Evan Neal discusses training program, box jump

The 2022 NFL Draft kicks off next Thursday, and likely Top 10 pick, former Alabama Crimson Tide offensive tackle Evan Neal, gave fans some insight into his preparation for the event. On Friday, Neal was a guest on the Rich Eisen Show and explained just what workouts he has been doing to prepare for the NFL.

“Well, I’m actually in Dallas right now, training… we did sleds this morning,” said Neal. “The past two days, we’ve been lifting weights. Did shoulders and back stuff, so yeah.”

The junior from Okeechobee, Fla., was a dominant force on the Crimson Tide offensive line since his freshman season in 2019. Neal has an imposing physique, listed at 6 foot 7 inches and weighing 337 pounds. But it’s not just his size and strength that has him at the top of many draft boards but his quickness and agility too. And while at Alabama, a video surfaced where Neal showed off his explosiveness with an impressive box jump; which he also touched on while on the show.

“Well Dr. Reyes, we always did plyo box jumps, (as) apart of the workout,” Neal explained. “We wouldn’t do them that high but he kind of challenged me, you know, to see if I could do the 48 (inch) boxes. And he lined them up and I pretty much just did it. I’m not sure why he had us do the move itself, but one thing I can say is it was a pretty good display my athleticism. So that what I kind of like to look at it as.”

Nick Saban remembers how A-Day set tone for new era of Alabama football

When Nick Saban took over the Alabama football program in 2007, it started a new era for the Crimson Tide. But this week, he said his first A-Day spring game was a big part of setting the stage.

When Saban and Alabama took the field for their first A-Day together, 92,000 fans came out to Bryant-Denny Stadium for the event. He said that turnout proved how serious the program could be, and it’s worked out pretty well — to the tune of seven national titles since Saban took over.

“One of the things that I think really helped this program get off the ground is the first A-Day game that we had [in 2007],” Saban told reporters on Thursday. “We had over 90,000 people. I think that sent a message to the whole nation how committed we all were to having a first-class program, a program that you can be proud of, a program that would attract character quality people who wanted to be great players so we could have a successful program.

“That would be a positive window for how people looked at the University of Alabama because a lot of people look at the university through the athletic programs, none greater, probably, than football.”