SABAN’S PATIENCE // A WORK IN PROGRESS

SABAN’S PATIENCE // A WORK IN PROGRESS

Spring time has taught us two things, Mother Nature is bipolar and Alabama football needs to tighten up its character. The Tuscaloosa Police Department has been quite busy recently. Three Crimson Tide players were arrested and two have been dismissed from the program.
A new story was released involving the 24-year-old victim in the Jonathan Taylor domestic violence incident, according to ESPN and Tuscaloosa News. She retracted her statement three days after Taylor was dismissed. The victim was arrested and charged with providing false information. Taylor will not play a single down of Alabama football, despite new findings in this strange story.
Tyren Jones was poised to be Alabama’s third running back in its rotation, but multiple off-season issues have squandered his opportunity. He was already serving an indefinite suspension, due to violating team rules.
Jones was recently arrested and charged with marijuana possession. Senior defensive back Geno Smith has witnessed Saban’s patience for a third time. He will be able to rejoin the team, after taking care of some personal matters.
“Our focus right now is to try and help Geno,” Saban said. “He’s always been a good student, he’s always done a good job and he’s a good competitor on our team. He’s always set a pretty good example in terms of how he’s played.”
With this being said, Alabama’s head coach Nick Saban looks to move forward with spring practice. The Crimson Tide’s annual spring game is set for Sat, Apr. 18, 2015 at 2:00pm CT. Saban said he was pleased with the energy the players showed in practice Monday.
“We got a great practice in,” Saban said. “I think the players responded well and we probably had one of our better practices of the spring.
Alabama replaces three seniors on its offensive line in Austin Shepherd, Arie Kouandjio and Leon Brown. Saban said the only way Alabama will get experience is for the young guys to continue to play.
“It’s been a work in progress, Saban said. “Especially on offense with losing so many experienced guys, and it’s created a lot of opportunities for our young guys. We like the way they are working and improving. I think the offensive line has come together pretty nicely.”
All five quarterbacks are getting an equal opportunity at the starting job, but Saban noted Jake Coker as the one who’s feeling the most comfortable right now. Alabama returns many pieces defensively next season. Its secondary looks to improve its coverage skills in 2015.
Saban even took time to entertain the media’s question on Jonathan Taylor. He called the final result “unfortunate.” Saban said Taylor came in with specific guidelines and zero tolerance, but he didn’t live up to it.
“We’ve created many opportunity for players through the years,” Saban said. “Sometimes it works out extremely well. We’re sad to say that in this case it didn’t, and we all take responsibility for that. We have a good program here at Alabama, and we have a lot of good players that have done a lot of good things for this community and on our team.”
Saban said Alabama will continue providing opportunities for players and if there is any way that it could help Taylor overcome his issues, then it will help him.
Alabama will take the field today for its seventh spring practice. It hopes to have sophomore left tackle Cam Robinson back this week. Robinson has been dealing with an ankle sprain. Cam Sims’s knee injury was the lone one reported from Saban in Monday’s press conference. It will be up to Robert Foster, Raheem Falkins, ArDarius Stewart and others to step up.