Alabama News

As SEC media days wrapped up in Atlanta Thursday, its main Alabama football storyline came to a tidy end. Nick Saban’s daughter, Kristen, shut down any hope of her father leaving retirement, in an Instagram story post.

“He’s not coming back to coaching, hate to break it to you,” Kristen Saban wrote. “You had your time.”

The speculation that the 73-year-old man who won six national championships with the Crimson Tide would come out of retirement began Monday. Former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy said he had heard from someone “in the know” that Saban might not be done coaching, despite leaving his post as UA’s head coach in January of 2024.

McElroy created the news during his radio show on WJOX. Throughout the rest of media days, he tried to put out the fire, noting that he himself did not believe Saban would be unretiring.

Several coaches were asked about the possibility of Saban returning. Ole Miss head coach and former Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin said it wouldn’t surprise him, but Georgia’s Kirby Smart, who had long tenure as the Tide’s defensive coordinator did not sound as if he expected a move from his old boss.

“I heard all that scuttlebutt and everything about it, I almost laughed,” Smart said. “It was like somebody needed something interesting to talk about yesterday, so they chose to go to coach Saban and do it. The game’s better with him involved. He is involved. He is passionate about it. He and I still talk and share ideas from time to time about defensive philosophies and the way to do things.

“And he’s still watching tape and very, very involved in football. He loves it. And his brilliance, as brilliant as he is, is around football. I mean, it’s around scheme. It’s around another way to do something, to stay ahead of the offensive minds. And I think that’s one of the unique talents that he has, and he still loves that. He’s still passionate about that.”

With the return to coaching not happening, Saban will likely continue on his prior retirement trajectory. He won an Emmy for his first season as an analyst on ESPN’s College Gameday pregame show, and will return to the desk this fall.

Saban is also still technically on staff at Alabama, in a consultant role.

An Alabama judge has granted bond to a mother charged with the aggravated child abuse of her infant son who has been on life support since February.

Jefferson County Bessemer Cutoff Judge Chuantae Brown, in a Thursday Aniah’s Law hearing, set a $60,000 bond for 30-year-old Tesean Laneta Daniele Beard.

Beard, of Midfield, is accused of injuring her 10-month-old son, Reazyn Jackson, to the point where he has no chance of survival, authorities say.

Reazyn, who was 5 months old at the time, was rushed to Children’s of Alabama unconscious and without a pulse on Feb. 28.

Doctors discovered Reazyn had two broken wrists, possible rib fractures and brain trauma, and say the ventilator is keeping him alive.

A different judge earlier this week suspended Beard’s right to make medical decisions for Reazyn, citing a conflict of interest in whether he lives or dies, despite what is the best course of action for him.

If the child was taken off life support, the judge noted, Beard would likely be charged with capital murder.

Circuit Judge David Carpenter appointed a Guardian Ad Litem to further investigate Reazyn’s circumstances and help determine what is best for him.

In Thursday’s hearing, prosecutors had the burden to prove, by clear and convicting evidence, that no condition or combination of conditions of release would reasonably ensure Beard would appear in court for future proceedings or protect the safety of the community or any person.

They did not do that, the judge ruled.

As of Thursday afternoon, Beard remained in the Jefferson County Jail.

Roughly a dozen of Beard’s family members attended both court proceedings this week in support of her, and prayed together in a circle before Thursday’s hearing.

Prior testimony indicated that Beard took an unconscious Reazyn to her neighbor, a retired Birmingham police officer, on Feb. 28. CPR was performed and Reazyn was taken to Children’s of Alabama.

Bessemer Cutoff Assistant District Attorney Lori Frasure argued Beard caused grave injuries to her child and could be of further danger to him.

Prior to her arrest last week, Beard had regular, supervised visits with her son and those would likely continue with her release from jail.

“I don’t (think) anyone can be 100 percent (sure) that she’s not going to have any contact with him,” Frasure said. “It just takes a moment for someone who is supervising her to look away and we don’t know what she would do at that point.”

