Dawn of an era

Bursting with excitement as they wait for the 2007 season to arrive, some Alabama fans have compared waiting for Sept. 1 like waiting for Santa Claus to arrive on Christmas Eve.

But the wait is nearly over. Crimson Tide fans will finally get their wish tomorrow with "St. Nick" Saban delivering the package.

Specially delivered, this new package brings a renewed sense of spirit and pride across the state with the ignition of Saban mania: the uproarious scene at the airport when he first arrived, nearly 5,000 more faculty and staff ticket requests than last year's season, Saban straw hats on the shelves at the Alabama book stores and a record-setting capacity crowd of more than 92,00 fans for the spring A-Day game - to name a few.

And all this has happened before Saban has coached a single game at Alabama.

Fans and students are referring to this season as one of the most anticipated seasons ever.

Melissa Gruver, a sophomore majoring in public relations, said the excitement in Tuscaloosa is "electric."

"You can tell there's definitely something special about this football season," she said. "I think Saban is exactly what everyone needed to get Alabama on track and not just the team but the fans."

Dennis Nabors, a junior majoring in biology, agreed. He said he thinks Saban is a "true motivator" and that there is no question he is a good coach.

"He's going to lead players in the right direction and make a tremendous impact on this campus," Nabors said.

Saban arrived at Alabama facing both an impatient fan base and a team that is unquestionably in rebuilding stages, especially on the defensive front.

But the good thing is that Saban and Alabama fans share a common goal, and luckily, Saban has a history of proving it. There's no denying Saban's impressive resume with a 91-42-1 record as a college coach at Toledo, Michigan State and LSU - all rebuilding jobs - not to mention a BCS national championship under his belt at LSU in 2003.

A stern leader who preaches intense conditioning, firm discipline and advocates an aggressive, ball-swarming defense, Saban builds his team methodically, focusing on both football and life skills.

Additionally, football players have taken karate lessons as a part of their summer program to help with flexibility and have also begun a peer intervention program to help with non-football situations any college-age person might face.

Saban said the mission has been to create an environment for the players to succeed in life before they succeed on the field. And to be successful in any aspect of life, he said people have to understand what they have to do first.

"You got to make a commitment to it, be dedicated toward it, have some passion for it, work and invest your time in it, stick with it, have some perseverance relative to all of it, and have the kind of character and attitude, thoughts, habits and priorities on a day-to-day basis to make good choices about what you do and don't do so you can realize your dreams," Saban said.

Cornerback Simeon Castille said he and his teammates have put a tremendous amount of hard work into summer conditioning and fall practices, and he said he respects Saban's efforts to make them better players and people.

"It's been tough and challenging, but I know in the long run it's going to pay off," he said. "There are times throughout the process where you feel like you can't do it anymore, but they won't let you give up. Everyone's got a tremendous amount of respect for Coach Saban, and everything will pay off."

But it is the players who will ultimately make the difference, and Alabama has a lot of talent to offer and an incredible amount of experience on the offensive side. Though the Tide's starting tailback and fullback graduated last year, experienced reserves are waiting for their opportunity to take control of the starting role.

With the new offensive schemes, senior wide receiver DJ Hall said there's a lot to prove.

"This offense can be so powerful if we just execute how we're supposed to," he said. "It's going to be exciting to watch us go out there and see what we can do."

For the offense, junior John Parker Wilson returns this season ready to take the reins as quarterback after starting all 13 games last season. The Tide also has great expectations for running back Terry Grant, who caught everyone's eye during fall practices, along with the second-leading rusher from last season, Jimmy Johns. All five offensive linemen return along with 10 of the 13 players who caught passes last season, including top receivers Hall and Keith Brown.

But there are reasons for both optimism and pessimism on the defensive front. In many respects, Alabama will be rebuilding its defense for the second consecutive year. Alabama lost most all of its leading tacklers, two of three starting linebackers and two experienced defensive backs.

Alabama's highest rated signee is linebacker Rolando McClain, who will likely start his first game after the one-game suspension handed down on Prince Hall, the 2006 SEC Freshman Defensive Player of the Year.

Ranking among the nation's best in interceptions, Castille will also be a defensive force for the Tide.

The schedule is challenging, with intense SEC home contests against Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee and LSU, and this year the Tide will travel to a neutral site for the River City Showdown to play against Florida State, a Tide first.

For Saban, there is no magic trick to make a national championship happen immediately, he said.

"We work hard and go from where we are right now to try to get to where we want to be," Saban said. "There's no real formula for what the timetable to do that is. But we're going to try to stay focused on the process and not get hung up on the frustration that when you have high expectations and it doesn't happen immediately, how that can affect your performance."

No one truly knows what else lies inside, but one thing for sure is that Alabama fans have certainly been waiting for this package for a very long time.