Alabama Football: Day two of Auburn prep with SDH helping coach LB’s

Alabama football worked outside for the second day of Auburn preparations. Check out the latest injury news and the Tide’s newest linebacker coach.

As Nick Saban has said, no team suffers from too much leadership. Coaches and other staff members provide leadership but often, leadership exhibited by players makes the greatest impact. Alabama football has one such leader who continues to make an impact even though he will never play another down for Alabama football. For the second consecutive season, Shaun Dion Hamilton had a season cut short by injury.

Lieutenant Colonel Sheldon Hamilton and his wife Diane were taskmasters for their children. Sheldon led by example, working out at 5:30 AM every morning. Diane had a simple rule. Anything below a ‘B’ on a report card and no sports for a semester.

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Work ethic learned early

Following the lead of his parents, Shaun Dion Hamilton developed work ethic early. Sheldon Hamilton told Matt Zenitz of al.com,

"Shaun Dion’s normal morning routine multiple days each week: Wake up early, drive the two miles to the park around 5:30 a.m. and go through an hour and a half workout before … school, where he typically worked out again later in the day.“Being a parent, I (went) to the park … just make sure that’s where he is, and man, just like he said, this guy was out there pushing a sled at 5:30 in the morning by himself in cold weather. What he always said, ‘This cold weather is playoff weather.’ …I had never seen anything like that from a 16-year old … going to the park by himself with it black dark. I knew then that this kid must really, really, really have goals.”"

Shaun Dion Hamilton’s Crimson Tide playing goals are over. The former high school valedictorian has new goals. He is determined to help his teammates prepare for Auburn and beyond. He still works on the Alabama football practice field, his broken knee protected by a brace.

Shaun Dion is doing all he can to help tutor Dylan Moses and other young Crimson Tide linebackers. Hamilton is still a leader, though the form is explaining rather than showing. His understanding of the Tide defense and experience against opponents like Auburn can only benefit Dylan Moses learning the Mike linebacker role.

Injury Update for the Iron Bowl

• On Monday, Saban defined Minkah Fitzpatrick’s playing status as day-to-day. Minkah said he was 100 percent. All indications from two days of practice is that Minkah’s assessment is accurate.
• Ross Piersbacher was not seen on Tuesday. Two weeks would be a rapid return from a high ankle sprain.
• Andy Pappanastos remains day-to-day but is expected to be fine for Auburn.
• Terrell Lewis, Christian Miller and Mack Wilson were not seen at practice on Tuesday. There has been no official word of any of them being cleared medically.
• Daniel Wright was banged up against Mercer. He was limited in Monday activity but participated more on Tuesday.

Media viewing of Alabama football practices is limited to one or two short periods. It is unknown what Lewis, Miller and perhaps even Wilson are doing during later practice periods after the media exits.

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Alabama football will return to work Wednesday afternoon. Nick Saban will be on the SEC conference call midday and will meet with state media after practice.