Alabama News

Alabama football’s Kalen DeBoer shared when the Crimson Tide will begin preseason camp for the 2025 season. DeBoer, speaking to reporters at SEC media days in Atlanta, said UA will begin on July 30.

“So excited about two weeks from today,” DeBoer said Wednesday. “Think we’ll be on the football field practicing, for Practice 1.”

The Crimson Tide opens the 2025 season on Aug. 30. DeBoer’s second year will begin with a trip to Tallahassee, to face Florida State.

FSU, led by Mike Norvell, reportedly a candidate for the job when DeBoer got it before the 2024 season, disappointed last year. Following an ACC championship in 2023, the Seminoles won just two games, only one against an FBS opponent.

However, Alabama lost winnable games last season, most notably against Vanderbilt and Oklahoma. DeBoer stressed the importance of starting well on Wednesday.

“They’re going to have something to prove as well,” DeBoer said. “So that’s going to be a great environment to get tested early on. And so, we don’t need to look at anything beyond that, as far as our preparation of what might lie, because none of it matters unless we take care of business and do what we’re doing, being our best in that Week 1 game against Florida State.

“But being on the road and playing better on the road is certainly going to be a point.”

The Crimson Tide’s biggest question entering camp is who will play quarterback for the game. Ty Simpson leads the three-way battle after spring football, something DeBoer reiterated on Wednesday.

The redshirt junior, who backed up Jalen Milroe for the past two seasons is battling with fellow returnee Austin Mack, along with five-star freshman Keelon Russell. DeBoer discussed how the QB competition could help the team, with regards to building experience.

“I think going through a quarterback competition, that’s pressure alone,” DeBoer said. “You know those guys are going through every throw.”

Former Alabama quarterback and current Miami Dolphins star Tua Tagovailoa has sold his South Florida home for $2.6 million.

Homes.com reported the deal, which closed last week.

The home sold for $400,000 less than the asking price.

Tagovailoa paid $1.65 million for the home in 2020, his first year in the NFL.

He plans to move into a new house for himself, his wife and two children, according to SI, though it’s unclear where that home will be.

The five-bedroom, 4.5-bath, 5,076-square-foot lakefront home is located in Davie, west of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

It sits on nearly an acre in the gated Long Lake Ranches development, and includes a private movie theater, putting green, heated pool and covered summer kitchen.

Tagovailoa is entering his sixth NFL season.

During the 2024 NFL season, he completed 72.9 percent of his passes, the third-best single-season completion rate in NFL history. That performance came a year after the former Alabama All-American led the NFL with 4,624 passing yards.

The Dolphins, however, missed the playoffs and have not won a playoff game since 2000.

As the third day of 2025 SEC Media Days got under way Wednesday, commissioner Greg Sankey acknowledged a “fumble” with a team’s fight song the previous day.

Sankey introduces each of the league’s 16 head coaches before they take the stage at Media Days, before a few bars of each team’s fight song plays. However, as Texas’ Steve Sarkisian took the stage on Tuesday, Texas A&M’s “Aggie War Hymn” played — rather than “Texas Fight,” the Longhorns’ official fight song.

“In football, we evaluate turnovers after a game or during a game,” Sankey said before introducing Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer. “We had a bit of a fumble yesterday I want to acknowledge. We had the wrong music played after I introduced Steve Sarkisian. So mistakes happen, no ill intent there, and we’ll make sure we do better in possessing our responsibilities.”

Crisis averted.

Looking for a way to cool down during hot days of summer? Walmart has a great deal on a oscillating fan perfect for every room of the house.

Walmart has the 42 inch Dreo Tower Fan with remote on sale for $75, a savings of $285 from the regular price of $359.

The 42 inch oscillating fan rotates 90 degrees to distribute air evenly throughout the room. You can also customize it to your comfort with six adjustable speed settings, allowing you to find the perfect airflow for your needs. It’s equipped with a remote control to make the fan’s settings easily adjustable.

