Crimson Tide Finishes Third Day of Practice
8/7/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 7, 2010
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama football team returned to the practice field on Saturday afternoon for a two-hour workout in shells (shorts, shoulder pads and helmets) at the Thomas-Drew Practice Facility.
The high heat throughout the southeast has been one of the players' toughest battles through the first three days of training camp.
"I think the heat got to a lot of us during the first practice (on Thursday)," Tide middle linebacker Dont'a Hightower said. "In the beginning of the practice was good, but in the end the heat kind of got to us and guys didn't want to move as well, and we had some mental errors. But since then we have done a much better job of handling the heat."
Saturday was the first day in shoulder pads for Alabama, which will allow the Tide to pick up the intensity and physicality of practice.
Alabama has also added the expertise of a nutritionist for the 2010 season with Amy Bragg coming on board to help the Crimson Tide manage their diet and get the most out of their bodies.
"I feel like that has helped because eating is half of the battle," Hightower said. "You have to stay hydrated, but loading up on carbs and protein is very important as well."
The Alabama football team's annual Fan Day will get underway at 2:30 p.m. Sunday with an open practice inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. Players and coaches will be available for autographs immediately following the practice on the field for 45 minutes.
Fans may enter the stadium beginning at 1:30 p.m. at the northwest spiral (Gate 5) and occupy the lower bowl (sections A-N). The open practice, which is slated to start at 2:30 p.m., is scheduled to last approximately two hours.
At the conclusion of practice, those wishing to participate in Fan Day will enter the field through Gate 46 and exit via Gate 5. Fans that do not wish to view practice and would like to start lining up early can do so beginning at 1:30 p.m. Those fans can enter through Gate 46.
Following practice, the Crimson Tide football team, coaching staff and head coach Nick Saban will be available for autographs on the field. The gate to the field will be open once the autograph session has been set up. Due to meeting commitments for the team and the coaching staff, the session is limited to 45 minutes. In an effort to facilitate as many autographs in the time allowed, fans will be limited to one item per person for autographs, and no posed photographs will be permitted.
