On the first day of spring practice, Alabama coach Nick Saban provided positive injury updates on several Crimson Tide defensive players that missed time last season. That included redshirt freshman cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis, who suffered a knee injury during pregame warmups of a Week 2 home game against Arkansas State and missed the rest of the year after surgery.

Armour-Davis, cornerback Trevon Diggs, linebackers Terrell Lewis and Christopher Allen and safety Daniel Wright all participated in practice Friday, and they took part in some degree in the offseason program, as well. “So, we’re thinking those guys will be fine,” Saban said.

Missing his entire first year at UA because of injury, Armour-Davis is glad to again take part in drills.

“I’m just excited to get back,” Armour-Davis told BamaOnLine in December prior to the Orange Bowl. “I’m glad it happened early in my career and not later. I’m just ready to get back to work.”

Prior to injuring his knee, Armour-Davis would have been the Tide’s fifth corner in 2018. “We felt really good about him,” Saban said after revealing what happened to the freshman defensive back.

Armour-Davis, a native of Mobile, Ala., was the No. 2-ranked player in the state of Alabama, the No. 13 corner and the 107th overall prospect during the 2018 recruiting cycle, according to the 247Sports Composite. He was one of three defensive backs that generated quite a bit of buzz when he arrived on campus last summer, along with Patrick Surtain II and Josh Jobe. The latter two closed out the Tide’s 2018 campaign as the first-team cornerbacks because of injuries.

Having to watch from the sidelines was tough, but Armour-Davis decided to look at the positives.

“I still enjoyed it,” Armour-Davis said in Miami Gardens, Fla. “Just getting into college, just growing as a person and really seeing how you are as a person -- a lot of people find themselves when they’re in college. You’re on your own, you’ve got to do your own things and stuff like that.

“But I still enjoy myself. I’m still at practice, rehabbing and stuff every day. It hasn’t really been a year that’s just very disappointing because of the injury. It’s been hindered but not disappointing, so I’m still happy that I chose to come to the University of Alabama.”

Alabama cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis

Like other injured teammates, Armour-Davis took advantage of his time off the field by learning as much as he could, especially from Saban, who worked closely with the young corners all year long.

“It just makes you smarter in general. Just the vibe around him, he rubs off on you every day because we’re around him so often,” Armour-Davis said of Saban. “His attitude, his work ethic, the way he goes about his business just rubs off on you, so I really think it makes me better, obviously, as a football player but even better as a person. I enjoyed being there.

“It was a little nerve-wracking. The first couple of days, you’re kind of scared he’s going to yell at you a little bit, but after that first couple of weeks, you start to enjoy being right next to him.”

At the Orange Bowl’s Media Day, Armour-Davis said he was a 7.5 on a scale of one to 10 in terms of his health. When the Tide opened spring practice last week, the 6-foot-1, 182-pound corner moved around with no noticeable limitations, despite wearing a brace and wrap on his right knee.

It typically takes a year to fully recover from a serious knee injury, but he is making good progress.

Armour-Davis will provide depth behind Diggs and Surtain at corner this spring and look to build off how he performs in the next 14 practices this summer, where he has goals he wants to accomplish.

“Just being the best version of me,” Armour-Davis said. “Obviously in the offseason, I want to get bigger, faster, stronger and of course 100 percent. But as far as on the field, just be the best version of me, the best teammate that I can be, whichever way that is. Even if it’s not as much playing time on the field, which is obviously what you hope for, but whatever’s asked of me, that’s just what I’m going to do. I’m just looking forward to getting back in uniform next year.”

Contact Charlie Potter by 247Sports' personal messaging or on Twitter (@Charlie_Potter).

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