Alabama's Johns still stung by Croom's comments

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Jimmy Johns started off saying it was just another Southeastern Conference game. No big deal.<br> <br> But it quickly became clear the Alabama tailback still has some hard or at least hurt feelings toward Mississippi State coach Sylvester Croom leading up to Saturday&#39;s game.<br> <br> ``I can remember right after we beat them on their home field last year, Coach Croom was a little upset and said that I would never take a snap at quarterback over here,&#39;&#39; Johns said. ``The next week, I took one in the LSU game for (13) yards. That was just a little something for him.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Croom tried to recruit the former Mississippi Mr. Football, a high school quarterback, to Mississippi State. In his postgame news conference after Alabama&#39;s 17-0 win last year, Croom said: ``I think it&#39;s very obvious what I told (Johns) is true. He&#39;s never going to play quarterback at Alabama.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Croom&#39;s words had some truth to them. Johns has taken a number of snaps at quarterback, but only in gadget plays. He hasn&#39;t thrown a pass for the Tide.<br> <br> Johns said he hoped to speak with Croom after last year&#39;s game, but didn&#39;t get the chance.<br> <br> ``I tried to find him, but after the game he ran right off the field,&#39;&#39; he said. ``He thinks I betrayed him. I didn&#39;t betray him, I never committed to him. I told him that he was in the lead of my recruiting and I told him when he was sitting in my living room that if I had to sign today that I would sign with him. But I hadn&#39;t been to Alabama yet.<br> <br> ``I came over here and I fell in love. If he feels that I betrayed him, that&#39;s bad on him, because all I&#39;ve got is my word and I never committed to him.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> The sophomore has settled into his role with the Tide. He has 49 carries for 217 yards this season backing up Kenneth Darby, faring well enough at times to get some fans clamoring for him to start.<br> <br> The quarterback experiment has had mixed results, with the Tide drawing false start penalties a couple of times.<br> <br> Johns had an 11-yard run on the first of several snaps at quarterback against Florida International last week but was also tackled for a loss twice.<br> <br> ``This might just be the week I sit back and throw it,&#39;&#39; Johns said. ``I hope I get a lot of snaps at quarterback, because everybody sees how it can work and how we can perfect it.<br> <br> ``It&#39;s moving the chains and we&#39;re getting yardage out of it. I hope the coaches continue to use that package.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> It&#39;s no wonder Croom wanted him so badly out of high school. Johns led Brookhaven High to a state title as a senior, passing for 2,173 yards and rushing for 1,394 while accounting for 44 total touchdowns.<br> <br> Johns still takes exception to Croom&#39;s postgame remark, but doesn&#39;t sound like he has regrets about his college choice.<br> <br> ``For a head coach to say something like that, it gets to your heart,&#39;&#39; Johns said. ``I never had anything but praise for him and if I see him today, I&#39;m going to shake his hand and tell him that I love him, that I still care for him. But Jimmy Johns made a decision that was best for him.<br> <br> ``You can see that. We went 10-2 last year, we won the Cotton Bowl. I don&#39;t know what Mississippi State did.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Croom also had some harsh words for his alma mater in a speech to the Huntsville Quarterback Club the week following last year&#39;s game.<br> <br> ``I didn&#39;t think they played with as much class as Alabama teams usually do,&#39;&#39; he said at the time. ``All that bumping and some of the other little things they did between plays. ... I wasn&#39;t impressed with that at all.<br> <br> ``They&#39;ve got good schemes and they&#39;re well coached and they play hard. But some of those little things may catch up with them at some point.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> He also said the Bulldogs had faced ``three or four&#39;&#39; more talented teams.