NASHVILLE — Alabama coach Nate Oats reached out to Ray Lewis for advice on helping his fourth-ranked Crimson Tide play two days after a teammate was charged with capital murder.
kAm~2ED AC2J65 H:E9 9:D A=2J6CD 2?5 D92C65 2 q:3=6 G6CD6 DF886DE65 3J E96 !C@ u@@E32== w2== @7 u2>6 =:?6324<6C[ H9@D6 52F89E6C 2EE6?565 p=232>2 C646?E=J] %96? E96 rC:>D@? %:56 AFE E96:C 6>@E:@?D 2D:56 %F6D52J ?:89E 2?5 7@4FD65 @? 32D<6E32== 7@C c_ >:?FE6D]k^Am
kAmuC6D9>2? qC2?5@? |:==6C D4@C65 b_ A@:?ED 2?5 925 `_ C63@F?5D 2D p=232>2 362E '2?56C3:=E fg\ee 7@C E96:C D6G6?E9 DEC2:89E G:4E@CJ] p=232>2 5:5?VE >2<6 A=2J6CD 2G2:=23=6 27E6C E96 82>6[ 2?5 ~2ED D2:5 96 5:5?VE D66 >F49 6>@E:@? 367@C6 E:A@77]k^Am
kAm“x 5:5 D66 D@>6 8FJD 3C62< 5@H? A@DE82>6[” ~2ED D2:5] “x E9:?< E96J’G6 366? 3@EE=:?8 D@>6 DEF77 FA] (6’G6 8@E 2 ;@3 E@ 5@] (6’G6 8@E E@ 86E E@ E96 82>6] (6 8@E E@ E96 82>6 2?5 E@@< 42C6 @7 3FD:?6DD[ 2?5 E96? :EVD 2=>@DE =:<6 2 3:8 C6=:67] %96 82>6’D @G6C[ 2?5 H6 42? =6E @FE 2 D:89 @7 C6=:67]”k^Am
kAm#6D6CG6 ;F?:@C 7@CH2C5 s2C:FD |:=6D H2D 492C865 $F?52J[ 2 52J 27E6C p=232>2 2=C625J 925 2??@F?465 96 H@F=5 >:DD E96 C6DE @7 E96 D62D@? H:E9 2? 2?<=6 :?;FCJ] x?G6DE:82E@CD D2:5 |:=6D 25>:EE65 E@ AC@G:5?8 E96 92?58F? :>>65:2E6=J 367@C6 ab\J62C\@=5 y2>62 w2CC:D H2D D9@E 62C=J $F?52J ?62C 42>AFD]k^Am
kAm'2?56C3:=E 4@249 y6CCJ $E24<9@FD6 4CF>A=65 E96 DE2E D966E H96? 2D<65 23@FE H92E p=232>2 :D 562=:?8 H:E9[ D2J:?8 96 4@F=5?VE Q72E9@> E92E H6 6G6? A=2J65 E9:D 82>6]” $E24<9@FD6 D2:5 96 E@=5 9:D r@>>@5@C6D E@ 2AAC64:2E6 E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E92E D@>6@?6 E96J 92G6 4@>A6E65 282:?DE =:<6=J H:== ?6G6C 86E 282:?]k^Am
kAm“v:G6 E96> 4C65:E E@ 36 23=6 E@ H62E96C 2== @7 E92E DEF77 E92E’D 2C@F?5 E96>[ E@ 4@>6 @FE 2?5 A6C7@C> E96 H2J E96J 5:5 E@?:89E J@F <?@H[ 92ED @77[” $E24<9@FD6 D2:5 @7 p=232>2] Q%96J H6C6 E96 36EE6C E62> E@?:89E]”k^Am
kAm%96 rC:>D@? %:56 W`e\a[ e\_ $trX C63@F?565 H6== 282:?DE 2 E62> E92E 362E E96> :? E96 4@?76C6?46 E@FC?2>6?E =2DE |2C49] p== D:I $tr H:?D 92G6 4@>6 3J 5@F3=6 5:8:ED[ E9@F89 '2?5J E9C62E6?65 =2E6 H:E9 2 `b\a CF?]k^Am
kAmy@C52? (C:89E >:DD65 2 b H:E9 be D64@?5D E@ 8@ H:E9 '2?5J 5@H? f_\ea] %96 rC:>D@? %:56 7:?:D965 @77 E96 H:? 2E E96 7C66 E9C@H =:?6 <?@4<:?8 5@H? 2== 6:89E 2EE6>AED[ 2?5 |:==6C 925 D:I @7 E9@D6]k^Am
kAmy256? qC25=6J 2?5 }@29 vFC=6J 6249 25565 `a A@:?ED 2D 6:89E p=232>2 A=2J6CD D4@C65] vFC=6J 42AA65 E96 H:? H:E9 2 5F?< :? E96 7:?2= D64@?5D[ 2?5 ~2ED 2A@=@8:K65 27E6C E96 82>6[ D2J:?8 :E H2D?VE 5@?6 E@ “CF3 :E :?]”k^Am
kAm'2?56C3:=E Wh\h[ a\bX ?@H 92D =@DE E9C66 @7 :ED =2DE 7@FC — 2== 282:?DE C2?<65 @AA@?6?ED] %96 r@>>@5@C6D ?@H 2C6 b\`d 282:?DE %@A ad E62>D @G6C2== :? $E24<9@FD6VD 7@FCE9 D62D@?]k^Am
