Started By
Message
Who were the players on that 2007 Alabama team that refused to buy in?
Posted on 4/28/21 at 4:56 am
Posted on 4/28/21 at 4:56 am
This is a semi-reaction thread to the one about most-hated players on the SEC Rant. Everyone knows that D.J. Hall was the leader of that cabal of players on Nick Saban's first Alabama team who refused to buy what the coaches were selling. Out of curiosity, I was wondering if anyone knew who the other players in that little niche were.
Posted on 4/28/21 at 6:35 am to RollTide1987
where did this info come from. This is the first I am hearing of it.
Posted on 4/28/21 at 7:18 am to RollTide1987
quote:
Out of curiosity, I was wondering if anyone knew who the other players in that little niche were.
I don't know if there were a significant amount of players who fell into this category, but we were completely outmatched, talent-wise, throughout most of our SEC schedule that season.
Posted on 4/28/21 at 7:30 am to RollTide1987
What a weird, random post.
Posted on 4/28/21 at 7:44 am to mrbroker
quote:It was pretty well known that the locker room was split. In particular, a handful of upperclassman (led by DJ Hall) simply refused to buy-in to Saban's demands for accountability and work ethic. The textbook suspensions had a significant effect, but the team fell apart as the season went on as some lacked personal accountability to the team goals set by Saban.
where did this info come from. This is the first I am hearing of it.
Captured here:
"That season, I think there was lots of stubbornness from some of the upperclassmen who weren’t willing to deal,” (Eryk) Anders said. “I think it was a locker room issue more than it was a playbook issue. We knew Coach Saban was going to work (at Alabama). It was just a few of these older guys that were bitter and wouldn’t do it his way..."
"...There weren’t really locker room guys, there were a lot more ‘me’ guys,” (Mike) Johnson said. “I remember Coach Saban, he told everybody, ‘When I can replace you, I will.’ These guys that are being selfish and not being team players, he wasn’t going to hurt the team at the time by benching these players or kicking them off the team. But he said, ‘When I can recruit a player to replace you, I will. And it will happen. I promise you, you won’t be a part of this program if you want to be selfish...’”
"...That was part of what made the 2008 recruiting class so important. The players that arrived with that group had the talent and the opportunity to play right away. Saban was able to make changes immediately.
“The culture was changing,” Cignetti said. “But there were ups and downs in the first year. We got off to a pretty good start, had a tough loss against Georgia. Then the textbook thing hit and we hit a point there in the last part of the year where we had a couple tough losses because we were thin. Really thin. We had some walk-on guys starting. Then the tremendous recruiting class, and it all changed.”
The take away remains for me that the 2008 recruiting class was the single most important thing in the Saban era that truly changed the course of the program under his leadership.
Posted on 4/28/21 at 8:53 am to RollTide1987
DJ was too busy banging sloots and slinging bud
Posted on 4/28/21 at 9:07 am to RollTide1987
Off the top of my head Prince Hall. I remember him having huge hype and playing pretty well his 1 year under Shula...and then Saban came in and tighten the ship and Hall didn’t want to oblige
Posted on 4/28/21 at 10:02 am to TideSaint
JMO but the loss of Glenn Coffee due to BookGate cost Bama the Miss State and ULM games thus that bunch would have been 9-4 instead of 7-6
Posted on 4/28/21 at 10:44 am to RollTide1987
They were too use to being entitled to ice cream cones instead of arse kickings.
Posted on 4/28/21 at 10:59 am to mistaken4193
quote:
Prince Hall
Best all time Prince Hall story was Joe Kines telling him he was one more biscuit away from having his hand in the dirt.
Posted on 4/28/21 at 1:00 pm to RollTide1987
I think the one thing that didn’t buy in on that team was talent, it didn’t have any.
Posted on 4/28/21 at 1:14 pm to bamabenny
Was always told DJ slept with JPW's girl in '07 and he keyed his car for it.
Gotta be hard throwing someone like that the football
Gotta be hard throwing someone like that the football
Posted on 4/28/21 at 1:16 pm to MagillaGuerilla
quote:
Was always told DJ slept with JPW's girl in '07 and he keyed his car for it.
LOL no, that didn't happen
Posted on 4/28/21 at 1:51 pm to mrbroker
quote:I kind of remember Saban hinting at players not buying in or wanting to be there.
where did this info come from. This is the first I am hearing of it.
I might even remember rumors that Saban addressed the team at some point and told the players who didn’t want to be there to gtfo.
I might have dreamed this. Idk
Posted on 4/28/21 at 1:57 pm to ReauxlTide222
Bleacher Report published a piece on DJ Hall's attitude back in 2011: LINK
Posted on 4/28/21 at 5:21 pm to Sl0thstronautEsq
DJ Hall
5* talent.....10 cent head
5* talent.....10 cent head
Posted on 4/28/21 at 6:56 pm to Sl0thstronautEsq
You’re killing your father, Larry.
Posted on 4/28/21 at 7:47 pm to 14&Counting
quote:
DJ Hall
I remember scouting quotes:
"Looks like Tarzan. Plays like Jane."
"Wouldn't go over the middle if you put a 100 dollar bill out there."
I was under the impression Jimmy Johns (the linebacker/running back from Mississippi that came in with tons of hype) was also part of the problem.
Posted on 4/28/21 at 7:49 pm to Grievous Angel
JJ got busted selling coke in the football parking lot. He'd been doing it at Gallettes for 2 years, helped him buy his 2 pit bulls.
This post was edited on 4/28/21 at 7:50 pm
Posted on 4/29/21 at 10:19 pm to SummerOfGeorge
From what I remember JJ and Ezekiel Knight were both converted to linebacker for the 2008 season and were kicking arse in the spring. Then the JJ coke thing happened and I think Knight tore his ACL or something and we never got to see them play defense. I was looking forward to seeing how good they were on that side of the ball.
Latest Alabama News
Popular
Back to top
Follow SECRant for SEC Football News