First of all, teaching players, developing players in terms of what to do, how to do it and why it’s important to do it that way,” Saban said.

He added that developing this team’s identity — “that’s a particular challenge for this team,” Saban said — and identifying and getting the best players on the field are also goals.

“There’s a lot of opportunity (for playing time) on our team this year,” the coach said. “We lost a lot of good football players.”

Offensive guard Barrett Jones said the fourth-quarter program sent a message to the team.

“I think the message has been this team right here has not done anything yet,” said the rising sophomore from Memphis. “The team last year won the national championship. But that’s not the same team that we have out there this year.

“We have a great team this year — well, we have an opportunity to have a great team this year — but we haven’t really done anything yet. We’ve got a long way to go and a lot of work to do.”

The offseason work encouraged Saban.

“I think we made progress with a lot of guys,” the coach said. “... But we have a lot of teaching to do and a lot of young players who need to develop some knowledge and experience quick.”

Among those are seven true freshmen — Cade Foster, Jalston Fowler, John Fulton, Chad Lindsay, DeMarcus Milliner, Austin Shepherd and Phillip Sims — along with junior-college defensive lineman Brandon Lewis, who all enrolled in January.

Notebook
Not coming back: Saban said two fifth-year eligible players won’t be back. Running back Terry Grant, whose explosive ability was undermined by a serious sports hernia and other injuries, and wide receiver Travis Sikes won’t return to the team. Both players have already graduated, he said.

Position shuffle: A couple players will be used at new positions in an experimental capacity, Saban said.

Wide receiver Kendall Kelly is going to spend time at defensive back.

Receiver Brandon Gibson will be looked at both ways — as a receiver and a defensive back.

Jalston Fowler — a running back — will get a look at linebacker, Saban said.

Undra Billingsley, who started as a defensive lineman before being moved to tight end last year, will move back to the defensive front.
Saban said there may be other experimenting as spring unfolds.

Back in action: Linebacker Dont’a Hightower, who will be one of the most pivotal players to a defense that lost nine starters, was limited in practice Friday because of a strained calf.

However, Saban said Hightower’s knee — badly injured in the Arkansas game last season — is fine.

“His knee didn’t bother him at all in the offseason program,” Saban said, offering a more encouraging prognosis than lingered last fall.

“He’ll practice every day like everybody else practices. I’m sure by the time we get to the first scrimmage if it was a game he’d play in it. But whether we want to take a chance when a scrimmage comes or maybe we do it on a limited basis. He’s been cleared to everything medically. It’s just ... what will we do when it comes to a scrimmage? That’s the only question.”

Other ailments: Saban said starting center William Vlachos will “probably be out the entire spring” as he rehabs from foot surgery.
Receiver Michael Bowman was limited in practice due to an abdominal pull.

And Earl Alexander has developed a stress fracture. “He’s going to be limited for a while,” Saban said. “He did some stuff in individual drills today.”

Excused absence: Saban said Robby Green, who had been suspended for an undisclosed violation of team rules, didn’t practice Friday but will practice with the team when it returns on Monday, March 22.

“He was excused today for personal reasons which I’m not really going to get into,” Saban said. “He’s allowed to practice.”
Saban said he has nothing new on Green’s violation, but “we’ll let you know when we get any more information what the situation is.”