Top of the morning and week to everyone!
Don Shula stopped by yesterday's practices at The Capstone...here is
Hurt's write-up:
Rick
--
Yea, Alabama! Drown'em Tide!
http://www.tidesports.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030811/NEWS/308110343/1011
UA impresses Don Shula
By Cecil Hurt
Sports Editor
August 11, 2003
Don Shula, left, father of University of Alabama football coach Mike
Shula, right, visited both the Crimson Tide practices on Sunday.
staff photo | michael e. palmer
TUSCALOOSA | Its one thing when a proud father says he is really
impressed with the way things are going at his sons new job.
Its another thing when that job is coaching football, and the dad
happens to be one of the great football coaches of all time.
Don Shula, the Pro Football Hall of Fame coach and the father of Alabama
head coach Mike Shula, gave that favorable verdict to the Crimson Tide,
and his son, on Sunday. Shula is in town to participate in a
fund-raising golf event for the Crimson Tradition campaign today, but
attended both Alabama practice sessions on Sunday.
I was really impressed with everything , and the new building that is
going on makes it even nicer, Shula said.
I thought this was a great opportunity for Mike. He certainly wasnt
looking to leave the Dolphins, but this was probably the one opportunity
that he felt he had to leave for.
The elder Shula was an infrequent visitor to Tuscaloosa during his sons
playing career, since Tide football was invariably in conflict with the
elder Shulas job as head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
I only got to see Mike play one game in college, and that was in the
(1986) Sun Bowl after we had been knocked out of the playoffs, Shula
said. I only got to see David [Mikes older brother] play once as well.
But I will hopefully get to see more games here, and see Davids son
play at Dartmouth.
Id like to get to as many [Alabama] games as I can, he said. I will
be here for the opener, and I will try to work in as many as I can after
that. But Davids son is a sophomore quarterback at Dartmouth, and hes
got another son who will be a high school quarterback in Fort
Lauderdale. And, of course, I am still very interested in and supportive
of the Dolphins.
Shula quickly noted that he is not the only member of the family with a
full schedule.
Ive had a hard time getting Mike on the phone lately, he joked. If I
do get to talk to him, its usually while he is in the car. But hes
been pretty busy lately.
Shula said that he spent the morning watching practice and was
impressed with the organization and the job the assistant coaches were
doing, and the timing of the practices.
He also detected something familiar in the days sweltering temperatures.
The heat reminded me of our practices in Miami, too, Shula said.
Thank God there was a little breeze coming through. That helped me get
through it.
Cecil Hurt can be reached at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
__
RollTideFan - The University of Alabama Athletics Discussion List
Welcome to RollTideFan! Wear a cup!
To join or leave the list or to make changes to your subscription visit http://listinfo.rolltidefan.net
