#1 prospect in 2019, SDE--Bama signee enters Transfer Portal.
#1 overall prospect in the 2019 class, Antonio Alfonso from New Jersey is looking to transfer from Bama.
Saban supposedly called out his performance or lack thereof in a press conference, and here you have it.
Never can have too many Stong-side Defensive Ends, but you can sure have too few. I always wondered who backed up Gary in '17. We had to switch Chase over there last year while Hutch finished up his Dude transformation. Or we could possible bulk him or Hutch up and slide them inside.
Doubt Coach Partridge or Brown had any connections with him, judging by his list of teams, but maybe Coach C might have some incite.
That list does look kind of suspicious for a/the top talent though.
Color me intrigued.
September 13th, 2019 at 2:05 PM ^
Get called out in a press conference to work harder and his response is to enter the transfer portal not even 3 weeks into his first season?
Yikes.
I get Saban is a dickhead but if you signed the dotted line, you should've known what you were buying into.
I don't mean to be the 24 year old old man but these players nowadays wouldn't have been able to handle playing for a Bo Schembechler or a Woody Hayes.
September 13th, 2019 at 2:09 PM ^
According to the statement his parents put out, his grandmother is gravely ill and he's taking it hard. Doesn't sound like he handled the situation in an ideal fashion with the team but sounds like there's more going on here than just dude got called out and bailed.
September 13th, 2019 at 2:12 PM ^
Well that changes things. I wish the OP had included that before I yelled at the kids to get off my lawn.
Also his name is Antonio Alfano, not Alfonso. A google of the original name sent me to a surgeon in MD.
September 13th, 2019 at 2:25 PM ^
Well...there's more to it than that I'm sure as well. We aren't privvy to the day-to-day but I think if he was in entirely great standing with the program, something like this would be handled differently by all parties. Sounds like a rocky relationship but his parents want him back at Bama and he may or may not end up there.
September 13th, 2019 at 2:28 PM ^
You could've also done a little looking into the situation before you yelled at a kid to get off your lawn and called him soft.
September 13th, 2019 at 2:45 PM ^
Is that a surgeon whose office is in Maryland? Or do you think he might have a doctorate of medicine?
What else can you tell us?
September 14th, 2019 at 1:03 AM ^
Only thing I can add is the obvious, that he is not a saint and that there WILL NOT be a pancake breakfast where he steals the "mar-juh-reen"
September 13th, 2019 at 3:02 PM ^
Damn it... First I mess up Aubrey Soulman's BBQ card, now this.
Probably auto-corrected Alfano to Alfonso from when I was sending in texts for Carlton during Dancing With The Stars voting.
Also, F@#% Solomon
September 13th, 2019 at 2:12 PM ^
Kind of sounds like they're getting out in front of that hardship waiver so he can play immediately.
I'm sure everyone will jump on Saban if he can't for some reason.
September 13th, 2019 at 2:17 PM ^
Oh, I'm sure it would be spun to somehow blame Harbaugh if he can't...
September 13th, 2019 at 4:43 PM ^
Of course, I read that Harbaugh is at fault for making the grandmother sick in the first place.
September 13th, 2019 at 9:31 PM ^
So, essentially saban is an ass?
September 13th, 2019 at 6:25 PM ^
Maryland going to poach this dude and get him immediately eligible. Locksley is slime and a known cheater.
September 13th, 2019 at 2:33 PM ^
I know you're saying your position changes if you had known about family stuff, but let's set that aside for now. I still think it's harsh to criticize about this. This kid was probably fawned over by Saban and his staff for years, and then by Week 2 his coach is criticizing him in front of a national audience. I think that's difficult to process for any 18 year old, who has about 5-7 years to go before his frontal cortex (decision making) is fully developed. He signed the dotted line to play for the best program in the nation, not to deal with public ridicule.
Also, this seems like an effective way to deter Saban from this behavior. I don't think it's fair for these coaches to court these players until signing day and then treat them so harshly afterwards, whether it's Saban, Bo or Woody. I like that these kids have a remedy for treatment like this.
September 13th, 2019 at 7:25 PM ^
One can only wonder how 18 year olds, men and women, manage to get through 16 weeks of denigration and humiliation just so they can have the privilege of serving their country for the following four years at or near the poverty rate.
September 14th, 2019 at 8:50 AM ^
Kids who join the military today are well compensated for their service.
September 13th, 2019 at 2:50 PM ^
"these players nowadays" is always lolz-worthy
September 13th, 2019 at 2:54 PM ^
If you are ever making a comment about "kids these days" chances are its an incredibly stupid comment.
Also Woody Hayes is a person with server anger management and self control issues. Enabling him because the team won a lot was a bad thing.
September 13th, 2019 at 3:40 PM ^
LOL well multiple studies show that kids these days are total pussies. Not in those exact words but in essence that's what the studies are showing.
September 13th, 2019 at 3:51 PM ^
A) Using a female body part to imply something is weak is stupid. B) Lol no they don't fuck off you old snow flake piece of shit. The past is ass, deal with it.
September 13th, 2019 at 5:37 PM ^
A) False.
September 13th, 2019 at 7:27 PM ^
LOL, something more than a few women do themselves.
September 14th, 2019 at 4:56 AM ^
A) using the term pussy is short for pussillanimous.
pusillanimous
adj. Lacking courage; cowardly.
