Crimson Tide Roll Call: July 28, 2021

Your daily briefing on what's going on with Alabama athletics, and how to watch the Crimson Tide.

Today is ... National Milk Chocolate Day

Crimson Tide in the Olympics results

• Softball: Team USA (Haylie McCleney) lost in gold-medal game to Japan, 2-0

• Soccer: Netherlands (Merel van Dongen) defeated China in group play, 8-2

• Swimming: Anton McKee (Iceland) finished second in second heat of the men's 200m backstroke 

Crimson Tide in the Olympics schedule

• Swimming

Women's 100m Freestyle (Kalia Antoniou, Greece), 5:02 a.m. (USA)/8:53 p.m. (NBC)

Women's 4x200 Freestyle Relay (Leonie Kullmann, Germany), 6:34 a.m. (USA)/10:31 p.m. (NBC)

Men's 200m Breaststroke (Anton McKee, Iceland), 8:44 p.m. (NBC)

• Golf

Justin Thomas (Team USA), 6:25 p.m. (NBC Golf)

BamaCentral Headlines

• Crimson Tikes: Valley of the Elephants

• Alabama in the NFL: Seattle Seahawks Release CB Saivion Smith

• Alabama Crimson Tide Season Position Preview: Running Backs

• Alabama Watch List Tracker: Seven Alabama Players Named to Nagurski, Outland Trophy Watch Lists

• Oklahoma, Texas Officially Apply For SEC Membership

• Haylie McCleney is the BamaCentral Crimson Tide Pro Athlete of the Week

• Nick Saban Shares Thoughts on Oklahoma, Texas Joining the SEC

• Alabama Basketball's Nate Oats on SEC Potentially Adding Oklahoma, Texas: "It Makes Our League Stronger"

• H2 For You: Europe's Soccer Model is Halfway Across the Pond

• Alabama Football Players Participate in 18 for 18 Project Workday

• In case you missed it: In-State 2022 WR Kobe Prentice Pledges to Alabama: "It's a No-Brainer"

Countdown to the Crimson Tide's 2021 opener:

38 days

On this date in Crimson Tide history:

July 28, 1961: Speaking at a Madison County Alumni meeting, Paul Bryant said he was "praying all the optimistic predictions about the '61 team are accurate. We did not beat but two teams soundly in '60. We could have easily lost five more games that somehow we won. We just lack having enough great players to be where we want to be." At least one magazine, Playboy, picked the Crimson Tide to finish as high as No. 2 in the nation. — Bryant Museum

July 28, 1977: Chris Samuels, the first Crimson Tide player to win the Outland Trophy in 1999, was born in Mobile.

July 28, 1984: DeMeco Ryans was born in Bessemer, Alabama.

July 28, 1999: Christian Barmore was born in Philadelphia. 

Crimson Tide quote of the day

"He was like a rock star. People were throwing babies at him." — former Vanderbilt coach James Franklin on walking in with Nick Saban at SEC Media Days in 2011.

We'll leave you with this ...