Nick Saban opens the door for Cam Robinson to start against Southern Cal

HOOVER | There wasn’t much discussion of the University of Alabama’s quarterback situation or even much in the way of lack of experienced running backs for the first time in Nick Saban’s tenure in Tuscaloosa.

Instead, the talk about the Crimson Tide centered around one of the biggest discussed topics of the offseason, and it played itself out on the national stage on the third day of SEC Media Days. If Cam Robinson and Hootie Jones hold up their end of the bargain with the things that have been laid out for them internally, they will play in the first game of the season against Southern California, Saban said Wednesday.

“If these guys continue to finish these things and considering they weren’t charged with anything…based on all that information and if these guys finish these things internally, we’ll decide at a later date if it’s necessary to suspend them,” Saban said. “But if they do the things they’re supposed to do internally they will be able to play in the first game.”

Robinson and Jones were arrested May 17 in Louisiana on charges of possession of a stolen firearm and possession of marijuana. The charges were eventually dropped by the local district attorney for “insufficient evidence.”

As the day progressed during Alabama’s portion of the four-day event, the questions became more and more pointed until, during a live interview on the SEC Network, Saban went back and forth in a spirited line of questioning with Paul Finebaum, the talk show host and personality on the cable channel devoted to SEC sports.

Saban asked Finebaum and the rest of the panel that included Marcus Spears, Greg McElroy and host Dari Nowkhah, why Robinson and Jones were the only two men arrested in a car that also included two other men.

“There were four people in the car,” Saban said. “Why did the two football players get arrested and the other guys not get arrested? There’s no law about concealed weapons in Louisiana. That right, Marcus? You’re from Louisiana. So why did they search the car just because there was a gun on the seat.”

Finebaum then interjected, asking if Saban thought his players were arrested because they were Alabama football players.

“There are just a lot of questions there that are reasons that there weren’t charges brought against these guys,” Saban said. “Now do we condone the behavior? No, but you’re innocent until you’re proven guilty regardless if you get convinced in the media or not, which is what we’re you’re doing to these players.”

Throughout the day, Saban laid out a series of internal discipline both players must complete before they’re eligible to play against Southern California. Some of those included a ride-alongs with local police and community service.

Robinson has started all 29 games during his Alabama career at left tackle, including playing through a severely sprained ankle his freshman season and with shoulder and knee issues in 2015.

Saban pointed to both players’ history in the program as well as the fact that the charges were dropped as reasons to how and why he reached the decision.

"Cam Robinson and Hootie were not charged with anything," Saban said. “I think that the facts that we have are a little different than some that were advertised. Both players have done a significant amount of things to change their behavior, whether it was police ride-alongs, whether it was community service or juvenile groups that need positive role models and influence to make better choices and decisions.

"So we have viewed this as if these guys do these things to change their behavior and help other people, and that is ongoing, if they continue to do that, that will be how this matter is handled internally.”

Robinson, viewing all the day’s events back in Tuscaloosa, weighed in on social media with a tweet that encompassed his frustrations.“People are so quick to react without knowing ANY FACTS,” Robinson wrote.

Spears, who played for Saban at LSU, said every Alabama watching Saban stand up for Robinson and Jones noticed how vehemently he stuck up for his players.

Notwithstanding the flare up with Finebaum, Saban said he doesn’t worry about those who question his decision.

“Well, I don’t really care to answer the critics because I’m going to do what’s right for the players, and if the players really did anything that wrong, they would have gotten charged with something,” Saban said.

Reach Aaron Suttles at aaron@tidesports.com or at 205-722-0229.