Former walk-ons get scholarships

By Ken Rogers

Published: August 19, 2008

TUSCALOOSA — Alabama head coach Nick Saban awarded scholarships to former walk-ons defensive back Tyrone King, placekicker Leigh Tiffin and punter and holder P.J. Fitzgerald scholarships this week.

“Each one of these guys have played the most significant role of any of the guys who have walked on our team,” Saban said after Tuesday’s practice.

“I think this is a message to all our guys that want to walk on, that we try to re-enforce positive performance, guys that become contributors for our team in any way, shape or form. We certainly like to put them on scholarships when scholarships are available.”

While Tiffin and Fitzgerald are high-profile players, King, a junior, has created a place for himself in the secondary and on special teams.

“I’m excited. I’m still in shock,” said King, whose late father played for Bear Bryant.

King has walked on at Alabama with a Bryant scholarship, but transferred to Grambling when he was academically ineligible. He made his grades and returned to Alabama.

“He earned it,” Javier Arenas said of his teammate. “He’s working hard out there and he knows the plays pretty good. I’m really happy for him and proud of him.”

What’s ahead: Tuesday was Alabama’s first day on the field since Saturday’s final preseason scrimmage. Saban said Alabama will work to improve trouble spots from the scrimmage.

“Today’s practice and tomorrow’s practice we’ve kind of dedicated to try to improve on fundamental things we need to do to get better and some of the things we haven’t been able to practice enough on,” Saban said. “Then on Thursday we’ll probably re-center our focus more toward the first game.”

That would be the Aug. 30 opener against ninth-ranked Clemson in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome.

Higgenbotham recovering: Linebacker Charlie Higgenbotham was in a black (no-contact) jersey and rode a stationary bike during the early part of Tuesday’s practice. He also was held out of the scrimmage.

“He has a groin injury and he’s day-to-day,” Saban said. “We’re hopeful that he’ll be back in a few days. He had a sports hernia after spring practice. This is not related to that. But because it’s in the same area, we’re trying to take it slow and easy.”

Sign of fall: After three brutal weeks of training camp, Alabama players welcome the return of classes, which start today.

“That fall feeling is in the air,” offensive guard Mike Johnson said. “It was breezy out at practice today. We’re starting to get that feeling (like) it’s game time, it’s time to go. Everybody’s talking about the Clemson game, and it’s going to pick up with classes starting. It’s coming; we can’t wait for it to get here.”

Gymnastics change: David Patterson, who has helped his wife, Sarah, build the Alabama gymnastics program into a national power for the past 30 years, is cutting back his schedule due to a chronic back injury.

Sarah Patterson announced a reorganization of her staff Tuesday. David Patterson will become the staff’s volunteer assistant coach, while volunteer coach Dana Dobransky Duckworth, a past NCAA balance beam champion at Alabama, becomes the full-time assistant.

David Patterson had surgery after the 2005 season to fuse four vertebrae in his spine to help chronic back problems that had been bothering him for years.

“They wanted to do it when I was in college,” he said. “I guess I waited a little too long.”

Tide golfer advances: Matthew Swan of Montgomery, a golfer at Alabama, advanced to match play at the U.S. Amateur.

He shot a 2-under-par 68 at Pinehurst No. 4 on Tuesday. He shot a 1-over 71 at Pinehurst No. 2 on Monday. His total put him in the top 10.

“I’m real excited about making it to match play,” Swan told Alabama media relations staff after Tuesday’s play. “I’ve made match play twice before, but I had to go into a playoff both other times.”

Tide teammates Phillip Weaver and Bud Cauley missed the cut.

Former player named MVP: Kenny Walker, who played center on Alabama’s 2002 SEC basketball regular-season title, was named MVP of the Eurobasket Summer League in Salt Lake City.

Walker plays in the Czech Republic. He’s played in Poland and Sweden since turning he graduated.