Beard’s attorneys, Wakisha Hazzard, Maston Evans and Phillip Fikes, said no evidence has been presented to prove that Beard was responsible for Reazyn’s injuries.

When Reazyn was initially hospitalized on Feb. 28, medical workers did not note any suspicion of child abuse, and they questioned why it took so long for Beard to be charged.

The injuries, Beard’s attorneys claim, could have happened during resuscitation or during subsequent seizures he had after he was hospitalized.

“There has not been a single piece of testimony that can point to an exact date of when Tesean Beard could have shaken this baby,” Fikes said.

“There’s not an incident date or testimony about how this could have happened other than a guess from (doctors.)”

Bessemer Cutoff District Attorney’s Office Investigator Steve Talley was the first witness to take the stand Thursday.

Talley testified that Beard has no prior criminal history except for a failure to appear charge on a traffic ticket from Homewood.

Talley said Birmingham police in February 2020 investigated the death of another one of Beard’s children, who was 1 month at the time.

He said the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office ruled the cause an unexplained sudden death and the manner of death was undetermined.

Beard was not charged with any crime.

Midfield Det. Matthew Cleveland, the lead investigator on the aggravated child abuse case, said the criminal investigation began March 7, seven days after Reazyn was admitted to the hospital.

The police department was contacted by DHR to investigate possible child abuse.

The detective testified he spoke about Reazyn’s injuries with a nurse practitioner, and Dr. Michael Taylor, who is director of Pediatric Child Abuse at Children’s.

“He said that was consistent with being yanked up by the wrists and shaken violently,” Cleveland said of the baby’s condition. “They said he had no chance of recovery, neurologically or physically.”

Frasure asked Cleveland if Reazyn is being kept alive by artificial means.

“He’s stable due to the ventilator and would not survive if he was taken off the ventilator,” Cleveland said, adding that medical professionals do not anticipate Reazyn being able to be taken off the ventilator.

Cleveland said Beard told him Reazyn was in her custody when he became unresponsive.

Under cross examination from Beard’s attorneys, Cleveland acknowledged that the initial charge nurse said there were no signs of abuse at the time Reazyn was hospitalized.

The only damage initially noted, testimony showed, was an injury to the left frontal lobe which they said was because he went into cardiac arrest.

Beard’s attorneys said Reazyn had improved at times during his hospital stay and said DHR had wanted his maternal grandmother to take classes on how to care for him once he was released from Children’s of Alabama.

“So, which is it? Is he going to be released or does he have no chance for survival?” Evans asked the detective.

“I believe the hospital is not fit for long-term care so at some point he was going to be released to a long-term facility,” Cleveland said, noting the family has considered facilities in Texas and Georgia.

Under questioning from the attorneys, Cleveland testified he had not seen Reazyn since Feb. 28 and that he has not examined all of the medical records after the March 7 injury report from the doctors.

“Did you know Reazyn Jackson was getting better at one point?,” Hazzard asked the detective.

“I was told the opposite,” the detective replied.

Prosecutor Frasure asked Cleveland to clarify the discrepancy between the initial indication of no suspected abuse on Feb. 28, and the injury report issued one week later.

“Dr. Taylor said if you’re not looking for that particular injury, it’s easy to miss,” Cleveland said, explaining that the second round of testing – which including an MRI and X-ray – picked up the other injuries.

Asked about Reazyn’s chance of survival, Cleveland said, “It was told to me by the medical staff that he’s stable because the ventilator is breathing for him, but not that he was getting better. They explained that the body heals itself naturally in a dormant state. He would heal but not progress.”

Frasure also asked Cleveland about the possibility of Reazyn sustaining those specific injuries during CPR or a seizure. Cleveland said the doctor said those injuries could only be sustained by being lifted and shaken.

Asked by Beard’s attorneys why it took so long to charge her with a crime, the detective said it was an ongoing investigation between the Midfield Police Department and DHR.

Evans questioned why Beard, if suspected of injuring her son, was allowed repeated visits with him.

“They still allowed her to go see her son? Does that make sense?” Evans said.

