Alabama Football: Danger in T-Town Monday night and more on Tuesday

Alabama football practiced in near suffocating heat Monday night and it will be hotter, as in nearly brutal, in T-Town Tuesday afternoon.

Alabama football fans have been agonizing over a run or recent injuries. It seems every time the Alabama Crimson Tide hits the practice field, there is danger. The Tide made it through a Monday session with no new injuries, but there was still danger.

A Deep South heatwave wrapped Tuscaloosa in extreme highs for temperature and humidity. One report said when the Crimson Tide hit the field Monday night, the heat index was 99 degrees. It will be hotter Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 PM – maybe another ten degrees of heat index, to 109 degrees.

That kind of heat is not to be taken lightly, but Alabama football worked in full pads Monday night. If Tuesday is to be another full pads session, taking the boys inside might be a good idea.

Whether inside or out in the blistering heat, the sideline cooling tents are a long way from the Bear Bryant era. For a portion of Bryant’s coaching career, it was standard to deny players water breaks. No matter how hot, it was believed water breaks were for weaklings.

Back to this century and today’s Alabama Crimson Tide. The practice roster was a little less depleted Monday night. LaBryan Ray began working his way back to playing condition. D.J. Dale is expected back next week.

The often moved Chadarius Townsend was back with the running backs again. No other position changes were evident. Redshirt sophomore Markail Benton is, at least for now, Dylan Moses’ partner at inside linebacker. While Matt Womack set out another session, there was an apparent shakeup on the offensive line first group.

The tackles remain steady with Leatherwood and Wills. On the inside, true freshman, Evan Neal worked at left guard, Emil Ekiyor at center and Landon Dickerson at right guard.

Crimson Tide fans should not read much into this, but just maybe the defense will have its own ‘Jumbo’ package at inside linebacker. Drilling behind Moses and Benton was the pair of Shane Lee and Christian Harris. Lee is listed at 246 pounds and Harris at 244 pounds, but there have been reports Harris is closer to 250 pounds. That could make for a pair of run-stuffers on goal line, short-yardage situations.

Before practice, Tua Tagovailoa had some interesting comments on his evolution and Steve Sarkisian’s offense. A later post will include our thoughts on what Tua said and what it might mean.