Alabama Football: Practice Notebook, Oct. 3

September 3, 2011; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama snapper Carson Tinker (51) on the sidelines during the fourth quarter against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Bryant Denny Stadium. Alabama defeated Kent State 48-7. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-US PRESSWIRE

Kickers and punters tend to be introverts when it comes to the different position groups on the field. Meaning, kickers tend to stay within each other, motivate each other and teach each other their craft.

Long snapper Carson Tinker has stepped over those bounds and made himself the No. 1 leader in the specialists units, including the kickers and the punters.

“He’s a great leader,” kicker Cade Foster said. “He’s the guy that always pushes us to our limits. He’s never satisfied with less than our best. He makes sure that we know it’s not acceptable and that we have to perform to a standard.”

Back to the house

When kick returners take a return for a touchdown almost every member of the unit starts celebrating even when the returner is 20 yards or more away from the goal line.

For a reason.

“You kind of want to celebrate,” defensive lineman Damion Square said. “It’s everybody’s play to celebrate. For one play to change the momentum of the game like that, it’s big.”

While the celebration for Christion Jones’s 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown was getting underway as Jones made his way into the red zone, Square had something else on his mind.

“You’re trying to run as fast as he does, but that’s not going to happen,” Square joked. “Then, you’re trying to figure out if your block was the block that released him to the endzone.”

Square is experienced in the return game, having to quickly adjust to that role after his defense gets an interception.

He thinks interception returns are more violent than the kickoff returns that are often glorified for the vicious crackback block.

“Guys keep their head on a swivel on kick return for the most part,” he said. “On interception returns, you have guys running around that aren’t used to tackling people.”

The only drawback to returns like the one Jones reeled off against the Rebels is that the defense has to go right back on the field.

Not an issue for Square.

“If I’m too tired, I’ll tell Coach and sit out for a couple of plays before I go in and do what I have to do for the team,” he said. “It’s not that much of an exhaustion play.”

Road to recover-knee

As wide receiver DeAndrew White and running back Dee Hart suffered their season-ending knee injuries, one of the first voices they heard was that of Square.

“I talked to those guys as soon as I could,” he said. “I told them they have to somehow embrace what has happened to it. These things happen, they come with the game. You have to find a way to embrace this moment, get better and realize there are other things that we can work on.

“It’s a bad moment, but it can be a good moment if they do it the right way.”

Square knows the process well, tearing his ACL as a freshman in 2009 against Florida International.

White and Hart will likely turn to Square for motivation like Square did to Dont’a Hightower after he suffered a similar injury in the 2009 season against Arkansas.