Alabama Crimson Tide

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- As Shaun Dion Hamilton (Montgomery, Ala./Carver) picked up scholarship offer after scholarship offer, he continued to wait for one from the University of Alabama. Finally, the Crimson Tide offered the ESPN Watch List linebacker in February, and it completely changed his recruitment.

When Hamilton sat in his high school’s auditorium Wednesday with three hats in front of him, it was an easy decision. After reaching for each hat, he pulled an Alabama hat and gloves out of a bag, signifying his commitment to the Tide.

“It was just the program,” Hamilton said. “It’s a great program. Coach [Nick] Saban, he’s a great coach. They’re known for winning championships. You know they’re going to be in a BCS bowl every year. I just love Alabama.

“Coach [Kirby] Smart and I, we have a great relationship. We’ve been talking on and on. I’ll be ready to play for them and try to help them compete so we can win national championships.”

The other two hats on the table belonged to Auburn and Tennessee. Hamilton, who had over 25 offers, made two late visits to Auburn, but it wasn’t enough to sway the in-state star.

“It was real hard,” he said. “There were a lot of great schools out there who gave me opportunities. Auburn is right down the road. I have a teammate who signed with them, but at the end of the day, my heart was with Alabama and I had to do what’s best for me and my family. It was a business decision.”

Hamilton becomes the Tide’s fourth commitment for 2014, joining running back Bo Scarbrough, and defensive backs Kalvaraz Bessent and Chris Williams in the class. The Carver High School linebacker plans to graduate early and enroll at UA in January.

“Whenever you can be on the weight program for a whole semester in front of everybody else, know the playbook, learn the playbook, it’s worth it,” Hamilton said. “I saw that with my friend Dee Milliner. He went in there in January. He started as a freshman. He was an All-American. Now he’s about to get drafted in the top five.”

Milliner, a former Alabama cornerback, was on hand for Hamilton’s commitment. He flew back from a meeting with the Kansas City Chiefs to attend the event.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The University of Alabama landed another commitment on Tuesday when 2014 safety Chris Williams (Kingsland, Ga./Camden County) announced his verbal pledge to the Crimson Tide via Twitter.

First, he had to get his mother’s blessing.

“Me and my mom sat down and talked about, making sure I went to the place that I wanted to go,” Williams said. “The atmosphere is nice, the weight room, the practice facilities, the game field, the coaches, everything. It’s just right.”

It wasn’t too difficult to sell his mother, Cassandra Floyd, on Alabama. She grew up in Wetumpka, Ala., and has always pulled for the Tide. Still, she had to make sure that’s where her son really wanted to go and that he wasn’t doing it for her sake.

“I was sitting on the couch, and he came in and said, ‘Mom, I want to commit to Alabama. I said, ‘no you don’t. You just know I like them. That’s why you’re doing it. Don’t do it for me. You have to do it for yourself.’ He was like, ‘Mom, this is what I want to do.’

“It was great for me because I’m an Alabama fan. I’m very proud.”

After he told his mother, Williams reached out to his high school teammate, cornerback Kalvaraz Bessent, who committed to Alabama last week. The two visited Tuscaloosa together last month for the Tide’s junior day.

“Me and him, we’ve got a good relationship,” Bessent said. “We’ve been playing football together since middle school. I’m really excited about it. I think we can do good together, push each other harder and make each other better.”

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