The new 2010 Alabama football team made its first debut since the spring A-Day game at the 2010 SEC Media Days held in Hoover at the Wynfrey Hotel. Alabama kicked off the event, opening with an interview with Saban, followed by players Mark Ingram, Greg McElroy and Dont’a Hightower.
The first point Saban wanted to make absolutely clear was that this year’s team is different from last year’s team. He said he felt like most people only asked him about last year’s team, but to him, last year’s team holds only a little relevance to how the 2010 team will fare.
“Last year was a great part about Alabama tradition,” he said. “We had an outstanding team that bought in and had outstanding chemistry. A lot of people are going to be successful because of character and attitude they had. That team had something to do with this team in terms of focusing on process, work ethic and everyone being responsible.”
Saban said he doesn’t believe his team is defending any national title. His philosophy is that because the team is different, it can’t defend something it doesn’t have.
“We can’t look in the rearview mirror,” he said. “We have to look forward and focus on the present. Accountability to do your job, that’s a big part of what we’ve tried to get every team to do. We have all the same ingredients coming back.”
He made a reference to a cooking show, about how both he and the chef can put the same ingredients into a pot, but the results will ultimately be different each time.
Ingram said the team knew they’d have a big bull’s-eye on their backs, but they would just have to focus on themselves and not worry about the competition.
“We’re coming off a really successful year last year, but we’re really looking forward to the upcoming year and playing San Jose State the first game and taking it one game from there,” he said.
The team has to replace eight defensive starters, four of them for the secondary. However, one player who is returning is linebacker Hightower. It’s now his turn to step into the shoes of Butkis Award winner Rolando McClain who opted to leave a year early. Hightower said in years past, he listened to McClain in the huddle making the signal calls, but now it would be his job to make some of these calls.
“I think the signal caller is kind of like the quarterback of the defense,” he said. “He has to make all the checks and get the play to everyone else, so I’m looking forward to coming in and doing that.”
On the offensive side, almost all the players will be returning, including Heisman Memorial Trophy winner Ingram, who said that it would be nice to win another Heisman, but it would not be his focus going into the new season.
“My main focus right now is to better myself and become the best player I can be for my football team and make the best out of what I can do,” he said.
Senior quarterback McElroy also comes back with a lot of experience gained from the 2009 championship season. He said what he’s been working on the most is perfecting timing with his wide receivers.
“That is so important for a guy that isn’t going to be able to throw it through a brick wall is to have the right timing,” McElroy said. “One thing I’ve worked on is my foot work and getting the ball out of my hand as quick as possible and being able to anticipate where my wide receivers are going to be.”
Ingram said the team would just have to focus on themselves and not worry about the competition.
