You guys may have seen this ... it was published last Wednesday in the
local paper, but it is good. Can't wait for football season to get here!
ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!
Rick
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Baumhower lauds Shula's leadership
http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/sports/columns/050615.shtml
TUSCALOOSA — He played for college legend Paul "Bear" Bryant. He played
for NFL legend Don Shula. He knows the positive impact strong leadership
can have on a group, whether it be a football team or corporate business.
Former Alabama and all-pro Miami Dolphins nose tackle Bob Baumhower says
third-year coach Mike Shula has righted the Alabama football program and
fans can expect big things in the near future.
He was careful with his words when discussing the tainted coaching
tenures of Mike DuBose, Dennis Franchione and Mike Price.
"What Mike (Shula)has done is come in and change the mentality of the
team and the program as a whole," Baumhower, now a restaurant chain
owner, said as a guest at the Alabama Sports Writers Association's
convention here Monday. "I feel Coach (Gene) Stallings had the program
where it needed to be. But after he left, leadership issues no doubt
hurt the program. It doesn't matter if your product is a business or a
college football team, without high standards there are going to be some
problems. If there are compromises, there are going to be consequences.
What we have in Shula, again, is an uncompromising attitude. He is
focused, intense, tough and a real leader."
Baumhower, an all-decade SEC team member who recorded 153 tackles during
his Tide days, says he feels the Tide ebbed to a new low in its 40-38
loss to Central Florida in front of 83,000 stunned home fans on Oct. 28,
2000. In the game, Central Florida scored 27 unanswered points before
coming back to boot a game-winning field goal.
"That's about as low a point the program has ever been in that I can
remember," said Baumhower, a former two-time All-SEC performer.
He noted the 19-16 Tide loss to Northern Illinois of the Mid-America
Conference on Sept. 20, 2003, in Shula's first year was not indicative
of Alabama football, but perhaps more of a result of the NCAA
limitations on scholarships.
"Limited scholarships are leveling the playing field in college
football," said Baumhower, who played in 125 consecutive games for the
NFL's Dolphins from 1977 to 1984. He was also the NFL's defensive rookie
of the year in 1977. "The MAC is getting tougher, and state schools like
Troy and UAB are putting some good players out on the field. There
aren't enough scholarships to go around for all the players who want to
play here."
He said the limited scholarships place even more pressure on coaches.
"You have to get the right leader for the program even more so today,"
Baumhower said. "The coaches are the ones who will make the difference.
... But I can see the players here love Mike. They want to put it all
out on the field for him. I saw a lot of positive things from the team
last year. They didn't tire and quit in the fourth quarter. That says a
lot about Mike.
"He's young and good looking, and because of that I think he is
underestimated. I talked to Lee Roy Jordan this week and he says he
feels real good with Mike running the program."
Baumhower said Shula's high morals set him apart in recruiting prep
players. "He has high standards, high values and knows how to work the
mommas when he visits with the kids. The fact that he is good-looking
sure doesn't hurt. ... The guy is a winner."
Baumhower says he stays busy with his restaurants and promoting the
"Cruisin' with the Tide" program, which benefits the Crimson Tradition
Fund, but not too busy to ignore his first love, Alabama football.
"Coach Bryant said there needs to be surprises in the recruiting class
and on the field to have a great year," Baumhower said. "A healthy
Brodie (Croyle) will be bigger and stronger.
"If you have a strong defense, you will have an opportunity to win close
games and have a good season. If we get some luck and keep people on the
field healthy, we could have a reason to be proud again this year."
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