5 Keys To A Successful Season, Bonus Edition #2: The Last of Saban's Recruits

Richard Pittman — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:42:37 -0000

Do they not make these people shave for these pictures? Come on Coleman! They used to make people wear suits for their roster pictures.

Way back before the 2007 season, Nick Saban was hired at Alabama, and I was (and still am, for that matter) a resident of Tuscaloosa. I cannot tell you how many times in the next 18 months I defended Les Miles only to hear the retort, "But he is doing it with Nick Saban's recruits." In 2007, many a Bama fan discovered the world of recruiting, and they've been obsessed by it ever since.

Well, it's now 2009, and 4 full seasons have passed since Nick Saban last walked a sideline wearing purple and gold, and one might be tempted to think that the spectre of "But he is doing it with Nick Saban's recruits" has passed. You would be partly wrong. Sure, the roster is mostly made up of people from the 2005 class and beyond, all of whom gave Les Miles their Letter of Intent, but if you look back on Nick Saban's last recruiting class at LSU, the 2004 class, two names will stick out at you as still being on the LSU roster: Harry Coleman and Charles Alexander.

Coleman was a "greyshirt" in 2004, meaning he delayed his enrollment for a semester and actually counted towards the 2005 class. He was never actually coached by Nick Saban, but he turned in a signed Letter of Intent to Nick Saban, so I guess he still counts. He redshirted in 2005, then was a special teams monster for a while before taking over for Craig Steltz at safety. He had a tough year at safety last year and has since moved to linebacker.

Charles Alexander has had an injury-filled career at defensive tackle. He redshirted in 2004, so he was actually coached by Nick Saban. He lost most of two subsequent years to injury, including most of the 2007 national championship year. He was granted a 6th year of eligibility by the NCAA and so is back now for his second senior year.

Both of these players will have significant roles on the 2009 team. Coleman appears to be the starting strongside linebacker in the John Chavis system. He was actually listed as a linebacker when he was signed, but moved to safety because he is and was a "tweener". Just a little big for a safety but small for a linebacker. While he was outstanding in the BCSNCG after the 2007 season, I believe last year proved he was not ideally suited for safety. The new defensive staff moved him to linebacker where he will increase the speed on the field.

Alexander was a force in 2007 before he was injured. Everyone remembers how that defense struggled after the chop block on Glenn Dorsey, but people forget that the truly dominating efforts ceased after Alexander was hurt. We outscored our first two opponents that year by a combined 93-7 before Alexander got hurt. We mauled MTSU, but after that the games tightened up a lot, and I attribute a lot of that to the loss of Alexander, who was a great blocker-occupying defensive tackle beside Glenn Dorsey, allowing Dorsey to run free a little more.

Last year, we saw a version of Charles Alexander that probably was not ready to come back and play. He started, but was largely ineffective. Charles Alexander will probably have a smaller role. It is not expected that he will be a starter. He will likely be the third defensive tackle in the rotation, behind senior Al Woods and junior Drake Nevis. The staff is going to try to protect him because he has had so many problems. If he stays healthy, I would expect his role to increase as the season progresses. At his best, Charles Alexander is just too good to hold back.

The "Winning with Saban's recruits" label is somewhat tongue-in-cheek here. Obviously, the bulk of this team is Miles' guys. These two will play their roles, however, and they will be important players to the success of this team. Harry Coleman will be asked to play a lot of roles, from run-stuffing to covering wide receivers, with probably an occasional blitz thrown in. Alexander will at least provide depth at defensive tackle, if he stays healthy, and may be our starter by seasons' end when the games get bigger.

Dicky's World

Ken Howlett — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:58:52 -0000

June 24, 2009

Hello. Not much going on since the Buffalo workout. My agents are calling teams, and seeing if they are making any roster changes. I still have the Saints workout, but that is not for another couple of weeks. So, in the mean-time I have to push my workouts and increase my "cardio". I have to get into the best shape of my life. When a team calls, and I get my chance, I do not want to lose it because I am out of shape.

I am working out three-times per day now, making sure I waste no time. "Time is what we want the most and use the worst." I don't know where I heard that, but I like it.

Now, to answer a few questions:

Question: I am really wondering, besides quickness off the line and 40-yard dash speed, what do the pros look for in receivers? I assume they look closely at how well you run routes, but after that, what is it that separates an NFL receiver from a guy trying to make the team?

DLJ: Last year I got the chance to sit down with Peyton and Eli Manning, and I asked them the exact same question. They both said the same thing: "WORK ETHIC!" They continued, "Do these guys like to work? Do they do all the little things right? Like blocking, running, going full speed on decoy routes, etc." So that's what I try to do.

Question: Dicky, when you run into fans is there a certain memory that seems to come up more often than others? Do fans always bring up the one-handed catch against Mississippi State, or the hit you put on (Craig) Steltz, or some other play?

DLJ: A lot of fans just like to say hi, and thank me for everything, and I always say "the pleasure is all mine." I loved every moment I played for Kentucky. And yes, those two memories come up a lot, and I don't blame them. I think about them all the time, too. My wife gets mad because when I need motivation I go to You Tube and watch those two plays.

On a personal note: My five-year high school reunion for Holy Cross High School is this weekend, and I am looking forward to seeing all my old buddies.

I also talked to Moncell (Allen) the other night, and he is doing great with school and football, and I predict a big season out of him. Remember, I didn't step up until my third year. Plus, Moncell is a Holy Cross boy!

Dicky Lyons, Jr.

SB Nation - Craig Steltz

5 Keys To A Successful Season, Bonus Edition #2: The Last of Saban's Recruits

Dicky's World