Today is the day that the NFL scouts descend on Tuscaloosa to check out all the top football players leaving the Crimson Tide this year. With the wealth of talent that Alabama has coming out this year, expect a lot of NFL scouts to be taking plenty of notes.

If you thought that the Indianapolis NFL combine was the only workout that mattered, you would be wrong. In fact, this is very common for the NFL scouts to travel out to campuses for workouts to evaluate players in their own environment. Players love it because they get a second chance to prove themselves on their own turf.

Players will undergo a series of physical tests to determine if they show improvement over the existing workout results from the Indianapolis combine (if they where there). The only outgoing player who will miss Pro Day is star senior cornerback Javier Arenas. Arenas has been troubled by a hamstring injury that he suffered in the Indianapolis workouts. He is scheduled to do a private workout with NFL scouts prior to the draft. McClain decided not to be tested at the first NFL combine. Instead, he opted to be tested at Pro Day because of a reported hamstring that needed to heal.

Many NFL teams are high on the “Man child” McClain, who is huge and fast.  He is expected to have 4.5 speed in the 40 but one coach said it did not matter to him.  The 49ers coach Mike Singletary, who knows a little something about defense as an All-Pro linebacker of the Chicago Bears, says he would be “shocked” if Ro’ McClain doen’t have a “very good NFL career.” 

All American OL MIke Johnson is expected to be a third-round draft and a solid offensive lineman for any team that picks him up.

Junior cornerback, Kareem Jackson, threw his hat into this year’s NFL draft and was very impressive in the Indianapolis combine. He is expected to be a second round draft pick, yet may go late 1st round. He ran an impressive 4.48 40 yard dash and the buzz among scouts was that his interviews went very well. David Jeremiah, a former Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns scout said that “Kareem Jackson helped himself immensely,” in the Indianapolis scouting combine.

Two players in fact ended up missing the Washington DC check this week because they were training for Pro Day. Those players include Terrence Cody and Rolando McClain.

Terrence Cody’s weight will be a “big” thing today as the NFL scouts will see if the big guy was able to work off some of the extra luggage. He came into the Senior bowl game at 370 pounds. It is commonly thought that if Cody can weigh below 350 (and he was already down to 354 at the INdianapolis NFL combine) he could be on track for for the big money with a top 15 draft pick. The teams that will be interested in any are the ones that run the 3-4 formation on defense. Approximately half the NFL temas utilize this scheme.

There some other players that did not get an invite to the Indianapolis combine that will get the opportunity to prove their abilities today at Pro Day in Tuscaloosa. Those players include players like Marquise Johnson, Roy Upchurch, & Eryk Anders.

Most NFL draft experts are considering Rolando McClain the top draft pick from the Alabama team this year. He is projected to be anywhere between the fifth (Chiefs) and the 15th draft pick (Giants).

The NFL draft is set to be on April 22-24.

Here is video from a past Pro Day:

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The obvious hole in the defesive line that needs to be plugged this fall is the one by big All-American Mount Cody. A massive specimen of a player at 355 pounds, the big guy made it nearly impossible for teams to run up the middle of the Alabama defense. He was a force of nature (hence the nickname “Mount”), but another player who is coming along who is shaped like a bowling ball. His name is Josh Chapman, and he is poised to take his place at noseguard and make his mark on the 2010 Crimson Tide.

Josh Chapman, junior nosetackle, played a good bit in 2009 in third-down situations in order to rest Mount Cody. He has a a lot of game day experience and at 6′1″ tall and 305 pounds, you can see why I say he is shaped to be like a bowling ball. Of course, he is not nearly as big as Cody, but what he lacks in size will be made up in strength and speed. He is widely considered on the team to be the strongest player in the weight room lifting close to 700 lbs. He also provides a lot pass rushing ability in the middle with more speed than Cody. I think Chapman will be a key cog in solidifying the defense for next year. .

One of the players that you might see battling with Chapman is Kerry Murphy. Kerry Murphy is the player that many wondered if he would ever get to Alabama. Murphy, like Chapman, came from the Alabama football powerhouse in Hoover (known nationally for its MTV reality show). both of these two players rotating in and out of the middle. A little taller player at 6′5″ tall and a little heavier at 327 pounds, Kerry Murphy is no small fry. Both him and Chapman will be in the mix for nose guard in the 2010 football season. Nick Saban is working on Murphy now to improve his conditioning. Players on the team said that Murphy is a “crazy athlete.” In fact, he can do back flips! Not just one either… but two in a row!

