Jones Back at Practice, Alabama-Notre Dame 6 Days Away

The second-ranked Alabama football team returned to the practice field on New Year’s Day with a two-hour session in shells inside the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility.

The Crimson Tide got All-America center Barrett Jones back on the practice field Tuesday for the first time since the SEC Championship after missing nine workouts with a sprained foot.

UA is six days away from playing in their third BCS National Championship Game in the last four years. Alabama won the program’s 23^rd SEC Championship in 2012 with a thrilling win over then-No. 3 Georgia to punch its ticket to Miami.

“We have been progressing well,” offensive lineman Cyrus Kouandjio said. “There is always room for improvement so we just need to keep going. Notre Dame is impressive up front. They are as good as anyone we have faced. I am really excited to play these guys.”

The Crimson Tide will practice on campus one more time on Wednesday, Jan. 2, before departing for Miami and the 2013 Discover BCS National Championship Game. The BCS Championship Game against Notre Dame will be played on Jan. 7, 2013, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. The Tide will practice three times in Miami before the game.