Daboll’s standard already set high
Having worked for a five-time Super Bowl champion and a five-time college football national champion, Alabama first-year offensive coordinator Brian Daboll admits he has had quite the pair of role models.
Daboll joined Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide staff in February after serving last season as tight ends coach of Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots, who won their fifth Lombardi Trophy with the memorable 34-28 overtime triumph against Atlanta in February. This is Daboll’s second stint with Saban, having served as a graduate assistant in the late 1990s at Michigan State.
It certainly can be argued Daboll has been employed by the greatest football coaches ever at their levels in the same year.
“They’ve been great mentors,” Daboll said Saturday in his first news conference since joining the college ranks after a 17-year NFL run. “They’re obviously extremely smart and successful, and I appreciate the way they do things. They make it easy to work for them.
“There is a standard. You know the standard, and you have to meet it every day. If you don’t, there will be consequences.”
The Crimson Tide held an open practice inside Bryant-Denny Stadium as part of their annual fan day Saturday afternoon, which was their third workout of the preseason. Before the practice, Daboll (rhymes with table) and Alabama second-year defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt met with the media for what will be the only time during preseason camp or the regular season.
Daboll was asked several questions concerning his current and former boss.
“Obviously they worked at Cleveland together, and I have a lot of respect for both of them,” he said. “I’ve probably learned more from those two men than anybody else in this profession. They’re detailed, organized and demanding, and they expect you to do it the right way with no excuses to be made.
“Our mantra in this organization is ‘Do your job,’ and that’s what everyone has to do.”
When asked how he can work for two people who are known for being so meticulous and demanding, Daboll said, “I was raised by old-school grandparents.”
Daboll has inherited six returning starters from an offense that averaged 455.3 yards and a league-leading 38.8 points per game last year. Tide sophomore quarterback Jalen Hurts is the reigning Southeastern Conference offensive player of the year, and other offensive weapons include junior receiver Calvin Ridley and the junior tailback tandem of Bo Scarbrough and Damien Harris.
The primary chore for Daboll since his hiring has been to develop Hurts more as a passer.
“Brian has done a really, really good job,” Saban said Saturday. “He’s a good teacher, and I think the players have a lot of respect for him. He’s very enthusiastic about what he does systematically. We’ve carried over a lot of the things we’ve done in the past, but the new additions that we’ve made he certainly has great teaching progression for.
“He’s a very good quarterback coach who has helped Jalen fundamentally.”
Hurts set a program record last season with 36 touchdowns (23 passing and 13 rushing), with most of those under the tutelage of former coordinator Lane Kiffin. Asked this past week to compare Daboll to his former coordinator, Hurts smiled and said, “Coach Kiffin is like 6-4, and he’s like 5-9,” referring to their difference in height.
Saban believes the biggest adjustment Daboll is making to the college game is the use of runpass options with linemen a couple of yards down the field. Daboll downplayed the differences, citing that teaching fundamentals is no different when you’re dealing with 30-year-olds or 18-year-olds.
One of the more amusing moments of Daboll’s news conference was when he was asked to compare the Saban at Michigan State to the one now.
“He’s a pretty consistent individual,” Daboll said, smiling. “He even looks the same 20-something years later. I probably ought to get on his diet plan.”
No two-way Diggs
Sophomore Trevon Diggs had 11 receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown as a freshman last season but has worked this year at cornerback. Saban said the plan is to develop Diggs in the secondary and not to use him in a two-way role.
Diggs, who also averaged 23.7 yards on seven kickoff returns and 10.0 yards on 13 punt returns a year ago, certainly seems to be winning Pruitt over.
“The good thing about going from wide receiver to defensive back is that you don’t have any bad habits,” Pruitt said. “You’re really just learning. I think Trevon has a good skill set. He’s been a team player since he’s been here, and we appreciate him for that.”
Tide tidbits
Scarbrough spoke to reporters Saturday for the first time since breaking his leg during the third quarter of the national championship game, but he didn’t want to revisit the setback. “That book is closed,” he said. “The past is the past.” … Alabama lined up Saturday with the same first-team front as this past spring — Jonah Williams at left tackle, Ross Pierschbacher at left guard, Bradley Bozeman at center, Lester Cotton at right guard and Matt Womack at right tackle. … Alabama is off today and will resume practices Monday.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.