Chapman & Murphy are so highly regarded by their teammates, they are called “human earth movers.” Think of bulldoziers… That is a really good sign that we are going to be strong in the middle of our D.

One of the top defensive lineman to be on lookout for this fall is junior Marcell Darius. Darius came out the gate this season with two tackles & 1.5 sacks against Virginia Tech in the season opener. Many around the Alabama Crimson Tide program think that Marcell Darius will ABSOLUTELY be the next great defensive lineman for the Crimson Tide. We got a little taste of this in the national championship game when he intercepted a pass for a touchdown and also knocked Colt McCoy out of the game. On top of that, he was in the face of the Texas quarterbacks all night long. He will be a force in his junior and senior years if he stays healthy.

Another player to watch is Damion Square. He actually did a great job on pass rushing duties last year until he hurt his knee. Most likely he’s going to be limited in the spring, but you should see him full speed by fall.

Other backups who may be fighting for a job include Darrington Sentimore, William Ming,and Brandon Moore. Brandon Lewis a junior college signee from this years class could be an early force.

Folks we have the numbers, some even have some good playing experience, but I don’t think we will see much of a drop-off in defensive line performance next fall. Saban has the talent deep at Alabama. Look for new players this year like Kerry Murphy or even one of the young redshirt freshman players like Brandon Lewis or William Ming to step and contribute.

On the defensive line, Alabama is simply reloading. Sure I hate to lose Mount Cody, but the future is bright! I can’t wait to see 2010 and the new defensive front!

ROLL TIDE!

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VIDEO BELOW: This week Alabama’s gymnastics team is #1 in the nation. The ladies at the Crimson Tide gymnastics team has pulled off its fifth 197+ score of the season, which is outstanding.

Oklahoma’s team is close behind in its rankings at only two tenths of a point behind Alabama. Next is UCLA, Florida, and Georgia rounding out the top five.

Alabama has the number one team in the country in the vault and it is second on the uneven bars and third on the balance beam.

Individually the Tide is performing a high level of excellence by placing six of its gymnasts in the top 25 on at least one event.

Alabama wind up its regular gymnastics season at home on March 19th in a battle against number 12 Michigan. If you’ve never had the chance to go see Alabama gymnastics live in person, that would be a great day to go out and see it. It will be senior night at Coleman Coliseum. Matches start at 7:30 PM.

ROLL TIDE!

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You do have to hand it to him… he said one more of a speech yesterday!!! His Aubie press secretary, Robert Gibbs, however, did not think so highly of it! Obama said that Robert was hiding in his office… but was born and raised in Auburn. Go figure! LOL

OK… Question…
Do you love Obama more today than you ever have????

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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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Alabama’s freshman basketball player, Tony Mitchell, earned SEC Freshman of the Week for his efforts against South Carolina and Auburn in back to back wins. The young freshman was impressive in his performance by averaging 14.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in both games. In addition, Mitchell recorded his second double-double of the season as he pounded the boards for 10 rebounds and chipped in 13 points against South Carolina. Against the “University of aubarn”, he led the Crimson Tide with 16 points.

Way to go Tony!
Roll Tide!

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Whether you love him or hate him…he is still the president of the United States & it is a great honor to meet him.  The University of Alabama football team and all the staff, a fairly large crowd of about 175, descends upon the nation’s capital today to meet President Obama in the east room of the White House. There will be also be a tour of the White House, in addition to some community service by the Alabama team as they go to mentor some of the local kids in the Washington DC area.

President Obama is set to meet the Alabama team and staff at 12:45 Central standard Time.

So get ready!  Obama Meet Bama!

Roll Tide… & Hail to The Chief!

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Click here to buy Mount Cody football on ebay

The fooball is awesome and just looks really sharp to display in a trophy case. The whie football with a large letter A on it is impressive and right now it’s only priced at $100. You can put this baby in a nice Alabama themed 2009 national championship trophy case. 

  Click here to buy glass trophy case on ebay, and you would be the envy of Alabama football friends and family for years to come.

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