You can use the fan’s 12-hour timer and four different modes, including normal, natural and sleep to create the ideal cooling environment. And because it’s quiet, it’s the perfect addition to your bedroom for a cool and refreshing night sleep.

You can see all about the fan and order yours here.

One of this year’s most spectacular celestial events, the Perseid meteor shower, is expected to give an unforgettable performance.

The Perseid meteor shower will light up the sky across the U.S. from mid-July to late August. During peak visibility on Aug. 12, the shower produces an average of 100 meteors per hour.

According to Space.com, the best time to see the meteors will start around 11 p.m. local time through dawn Aug. 13.

The Perseid shower is best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere. It can be seen anywhere in the U.S., but is easiest to see in dark-sky areas with minimal light pollution. Telescopes and binoculars are not needed to see the Perseid meteor shower. The best locations have wide open sky and limited buildings and mountains as they disrupt the view.

Meteors are caused by debris from comets and asteroids. As comets travel around the Sun they leave a trail of dust. Earth passes the trails, which collide with the atmosphere and create fiery streaks in the sky. The debris that creates Perseid showers comes from Comet Swift-Tuttle traveling about 133,200 mph, according to NASA.

It takes Comet Swift-Tuttle 133 years to orbit the Sun once. The comet was discovered in 1862 by Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle. Swift-Tuttle is a large comet. Its nucleus is 16 miles across.

The radiant for the Perseids – the point in the sky where the meteors appear to originate – is the constellation Perseus. But it is not the only source of the meteor, so you will want to keep a clear view of the entire sky to have a better chance of catching the shower.

Space.com recommends those looking for the meteor shower to give your eyes 30 minutes to adjust to the dark. Avoid any bright light including phone screens as it can ruin your night vision.

Although the Perseid meteor shower occurs annually, in 2028 it is expected to develop into a storm that will be even more breathtaking.

The Huntsville-Madison County Public Library (HMCPL) board heard passionate public comments at its most recent meeting as the debate between access and limitations continues.

Ten people spoke at the public comment section on Tuesday evening, taking up half the meeting with the majority speaking out against limiting access to materials at Alabama libraries.

Seven out of ten people were advocating for no further censorship in local libraries. Many of them were affiliated with the At the Root Collective.

“The library was a lifeline for me in escaping an abusive and educationally repressive household that provided a safe and respectful environment to pursue my learning goals, regardless of the subject matter or level of knowledge,” one community member said. “Ultimately, HMCPL helped me create a successful career and a stable life for my family after decades of extreme poverty and isolation. I believe this would not have been possible if the library’s contents had been censored to meet the desires of special interest groups.”

Three speakers called for further restrictions. Some advocated for the removal of several types of children’s books, like ones that have nudity or transgender representation.

Carissa Collins brought the “Born Ready: The True Story of a Boy Named Penelope” picture book to the meeting. She said children’s books about transgender people push an agenda.

“It’s an agenda. And libraries should not be in the agenda-driven process, especially where impressionable children are concerned,” Collins said. “Again, this is not ”Heather has Two Mommies.” That is a mentality reflecting another group of people. This is the push to be more, to be everything related to sex, everything is focused on it, not two people who are happily sharing their lives, going about their business and what they do behind closed doors is their business. This is being shoved in the faces of our children, and your collection does not have anything outside of that.”

Collins said she is a supporter of Moms for Liberty, but she was showing up to the meeting as just a mom. Conservative political group Moms for Liberty’s Madison County chapter regularly attends local library board meetings. The national organization Moms for Liberty frequently pushes public libraries to remove books it considers sexually explicit, many of which include LGBTQ+ content.

At the board meeting, censorship opponent Dr. Marissa Allison passionately drew inspiration from the late non-binary poet Andrea Gibson to explain why it’s dangerous to erase transgender identities.

