Spring practice is an essential landmark in the long college football offseason, a time for coaches to take the measure of their roster and lay the foundation for the work ahead in the fall. But at Alabama, winners of five of the last nine national titles, even spring practice has championship stakes, and that mindset has molded Nick Saban’s powerhouse into a standard-bearer for the sport. The Crimson Tide opened their doors to SPORTS ILLUSTRATED in the lead-up to the A-Day Game for a look behind the scenes as the defending champs wrapped up their spring workouts.
Photos by Erick W.