Top offensive line prospect, Cyrus Kouandjio will be visiting Alabama this upcoming weekend at the final Alabama football camp. He will be spending time with his big brother, Alabama player Arie Kouandjio, and participating in the high school football camp put on by the Alabama coaching staff.

Cyrus Kouandjio is most likely the #1 football recruiting target for Alabama right now. At 6 foot 7 inches tall and a chiseled 295 pounds, Cyrus Kouandjio, from Dematha Catholic School of Hyattsville, Maryland, is no doubt a force to be reckoned with. Very strong, he benches 310 & squats 510 lbs, and he still has a year of high school to go.

Considered this year's #1 offensive lineman prospect in the country and a Scout.com 5 star recruit, Kouandjio is wanted by every school in the country. Schools like Penn State, USC, West Virginia, Iowa, Clemson are on his list, but Alabama is definitely on his shortlist.

Not only does the facilities & atmosphere in Tuscaloosa impress this young man, but the coaching staff has really left a great impression with him. He said he "loves Alabama a lot" and it is definitely a plus that his brother is playing at Alabama as well.

Recruiting expert, Tom Lemming, has went on record as saying that Kouandjio has all the tools you want in a left tackle, especially after he reaches 320 lbs at the college level. He went on to say that "He has all the tools to be a No. 1 draft choice."

Alabama in the last three years has brought in top 3 recruiting classes in each of those three years, and it is easy to see the fruits of Nick Saban's labor paying off with a national championship last year. If Alabama can pick up 2-3 more 5 star players, it would most lock up another top 3 class, if not #1 recruiting class.

For 2011, Cyrus Kouandjio is a player that is a "can't miss" prospect. He reminds me of Michael Oher who played for Ole Miss and was also recruited by Nick Saban, which was famously portrayed in the movie, "The Blind Side". Hopefully, we will have better luck this year recruiting Cyrus!

Could you imagine him and DJ Fluker on the same side of the line?

Anyway, I will leave you with some video footage of this big guy and let you pine for his services. As you can see, he has awesome quickness and flexibility for a big man of his size and he can flat out lay the wood on anyone in his way.

If you like to see plenty of pancakes... Check it out.

Roll Tide!

Tags: Cyrus Kouandjio video, Cyrus Kouandjio highlights, Cyrus Kouandjio recruiting, Cyrus recruiting video

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Two of the winningest coaches in Alabama history had their own styles and pyschological devices to motivate college football players. Bear Bryant & Nick Saban are very motivational in talking their players at in the locker room to get the best out of players. There are two videos that you can see below that provide a sample of what you would see in those pivotal moments when head coach speaks directly to the players.

It is no wonder that in both cases, you find that the players are hanging on every word that is spoken. They are fixated not only on the x's and o's, but the emotion of the moment.

Bear Bryant: Mastermind of Psychology

Bear was the mastermind of psychology. Even when Bama was down at halftime, Bear would make it look like we have them just where we want them. If we were winning, he would light into the players like we were losing. It was reverse psychology at its finest. He once said, "Don't give up at half time. Concentrate on winning the second half." He had a way of bringing players up when they were down and bring them down when they were up. There wasn't any big heads or dragging heads, players conducted themselves with class.

His presence alone was electric. Even his peers were in awe of the man, let alone the young men he coached. Joe Paterno was quoted as saying "Even his peers in the coaching business felt in awe of him.. He had such charisma. He was just a giant figure."

In the video, you can hear him say...

"Now, listen. This just makes it perfect. This just makes it perfect. We're behind. They're all fired up."

He essentially was saying that Alabama had the opposing team, which was actually Florida State (who we trailed 24-22 at halftime), just where we want them. It puts in the minds of the players that they control their own destiny.

"We got class, we're going to find it out. We got class, and I know we got it. First place, our defense has got to go out there and take the ball. Our defense hasn't been taking the ball. Then, when we get the ball, we got to have 11 people -- 11 people that's just going to do their job, whatever it is. Just go do their job, and try to score every time you get the football.

If we do that, we'll be all right. If we do that, we'll be all right.

"OK, can we get together? All we need is somebody who wants to show some leadership out there! Now we go! Everybody's a leader!"

Nick Saban: Intense Motivator

Nick is intense like a drill sergeant preparing the troops for war. He is the master of bringing forth the passion of the moment to hype the players up to a frenzy that carries over to the field. Both him and Bear speak to the pride of the players. Where Bear called it “class”, Nick says that “they want to take what you got.” He pulls the bravado out of the players. His words are almost poetry made for war. The result are players coming out ready to bang heads with the opponent. He says his goal is to “dominate.”

"Passion, intensity, a sense of urgency... killer instinct ...its got to be coming from your heart... from your mind… in terms of how you are going to play… 60 minutes in a game… you gotta be ready to go out there and earn it guys... they want to take what you got, you gotta out out there and earn it. Every guy in here has to get it, whatever his goal is!"