“I’ve instead decided to read a shortened version of one of their poems,” Dr. Allison said through tears. “I hope it will help you all to understand the weight of the decisions this board will have to make in the coming months. Queer youth are five times more likely to die by suicide. Means your life is five times harder than you should have had. It means you live five times harder than you should have had to to still have a body when you graduated high school, worked five times harder to make your spirit its wishbone.”

One study found that a transgender person attempts suicide at 7.7 times the rate of the broader population.

Another speaker, Ashley Keith, spoke about her experiences growing up as transgender in Huntsville.

“I went to Jemison High School for about a year, and unfortunately, because of my identity and the fact that nobody there had ever met someone like me before, which is something I’ve heard a lot. By the beginning of sophomore year, I got jumped,” Keith said. “As the hot button topic of the Alabama library, I think that when you platform people who very clearly have intentions to move goal posts far beyond what could be seen as reasonable outrage and to slowly turn into what is very clearly the suppression of existing minority experiences, you sort of come into a scenario where it’s it becomes too far to turn back.”

She urges that people who align with Moms for Liberty will just keep changing their goals.

Just last year, HMCPL reclassified many books after the Alabama Public Library Service banned “sexually explicit content” from children and young adult sections.

Speakers urged HMCPL to divest from the state library system so they won’t have to follow their guidelines. They urge them to request funding from the local city government.

The comments came just ahead of the Alabama Public Library Service’s July meeting. The APLS board members will be discussing “Gender Ideology Deemed Inappropriate for Children Under APLS Code” as well as “Definition of Sexually Explicit.”

Tania Staltling spoke at the HMCPL meeting and she will be speaking again at the APLS meeting. She stressed concerns about children seeing sexually explicit books at the library.

“Just like the children have been exposed to these books, I’ll never get that innocence, that trust back,” Statling said. “Once you’ve seen things like I’ve seen in these kids’ books, you can never unsee them. They’re in your mind forever. And I’m an adult, just think how much worse it is for a developing mind.”

Saraland has taken home the last three Mr. Football honors, something no other school has accomplished in the history of the award.

However, quarterback KJ Lacey is now at Texas and Ryan Williams, who won the award twice, is getting ready to start his second year at Alabama.

So, who is the favorite to be the next Mr. Football winner?

The AL.com staff of high school experts weighed in on that question and had some intriguing responses.

Thomas Ashworth, AL.com

Landon Duckworth, Jackson QB: The 4-star senior has a great offense around him and should succeed again this season for the Aggies in a big way. No doubt he has a shot to bring home Mr. Football.

Simone Eli, WKRG-TV sports director

EJ Crowell, Jackson RB: Crowell announced he was reclassifying into the 2026 class earlier this year so this will be his final shot at Mr. Football. He will have stiff competition from several players on his own team, including Duckworth, but this should be his year.

Randy Kennedy, AL.com and IHeart Radio

E.J. Crowell, Jackson RB: Some expected blowout wins may limit his carries some. On his way to helping the Aggies to the 4A title a year ago, Crowell racked up 1,964 yards rushing and 31 touchdowns on 168 carries. He was one of three finalists for 4A Back of the Year.

Gerhard Mathangani, WKRG-TV sports anchor, reporter

C.D. Morgan, Benjamin Russell: Many regard the Alabama commit as the best senior recruit in the state. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Morgan caught 70 passes as a junior for 1,162 yards and 14 touchdowns. With Kirk Johnson taking over as head coach and transfer QB Kingston Preyear in the fold, Morgan stands to have a huge final year.

Ben Thomas, AL.com

Trent Seaborn, Thompson QB: Entering just his junior year, Seaborn already has 31 career starts and a pair of Class 7A state titles with the Warriors. As an eighth grader, he was the championship game MVP. As a sophomore a year ago, he threw for 2,738 yards and 26 TDs and even did some key damage with his legs late in the season. The Thompson QB is always going to be mentioned among Mr. Football contenders as long as Mark Freeman is the head coach, and Seaborn could be his best yet.

