Photos and Video from Alabama's First Sugar Bowl Practice

The Crimson Tide practiced indoors at the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility on Friday afternoon.

Joey Blackwell | Dec 16, 2022

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Alabama Crimson Tide

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — On Friday afternoon, Alabama football conducted its first of seven practices to be held at the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility prior to the team heading to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl.

The team sported helmets, shoulder pads and shorts indoors. The weather outside was partly cloudy and temperatures hovered in the high-40s Fahrenheit.

Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban met with reporters for the first time since the team was revealed to be playing in the Sugar Bowl against Kansas State. During the press conference, Saban took a moment to give his preliminary thoughts on the Wildcats.

"These guys have got a really good team," Saban said. "They beat TCU in the [Big 12] Championship game. They were ahead 28-10 in the first game they played against them. This is a really good team. They can run the ball. They’re physical. They’ve got a good offensive line. They’ve got a good runner. The quarterback’s played well. They’ve got good skill guys on offense. Their defense plays physical, tough, come out of the top and strike you.

"This is a good old-fashioned, well-coached, disinclined, tough, good football team. They could make an argument since they beat one of the teams that’s in the playoffs that also maybe they should be in the playoffs. I think this is a really good team.”

The Allstate Sugar Bowl is slated to kick off at 11 a.m. CT on New Year's Eve (ESPN).

Gallery: Alabama Sugar Bowl Practice No. 1

Photos courtesy of Alabama Athletics

Alabama Athletics

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Published Dec 16, 2022

JOEY BLACKWELL

Joey Blackwell is an award-winning journalist and assistant editor for BamaCentral and has covered the Crimson Tide since 2018. He primarily covers Alabama football, men's basketball and baseball, but also covers a wide variety of other sports. Joey earned his bachelor's degree in History from Birmingham-Southern College in 2014 before graduating summa cum laude from the University of Alabama in 2020 with a degree in News Media. He has also been featured in a variety of college football magazines, including Lindy's Sports and BamaTime.