Both coaches seem bigger than life when they are talking to their players. The end result is winning.

Watch the Bear Bryant and Nick Saban lock room videos below

Roll Tide!

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Check out the Mount Cody video for the NFL workouts below! Do you think he will make it in the pros? I do!

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Check out the big eye of the lady wondering who is behind her videoing the Whitehouse ceremony!  Funny stuff, but actually she is reaching for her child... but I really just wanted to give you another view of what is a landmark moment in Alabama football history.   Nice look at the interior of the room as well with the big chandeliers & old fashioned crown molding.   Looks much better than the interior decoration at the Auburn barn!  LOL    

Think about this...  this is history... and hopefully one that will recur over and over.  With 13 championships, this is only the 2nd White House visit by the herd of elephants known as the Crimson Tide.  The first was with Gene Stallings & the 92 crew.  I hope we have many more to come!

Wacth the Obama speech on the Alabama National Championship... and check out the big eye at 1:13!   
ROLL TIDE!

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Here is the full text of President Obama's full speech about the 2009 Crimson Tide's National Championship year.

"Hello, everybody! Please, have a seat, have a seat. Have a seat, Crimson Tide. Go Tide. Well, welcome to the White House, and congratulations on your 13th -- let me check that -- 13th National Championship –- the first in 17 years. I think it's safe to say that the Tide is back.

I've got to tell you, everyone was really excited about this team coming today -– except for my Press Secretary, Robert Gibbs-- because he was born and raised in Auburn. He's hiding in his office right now.

But we do have some Tide fans here that are worth a little bit of acknowledgment. I want to start by thanking Robert Witt, the president of the University of Alabama. I also want to acknowledge the mayor of Tuscaloosa, Walter Maddox. You can give them a round of applause. I want to recognize Senator Shelby and Senator Sessions, who are here. Stand up, please. And our terrific Surgeon General who's an Alabama native, Regina Benjamin is in the house. Where's Regina? There she is over there. And to all those who make this program what it is -– the students and the trainers and the staff and the ticket takers, fans in Tuscaloosa and all across the country, you should all be very proud, and I want to congratulate you.

Obviously I want to congratulate Coach Saban and thank him and his wife Terry for being with us today. There's no question that this team is here in large part because of what Coach Saban has done. There aren't too many coaches in the country who have the knowledge, the motivational skills, the program discipline to win two national championships in six years –- let alone at two different schools. And I think it's a testimony to his incredible skills as a coach.

I've got to congratulate Mark Ingram for becoming the first Heisman Trophy winner in Alabama history. Mark rushed for over 1,500 yards last season -- the most ever by a Crimson Tide running back. And I know his selflessness and dedication has made his team and his family very, very proud.

I also want to recognize your captains -– Rolando McClain, Mike Johnson, and Javier Arenas –- and all the upperclassmen for their leadership on this team. Congratulations to all of you. I especially want to congratulate Rolando for winning the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker. And I know that part of Rolando's talent comes from his intelligence and his judgment. In fact one of his teammates was asked to describe him -- he said, "Just picture Coach Saban being huge and being able to play football."

Now, one of the trademarks of this team has always been its unwavering focus on what's important. And I know shortly after the 2008 season ended, Coach hung a picture of the Florida Gators winning the national championship in the locker room -- not too subtle what he was saying. He asked his players if they wanted to work hard enough to beat their teammates in a drill, or if they wanted to work hard enough to be the best team in the country. And it's pretty clear what choice they made. That's the kind of tone this team sets, both on and off the field.

It's why these young men -- and this is something I'm very proud of -- had the second highest graduation rate of any team ranked in the top 25. It shows that these guys have their priorities straight. Together, they contributed more than 3,500 hours of community service that Alabama students -- student athletes performed last year.

And that spirit continued earlier today, when the team met with a group of kids from one of D.C.'s roughest neighborhoods, and helped teach them about the importance of staying in school and making healthy choices. That's how champions act -– in football and in life.

As Coach Bryant once said, "I think the most important thing of all for any team is a winning attitude." I think this team would make him proud, because they've got that winning attitude.

So congratulations to all of you. The best of luck next season. I know spring practice starts on Friday -- woo, man. Next Friday, huh? So enjoy these last few days off. And congratulations to all of you for just an extraordinary season. Roll Tide."

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Listen to the video as the crowd of 15,383 roared out the Rammer Jammer tune following a big win for coach Anthony Grant!  Coleman Coliseum was packed and the crowd was juiced.

Not only that, the players were also pumped up about new uniforms that read just "BAMA" on the front as well as gray (elephant colored) undershirts. They looked good not only in uniform but also in play.

Hopefully this will be a good omen of things to come in the SEC basketball tournament. I'd like to see the Crimson Tide make a run and make it to March madness once again.

Roll Tide Roll in basketball!

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NOTE: Not long till the spring A day game on Saturday, April 17, which will be televised, so let's pack it out!

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ROLL TIDE!

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