ALABAMA NOTEBOOK: Preparations for Clemson beginning

Ken Rogers
Media General News Service
Published: August 21, 2008

TUSCALOOSA — Senior center Antoine Caldwell jumped in the middle of the Alabama football team as it completed warm-ups before Thursday’s practice.

“It’s Tiger Week,” he bellowed, drawing a loud response from his teammates.

Alabama started to narrow its focus and began preparation for the Aug. 30 season opener against ninth-ranked Clemson in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome.

“Today was like a Monday practice,” Tide head coach Nick Saban said after the two-hour workout. “It was a good first day. We probably did more today than we usually do. But I think it was a good start. I was pleased with the players’ intensity and attitude toward trying to learn. You always make mistakes, but that’s why we practice.”

Saban said a depth chart for the Clemson game would be made available on Monday, although he provided a few hints after Thursday’s practice.

“In some cases, we’re working with more than one player at a certain position, and those things may not be decided until game day,” he said.

One of those places is in the middle of the defense. Terrence Cody and Josh Chapman will be in the rotation at nose guard. That has allowed Saban to move Lorenzo Washington from nose to defensive end.

“He played there in the last scrimmage. He has played in and out for us before at times,” Saban said. “I just feel like Lorenzo has done a really good job for us. He played well for us last year, he had a good offseason, he had a good spring. It’s one of those get-the-best-players-on-the-field deals. I think with him at end, we have three guys that have some experience playing end (along with Bobby Greenwood and Brandon Deaderick) …  so with Cody and Josh Chapman playing nose, we felt like we could afford to do that. So that’s how it ended up.”

The get-the-best-player-on-the-field mantra is what prompted moving Cory Reamer from inside linebacker outside, so freshman Don’ta Hightower could get on the field. Saban said insomnia can be inspiring.

“If you want to know the truth about it, I couldn’t sleep one night and my wife got mad at me, so I just got up, went out and sat in my chair and got a piece of paper out and just listed all of our players as to which were the best players,” the coach said.  “Same thing at linebacker. I said, ‘This is how it’s got to be – Reamer’s got to go play sam, Hightower’s got to play will, Lorenzo should be an end, let these two nose guards battle it out and let’s go play.’”

Cody is massive and Chapman is exceptionally strong. He recently benched 480 and last year squatted 600 pounds.

Chapman said he’s comfortable with the role of nose guard in the Tide’s scheme.

“In high school, it was kinda the same here,” he said. “The nose here, basically two-gap, you’re not looking for that much penetration. You’re basically playing two gaps. In high school, you’re playing nose and one-gapping it. I like it here better.”

“Those are heavy, hard-nosed guys,” Caldwell said. “They’ve got great motors on them. You have to credit our conditioning coaches. They’re playing hard.  You want to have two of the strongest guys in that position.”

Practice visit:
Actor Tom Arnold watched practice after meeting with athletic director Mal Moore Thursday afternoon. They have a mutual acquaintance.

“We knew that they were coming,” Saban said. “They were welcome to come to practice. We were happy that they were interested enough to come to practice. I think the players enjoy seeing people out there like that. That they know have interest in the program. We were happy to have them. It was delightful to see them and meet them and we wish them well.”

Grant’s gait:
Tide running back Terry Grant is eager to prove he’s back at full speed. Of course, he said Alabama fans haven’t seen him at full speed. Grant disclosed that he started feeling the effects of a sports hernia injury that sidelined him late in the season as early as the opener against Western Carolina.

“At halftime I was limping,” he said. “I think Coach Saban kind of noticed. He pulled me out and asked me if I was OK. I was like, ‘yeah,’ but I still kind of felt it.”

As the injury worsened, his production decreased, as did his playing time.

“I think I just lost focus as a person and with that injury it kind of brought me down,” he said.

Grant said he’s been battling shin splints in this camp.

“I’ve been bouncing back from that,” he said. “Camp is over with and two-a-days are over so I am starting to heal up. I’m trying to stay out of those black jerseys. I think they treat you worse over there (on the practice field sidelines) than they do over here.”

Higgenbotham healing:
Linebacker Charlie Higgenbotham continues to rehab from a groin injury, Saban said.

“He’s running now, even doing some change-of-direction stuff,” the coach said. “I’d say we’re probably trying to be a little conservative with him. We practice two more times, take Sunday off, so we probably don’t even have him targeted to be back until Monday. And we’re hopeful that he’ll be able to come back then. That’s more precautionary than anything else. But hopefully, he’ll be able to practice Monday and not have a problem contributing for the game.”