NEU » new coach Mike DAntonis system and Gordon

This is the Alabama way.Up two touchdowns, the defense holds on third-and-10 to force a punt just before halftime. Everything is coming easily for the Crimson Tide to start the season. Theyre cruising to a dominant win over No. 20 USC, but then a fight breaks out. Its among teammates. And its on Alabamas sideline.Linebacker Reuben Foster and reserve defensive back Deionte Thompson hold back an emotional Ronnie Harrison. The second-year safety is furious, shouting and pointing at someone. It turns out that hes mad at fellow safety Eddie Jackson. Something Jackson said set him off, and not even coach Nick Saban stepping in is enough to calm him down.Apparently, Jackson wasnt happy with the way Harrison performed on third down and let him know it. Yeah, Harrison was responsible for making the stop, which was great. But then he and a USC wideout squared one another up, got face mask to face mask and exchanged words. Jackson stepped in as Harrison left the field and told him to shut it.Jackson knew that Saban doesnt tolerate talking to the opposing teams players. In fact, Saban wishes there were an NCAA rule against it.It was simply the senior from South Floridas turn to step up.It was his turn to become the enforcer of the Alabama way.The lesson to be learned, Saban said, is that when you have a teammate who is caring about you and trying to help you, the response should be thank you not screw you. If Alabama continues its wire-to-wire run atop the polls and reaches the College Football Playoff, Jackson should get a big thank-you from Harrison, Saban and everyone associated with the program. He was already one of the best safeties in the country before the Tide traveled to Arlington, Texas, to face USC. But in that moment just before halftime, his worth grew.It didnt matter that the game was well in hand. No one would have blamed Jackson if he had let the whole thing go. But if complacency was the No. 1 enemy of the Crimson Tide entering the season, he showed that he was willing to become the face of the resistance.After all, he knows exactly how easy it is to lose focus. Six years earlier, he had to climb out of a hole of his own digging to get his life back on track.Jackson was a rudderless freshman in Pompano Beach, Florida, working on flunking out of Northeast High.He was skipping classes. He was running with the wrong crowd. Coaches werent paying attention, and his GPA slipped below 1.0.His teammate Stacy Coley was growing into a star at receiver. His older half-brother, Demar Dorsey, was on his way to play defensive back at Michigan. And Jackson couldnt seem to get out of his own way.He wanted what they had. He just didnt know how to get there.After enough times catching him at home when he should have been in class, his father stepped in.I saw where it was leading, Eddie Jackson Sr. said. He wasnt going anywhere. So I felt like a fresh start would have been better for him.Eddie Sr. knows a thing or two about starting over. He played football in high school, as well, but he got himself kicked out of school. He was too hard-headed, too rebellious. He was too busy in the streets, he said.Before long, he landed in Calhoun Correctional Institution to serve time for two counts of armed robbery. He went in jail at 19. He came out at 24.Four years, 11 months, he said.Less than a year after he got out, his fiancée, Angela, left work at noon and the two got married. At 7 that same night, Eddie Jr. was born.Happiest day of my life, man, Eddie Sr. said.Angela and Eddie Sr. have been married ever since. He is a heavy equipment operator, doing the backbreaking work of land developers in the South Florida heat.Like his time in jail, it all serves a purpose. He doesnt need to beat his son over the head with the lessons of his past. The boy he calls Bo Jack can see for himself.You lead by example, Eddie Sr. said. Your kids see you doing things like that, it will catch on.It took time for Eddie to get it. But when his father told him that he had to transfer high schools and that he wouldnt play a down of football until his grades were up, he didnt resist for long.The words of his grandfather rattled around in his head: Never settle for wooden nickels.That means dont settle for anything, Eddie Sr. explained. If you know what you want, go after what you want.Wayne Blair laid out the plan: no football games, no practice, no 7-on-7. Nothing.The Boyd Anderson High coach had no idea whether Jackson could play a lick of football, but he knew he wouldnt tackle anyone until he got his academics in order. The only thing Jackson was allowed to do was lift weights and run his junior year.Jackson was even lankier back then than his is now, a string bean with a beautiful natural gait?that Blair liked. He looked as if he could play, but there was no telling.Outwardly, Jackson was all smiles, but Blair could sense his determination. Jackson told him how he wanted to be on the same track as Coley, who was on his way to playing receiver at Miami, and the two discussed what had gone wrong with his half-brother Dorsey, who had attended Boyd Anderson and was seeing his chance to play at Michigan slip away.Demar was a living example, Blair said.In the span of two semesters, Jackson lifted his GPA from sub-1.0 to above 2.3. That spring, he was finally allowed to play.Blair figured that since he was tall and rangy and lacked experience, free safety was a natural place to start. Then, during the spring game, Boyd Anderson played University School and Jackson picked off current Western Kentucky quarterback Mike White twice.Thats when the folklore literally began, Blair said. He housed one of the [interceptions]. He took it all the way back.Jackson went from free safety to nickel, nickel to corner and corner to receiver in the span of one training camp, Blair said. He started the first game at receiver and led the area in receiving yards, in addition to playing everywhere on defense and returning kicks and punts.He started with one offer from Florida Atlantic that he picked up during a camp before his senior year. Before long, he had Florida State