John Vella, AL.com

Landon Duckworth, Jackson QB: The reigning 4A Back of the Year had 39 passing touchdowns and 12 rushing scores in 2024. The 4-star quarterback has more than proven he is worthy of the title Mr. Football.

Dennis Victory, AL.com

Landon Duckworth, Jackson QB: Great skill players around him will allow Duckworth to shine on the way to winning another title his senior season.

COMING THURSDAY: Biggest impact offseason coaching hire.

ALL-TIME MR. FOOTBALL WINNERS

1982: Tommy Compton, Vigor

1983: Freddy Weygand, Emma Sansom

1984: Rod Green, Gardendale

1985: Pierre Goode, Hazlewood

1986: Larry Ware, Lee-Montgomery

1987: Robert Jones, Parker

1988: Darrell Williams, Vigor

1989: Steve Coleman, Pike County

1990: David Palmer, Jackson-Olin

1991: Robert Davis, Homewood

1992: Freddie Kitchens, Etowah

1993: Thomas Banks, West Jefferson

1994: Dawud Rasheed, Shades Valley

1995: Gorman Thornton, Jeff Davis

1996: Antoneyo Williams, Central-Tuscaloosa

1997: Mac Campbell, Alexandria

1998: DeMarco McNeil, Blount

1999: Cory Whisenant, Springville

2000: Carnell Williams, Etowah

2001: Brandon Cox, Hewitt-Trussville

2002: JaMarcus Russell, Williamson

2003: Chris Nickson, Pike County

2004: Jarod Bryant, Hoover

2005: Andre Smith, Huffman

2006: Larry Smith, Prattville

2007: Julio Jones, Foley

2008: Clint Moseley, Leroy

2009: Coty Blanchard, Cherokee County

2010: Jamal Golden, Wetumpka

2011: T.J. Yeldon, Daphne

2012: Jeremy Johnson, Carver-Montgomery

2013: Roc Thomas, Oxford

2014: Kerryon Johnson, Madison Academy

2015: Tyler Johnston, Spanish Fort

2016: La’Damian Webb, Beauregard

2017: Asa Martin, Austin

2018: Bo Nix, Pinson Valley

2019: Kristian Story, Lanett

2020: Ga’Quincy McKinstry, Pinson Valley

2021: Ryan Peppins, Thompson

2022: Ryan Williams, Saraland

2023: Ryan Williams, Saraland

2024: KJ Lacey, Saraland

The Social Security Administration has a major shift planned for later this year.

Starting Sept. 30, the federal agency will discontinue issuing paper checks for benefit payments. The change, SSA said, is “part of a broader government-wide initiative to modernize payment systems and enhance service delivery.

“By moving to electronic payments exclusively, we aim to improve efficiency, security, and ensure beneficiaries receive their monthly benefits promptly,” the agency said in a statement.

The transition will “affect a small group of beneficiaries” who have yet to switch to electronic payments. SSA said less than 1% of beneficiaries currently get paper checks and those people are being encouraged to enroll in direct deposit or opt for a pre-paid card to continue receiving their monthly benefits without interruption.

Why the change from paper checks?

SSA is touting several benefits for the change, primarily the speed of Electronic Fund Transfers, or EFT, over paper checks. It’s also cheaper for the government – issuing a paper check costs about 50 cents compared to 15 cents for an ETF.

Paper checks are also 16 times more likely to be lost or stolen, SSA said.

Getting a paper check now? Here’s what you should do

SSA is sending out notices to people currently receiving paper checks to explain the change. All benefit checks will also include an insert explaining the steps a person can take to switch to electronic payments.

There are two options:

• Enroll in direct deposit with your bank. Benefits can be directed towards your checking or savings account.
• Opt for a Direct Express Card. If you don’t have a bank account, you can get a prepaid debit card designed specifically for federal benefit payments.

You can update your information anytime through your personal my Social Security account online or see more details here.

