Morning Kickoff: Crimson Tide News 2/3
By Chris Hale
Get your day started with the Morning Kickoff. All your Crimson Tide news in one place.
Alabama DL Dee Liner announces transfer
"Former top recruit Dee Liner announced on Monday that he plans on transferring from Alabama.Liner committed to Alabama in 2013 as a four-star recruit and the nation’s No. 61 player, according to Rivals.com. As a sophomore in 2014, he appeared in three games and made one tackle. He was expected to redshirt in 2013 before entering for the final drive of an Oct. 26 game against Tennessee that year."
I always hate to see the guys leave but sometimes, I know it may be what they want to do and what they feel is better for them. Hopefully the young man will have luck in his future wherever he may end up.
Crimson Tide welcomes UGA transfer Chuck Conley despite off-the-field issues
"Last March, Taylor was one of four Georgia football players charged with theft by deception after they were allegedly caught double-cashing meal reimbursement checks, according to the AJC. Taylor received pretrial diversion treatment on those charges, but his second arrest violated those terms, according to the AJC.Conley, who coached Taylor at Jenkins County High School, believes people shouldn’t judge Taylor based solely on those incidents.“He’s a good kid, he’s a good man and he’s going to be a productive member of society,” Conley said during a telephone interview. “He did stub his toe, but unless you know the whole story and the real story, I can’t see how folks can form an opinion about him.”Conley wouldn’t get into any specifics about Taylor’s two arrests, but he did share what he felt could have lead to the issues.“He is a very passionate person, a very kind person,” Conley said. “He ended up following instead of leading and it got him in trouble over there at Georgia. What (Georgia coach) Mark Richt told me is that he was not dismissed from the football team, he was dismissed from the university. They (the football team) would have loved to have him back. He’s a good kid. “The domestic violence stuff, I’m not going to get into because that’s not my place. But it’s not that he just beat somebody up. That’s not the case, and I’ll leave it at that.”"
This is a good read into enrollee Jonathan Taylor’s situation from his coach. I don’t know all of the facts so it’s really not my place to judge. All you can do is to go by what you read.
And He Shall Lead Them
"JACKSON, ALA. — The two little boys slip through the fence to the field and head straight for Lester Cotton. Lester’s school, Central High in Tuscaloosa, is warming up for its game against Jackson High in the first round of the 5A high school playoffs. But the boys can’t wait. Their families have been hearing about him for months. They have to meet him. Lester is 6-foot-4, 328 pounds of offensive lineman, and the boys barely come up to his waist. Their eyes widen as he kneels between them so their mamas can take a picture. But they still want something more. Lester has to get to the locker room. Come back after the game, he says. I’ll take care of you.By the way: The boys are wearing jerseys for the other team. Lester is used to this by now. A couple of weeks before, at Helena, one of the opposing team’s managers did a giddy hop after he met Lester in the handshake line. Football fans across the state follow his progress the way day traders check the ticker. This has been going on from the moment Lester committed to play for Nick Saban at Alabama this fall. In this state, that makes him royalty."
This is a tremendous read on Tide commit Lester Cotton. Please take the time to check out this man’s story. Great to have him joining the Crimson Tide.
Can Alabama make the NCAA tournament? Breaking down Tide’s résumé with 10 games to play
"At this point, the trends aren’t positive for the Alabama basketball team. Losses in five of the last six followed the quick 2-0 start in SEC play.The bubble is still a little north of where the Crimson Tide stands to begin the month of February. So, bottom line, where does Alabama stand in terms of a shot at March? We’ll take a look at a few numbers and see what we find.Alabama is 12-8 against Division I competition with 10 games to play. The good news? Alabama doesn’t have to play Kentucky for the rest of the regular season."
Michael Casagrande breaks down the Tide’s chances to make the NCAA tournament. I guess there may be a slim chance but I have my doubts.
Crimson Tide Ranked 12th in Men’s Track & Field Team Rankings
"The University of Alabama men’s track & field team is ranked No. 12 in this week’s edition of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division I National Team Computer Rankings released Monday. The Crimson Tide men were 13th in the USTFCCCA preseason rankings and were ranked 11th last week. The Tide men remain ranked fourth in this week’s South Region rankings while the Alabama women are No. 4 in the South Region team survey, up three spots from last week. The Crimson Tide women are 29th in the nation in this week’s survey."
Gymnastics Ranked 6th; Faces No. 11 Auburn on Friday
"The Alabama gymnastics team remained at No. 6 this week as they prepare to take on in-state rival No. 11 Auburn this Friday at Coleman Coliseum starting at 7 p.m.Oklahoma, which Alabama will close out its regular-season slate with in March, remains in the top spot this week followed by No. 2 Florida and No. 3 LSU. Utah ranks fourth, followed by Michigan in fifth, and the Crimson Tide in sixth. Nebraska, Arkansas, Georgia, and Oregon State round out the top 10. The Southeastern Conference has three teams in the top-six nationally and five of this week’s top 10."
Additional Baseball Ticket Packages on Sale Now
"The University of Alabama Athletics TIDE PRIDE/Ticket Office announced today that single-game tickets, mini-plan packages and group seating options are now available for the 2015 Crimson Tide baseball season sponsored by Hibbett Sports at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.This year will feature three mini-plan options that are available for all weekend series games except the season-opening, three-game set against Maryland Eastern Shore from Feb. 13-15."