“I don’t agree with that but that’s a DHR matter,” the detective said. “We don’t have any say so in visitation.”

The brand new special, CMT Music Awards Ultimate Party Edition is set to premiere on CMT Thursday, July 17 at 9/8c.

Those looking to catch glimpses of some of the biggest and best CMT Music Awards moments can watch them play out on screen by streaming the premiere live through Philo (free trial), Fubo (free trial), DirecTV (free trial) or Sling (50% off first month).

What is the CMT Music Awards Ultimate Party Edition?

The new 90-minute special is hitting the popular network to help celebrate 20 years of the best can’t-miss moments captured at the annual CMT Music Awards.

According to a Paramount press release, the special will also feature “iconic superstar performances, once-in-a-lifetime collaborations, world premieres and major genre-blending surprises across two decades of the storied award show.”

Hosted by CMT’s Cody Alan, the special feature will include appearances and sit-downs from beloved country music stars such as Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, Cody Johnson, Cole Swindell, Darius Rucker, Jason Aldean, Jelly Roll, Keith Urban, Kelsea Ballerini, Lainey Wilson, Little Big Town and Luke Bryan.

Throughout the special, the fan-favorite country music singers will look back on their most memorable moments at the famed awards show and share never-before-told stories from the biggest on and off-stage moments in CMT history.

How to watch the CMT Music Awards Ultimate Party Edition special

Those interested in catching the new CMT special can stream the premiere live through the streaming platforms listed below.

Philo: 7-day free trial ($28 a month after free trial ends)

Fubo: Free trial ($84.99 a month after free trial ends)

DirecTV: 5-day free trial ($86.99 a month after free trial ends)

Sling: 50% off first month ($45.99 a month after first month)

What is Philo?

Philo is considered one of the most affordable streaming platforms on the market. Known as an entertainment-focused streaming service, Philo offers its subscribers access to over 70 top-rated TV channels such as TLC, MTV, BET, AMC, CMT, Investigation Discovery and more.

New users can enjoy Philo’s 7-day free trial and continue to stream top channels, hit TV shows and movies on-demand for just $28 a month once the free trial expires.

Those looking to customize their flow of content even further on Philo can consider including add-ons such as MGM+, STARZ, and AMC+ in their subscription.

What is Fubo and DirecTV?

Fubo and DirecTV are two of the top streaming services steadily replacing traditional cable services. Both offer free trials to new subscribers, a plethora of popular live TV channels, on-demand streaming options and helpful features such as unlimited DVR storage.

Fubo considers itself a sports-focused live streaming service, but with over 100 live TV channels available through its base package at just $84.99 after its free trial, it offers much more to its subscribers.

Popular TV channels available through Fubo include ABC, FOX, BET, MTV, CNBC, MSNBC, USA and much more.

DirecTV mirrors Fubo by offering many of the same live TV channels and useful features. The base package starts at just $86.99 a month after its 5-day free trial and includes popular channels such as HGTV, ESPN, Bravo, CMT, CNN, BET and much more.

Two other DirecTV packages are the Choice package (original price $114.99) and the Ultimate package (original price $129.99), both of which are part of an ongoing promotion that offers new subscribers $10 off the original price for the first three months of their subscription.

Those interested in comparing all DirecTV’s channel packages can check them out here.

What is Sling?

Sling is another streaming service to consider if you want to access top rated TV channels like CMT. Though no free trial is available to new subscribers, those who commit to a paid plan get half off the first month.

Both the Sling Orange plan and the Sling Blue plan are normally $45.99 a month, but with the current promotion, Sling users will pay just $23 a month for the first month.

For those who wish to access channels from both the Sling Blue and Sling Orange plans can do so by signing up for the Orange + Blue plan, which combines the best of both plans for just $60.99 a month ($30.50 for the first month).

U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala. on Wednesday shared his advice for American citizens who have been or may be wrongfully detained in ongoing raids by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers.

“Don’t put yourself in a situation where that happens,” Tuberville said in a brief interview with Migrant Insider’s Pablo Manríquez.