Yeti just unveiled its all-new Wetlands Camo color collection, an homage to retro marshland hues that hunters, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts love. This new collection includes the brand’s iconic coolers, drinkware, bags and more, all wrapped in a nostalgic camo pattern that’s equal parts style and stealth.

Popular items featured in the new Wetlands Collection include Yeti’s signature Tundra hard coolers, Hopper soft coolers and the waterproof Panga duffel and backpack line. Meanwhile, popular Yeti drinkware included in this new collection are the Yeti Rambler tumblers, bottles, food jars, Colster can insulator and even the brand’s barware lineup with flasks and shot glasses.

The Yeti SideKick Dry gear case, Camino Carryall Tote, Boomer dog bowl and even matching Yeti hats are all also featured in the collection.

RELATED: Yeti reveals new emerald green Tundra cooler just in time for summer

Yeti says this isn’t a limited drop, but a fully stocked color way expected to stay available longer than past special editions. However, with early buzz from outdoor gear outlets and Yeti super-fans, top-selling items may sell out fast.

“Built for those who flock to the flyaways, disappear in plain sight with this new collection. Our new Wetlands Collection has a full line-up made to blend into the duck blind. It’s available in a variety of categories including drinkware, coolers, cargo and more,” Yeti states.

Those interested can checkout the entire Yeti Wetlands Camo color collection here.

While his college coach was talking him up on NBA TV, Philadelphia 76ers rookie Johni Broome sank a 3-point basket to substantiate what Bruce Pearl was saying.

The Auburn coach came to see Broome play in Tuesday night’s NBA 2K26 Summer League game between the 76ers and Washington Wizards at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Broome joined Philadelphia from Auburn in the second round of the NBA Draft on June 26.

“They’re getting a great teammate,” Pearl said during an in-game interview. “A guy that wants to win. He wants to compete. And I think it’s important for coaches to continue to come and support their players even if they got no more eligibility. We would not be the Final Four without Johni Broome, and there’s no better way I can say thank you to him and his family than to keep coaching him.”

Broome had 14 points, 10 rebounds, one assist and one steal in Philadelphia’s 74-58 victory on Tuesday night. He had totaled 18 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and one blocked shot in the 76ers’ first two games in the NBA 2K26 Summer League.

Philadelphia got its prospects a jump on their summer work by playing in the Salt Lake City Summer League before coming to Las Vegas. Broome had 27 points, 21 rebounds, seven assists, four steals and four blocked shots in three games in Utah.

“I think the biggest thing is he represented the name on the front of the jersey and the name of the back of the jersey,” Pearl said. “He cared about Auburn basketball. But he also cared about the Broome family and knew where he came from.

“He’s a guy that was always overlooked, and he didn’t let that — he played with a chip on his shoulder, and as long as he keeps that chip and stays humble and hungry, he’s going to have a long career in the NBA.”

During the 2024-25 college basketball season, Broome’s accolades included consensus first-team All-American, the SEC Player of the Year Award, the SEC Tournament Most Valuable Player Award, The Sporting News National Player of the Year Award, the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award and the Pete Newell Big Man of the Year Award as he helped Auburn reach the Final Four of the NCAA tournament.

Auburn alumnus Charles Barkley was picked for 11 NBA All-Star games and is enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. But he has called Broome “the greatest basketball player in Auburn history.”

Pearl said Broome had had the “greatest impact” of any player on the Tigers’ program.

“Charles recognizes championships; he recognizes rings,” Pearl said. “But how humble and hungry is it for a guy like Charles Barkley — he’s one of the top, like, 25 players to ever play the game — to say that Johni Broome was the best player? And he don’t want any argument about it because, like, two SEC championships, National Player of the Year, Final Four. Yeah, I agree with Charles. He’s had the greatest impact of anybody in Auburn basketball history.”

Philadelphia has two games remaining on its summer-league schedule, with the 76ers facing the Dallas Mavericks at 7 p.m. CDT Wednesday in Las Vegas in their next game. ESPN will televise the contest.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.