Photos and Video from Alabama Football's First Day of Fall Camp
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Nick Saban made headlines on Wednesday when he called Alabama's 2021 season a "rebuilding year" on McElroy and Cubelic In the Morning on WJOX. With lots of talent returning, including the reigning Heisman trophy winner, 2022 is not expected to be a rebuilding year for the Crimson Tide, and Thursday marked the unofficial start to that season with the first day of fall camp.
The Crimson Tide practiced outside on the Thomas Drew Practice fields for two hours Thursday afternoon under cloudy skies and temperatures in the high 80s.
"We're excited to be back practicing again," Saban said. "Had really good work all summer. Good work in the offseason. Continue to try to build on that during camp. And I don't care what you do in preparation, when you start practicing it's just a little bit different. So today's an opportunity for every player to see where they are and what they have to do to get where they want to go.
"And I think the point that players have to understand is, they have to invest in themselves. We're not really asking them to sacrifice anything. But if we're going to practice well and have guys sustain it and be able to sustain the entire practice, which means they can finish plays, finish practice, finish games _ then they have to take care of themselves off the field. How they eat. How they hydrate. How they sleep. As well as be able to take advantage of taking care of themselves when they get on the field."
Saban did not go into specifics about injuries, but said that both Darrian Dalcourt and Ja'Corey Brooks, who were out in the spring, are back practicing with the team. Running backs Jase McClellan and Roydell Williams were both limited in the spring after suffering knee injuries in the 2021 season and were seen moving effectively in practice photos and videos.
