The contract is a five-year deal worth $40-million with $23-million of that guaranteed.

McClain was the 8th overall pick of the April NFL draft after winning the Butkus award last season for the Tide.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama football team’s annual Fan Day is set for Sunday, August 8. The team will hold an open practice in Bryant-Denny Stadium from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Players and coaches will be available for autographs immediately after the practice on the field.

Fans may enter the stadium beginning at 1:30 p.m. at the northwest spiral (gate 5) and occupy the lower bowl (sections A-N). The open practice, which is slated to start at 2:30 p.m., is scheduled to last approximately two hours.

At the conclusion of practice, those wishing to participate in Fan Day will enter the field through gate 46 and exit via gate 5. Fans who do not wish to view practice and would like to start lining up early can do so beginning at 1:30 p.m. Those fans can enter through gate 46.

Following practice, the Crimson Tide football team, coaching staff and head coach Nick Saban will be available for autographs on the field. The gate to the field will be open once the autograph session has been set up. Due to meeting commitments for the team and the coaching staff, the session is limited to 45 minutes. In an effort to facilitate as many autographs in the time allowed, fans will be limited to one item per person for autographs, and no posed photographs will be permitted.

Soft drinks, water and several food items will be available for a special Fan Day price of 50% off the regular gameday prices. Vendors will be walking through the stadium with concessions available and the stands on the west side (field and mezzanine levels) will be open. Alabama merchandise will also be sold on Sunday.

Those attending Fan Day will possibly find campus very congested with traffic and pedestrians, especially areas east of Bryant-Denny Stadium. Students will be back on campus from summer vacation as they move into their respective dormitories. Many will have accompanying family members as well. There will be more parking available at the perimeter campus lots (Softball, Tennis, Rec Center, etc.).  Other locations may include the ten Hoor Decks, ten Hoor Surface Lots, Soccer Lot and Moody Music Lot. No special accommodations will be made for recreational vehicles (RVs) on campus. All RVs should park at the Northington Lot near University Mall. Fans should logon to http://www.rolltide.com for updates and other pertinent information.

In the event of inclement weather, the autograph session would be moved to the indoor practice facility and fans would enter through the double gate next to the Mal Moore Athletic Facility.

WESTMINSTER, Md.—A day late and quite short of breath, rookie defensive tackle Terrence Cody passed his conditioning test Wednesday and formally launched his NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens.

Cody, a 350-pounder out of Alabama, twice failed the test Tuesday. The drill consists of running 25 yards, doubling back, resting for 70 seconds and repeating it twice.

“It’s down and back, down and back, down and back. It’s not complicated [but] it’s a tough test,“ Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “You’ve got to go out there and compete.“

Cody conquered the drill on Wednesday morning at 7 a.m. and was removed from the Physically Unable to Perform list before participating in his first NFL training camp practice.

Along the way, the second-round pick (57th overall) picked up a nickname that will probably stick for a long time.

Veteran defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, in addition to dispensing valuable advice, began calling the rookie “Cheeseburger.“

Cody laughed about it. He probably would have been OK with being called a lot worse, such was his relief to get on the field after watching his teammates work on Tuesday.

“Yesterday, as I was sitting to the side watching them practice, I felt bad. I felt like I was letting them down,“ Cody said. “Now that I’m back out there, it feels good.“

After failing the test on Tuesday morning and again in the afternoon, Cody received encouragement from his new teammates and a frantic phone call from home.

“I had my family call me and ask me what was going on. I had to tell them,“ he said. “I slept on it and got up this morning with a head full of steam and passed it. It was a relief.“

And so began the NFL career of a two-time All-SEC star who helped the Crimson Tide win the 2010 national championship.

“We weren’t too hard on him,“ veteran linebacker Jarret Johnson said. “That’s a tough task, especially for those big guys. Guys who are 350 or so, to run that test is pretty impressive.“

There won’t be many times in his career when Cody is asked to run hard for 50 yards, but the Ravens want to make sure their players are fit enough to withstand two practices a day under the summer sun.

“Someone asked me [Tuesday] if I was surprised—not about Cody—but about guys failing conditioning tests,“ Harbaugh said with a wry smile. “I would have to admit I was surprised this morning when they told me he passed the conditioning test. But we have it on tape and will verify the results of that test. Obviously it shows that he was in shape.“

Not exactly ideal shape, but good enough to get on the practice field. And at this point in the summer, that’s all that really matters.

“He’s got to lose a little weight, and that will happen in training camp,“ Harbaugh said. “But the fact that he’s in shape is important. That’s the bottom line. It shows that he’s done the work. The fact that he knows how to run the test, and to really push through it and get it done is a credit to him.“

Cody is expected to provide help to Ngata and Kelly Gregg in stopping the run. But Harbaugh believes the rookie might also turn out to be an effective pass rusher.

