The University of Alabama football team went under the lights for its sixth practice of fall camp on Thursday night in conditions that were muggy but far more bearable than the mid-afternoon Tuscaloosa heat.
- Most of the buzz around the practice field was about Thursday afternoon’s visit from retired Los Angeles Laker superstar Kobe Bryant, who spent about four hours at the UA football complex. Bryant was at the football facility for more than three hours, visiting with head coach Nick Saban and speaking to the assembled Crimson Tide team for about 20 minutes.
- Expect some excerpts from Bryant’s presentation to appear on the ESPN All-Access program “Training Days” currently filming on campus with more content to appear on Alabama’s various social media platforms before long.
- The transformation of Alabama’s practice field into South Bristol, Connecticut, also included visits from studio host Maria Taylor and esteemed reporter Holly Rowe.
- Also visiting was veteran defensive line coach Pete Jenkins, best known for three different tours of duty at LSU. One of those was as an assistant on Nick Saban’s staff in 2000-2001.
- Former Washington signee Ale Kaho was reportedly continuing his cross-country trek to Tuscaloosa on Thursday and is not expected until all his UA paperwork is complete, possibly by Friday. In what may have been a related move, Chris Allen, who had been working with the inside linebackers for much of the week, was back with the outside linebacker group.
- The versatile Christian Miller, who has worked both inside and outside linebacking spots in the first five practices, spent the viewing period portion of Thursday’s practice on the outside as well.
- The other notable move on defense was Shyheim Carter working with the first-team secondary at the star position.
- Defensive end Stephon Wynn, who Saban mentioned in his Wednesday press conference as having a ligament strain in his leg, did not practice.
