*Deionte Thompson – Noteworthy
With a hard white cast on his right wrist, Deionte Thompson won’t be doing much more than talking this week in Indianapolis. The former Alabama safety said he suffered a “freak injury” training in California and will have to miss the physical testing at the NFL Combine. “I was lifting a heavy weight, I felt a pop,” Thompson said Sunday in Indianapolis. “And that was that.” A quick MRI revealed the torn ligament. There’s a 6-to-8-week recovery after having surgery a week and a half ago. He expects to start the rehab process Tuesday. “I decided to attack surgery early,” Thompson said. “I didn’t want to come to the Combine and be 50-to-60 percent. It was very important to me that I took care of this matter as quickly as possible and that’s exactly what I did.” The plan is to be ready to participate in Alabama’s make-up pro day April 2 in Tuscaloosa. The main exhibition will be March 19 when Josh Jacobs and Christian Miller are expected to run the 40 after sitting out in Indy with injuries. – Birmingham News
*Saivion Smith – Noteworthy
A total of seven Alabama players with eligibility remaining opted for the NFL over another season in Tuscaloosa. Some were obvious — Quinnen Williams, Jonah Williams and Josh Jacobs — are first-round guys. Cornerback Saivion Smith wasn’t necessarily on the list of no brainers after one season in a Crimson Tide jersey. Five days after losing to Clemson, however, Smith said he was entering the draft. Smith said Saban told him his grades were coming back between a second- and fourth-round selection. What did the coach say about Smith’s decision? “He told me to think about it some more,” Smith said. “So I thought about it and talked to my family and my supporting staff and we agreed it was time to come out.”
One major hurdle stood between him and the ultimate verdict to enter the draft. His performance in the 44-16 national title game loss to Clemson weighed heavily with an opportunity at redemption in his mind. Smith, who started 12 of the 15 games, was beaten on several key plays in Clemson’s stunning blowout win over the reigning national champions. The final play of his collegiate career came on the 74-yard touchdown from Trevor Lawrence to Justyn Ross. It was practically the back breaker that put the Tigers up 37-16 three plays after Alabama’s failed fake field goal in the third quarter. Smith went down after Ross made a quick move at the line to find green grass on a short pass. The cornerback didn’t get up as medical staff rushed to his side before he was carted off the field with an apparent ankle injury. – Birmingham News
Mack Wilson – Noteworthy
Dedicated fans who follow the Tide know the linebacker lives in a world of hashtags, GIFs and selfies. But now NFL teams are probing Wilson to find out how he came to inhabit this digital sphere. “When they bring up my social media, it’s not like you’re putting anything negative out there,” said Wilson, who is still a potential first-round pick. “It’s just how much I’ve been on it. The same story I’m about to tell you I told them. When I was young, I didn’t really have much. So when I got a chance coming out of high school to play Division I ball at the University of Alabama, I knew that they were going to be giving us scholarship checks and stipends and stuff like that, so I took it upon myself to learn how to save my money in order for me to those nice things that I couldn’t get when I was younger.
“And, of course, when I get those nice things I’m going to take a picture, I might post it because I never had anything. So I’m happy that I’m able to get money to save to still be able to give my mom money back home and make sure that she’s straight. That’s all that plays out to that.” But the question is whether this kind of self-promotion and personal brand creation is disruptive in a team setting. “I can see how it could be a negative look with the social media presence,” said linebacker Christian Miller, who played alongside Wilson. “But at the end of the day those are choices he makes. Whether it is positive or negative consequences, social media is a scary thing nowadays. You got to be careful what you put out there. Everybody is watching you. Unfortunately you’re going to be judged off of that. That’s why I am kind of more of a low-key guy.” – Birmingham News