Alabama star linebacker Rolando McClain, frosh DB Woodson miss media day with stomach viruses

Bama LB McClain misses media day with stomach ache

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — Alabama’s All-American linebacker Rolando McClain and backup defensive back Rod Woodson missed media day for the BCS championship game Tuesday morning because of a stomach virus.

Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban described the pair as being “under the weather.”

Saban said the team’s medical staff would decide whether the players would practice later in the day for Thursday night’s game with second-ranked Texas. Both players were given some medicine.

“This really kind of happened last night,” he said. “We’ll see how the medication works, how they’re feeling. That’ll be a medical decision.”

Linebackers coach James Willis said McClain, the Butkus Award winner as the nation’s top linebacker, was fine.

McClain “ate something wrong last night or whatever,” Willis said. Or maybe the often publicity-shy linebacker just had a case of media day flu.

“He probably wanted to get out of it,” Willis joked.

The junior leads the team with 101 tackles and has 12½ stops behind the line, four sacks and two interceptions. He is considered a sure first-round pick if he opts to enter the NFL draft instead of returning for his final season.

Longhorns coach Mack Brown said his team is healthy and everyone was on hand for media day — unless they got sick at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes breakfast earlier.

“And that would be bad, huh?” he quipped.