“We didn’t label him as just this and just that. We basically think this guy can play football for us,“ Harbaugh said. “So whatever he grows into, if he can push the pocket on third down for us, that would be great. I see no reason why he can’t do that for us. That’s what training camp is all about. That’s why you put the pads on.“

The Ravens didn’t put on their pads during the first two days of camp. That will occur Friday morning, during the first full-squad practice.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The final ITA Summer Circuit Event for the Southeast Region wrapped up Monday, July 26 at the University of Alabama Tennis Complex. Highlighting the tournament for Alabama were juniors Michael Thompson and Vikram Reddy playing in the championship match. Thompson emerged victorious 6-1. 6-1.

Thompson breezed through the draw on the way to winning the championship, dropping a total of 12 games in four matches. After a bye in the opening round, he defeated Alex Calott of Charlotte, N.C., 6-3, 6-2 in the Round of 32. He made quick work of Wofford’s Joey Francis in the Round of 16, taking the match 6-0, 6-2, and followed that up with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Mario Cardenas of Georgia College in the quarterfinals. Thompson advanced to the finals via a walkover in his match against Gabriel Townes of Atlanta. He then claimed the title over fellow junior and teammate Reddy.

Reddy was forced to battle his way to the championship match. He received a bye in the opening round, and then edged out Derrick Taylor of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College 6-2, 4-6, 11-9 in the Round of 32. His Round of 16 victory came much easier, a quick 6-2, 6-0 win over Memphis’ David Henry.

Reddy’s quarterfinal match was another tight one. He took the first set 6-1 from Zac Rigsby of Clemson, but Rigsby responded by taking the second 7-6(5). Reddy rebounded to take the super tiebreak 10 points to four to advance. He was up 7-6(5), 2-0 in the semifinals when Georgia Tech’s Elliot Potvin retired due to injury, and then was beaten in the finals by Thompson.

Freshman Carlos Taborga advanced to the Round of 16 via a bye in the opening round and a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Gainesville, Fla., native John Veseley in the Round of 32. Taborga’s run came to an end in the Round of 16 when he was defeated by Ryan Smith of Georgia Tech 6-3, 4-6, 10-7. Sophomore Harris Barnard lost in the Round of 32 to Ryan Miller of Norcross, Ga., 7-5, 7-5, but continued play in the consolation bracket since he received a bye in the opening round. He defeated Ezekial Sansing of Appalachian State 6-2, 6-3 in the consolation Round of 32, but was defeated in his next match 6-0, 6-0 by Mark Bowtell of LSU.

Senior Trey Walston won his opening round match 6-2, 6-3 against Braden Anglin of Camilla, Ga. He was trailing 6-1, 4-2 in the Round of 32 against Francis before having to retire due to injury. Junior Creighton Blanchard also won his opening round match, a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Zachary Landry of Wofford. He found himself locked in a battle with Davidson’s Connor Evins, but fell just short 6-2, 1-6, 10-4.

Sophomore Ian Chadwell received a bye through to the Round of 32, but had to retire due to injury in that match against Cardenas after splitting the first two sets 3-6, 6-3.

The Crimson Tide also had five players compete in the doubles bracket, with Reddy and Taborga reaching the finals before having to pull out. The duo took down Cardenas and Julian Seneviratne of Whittier College 8-3 in the opening round, and then defeated Francis and Taylor Hardy of Opelika, Ala., 8-4 in the quarterfinals. The pair advanced to the finals via a walkover against Leif Shuman and Taylor of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

Barnard and Thompson teamed up to defeat Evins and Rigsby 8-2 in the opening round, but lost to Potvin and Smith in a tight 8-6 contest. Blanchard also entered the doubles draw with Wisconsin redshirt sophomore Alexander Teppert. They won 8-1 in the opening round over Brent Goodbrake of Huntsville, Ala., and Miller, but fell 8-6 to Henry and Jordan Smith of Memphis in the Round of 16.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The volleyball team will be featured in three of 12 regionally broadcasted matches during the 2010 season, thanks to the Southeastern Conference’s 2010 regional network schedule.

The Crimson Tide makes its television debut on October 10 when it hosts South Carolina. The match will be broadcast on Fox Sports Network. FSN will also broadcast Alabama’s November 7 contest versus Kentucky. Both matches will air at 1 p.m. CST.

The final televised contest for the Tide will be the November 21 showdown against Georgia. CSS will carry this match with opening serve slated for 1 p.m. CST.