kAm%JC:? {2HC6?46 =65 '2?56C3:=E H:E9 a_ A@:?ED[ (C:89E 25565 `d 2?5 tKC2 |2?;@? 925 ``]k^Am
kAmp=232>2 @A6?65 E96 82>6 D4@C:?8 E96 7:CDE D:I A@:?ED 2?5 H6?E FA `b\b @? 2 7C66 E9C@H 3J vFC=6J] '2?56C3:=E 2?DH6C65 324< 2?5 E@@< :ED =@?6 =625 2E aa\a` @? 2 b\A@:?E6C 3J |2=:< s:2] %96? E96 rC:>D@? %:56 E@@< 4@?EC@=[ 7:?:D9:?8 E96 92=7 @? 2 `d\c CF? 7@C 2 be\ae =625 2E E96 92=7]k^Am
kAm%96 %:56 ;FDE <6AE D4@C:?8] |:==6C 42AA65 2 ba\g CF? H:E9 2 b\A@:?E6C H:E9 `aicc C6>2:?:?8 7@C p=232>2VD 3:886DE =625 2E db\b_] '2?56C3:=E 4@F=5?VE 92G6 366? >F49 4@=56C[ >:DD:?8 `_ @7 :ED 7:CDE `` D9@ED 7@C E96 92=7] (C:89EVD b H:E9 `aiag E@ 8@ H2D E96 r@>>@5@C6DV D64@?5 >256 3F4<6E @7 E96 D64@?5 92=7]k^Am
kAm\\k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mq:8 A:4EFC6k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmp=232>2 D9@H65 @77 :ED DA665 2?5 D9@@E:?8 E@ C6>2:? F?56762E65 :? =628F6 A=2J] %9:D :D ;FDE E96 %:56VD D64@?5 e\_ DE2CE :? E96 $tr F?56C ~2ED :? 9:D 7@FCE9 D62D@?] p=232>2 925 ?@E @A6?65 $tr A=2J F?56762E65 E9:D 72C :?E@ =628F6 A=2J D:?46 2 d\_ DE2CE :? E96 `hge\gf D62D@?]k^Am
kAm'2?56C3:=E H2D?VE 96=A65 3J ?@E 92G:?8 7:7E9\J62C 7@CH2C5 {:2> #@33:?D @FE H:E9 2? :?;FC65 2?<=6] w6 925 `g A@:?ED :? =2DE H66<6?5VD H:? @G6C E96?\}@] `d pC<2?D2D] #@33:?D H:== >:DD 7@FC E@ D:I H66<D] %96 f\7@@E6C C2?<D 7:7E9 ?2E:@?2==J 3=@4<:?8 2? 2G6C286 @7 a]hc D9@ED A6C 82>6 2?5 H2D 6:89E9 H:E9 d_ E@E2= 3=@4<D] w6 D2G65 2 A2:C @7 G:4E@C:6D 3=@4<:?8 A@E6?E:2= 82>6\H:??6CD 2E E96 3FKK6C 282:?DE %6>A=6 2?5 !:EED3FC89 2?5 :D 2 3:8 C62D@? E96 r@>>@5@C6D C2?< `hE9 2G6C28:?8 d]b 3=@4<65 D9@ED 2 82>6]k^Am
kAm$E24<9@FD6 D2:5 96 =62C?65 %F6D52J >@C?:?8 E92E #@33:?D H@F=5 36 @FE H:E9 H92E 2AA62CD E@ 36 2 3@?6 3CF:D6 2?5 DAC2:? 27E6C 2? |#x @? |@?52J ?:89E H2D ?682E:G6]k^Am
kAm\\k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m!@== :>A=:42E:@?Dk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm%96 rC:>D@? %:56 A@D:E:@?65 :ED6=7 E@ A@E6?E:2==J 82:? >@C6 G@E6D H:??:?8 :ED 7:CDE 82>6 D:?46 |:=6DV 2CC6DE]k^Am
kAm\\k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m&A ?6IEk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmp=232>2 4@?E:?F6D 2 EH@\82>6 C@25 DH:?8 $2EFC52J 2E |:DD@FC:]k^Am
kAm'2?56C3:=E G:D:ED v6@C8:2 @? $2EFC52J]k^Am
Get Unlimited Access
$3 for 3 Months
Subscribe Now
Support local journalism reporting on your community
* New Subscribers Only
* Digital Subscription Only
After the initial selected subscription period your subscription rate will auto renew at $12.00 per month.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.