“And I’m sure with all the illegals we have in this country, you’re going to probably have some mistakes happen. That’s going to happen. But again, as long as we take care of it the right way, understand they are our system, let them go.”

Over the last few months, there have been several reports of U.S. citizens being jailed by ICE.

Just this week, U.S. Army veteran George Retes, 25, was released from the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles with no charges after spending three days in jail for reasons that he said were never made clear to him.

Retes was arriving to his security guard shift on July 10 at Glass House Farms in Camarillo, a marijuana farm, when he said several federal agents surrounded his car and – despite him identifying himself as a U.S. citizen – broke his window, peppered sprayed him and dragged him out, according to a report from AP News.

He told the outlet that federal agents never told him why he was arrested or allowed him to contact a lawyer or his family during his three-day detention.

And during those three days, authorities never let him shower or change clothes despite being covered in tear gas and pepper spray, he said.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom called Trump a “chaos agent” who has incited violence and spread fear in communities at a press conference on Wednesday.

“You got someone who dropped 30 feet because they were scared to death and lost their life,” he said, referring to a farmworker who died in the California raids.

“People are quite literally disappearing with no due process, no rights.”

When speaking with Manríquez, Tuberville said that even being around people who immigrated illegally, like Retes was, can put you at risk during raids.

“Again, if you’re going to be hanging around people that are not citizens of this country, some things like that are going to probably happen,” he said.

In an interview Wednesday on “Bannon’s War Room” Tuberville praised this week’s ICE raids at 14 locations across six Alabama counties.

Agents took more than 40 people believed to be undocumented workers into custody, as AL.com reported previously.

“We have got to get the bad hombres, number one, but if people are there around ICE, we can’t pass them up. We’ve got to deport them, send them home,” he told Bannon.

The biggest storyline of 2025 SEC Media Days had nothing to do with an active player or coach, but a rumor — propogated by former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy — that Nick Saban might not be done coaching.

The 73-year-old Saban retired after the 2023 season, and currently works as an analyst for ESPN’s College GameDay. He’s given no indication that he might one day return to the sideline, but such rumors will probably always exist as long as he’s alive and healthy.

One coach who twice made a similar move was Urban Meyer, who took the Ohio State job in 2012 after a year away following his departure from Florida and then briefly coached the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021 after three years out of the game. Meyer, now a college football analyst with Fox Sports, was a guest on The Herd with Colin Cowherd Thursday, and the subject of Saban’s future came up.

“I have not talked to him about this,” Meyer said. “… But I don’t think he’d go back to college. I don’t see that fit. … I would say very little to no chance he would get involved in college. But I think he would take phone calls from the NFL.”

Cowherd brought up the case of Jim Harbaugh, who repeatedly turned down NFL jobs while at Michigan before finally joining the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024. The biggest enticement for Harbaugh, Cowherd said, was the chance to work with top-level quarterback Justin Herbert.

That’s something to which Meyer could relate. He said the main reason he went to Jacksonville was because the team was in line to draft Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.

“That’s so intriguing when you see a player of that caliber,” Meyer said. “If Nick Saban can get that kind of position where he believes that this is a Hall of Fame, future Hall of Fame quarterback or a world champion quarterback, the more I’m thinking, I think he’s going to take that call. I really do.”

One big difference between Meyer and Saban, of course, is age. Meyer is just 61 now and was 56 when he took the Jacksonville job, some 17 or 18 years younger than Saban would be if he joined an NFL team in 2026.

Meyer also took Alabama to task for its recent lack of spending on NIL relative to other top-level teams in the SEC and Big Ten, saying “Coach (Kalen) DeBoer, I’d be asking some hard questions. ‘Say, what’s the problem here? We can’t compete. We can’t pay our players.’”

Here’s video of the exchange:

Auburn football’s home finale with Texas A&M last year was an instant classic.

The Tigers 43-41 victory in four overtimes over the Aggies served as a high point in a season full of lows. For Texas A&M, it was the start of an end of season collapse that hindered the Aggies from the College Football Playoffs.

