TUSCALOOSA - August 9, 2010 - On a hot, humid August day, an estimated 5,000 fans watched the Crimson Tide practice for the first time at Bryant-Denny Stadium in preparation for the San Jose State game on Sept. 4.
Some noticeable faces were very prominent in the Tide’s open practice including Dont’a Hightower, Marcell Dareus, Trent Richardson and Julio Jones.
Each grabbed noticeable applause from the fans when they would make spectacular plays like a one-handed interception from Hightower or a sack off the end from Dareus.
But amid the Tide fan’s excitement, one glimmer of hope has come from a part of the team that has huge question marks going into the season.
The Kicking Game:
Freshman kicker Cade Foster shared practice time with Jeremy Shelley on kick-off duties and it appears that Foster has the edge in this competition. Shelley was consistent landing his kicks at the 10-yard line. However, Foster had some kicks land five yards deep into the end zone that drew thunderous applause from the crowd in attendance.
The only notable player
missing from practice was Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram who had a death in the family and attended the funeral in his home state of Michigan.
While some may argue Ingram is not even the best back on his own team, Richardson says otherwise.
"You're going to get people saying different stuff like that, but I think Mark is the better running back,"
Richardson said. "I think Mark's vision is way better. He's got that experience, too. I mean, Mark is what he is. He wouldn't have gotten what he got if he wasn't the best."
On the defensive side of the ball: It appeared that B.J. Scott and Dre Kirkpatrick are the leaders at the cornerback position. Newcomers DeQuan Menzie and DeMarcus Milliner, who enrolled early, also appear to be early contributors in that same role.
One surprise; People noticed during practice was true freshman Blake Sims who got reps and ran drills with the quarterbacks. He started playing at the safety position during the newcomer’s practice session and is listed as a DB on the official roster. However, head coach Nick Saban has a reputation to flip-flop “athletes” around until a role is both suitable for the player and the coach.
Saban does realize that this team is going to be young and he is looking for some of these players to work every day to be the type of player Saban wants.
“We probably don’t have more than 10 or 12 guys that have been here more than three years out of high school on our entire team,”
Saban said. “I think this is a good time for them to sort of mature into what they have to do to be the kind of relentless competitors they’re going to need to be with the competition in our league.”