The LSU football team and coaching staff are tired of practicing. They want to play a game that counts LSU coach Nick Saban said Wednesday.
“I think I’m tired of them practicing,” Saban said. “I think everybody’s ready to play a game.”
Saban said players tend to lose focus of their goals after offseason conditioning and two-a-day practices.
“Sometimes everybody loses sight of the fact that we’re really doing all that (practicing) to prepare to play and create an identity in 12 football games,” Saban said. “By the time you get to the season and you go through all that stuff, you kind of lose sight of that.”
The coaching staff has to let go of the reigns and see what the players can do Saban said. He wants the coaches and players to gain confidence in Saturday’s game against UL-Monroe.
“Once you get out there and start playing and see that the players can execute and perform on their own, you (the coaches) kind of get a confidence,” Saban said “They kind of get a confidence in themselves and each other that always creates a bunch of anticipation for every new season.”
Five players will miss Saturday’s game against UL-Monroe: Terrell McGill (bruised kidney), Amp Hill (knee), Craig Davis (ankle), and Phillip Maxwell (foot).
Maxwell’s injury came in an off-field incident and he is expected to miss six weeks of action. Saban said he regrets the injury for the hardworking sophomore linebacker.
“I think the lesson is that when you put forth your best effort good things happen, and certainly good things happened for him,” Saban said. “But sometimes we all get cards dealt that are a little difficult to deal with and we just have to manage this and I’m sure he’ll do well for us when he comes back.”
The monotony of preseason practice was broken by the news of Stephen Peterman’s newborn child on Tuesday. The new father of a baby boy came back to practice Wednesday.
“We want to congratulate him and his family,” Saban said. “The team was really happy for him, I was really happy for him and he’s really happy about it.”
Saban said the offensive linemen thought they should be there for Peterman in his time of need – during practice.
“The whole offensive line thought that they should go and support him … especially during practice,” Saban said. “It wasn’t necessary any other time. In fact, during practice they told me that they needed to go to New Orleans and support him through his traumatic experience. Needless to say, you know what I said to them.”
Saban also said he received a visit from two former Tigers recently. Dallas Cowboys’ linebacker Bradie James and New Orleans Saints’ defensive tackle Kenderick Allen told Saban about the brutality of the NFL.
“I talked to Bradie and Kenderick Allen the other night,” Saban said. “(They said) two words ‘reality check and there’s no entitlement'”
Saban said both players realize the reality of the NFL he has known for many years.
“It’s a real reality check when a guy lockers by me for three weeks and he’s fired like that and gone,” Saban said. “In college you’ve got to put up with whatever I want to give you. ‘I don’t go to class. What are you going to do? Bench me? I don’t do this. I don’t do that. I’m entitled.’ Entitled to what?”
“Pro football is a reality. You know when they start trying to replace you? The day you walk on the team.”