Entering Jordan-Hare Stadium as the No. 15 team in the country, a victory over Auburn would’ve punched the Aggies ticket to the SEC championship game. However, the loss forced a win-and-in game that next week in the Lone Star showdown against Texas.

Texas A&M lost 17-7 and the Longhorns advanced to the SEC championship.

“I think anytime you experience that, and unfortunately sometimes even more so when you experience failure, if you do it the right way, you learn and you grow and you come back a better coach and a better team, more ready to handle those types of situations in the future,” Texas A&M coach Mike Elko said at SEC media days.

“It was a great game at Auburn,” Elko added. “I wish the result would have been a little different. I have been a part of five Texas A&M vs Auburn games, and they all have been like that.”

Following Auburn’s victory over Texas A&M, Auburn fans rushed the field and celebrated with the team. Aggies offensive lineman Ar’maj Reed-Adams still replays that moment in his head.

When asked about the Tigers matchup, he desperately awaits the rematch in College Station.

“Yeah, it’s definitely personal. Like, it’s coming. That’s all I’ve got to say,” Reed-Adams said.

Texas A&M cornerback Will Lee III got injured during last year’s Auburn game and watched the finish from the sidelines.

“Seeing how it ended and me not being able to finish the game because of an injury was really tough,” Lee said. “Watching my teammates go out there and battle for me and our team and still fall short was hard to see.”

“I’m waiting for that game and I’m real excited.”

Auburn travels to Texas A&M Saturday, September 27th for its second conference game of the season.

Jerry Humphrey III covers Auburn sports forAL.com. You can follow him on X at @Jerryhump3or email him at [email protected].

The Los Angeles Chargers became the first NFL team in 2025 to hold a full-squad practice at training camp on Thursday. Running back Najee Harris did not participate.

Instead, the Chargers placed the former Alabama All-American on the non-football injury list. Because Harris is on active NFI, he can start practice as soon as he is ready. But he cannot practice as long as he carries that designation.

Harris sustained an eye injury in a fireworks mishap during an Independence Day celebration.

“Naj is here,” Los Angeles coach Jim Harbaugh said on Thursday. “He’s in meetings. It’s just great to have him. A lot of gratitude that he’s here. I’m the age of being a parent. I got kids that are these guys’ age, so just the feeling of having everybody back under the same roof is a good one.”

Harbaugh pounded his heart as he said “the feeling.”

On July 11, Harris’ agent issued a statement that said the running back had “sustained a superficial eye injury during the incident but is fully expected to be ready for the upcoming NFL season.”

The Antioch (California) Police Department issued a statement about the incident:

“On July 5, at approximately 12:18 a.m., the Antioch Police Department dispatch center received multiple calls reporting an explosion on the 2200 block of Spanos Street. When officers arrived on the scene, they discovered the aftermath of an explosion caused by fireworks.

“Antioch PD officers, ConFire and AMR provided medical aid and triaged the patients. Several victims had already left the scene before the first responders’ arrival and were treated at local hospitals.”

On Wednesday, Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz said the team’s training staff had followed closely the treatment that Harris had received before reporting for training camp.

Hortiz said Los Angeles would “let (Harris) get himself ready, then he’ll get out there.”

Los Angeles overhauled its running-back depth chart during the offseason by letting its top two rushers from 2024, J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards, leave, signing Harris as a free agent and drafting North Carolina ball-carrier Omarion Hampton in the first round on April 24.

Harris joined the Chargers in March for a one-year, fully guaranteed $5.25 million contract after playing his first four NFL seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

After joining the Steelers from Alabama’s undefeated CFP national-championship team for the 2020 season as the 24th choice in the 2021 NFL Draft, Harris ran for at least 1,000 yards every season, climbed to sixth in rushing yards on the franchise’s career list and became the 10th player in NFL history with at least 4,300 rushing yards and 180 receptions in his first four years.

Hampton ran for 3,164 yards and 30 touchdowns in the past two seasons for North Carolina.

