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HOOVER, Ala. -- Alabama coach Nick Saban told reporters at SEC media days that All-SEC left tackle Cam Robinson and reserve defensive back Laurence Jones faced internal discipline after their arrests on drug and weapons charges and will have a chance to play in the season opener against USC.The two upperclassmen were arrested in mid-May in their hometown of Monroe, Louisiana. Robinson was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance and illegal possession of a stolen firearm, and Jones was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance. However, the district attorney declined to prosecute, citing insufficient evidence.Saban emphasized that the decision to not press charges was out of my hands and that the facts of the case as they have been advertised are different than what weve been told.An Alabama official told ESPN that Robinson and Jones were required to take weekly drug tests, undergo routine drug counseling, receive gun education from Tuscaloosa Police, do 26 hours of ride-alongs with police, volunteer with the Police Athletic League and submit to outpatient drug treatment.You have to look at the whole picture, Saban said. Based on the information we got and what they did, thats what were going to do. Thats my decision. Im also basing this decision based on the type of people these guys have been in our program and what theyve done to change their behavior relative to our program.Saban was involved in a testy exchange with the SEC Networks Paul Finebaum after he was asked why he didnt suspend Robinson.Because Im not going to convict him in public, Saban said. I was going to get criticized by you and the public and the media because Im not going to suspend him and I dont really care about that. Thats the end of the conversation.Robinson tweeted reaction Wednesday afternoon, which he later deleted.According to the police report of their arrest, an officer smelled marijuana after approaching the players vehicle at a closed park. The report alleges that a bag of marijuana and a handgun were in plain sight, and a stolen handgun was found under the passenger seat.Robinson was allegedly driving the vehicle with Jones as his passenger. The stolen-firearms charge Robinson faced was a felony, while the other charges both he and Jones faced were misdemeanors.I want to emphasize once again that the main reason Im doing this is that I refuse to ruin the lives of two young men who have spent their adolescence and teenage years working and sweating while we were all in the air conditioning, district attorney Jerry Jones told KNOE-TV of his decision not to prosecute.Robinson is an All-SEC left tackle entering his junior season. The 6-foot-6, 325-pound junior started every game since his freshman year in 2014. ESPN NFL draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. has him as the No. 7 player on his early 2017 Big Board.Jones, a reserve in his first two years at Alabama, was widely regarded as one of the top safety prospects coming out of high school. .25 million option on reliever Jose Veras. .5 seconds to play in the game, Kevin Love never stopped believing that they would come out of there with a win. . The 28-year-old from Calgary matched his career best after missing just one shot in his two rounds of shooting in the mens 10-kilometre sprint competition. Smith finished in 23 minutes 15. .Y. -- Sabres forward Drew Stafford has witnessed plenty of turmoil during his eight seasons in Buffalo. .J. -- Pitcher Carl Pavano is retiring after 14 major league seasons. RIO DE JANEIRO -- If youre a casual sports fan, aware of tennis only through the likes of Serena, Roger or Novak, you hear the name Steve Johnson and one word springs to mind: Who?But as the Olympic tennis tournament heads toward its final stretch here, the 26-year-old American realizes the chance a stage like Rio provides. Its a chance to make his name stand out.It just doesnt get much bigger than this for me, he said, sitting under the stands at center court here on a day when all matches were suspended because of rain, including both of Johnsons scheduled matches.The bearded right-hander with a booming serve and a hard-spinning forehand has slipped quietly under the radar here. He is suddenly a few victories away from winning medals in both singles and doubles. In the singles round of 16, he is the favorite to win against Russian Evgeny Donskoy on Thursday. In doubles, Johnson and partner Jack Sock have served their way into the semifinals. Theyre a strong enough tandem to have a solid chance at gold.To be in my first Olympics and in this spot right now, to have [two medals] an attainable goal in the next four or five days, its something truly remarkable, Johnson said.Beyond his next singles match, Johnson understands that his draw is extremely rough. His opponent in the quarterfinals would likely be Andy Murray. But having toiled first in the American college ranks before rising slowly through the unforgiving ATP World Tour, Johnson is not the type to back down. Anything can happen, said Johnson, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 21 just a few weeks back. Its mens pro tennis. Nothing is set in stone.Tennis is as top-heavy a sport as there is. All the attention goes to the top stars. The stories of the strong but not spectacular players are often skipped over. They are generally seen as early-round Grand Slam fodder for the biggies. Rio provides a real opportunity for someone like Johnson, who might have been left off the U.S. team if two higher-ranked players -- John Isner and Sam Querrey -- had not opted out of the Games.Johnson shares little with a high-tensile star such as Murray, one of the biggest names in global sports. Murrray turned professional as a teen and has won $49 million in prize money and 38 titles, three of them Grand Slams.dddddddddddd.In four full-time years on tour, Johnson has one singles title and $2.5 million to his name. But he is unbothered by his comparatively paltry résumé or his late start. I was not ready at 18, he said. If I turned pro at 18, there is no way I would be here now. I had so much to learn. I found a love for tennis and the work ethic I needed in college.Little-known fact: Johnson isnt just the rare top-100 pro tennis player who played college tennis for four years. Hes the most decorated player in mens NCAA history. At USC, he won four Division I team titles to go along with two singles championships, and he strung together what is almost certainly the longest winning streak in college tennis history: 72 matches.He has probably the most gifted right arm Ive ever seen, said his former USC coach, Peter Smith, who knows something about the subject matter. Smith was a frequent practice partner for Pete Sampras when the eventual 14-time major champion was on the rise.Johnson -- 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds -- entered the wily world of pro tennis in 2012. It took him two years to make it into the top 100. But he stayed at it. Last summer, he was No. 49. This year, he won his first tournament, on the grass at Nottingham, England. A few days later, he faced Federer in Wimbledons round of 16. It was a 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 loss, but it also taught him much.OK, now I get it, Johnson said of Federer. You realize when he hits these shots and finds his way out of tricky situations with such ease, thats just what he does and why hes arguably the best ever.Can that kind of match -- a learning experience against an all-timer on the biggest stage -- translate into more success here at Rio?Hed like to think so. A perfect world means getting gold, he said.Is that realistic for a guy with his pedigree?Why not? he said.A necessary answer, and just the proper attitude for a little-known righty trying to make his name stand out. ' ' '
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