Lacking strength and firmness of mind; wanting in courage and fortitude; being of weak courage; faint-hearted; mean-spirited; cowardly.
Proceeding from lack of courage; indicating timidity.
September 13th, 2019 at 6:03 PM ^
Boomers: Kids these days are total pussies
Boomers: Back in my day this never would've happened, they're so soft.
Boomers: It certainly wasn't that my generation is a bunch of thin skinned morons and passed it down? No, we were tough.
September 14th, 2019 at 4:46 AM ^
Those world war winning softies! Moron.
September 13th, 2019 at 6:38 PM ^
Was that the New England Journal of Who's a Pussy or the Journal of Applied Pussyness? Or was it Things I Pulled out of my Ass and Related Research?
September 13th, 2019 at 11:41 PM ^
your boomer is showing, baywolves
September 13th, 2019 at 6:15 PM ^
I knew Woody had some issues but didn’t realize he would take it on the waiters and waitresses at his most frequented eating establishments.
September 13th, 2019 at 9:31 PM ^
Such a hot garbage take on Hayes. Yes he was fallible, yes he punched a player from Clemson. He also made multiple trips to Vietnam to meet the troops, was a regular at the children’s hospital meeting with sick kids, spoke at numerous charity events without a speaking fee amongst many other charitable endeavors. He served the country for 5 years in the navy during WW II, finishing as a highly decorated Lieutenant Commander and had a Masters Degree. You’d also be hard pressed to find a coach more driven to ensure his players had academic success.
He was never in the restaurant business so I don’t know where you get “server anger management” issues from but you kinda sound like the people who lack understanding of historical context. Hate him if you want because he coached at OSU, but labeling him as just an angry and out of control person is narrow minded and dumb. If I recall correctly, he coached and mentored a pretty good tackle who he later hired to be his offensive line coach. That guy later on also became a legendary coach as well....something about a 10 year war.
I’ll let you get back to your “safe space” now.
September 13th, 2019 at 11:01 PM ^
Woody's granddaughter?
September 14th, 2019 at 8:04 PM ^
He was a miserable human. That wasn't by any means his first punch. Grown men who tear up sideline markers because they are losing are not normal. Great coach. Undeniable record. Right there with Knight in the lousy human being category.
September 13th, 2019 at 3:16 PM ^
Yearning for the overt authoritarianism days of yore when the coaches defacto owned the students is not good. Woody Hayes, Bob Knight, etc. All awful.
September 13th, 2019 at 9:40 PM ^
Lol @ yearning as well as comparing Hayes or anyone else in this thread to Bobby Knight
September 13th, 2019 at 8:07 PM ^
I had the chance to sit down with one of Bo’s former quarterbacks, you all probably wouldn’t know him as he never played in a game. There is a BIG difference between Bo and Saban. This former player told me that he always felt, “a deep sense of respect” from Bo for taking all that Bo challenged him with. His take was that Bo made you feel respected as a man but still challenged as a football player and that was his gift. You felt like you were needed and yet not achieving all you could.
I have never ever heard someone describe Saban anything close to that.
September 14th, 2019 at 8:48 AM ^
Big question is: does he have to return his signing bonus?
September 13th, 2019 at 2:05 PM ^
He went to Colonia HS, so not sure if Partridge or Campy would have a connection there. That said, I think the chances this coaching staff goes after a kid who quit his team this quickly is pretty low. Not saying "we don't want him" or anything but doesn't seem likely they'd take a run at him.
September 13th, 2019 at 2:08 PM ^
I now see Gattis was his recruiter, so he'll know at least a little.
September 13th, 2019 at 2:13 PM ^
Gattis was his primary recruiter, so he should have a pretty good relationship with him.
September 13th, 2019 at 2:41 PM ^
will not help as he will be gone in 2 years.
/ducks
September 13th, 2019 at 2:40 PM ^
Colonia is probably about 45 min from Bergen/Paramus
September 13th, 2019 at 2:07 PM ^
How could Saban have “supposedly” Called him out to the press? Like, either Saban did or didn’t, there would be a record, right?
September 13th, 2019 at 2:10 PM ^
He's going to end up at a D2 school or something. I can't imagine there's a line of teams waiting for a guy that quits 5 mins after the season begins because his feelings are hurt.
September 13th, 2019 at 2:12 PM ^
Rutgers would. It is his home state as well.
September 13th, 2019 at 2:15 PM ^
Like Hatter said, a D2 school.
September 13th, 2019 at 2:15 PM ^
Well done sir. +1
September 13th, 2019 at 2:41 PM ^
Boston College was in his top five according to the pic above and is also very close.
September 13th, 2019 at 6:26 PM ^
Was that his top 5 or are those just the beginning of his offer list in alphabetical order?
September 14th, 2019 at 6:34 AM ^
You, sir, are the champion detective of the day. Well done!
September 13th, 2019 at 2:59 PM ^
Or his grandmother is very ill and he's struggling to handle that.
But no, he's a soft teenager and should be shit on by a bunch of grown men and women who post anonymously on a message board.
September 13th, 2019 at 3:25 PM ^
You phrasing it that way ("a bunch of grown men and women") makes me wonder: how many women post here? The sense I get is that this board is almost entirely male.