Practice Report: Alabama Hosts First Padded Practice of Georgia Week

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama football hosted its first padded practice of the week as it continued preparations for its weekend matchup against the No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs.

In an interview with the media via Zoom earlier on Tuesday, senior wide receiver DeVonta Smith detailed that being physical in an all-SEC schedule is important every week, not just for big games like Georgia.

"You have to be physical every week just going out there and knowing that when a ball’s not coming to you, you still have a job," Smith said. "Whether it’s blocking a safety or blocking a corner, that’s still your job even when it’s not a pass play and that’s something around here that, if you don’t block, you’re not going to play. That’s all that we preach in our room is playing without the ball and I feel like we’ve done a great job of doing that."

After a weekend that included 164 receiving yards along with rushing and receiving touchdowns, Smith will look to continue his hot streak heading into the weekend as the Bulldogs roll into Tuscaloosa.

That being said, Smith is also enjoying the 10-game conference-only schedule and is looking forward to the opportunity for his team to prove themselves again this weekend.

"I feel like that’s what you come here to do, compete against the best of the best," Smith said. "That’s why you come to play in the SEC, to compete against the best of the best. It’s just that, you’re really going to see what your team is made of, so I feel like this game is a game to see what we’re really made of."

Alabama Practice, Oct. 13, 2020

Courtesy of Alabama Athletics