Alabama Football Daily Insider: Jalen Hurts, “Game Has Slowed Down”
By Ronald Evans
Alabama football fans have a big appetite for information and we’ll be serving up healthy portions of hot food for thought with a side of seasonal inside information every morning this Spring.
There was a time when getting to the Waysider early on a weekday morning was the best way to learn what was really going on with Alabama football.
In the compact dining area, all you had to do was listen. Most conversations included tidbits of information about the University and the football program.
These days there is more to be gleaned by surveying the digital landscape of multitudinous sources. The problem with this wondrous abundance of information is in separating the sense from the nonsense.
That’s where we come in. This column will endeavor to guide that process of discernment.
We’ll peruse message boards, podcasts, tweets, talk radio and numerous digital communication platforms. We’ll ferret out the most worthwhile information and offer our take on what it means.
The Daily Insider: April 6
Alabama football conducted its seventh practice of the spring on Wednesday. The Tide practiced indoors due to the threat of severe weather in the area.
Based upon multiple reports from the media viewing period, Trevon Diggs is still on defense, concentrating on the cornerback position. Little has changed in the battle for the other tackle, opposite Jonah Williams – Womack, Lashley and true freshman Alex Leatherwood are the apparent leaders.
Competition at right guard continues as well with Lester Cotton leading Brandon Kennedy and Dallas Warmack. There has been little news so far on junior college transfer Elliot Baker. Baker has been hampered with a foot injury.
The biggest news of the day came from a Jalen Hurts interview before practice. The even-keeled, poised 18-year-old talked about his leadership role on the team, his younger QB teammates and his growing relationship with offensive coordinator Brain Daboll.
When asked about his perspective being different from last season, he commented, “the game has slowed down.” Having the game slow down is a milestone for players, particularly for quarterbacks.
Great NFL and NBA players have described that milestone as the point when concentration and composure reach a plateau that literally alters their perception of the game. “Slowing down” does not mean a slower pace of physical play, but a mental sensation of the game taking place in slow motion.
If Jalen Hurts is beginning to experience that slowing down and can carry that experience into the heat of battle, his game will greatly improve.
Here is the entire interview, compliments of tidesports.com
A couple of reports ago we mentioned Henry Ruggs having a chance to earn playing time as a true freshman. Ruggs was not an early enrollee, so he will not arrive in Tuscaloosa until this summer. With his later arrival and Alabama being loaded at wideout, Ruggs will start with a long line of top athletes ahead of him.
We are are guessing he leap-frogs some spots in that long line during fall camp. The short video below explains why.
Next: Current Projected Depth Chart
Alabama football returns to the practice field Friday afternoon and the spring’s first scrimmage takes place in Bryant-Denny on Saturday. Alabama fans let us hear from you. Check in with us on Facebook or Twitter.