2010 SEC Volleyball TV Schedule

FSN
 
 
Oct. 3
Mississippi State at Georgia
Noon CST
Oct. 10
South Carolina at Alabama
1 p.m. CST
Oct. 15
LSU at Mississippi
6:30 p.m. CST
Oct. 31
Auburn at Kentucky
Noon CST
Nov. 7
Kentucky at Alabama
1 p.m. CST

 
 
CSS/CST
 
 
Sept. 19
Mississippi State at Mississippi
TBA
Sept. 19
Florida at Tennessee
1 p.m. CST
Oct. 31
Georgia at Tennessee
1 p.m. CST
Nov. 7
Florida at Auburn
1 p.m. CST
Nov. 14
Arkansas at Tennessee
1 p.m. CST
Nov. 21
Georgia at Alabama
1 p.m. CST
Nov. 21
Florida at LSU
TBA

The 360-pound defensive tackle out of Alabama signed a three-year contract Monday and arrived at McDaniel College eager to launch his NFL career. But after flunking his physical, he was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list (PUP).
   
Ravens coach John Harbaugh said, “When he passes the conditioning test, he’ll practice.“

Baltimore’s other second-round pick, linebacker Sergio Kindle of Texas, fractured his skull while falling down a flight of stairs and will probably miss the entire camp.

Wide receiver Melvin Ray, a 2008 Tide signee, is no longer with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ organization after a three-year stint as a minor league outfielder. The 21-year-old hopes to be part of Alabama’s incoming 2011 recruiting class and possibly enroll in time for spring practice.

Ray’s father, Melvin Sr., says his son will try to enroll in junior college this fall to complete needed course work for eligibility.

Ray says he doesn’t plan to reopen his recruiting to other schools. He hasn’t received a formal offer from Tide coach Nick Saban.

Ray would have four years of eligibility in college football. He was a 33rd-round draft pick of the Dodgers.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Fifth-year head coach Randy Hasenbank announced the Alabama women’s cross country schedule for the upcoming 2010 season. The cross country team will be running in a possible seven events during this upcoming campaign.

“This season’s women’s cross country schedule represents our most competitive schedule in some time,“ Hasenbank said. “I would like to see our upperclassmen take advantage of the mid-season schedule. We need to beat as many of the top teams in the country as possible in order to gain as many points as possible for an at large bid to the NCAA meet if we do not get automatic bid. Our goal is to compete for one of the top two spots in the team standings, automatically advancing the squad to the National Championships.“

The women’s team will start off their season at the Belmont Opener on Friday, Sept. 3 in Nashville. This 4K race will be held at the Vaughn’s Creek Course in Percy Warner Park, where coach Hasenbank will be able to evaluate the incoming freshman for the first time, as well as test the fitness level of the returners.

The only home race for the cross country team will take place on Saturday, Sept. 18 in Tuscaloosa. The 22nd Crimson Classic 5K race will be held at the Harry Pritchett Running Park following the Belmont Opener.

In October the cross country team will travel to South Bend, Ind., as they will compete in the Notre Dame Invitational. This meet will be the final 5,000 meter race of the season as the women will look to compete against a number of the top-25 teams in the country. This meet has grown to become one of the better races in the country, and Hasenbank will look to use this meet as preparation for the post-season meets.

The Pre-National meet on Saturday, Oct. 16 in Terre Haute, Ind., will be another race the coaches will use to prepare the team for their post cross country season.

The cross country team will continue to work towards their goal of a top-three finish at this year’s Southeastern Conference Championship race at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. The Tide finished strong last year at fifth after improving from 10th just three years earlier.

This year’s 6K NCAA Regional will be held close to home in Birmingham on Saturday, Nov. 13. The team is looking to take advantage of location and qualify in the top two spots to advance the entire squad to nationals.

The women’s cross country team will look to close out their 2010 campaign at the NCAA National Championships in Terre Haute, Ind., on Monday, Nov. 22.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - University of Alabama sophomore Nathan Corder was named to the ESPN the Magazine Men’s Track and Field/Cross Country Academic All-America Third Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

“This award represents the tremendous dedication and drive that Nathan brings to both his academic and athletic endeavors,“ Assistant Athletic Director for Student Services Jon Dever said. “We’re proud of him and all the Crimson Tide student-athletes who have earned Academic All-American honors this season.“

A native of Pickerington, Ohio, Corder carries a perfect 4.00 grade point average in mathematics. He earned the Outstanding Student-Athlete Award for the Computer-Based Honors Program.

Corder helped the Tide cross country team claim the 2009 SEC Championship, the 2009 South Region title, and finish third at the 2009 NCAA Championships. He competed in six of seven races during the season, running in the top seven in five of those races. On the track, Corder competes in the 5,000m and 4-mile events.

Since 2000, Alabama student-athletes have earned Academic All-American honors 55 times, including 24 first-team honors. Corder pushes Alabama’s 2009-10 season total to seven, including football players Colin Peek and Barrett Jones, softball player Charlotte Morgan, tennis player Saketh Myneni, gymnast Kassi Price and diver Elizabeth Hughes.

Price, Peek and Morgan were named first team while Jones was named to the second team. Corder joins Myneni and Hughes on the third team.

The Ravens picked Cody in the second round of the NFL draft back in April.

He gets a four-year deal worth almost $3.5 million.