calling. Miami, LSU, Alabama and all the top teams were on him before long.Jackson wanted to be a receiver and loved the idea of staying in-state at Miami or Florida State. LSU was intriguing, as well.Almost everyone was telling him hed play both ways. The Tigers sold him on becoming the next Patrick Peterson, the Seminoles the next Deion Sanders.Meanwhile, all Alabama was interested in was defense.Saban came straight out and said, Im going to play you in the defensive backfield, Blair said.Jackson, his father and Blair talked it over. He ended up deciding that he wasnt interested in being another speedy 6-foot receiver. Hed sign at Alabama and hope to play nickel or dime as a freshman.Little did they know hed start at corner for two seasons before making the transition back to his original position of safety.Ive been an underdog my whole life. People doubt. Just prove them wrong, Jackson said. Thats one thing I can say I like to do.Jacksons strong has always been just below the surface.Blair would sit him during games just to bring it out. Against rival Monarch High, Jackson rode the bench for two quarters before blowing the game wide open at receiver. Blair laughed while recalling how Jackson returned a punt for a big chunk of yards that game and turned back to look at him as if saying, Coach, you know better than to sit me like that. The whole team lit up after that.Getting into it with Ronnie Harrison against USC was both expected and satisfying for Blair to see.No one had to push Jackson to take charge in Alabamas season opener in September, he just did it on his own, the same way he stepped into a leadership role at Boyd Anderson, schooling the young receivers there.Hes a fiery guy, Blair said. Hes going to love his teammates to the max, but at the same time a little tough love isnt going to hurt you.On Jacksons arm is a tattoo that reads: Tough times dont last, tough people do. How tough you are, you can overcome anything, he said.He promised his mother hed get his degree, which is why he came back for his senior year at Alabama rather than turning pro. His motivation now, he said, is to show the young guys what it takes.Even Harrison said that, when he and Jackson got into it, it was only him trying to be a leader.He taught me a lot, Harrison said. Hes just always in my head, in my ear, and he tells me that I push him every day in practice. We just kind of lean on each other and really try to keep each other up.There were no hurt feelings, no need for a thank-you after that.Everyone knows the deal: Get out of line and Jackson will straighten you out. It doesnt matter what the score is.Thats just the Alabama way.Kyle Kuzma Lakers Jersey . -- Eastern Kentucky thrives off creating havoc for others. Kurt Rambis Lakers Jersey . R.J. Umberger scored twice to lead the Blue Jackets to a franchise-record for consecutive wins with a 5-3 victory Tuesday night over the Los Angeles Kings. http://www.lakersteamofficial.com/Jerry-West-Lakers-Jersey/ . -- Edmontons Val Sweeting is two wins away from a trip to Winnipeg to play in Canadas Road of the Rings in December. Jerry West Lakers Jersey .Y. -- Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo had little trouble picking up his first shutout of the season against a Buffalo Sabres team thats having trouble scoring goals. LeBron James Jersey .J. -- Josh Cribbs was in the Pro Bowl in February and out of a job six months later.HOUSTON -- Following a news conference to introduce two new Houston Rockets, Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon, the team stunned reporters by announcing leading scorer James Harden signed a contract extension on Saturday.The extension, which runs through the 2019-20 season, is worth $118.1 million, according to multiple sources. Harden, who had two years remaining on his original deal with the Rockets, received raises of $26.5 million for 2016-17 and 28.3 million for 2017-18.In the last two years of the deal, Harden will make base salaries totaling $63.1 million.Hell be around here for a while, Rocket owner Leslie Alexander said. I dont think people appreciate how great he is, but we certainly do.Last season, Harden, in leading the NBA in minutes, had career-average-highs in points (29) and assists (7.5), while playing in 38.1 minutes per game. Harden also had 12 games with 40 or more points and had 18 games where he finished with double-digit assists.Anderson and Gordon expressed wanting to play with Harden, whom they believe will help elevate the Rockets beyond the 41-41 record they compiled last season.When the season ended, Harden said he would be an active participant in the recruiting of free agents and he sat in on meetings for Anderson and Gordon last week.Ever since I stepped foot in Houston, theres been nothing but love and support from Les and (GM) Daryl Morey and the front office. Its trully like a home to me.dddddddddddd Im happy to be here another four years and a lot of great things are going to happen. Its been progress, its been a buildup and the addition of our new signings and a couple of other pieces, some really good things are going to happen next year.The Rockets officially signed Anderson and Gordon on Saturday afternoon in their attempts to upgrade the roster. Anderson is a stretch four that fits well in new coach Mike DAntonis system and Gordon is a strong offensive player, who DAntoni said will mesh well with Harden.Ryan and Eric are two players that are perfect for what we need to get back to Rockets basketball and our winning ways, Morey said.We didnt have a great year last year, Alexander said. We still made the playoffs but we didnt have a great year and it didnt end well. We needed new blood. We needed shooting and we needed guys who are passionate about the game and we got them.Of course it starts with Harden and outside the Toyota Center a huge sign on an adjacent parking lots listing the legendary centers who played for the Rockets was being taken down, a shooting guard was starting to take over.This is home for me, Harden said. Whatever it takes we try to build and find ways to get better and thats my focus and thats my priority. ' ' '