Nick Saban seeks to re-establish “the Alabama factor” with Crimson Tide
Crimson Tide quarterbacks Taulia Tagovailoa (No. 5), Tua Tagovailoa (No. 13), Mac Jones (No. 10) and Paul Tyson (No. 15) get in work during Alabama's first spring practice this year. (Noah Sutton/UA Athletics)
The Alabama Crimson Tide football team started spring practice Friday in what head coach Nick Saban hopes is the first day towards re-establishing “the Alabama factor.”
“I think the number one goal and objective for the spring is … we have to re-establish the Alabama factor,” Saban said at his post-practice press conference. “To me, we’ve always been a team that plays with a tremendous amount of discipline, had a lot of responsible and accountable guys who could go out there and do their job and be dependable. And everybody’s always put the team first.”
That, he said, has led to the individual and team successes the Crimson Tide has enjoyed in recent years.
“I think it’s important to re-establish that,” Saban said. “I think to do that people have to have humility and understand that regardless of how much success you have, you still have to pay attention to detail and do things right in preparation and in practice so that you don’t develop bad habits. I also think that players have to stay focused on the process of what they need to do to be good players. Focusing on outcomes is like a distraction.”
The most recent outcome was disappointing as the Crimson Tide suffered a 44-16 drubbing at the hands of the Clemson Tigers in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on January 7.
The team got two hours of practice in on the Thomas-Drew Practice Fields in helmets and shorts Friday afternoon before starting spring break. Spring practice will resume March 18 as the team gets in 14 total practices leading up to the A-Day Game on April 13 at Bryant-Denny Stadium. ESPN2 will carry the A-Day Game live starting with the 1 p.m. kickoff.
