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July 9, 2003 Tide heads indoors for voluntary work Travis Reier BamaOnLine.com For the most part, the Hank Crisp indoor facility at the University of Alabama was designed with poor weather in mind. So why did members of the Alabama football team make use of it for voluntary passing drills on a sunny afternoon? With temperatures in the Tuscaloosa area hovering around 90 degrees and conditioning drills done for the day, the Tide deserved a break from the early July heat. Over 40 members of the team--mostly skill players--took part in the spirited 45 minute session, which consisted mainly of receivers going one-on-one with defensive back and linebackers. While nobody enjoys getting beat, it's important to note that these workouts are mostly relaxed in nature. Coaches are not allowed to attend and while there is plenty of trash talking, it's nothing that you wouldn't want your seven-year old son to hear (as I can attest). Here's a look at some of the highlights from Tuesday's workout: Best match-up: Wide receiver Triandos Luke vs. cornerback Charlie Peprah They didn't see each other a great deal today, but it's definitely worth watching when these two hook-up. In one of their only duels, Luke ran a precise in-cut and quarterback Brodie Croyle hit him perfectly in stride. To his credit, Peprah made a nice break on the short route and would have limited the play to a modest gain. Luke's claims of being the top route runner among the receivers won't be disputed here. With Luke there's no wasted motion or steps and he gets in and out of his cuts very efficiently. Peprah looks to have made the most of Ben Pollard's strength and conditioning program in the off-season. The Quarterbacks: There appeared to be six quarterbacks rotating in two groups for most of the session. Croyle, Spencer Pennington and Brandon Avalos all worked together and each performed well. With a wide array of receivers jumping in and out, the timing wasn't always there. Each has plenty of arm strength and in some cases too much. Croyle made a perfect throw to Dre Fulgham, who separated nicely from cornerback Thurman Ward, on a deep out. Pennington showed nice touch on a seem route to tight end Clint Johnston. Though not known as much for his passing ability, Avalos showed excellent arm strength on a crossing route to Brandon Brooks. Where's the backs?: Starting tailback Shaud Williams spent a good bit of time working with Croyle on basic routes for his position. Fullback Greg McClain also showed good hands in making a grab on a circle route. Odd combination: As things became more and more loose, Avalos decided to run a few routes at receiver and the red-shirt freshman looked extremely fluid in taking in a laser beam from Croyle on a deep crossing route. Avalos took a few more turns against the defensive backs and fared well. As the session came to an end, Peprah decided to give Avalos a look at what his receivers see everyday in practice. Biggest roar: With his teammates snickering on the sideline, the 5-foot-4 Brooks decided to take on 6-foot-3 linebacker Juwan Garth. To add even more intrigue to the match-up, the two switched sides of the ball. As the play unfolded, Garth appeared to have Brooks beat on a fade route (surprising choice, right?), but the diminutive sophomore recovered to knock away the ball at the last second. The ensuing roar from Brooks' teammates was by far the loudest of the afternoon. Is this the legacy left by Mike Price? Don't forget the big guys: Justin Smiley, Wesley Britt and Dennis Alexander were among the Alabama offensive linemen who spent time during the session working on some of the technical aspects of line play. Alexander, who is listed at 345 pounds, looks to be in the best shape of his career. Best dressed: Peprah and sophomore safety Roman Harper heard it from teammates when they initially appeared at the workout. Each showed up in full-Deion (Sanders) fashion, complete with tight fitting, cut-off practice pants and long sleeved, body armor tops. Spatted cleats filled out the ensemble for the duo. Special guest: Former Alabama and NFL linebacker Lemanski Hall took in Tuesday's voluntary workout. Hall was a starter on the Tide's 1992 SEC and national championship team. ______________________________________________________ RollTideFan - The University of Alabama Athletics Discussion List "Welcome to RollTideFan! Wear a cup!" To join or leave the list or to make changes to your subscription visit http://listinfo.rolltidefan.net
