Alabama held its first spring practice of the year with many issues to address. Leadership, coaching vacancies, suspensions and injuries were some of the main things the team had to tackle during its practice on Friday afternoon.
Injuries were the big storyline, as many starters from last year’s team wore black, non-contact jerseys during the two-hour practice. Seniors Jonathan Allen and Eddie Jackson as well as junior Cam Robinson were among the notable players in black jersey.
Head coach Nick Saban said these players, among many others were unlikely to get much action during spring football.
“Those guys will have a difficult time to probably have a chance to participate at all in the spring,” Saban said.
Allen and Robinson are both nursing their shoulders after undergoing surgery in the offseason, while Jackson is recovering from a leg issue, according to Saban. Junior Raheem Falkins, Senior Dakota Ball and freshman Shawn Jennings will also have limited participation in spring practice.
A leadership vacancy was another thing the team needed to address heading into practice. Many of the Crimson Tide’s key players moved on from the team leaving holes for the team to fill.
The loss of leadership, Saban said, is something the team will need to address in order to not fall complacent in practices to come.
“I think we want everybody that has a get-it-done type of attitude,” he said. “I think that everybody not only has to have a get-it-done type of attidude byt they also have to take ownership for people who aren’t getting it done.”
In addition to complacency, Saban also spoke on junior Tony Brown, who worked with safties doing individual drills. Brown was sent home from the College Football Playoff for violating team rules last season. Even though he participated in drills, Saban said that Brown will still face some form of a suspension.
“He [Brown] is facing some suspensions,” Saban said. “When I get the final data on that I’ll definitely let you know.”
Saban also addressed many coaching vacancies that the Crimson Tide had to fill before the start of team practice. The head coach announced that Burton Burns, a running backs coach for Alabama, would take over as special teams coach. Bobby Williams, who coached special teams last year, will serve as a special assistant to Saban.
Saban continued to stress the importance of team chemistry as the team continues to practice throughout the spring.
“This is not something that just happens,” he said. “The team chemistry last year happened over time. I think we’ll see how this team develops over time.”
