Mental conditioning coach Moawad gives Alabama unique prep edge

[Coach Hank Crisp]

Click here for link

Trevor Moawad (center) has served as Alabama's
mental conditioning coach since Nick Saban
 took over the program in 2007.

As a blowout morphed into a choke for the ages at last year's Iron Bowl, Trevor Moawad approached Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower on the sideline. Moawad's message? You're a leader. Say something. Gather the defense. Make a speech. Call down the thunder. Do something to convince your teammates they can make a stop.

Hightower didn't consider himself the man for the job. "I didn't feel like I was a leader," Hightower said this week. "My knee was still messed up. I wasn't playing as well as I could. I didn't feel it was right for me to say something."

Unfortunately for the Crimson Tide, no one else did, either.

In the parlance of one of Moawad's training exercises, no Alabama player considered himself a nine. No one thought himself enough of a leader to grab the role. Moawad knew his offseason assignment: Build leaders.

[Coach Hank Crisp]

How CNS picks the movies.

Moawad's influence isn't limited to drills. Saban also consults him on what other coaches might consider minutiae. For example, many programs drop their players at a movie theater the night before a game and give players their choice of flick. Alabama players sometimes get to watch a popular film, but sometimes they get a pick from the Saban collection. They'll all watch the same movie, and the movie is selected by Saban or Moawad to deliver a particular message. Before Alabama faced Ole Miss on Oct. 15, the Tide watched Saving Private Ryan. Saban believes it teaches a valuable lesson about leadership. "You can't hide in the back," Saban said.


In August, Moawad asked Hightower to speak to the team. The player who didn't consider it his place to speak months earlier opened his heart to his teammates. "I love my teammates, and I'm a people person, but I'm not really one to get up and be sentimental or get emotional," Hightower said. "But that's what I did. I wanted them to understand how I felt about last year and how I feel about this year."

Thanks to Moawad, Hightower now knows he is a nine.

"He didn't tell me," Hightower said. "He taught me."

[ricky023]

A leader or leaders will carry a huge weight Sat. Night in leading for 60 minutes of a college football game. It will take head slaps, emotional words and strength to push through to that next level. We must win, we need to win, and we will win. RTR!

[SUPERCOACH]

How CNS picks the movies.

Moawad's influence isn't limited to drills. Saban also consults him on what other coaches might consider minutiae. For example, many programs drop their players at a movie theater the night before a game and give players their choice of flick. Alabama players sometimes get to watch a popular film, but sometimes they get a pick from the Saban collection. They'll all watch the same movie, and the movie is selected by Saban or Moawad to deliver a particular message. Before Alabama faced Ole Miss on Oct. 15, the Tide watched Saving Private Ryan. Saban believes it teaches a valuable lesson about leadership. "You can't hide in the back," Saban said.


In August, Moawad asked Hightower to speak to the team. The player who didn't consider it his place to speak months earlier opened his heart to his teammates. "I love my teammates, and I'm a people person, but I'm not really one to get up and be sentimental or get emotional," Hightower said. "But that's what I did. I wanted them to understand how I felt about last year and how I feel about this year."

Thanks to Moawad, Hightower now knows he is a nine.

"He didn't tell me," Hightower said. "He taught me."

That is awesome.

[shady_d4]

Great article and it just shows how much CNS is doing for these players he is not only helping them in the now, but is helping them by investing in their future. 

[McBaman]

Wonderful article.  I hope every recruit reads it.  This is stuff they won't teach you at other schools.

[pmull]

That is a great article. Thanks for posting.

[Guest]

Username:
Password:
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

There aren't any users online.

Loading Tweet...