The Alabama football team held its first spring practice Saturday on the Thomas-Drew Practice Fields, with players practicing in shorts and strapping on their helmets for the first time since the Sugar Bowl Jan. 2.
“It was great to get started today with spring practice,” Saban said. “The first practice is always sort of a work in progress for everybody, with new players learning where to go and old players trying to get back into the swing of things.”
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With the beginning of spring practice comes tinkering with positions.
Redshirt freshman ArDarius Stewart was working with the safeties instead of his usual position at wide receiver.
“We are going to spend probably two or three days looking at him as a defensive back, but this is very experimental,” Saban said.
Trey DePriest and Reuben Foster led the drill at inside linebacker under the direction of new linebacker coach Kevin Steele. DePriest will step into a leadership role now that C.J. Mosley has graduated and entered the 2014 NFL Draft.
“I’m just blessed to have a lot of experience,” DePriest said. “I’ve played for a while, so I’m just trying to help out where I can.”
Other players were also stepping into new roles at other positions.
Dillon Lee, who saw time in a reserve role at inside and outside linebacker last season, led the outside linebacker drills.
Leon Brown, Arie Kouandjio, Ryan Kelly, Alphonse Taylor and Austin Shepherd worked with the first group of offensive linemen.
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But some familiar faces were not out at practice with the rest of the team.
Tight end Harrison Jones, offensive lineman Chad Lindsay and safety Jai Miller were not on the roster or at practice Saturday. Jones and Lindsay have both graduated and decided not to return to play for the Crimson Tide. Lindsay will transfer from Alabama, while Miller will turn his focus to academics, Saban said.
“We certainly appreciate their efforts and contribution that they’ve had to the success of the program,” Saban said.
Senior wide receiver DeAndrew White donned a black no-contact jersey Saturday. He was the only player wearing a black jersey and was separated from his teammates as he worked on a stationary bike.
Alabama will take a day off before returning to the practice field Monday at 3:30 p.m.
“It was great to get started today,” Saban said. “We’re certainly excited about the way the players responded in the off-season program. We had a really good off-season program. A lot of guys really made a lot of improvement, did a lot of work to get in better shape, and I really liked the attitude that our team had during the off-season practice.”
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