Bama's nine seniors forged turnaround to the brink of title


Wednesday, November 26, 2008 By GENTRY ESTES
Times Alabama Writer gentry.estes@htimes.com

Saban credits small class of veterans for affecting attitudes
TUSCALOOSA - They represent the smallest class of scholarship senior players of any football team in a major conference.
But really, they represent much more.
Now with a final home game on tap Saturday against Auburn, Alabama coach Nick Saban wants his nine seniors to know they will be missed.
"Regardless of what happens in the future, this senior class is going to be, in my mind, the group that sort of turned it around," Saban said, "because they bought in. They believed in it. They changed their ways. They affected other people to do that as well."
It's a question that seemingly gets asked each year at all programs. What will be the legacy of the departing senior class?
In Alabama's case, a small, close-knit group of seniors couldn't have asked for anything better than an 11-0 record and national No. 1 ranking heading into the Iron Bowl. Thus the legacy is playing out on the field.
"It's a lot different this year than the past couple of years I've been here," Alabama senior quarterback John Parker Wilson said. "I think the attitude of the team has changed - the way people go about business, whether it's working out or watching film or the day to day stuff we do. It's a lot different. We've gone a long way this season."
Though there remains much to play for this season, Alabama will offer a Bryant-Denny Stadium farewell amid family and friends before Saturday's game.
The list of scholarship seniors is small but influential: Center and team captain Antoine Caldwell, right guard Marlon Davis, defensive end Bobby Greenwood, safety and team captain Rashad Johnson, tight end Travis McCall, injured receiver Will Oakley, receiver Nikita Stover, tight end Nick Walker and Wilson.
Included in that list are a three-year starting quarterback, a highly decorated center, two standout tight ends and all-conference safety who arrived at Alabama as a walk-on and a total of nine players who have all contributed this season.
"Every one of those guys, the team means something to them," Saban said, "and they have invested a lot in ... this team's success. The commitment, the perseverance and the work that they've shown has gone a long way in having a huge impact on the change that's been made here in two years."
"This is family," Caldwell said. "I feel like this is the tightest team I've ever been a part of since I've been playing sports."
They are the survivors, the ones who stuck through the Mike Shula firing and lasted through a tumultuous first season under Saban.
Caldwell, McCall, Oakley, Stover, Walker and Wilson are the lone remaining members of Alabama's 2004 signing class. Some ran out of eligibility previously, but at least 10 did not make it through a full career with the Crimson Tide, for a variety of reasons.
Davis and Greenwood were added in 2005, along with McCall and Wilson, who re-signed. Of that 32-man list, a whopping 13 players didn't complete their eligibility at Alabama.
"A lot of people have dropped along the way," Greenwood said. "Different things have happened, and we've learned a lot of things from that."
More than most classes, these seniors can claim to leave the Crimson Tide program in better shape than they found it.
Caldwell hopes that fact will be their legacy.
"I would like to be remembered as a hard-working, close-knit group that kind of turned this program around for the better," Caldwell said. "I really feel like with the guys we have now and coach Saban is going to bring in, Alabama is going to be successful for a long time to come."


©2008 Huntsville© 2008 al.com All Rights Reserved.