CoachHal.com

White House confirms Tide trip to D.C.

By Chase Goodbread Sports Writer
Published: Tuesday, March 2, 2010 at 10:46 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, March 2, 2010 at 10:46 a.m.

TUSCALOOSA | The University of Alabama's national championship football team will visit President Barack Obama and the White House on Monday, and the trip will include a service project for the Crimson Tide, a White House official told The Tuscaloosa News.

The Crimson Tide defeated Texas, 37-21, in the BCS National Championship Game on Jan. 7 to earn its 13th national title. National championship teams typically are invited to visit the President for a ceremony in the White House Rose Garden in the months after football season. The Crimson Tide is expected to arrive at the White House late Monday morning for a visit with Obama, and a tour that is expected to include the Blue Room, the Red Room, the Green Room, the China Room, and other historically ceremonial rooms on the White House's East wing.

Past championship teams, both pro and college, have conducted service projects on visits to the White House, including care packages for troops overseas, clinics on healthy lifestyles, and other such philanthropy. According to a White House official, the Crimson Tide will meet with local D.C.-area youth on the importance of staying in school and making good choices. The youth group will attend the White House ceremony with the team.

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Coach was worried most of the season about Kareem leaving, but you have to be happy for him. Best part of the article here:

"Intangibles: Highly competitive player that puts in time in the film room. Asked for his grade from the NFL Advisory Committee, but didn't read it upon receiving it. Jackson gave the unopened envelope to Nick Saban to hold until after the BCS National Championship game so that the contents wouldn't be a distraction.

Javier Arenas or Kareem Jackson: Which Alabama CB would you draft?
By Don Kausler Jr. -- The Birmingham News
February 28, 2010, 11:30AM

INDIANAPOLIS - Defensive backs get a day all to themselves at the NFL Scouting Combine. The day they will work out before watchful NFL eyes will be Tuesday at Lucas Oil Stadium.

In that group of 58 defensive backs, of which 35 are cornerbacks, will be two Alabama teammates: Javier Arenas and Kareem Jackson.

Together they helped the Crimson Tide to an undefeated 2009 season that ended with a 37-21 victory over Texas in the national championship game.

Arenas was one of a record six Alabama players who were first-team Associated Press All-America selections.

And yet Jackson is rated higher as an NFL draft prospect.

At 5-foot-9, Arenas is 1 inch shorter than Jackson. Arenas' pre-Combine 40-yard dash time is listed at 4.6 seconds. Jackson's time is listed at 4.55 seconds. That isn't much of a difference, except in the eyes of NFL coaches, executives and scouts. The top prospects -- Florida's Joe Haden and Boise State's Kyle Wilson -- have 4.4 speed.

So what is the lowdown on Arenas and Jackson?

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