Darius Philon was more committed to Alabama than Alabama was to himPublished: Friday, February 03, 2012, 5:00 AM By Kevin Scarbinsky, Birmingham News BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - The day after signing day, Kerry Stevenson didn't want to talk about Darius Philon.The Vigor High School football coach didn't want to talk about his star defensive lineman, who originally committed to Auburn, switched his commitment to Alabama in September and stayed committed to Alabama by not visiting other schools.And then signed Wednesday with Arkansas.Why the switch?The day after signing day, the day after Stevenson told Press-Register columnist Mike Herndon that Philon felt like "he had the world snatched from up under him" and alluded to a numbers crunch at Alabama, the Vigor coach made it clear he wasn't about to clarify anything."What I said, I probably said prematurely," Stevenson said.OK. Now what's his perspective on what happened?"I don't have a perspective," he said.On signing day, two of Philon's teammates said Alabama had asked him to delay his enrollment until January, a practice known as grayshirting. One teammate said Alabama made that request last week.Could Stevenson explain when Alabama asked Philon to grayshirt?"I can't tell you that," the coach said.Why not?"That's his personal business. It's not my business. It's not my personal business."But Philon is one of his players."It's not my child."Wow.Stevenson did say that every team in the SEC except Auburn and LSU called recently to ask about Philon. Stevenson also said that signing with Arkansas is what Philon wanted to do, but the Press-Register video of Philon at the Vigor High signing ceremony says something else.The video shows Philon sitting down, burying his head in his hands, then standing up and putting on an Alabama hat. He looks and sounds like a young man in anguish, torn between what he wants to do and what he's able to do.Philon didn't visit Arkansas before signing with the Hogs."He's happy with his decision (to go to Arkansas with Vigor teammate JaMichael Winston)," Stevenson said. "And I'm happy."Would Philon himself, who underwent knee surgery after the season, talk about what led him from Alabama commitment to Arkansas signee?"I asked him if he wanted to talk to the media," Stevenson said. "He said no."The Vigor coach made it clear that he was not about to discuss any discussions that took place between Philon and Alabama coach Nick Saban."What went on between him and Coach Saban, I was never in the room," Stevenson said. "If you want to find out what happened between him and Coach Saban, call Coach Saban."I tried Thursday, but the Alabama football staff typically takes the day after signing day off. Saban did address the subject at his signing day press conference without naming the names of Philon or North Atlanta High School running back Justin Taylor.Taylor, who had been committed to Alabama since January of 2011, suffered a knee injury that cut short his senior season in high school. He and his coach/guardian said that Alabama asked him last month to delay his enrollment until January of 2013. Taylor instead signed Wednesday with Kentucky.This is the heart of Saban's answer Wednesday to a question about the SEC's new soft cap of 25 signees per class. Alabama was able to sign 26 because it counted one back to last year's class."I think basically what we did was, because of the cynical attitude people have towards whether coaches are really doing what's in the best interest of the young people that we coach, which I sort of resent, to be honest with you, because that's one of the things that we pride ourselves in, we actually took some opportunities away from guys that really wanted to come to Alabama that we couldn't sign, and they couldn't come here because we couldn't offer that (sign and grayshirt) option to them."Saban can blame the system, but he's the one who decides whether to honor a commitment or take away an opportunity.Alabama took away Taylor's opportunity after a more highly regarded running back, Daphne's T.J. Yeldon, switched his commitment from Auburn to Alabama. Alabama took away Philon's opportunity as it closed in on landing two more highly touted defensive linemen, Korren Kirvan of Virginia and Dalvin Tomlinson of Georgia.Call me cynical, but there's no question that Philon and Taylor were more committed to Alabama than Alabama was to them when better players lined up to take their place. And yet, despite stories like Philon's and Taylor's, an awful lot of prospects can't wait to play for Alabama.What does it all mean? When Saban's process is good, it's very good. When it goes bad, Alabama goes on, and some young men go away.
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