“He’s been attacking it, hitting it hard,” Harbaugh said of Hampton. “We’ve still got some days before we’re in pads, but I think he’s going to be even better in pads. Looked good without them. He’s well-trained and ready to roll.”

The Chargers will play in the first game on the NFL’s preseason schedule. Los Angeles will take on the Detroit Lions in the annual Hall of Fame Game on July 31 in Canton, Ohio. The Chargers also will play the New Orleans Saints on Aug. 10, Los Angeles Rams on Aug. 16 and San Francisco 49ers on Aug. 23 in preseason games.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

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

The Denver Nuggets play against the Los Angeles Clippers in an NBA Summer League game tonight. The matchup is scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. CT on ESPN 2. Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV and Fubo TV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.

The Nuggets enter this matchup with a 0-3 record, and they are coming off a 101-97 loss against the Toronto Raptors.

In order to bounce back tonight, the Nuggets will need to rely on their guard Curtis Jones. He led the team in scoring last game, as he scored 20 points. Jones also shot 8-10 from the field, so he will try to continue his offensive success this evening.

The Clippers enter this matchup with a 3-0 record, and they are coming off a 67-58 win against the Los Angeles Lakers.

During the victory, Jordan Miller led the Los Angeles offense. He ended the game with a team-high 19 points, and he shot 7-11 from the field. If Miller performs similarly this evening, then the Clippers will be a tough team to beat.

Fans can watch this NBA Summer League game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV and Fubo TV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.

Season seven of the hit crime mystery series Hudson & Rex premieres in the U.S. on UPtv Thursday, July 17 at 8/7c.

Those hoping to tune in for another season of one of the best crime fighting duo’s harrowing adventures can stream the season premiere through Philo or DirecTV—both of which offer free trials for new subscribers to enjoy.

What is Hudson & Rex about?

For those unfamiliar with the long-running series, Hudson & Rex follows Detective Charlie Hudson (John Reardon), a cunning Major Crimes detective for the St. John’s Police Department, who teams up with an unusual partner—Rex, a former K9 German Shepherd, whose heightened senses keep Charlie hot on the trail of his suspects.

Together, they investigate puzzling crimes, from a kidnapping which reveals a much larger conspiracy at play to an art theft murder which runs deep into the world of high society.

With Charlie’s deft detective work and Rex’s keen canine senses, this crime-fighting pair is unstoppable.

To kick off season seven, Charlie and Rex take on a murder investigation that quickly devolves into a kidnapping. During their scramble, Rex’s nose leads him and Charlie to Bell Island, and right into the middle of a double murder plot.

How to watch Hudson & Rex season 7

Those interested in catching this season of Hudson & Rex can find it available for streaming through Philo or DirecTV.

Out of the two streaming services that have UPtv as one of their live TV channels, Philo is the cheapest at just $28 a month after its 7-day free trial concludes.

What is Philo?

Philo is considered one of the most affordable streaming platforms on the market. Known as an entertainment-focused streaming service, Philo offers its subscribers access to over 70 top-rated TV channels such as TLC, MTV, BET, AMC, CMT, Investigation Discovery and more.

New users can enjoy Philo’s 7-day free trial and continue to stream top channels, hit TV shows and movies on-demand for just $28 a month once the free trial expires.

Those looking to customize their flow of content even further on Philo can consider including add-ons such as MGM+, STARZ, and AMC+ in their subscription.

What is DirecTV?

DirecTV is a top streaming service perfect for those looking to access a plethora of live TV channels and enjoy helpful features. The base package starts at just $86.99 a month after its 5-day free trial and includes popular TV channels such as HGTV, ESPN, Bravo, CMT, CNBC, BET, CNN and more.

DirecTV has also recently introduced a lineup of genre packs, which allows subscribers to choose their favorite viewing options based on what genre they watch the most. With genre packs, users can get the channels and content they want without filler channel overload. Packs start at just $34.99 a month.

Those interested in comparing all DirecTV’s channel packages and the new genre packs can check them out here.