Alabama Football: Finding the bright side in missing spring practice

While there is plenty of downsides to Alabama Football having to forego their spring practice this year, there is one advantage… You can’t suffer preseason injuries if there is no preseason.

Because of the Coronavirus, the NCAA was forced to cancel all spring sports and practices, including spring football practice. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Alabama Football team will escape the spring without any injuries, something not possible last year.

I know that seems obvious and perhaps redundant, but in a world full of bad news, anything remotely positive is a good thing at this point. Considering the insurmountable injuries the Tide has faced in recent years, this would certainly be a benefit.

All facilities on campus are also closed, meaning most of the players are home with their families. This time away from campus means many lack access to exercise equipment and, more importantly, the nutrition team. The spring is an opportunity for many of the players to either bulk up to become stronger or lose weight to become more agile. Unfortunately, that will be up to the access and discipline the players have at home now.

The SEC did recently allow coaches and staff to have virtual meetings with players. They are allowed two hours worth of video conferencing per week to discuss film and may send written workouts for players to do from home. They are also permitting care packages to be sent to players. The league clarified this would only be allowed for current student-athletes.

This new normal for the players will really separate the boys from the men. This time at home will prove who wants to get better and has the discipline to do so without the second-string guy breathing down his neck. You can recreate some things virtually, but competition is not one of them. The discipline to work during this time must be innate and self-motivating. Working out from home without any competition certainly drastically limits the chance for injury.

One player who looks to have a huge Junior season is putting in work daily as seen on his Snapchat account. Jaylen Waddle has been sharing videos of his workouts almost daily recently. Earlier this week, he went through drills in a sandpit running from cone to cone with footballs being thrown at him quickly – almost like one of the NFL Combine drills. He is certainly using his time away to be productive in preparation for a massive upcoming season at wide receiver and punt returner.

New Director of Performance Coach, David Ballou, is even sharing some home workouts via Twitter for any Tide fan to take part in should they want to buy into the process this extended off-season as well.

https://twitter.com/aldotcomTide/status/1245051565486080006

Alabama Football players are beginning to take advantage of this unusual opportunity for the student-athletes to be at home during this social distancing era. This is a chance for certain players to step up as leaders and prove their work ethic. While not as effective, this method of development is also quite obviously a lot safer with far fewer opportunities for injury.

While the student-athletes navigate this new spring training, let’s all say a prayer that the college football season will be able to resume this fall.