TUSCALOOSA, Ala. _ Who knew that Nick Saban was a fan of the television show, “Hard Knocks,” which this year spent training camp with the Atlanta Falcons?

While making a point about his team’s approach this week, the University of Alabama coach made a reference to how Mike Smith emphasized that his players should establish a routine they could sustain through the whole season.

“Well I think that’s very true for college players,” Saban said. “Whether it’s to hydrate, eat right, sleep right, prepare for the game right, mental preparation, go to practice every day and learn in the meetings; all these things in establishing a routine takes a lot of maturity and I think that’s very important to players improving, so they can go from the meeting room to the walk through to the practice and then take that to the game and be able to execute it in the game and feel comfortable and confident in their communication and playing together as a unit.

“That’s certainly been the emphasis this week on trying to develop the kind of practice habits and routine that will help us improve as a team.”

It also gave him a chance to sort of catch up from afar with three of his former players as wide receiver Julio Jones, cornerback Javier Arenas and offensive lineman Mike Johnson all play for the Falcons, although Johnson is already out for the season with a foot injury.

Overall, 36 former Crimson Tide players are poised to be on active rosters when the NFL season opens this weekend, up from 30 last year when it was seventh among all college football programs.

Another five, including Johnson, are on various injury/reserve lists, with six more on practice squads for a total of 47 on 23 different teams.

One of them is Rolando McClain, the former Butkus Award winner who is back in the league after retiring twice. He’s listed second on the Dallas Cowboys’ depth chart at middle linebacker.

“Rolando McClain is one of my favorite people in the whole world,” Saban said. “He’s one of my favorite players in the whole world. He actually came here the first year we were here and had never won a game and we didn’t have a very good team, and he certainly became the alpha-dog leader of some really good teams that probably had a lot to do with the whole turning around of the program and getting a lot of the players to buy in and do a lot of the things the way we needed to do them so we could be successful. There are a lot of players that contributed to that, but Rolando McClain was one of the first and did it as well as anybody.

“I’m excited about him having the opportunity to go back to play pro football, if that’s what he wanted to do and that’s what he chooses to do. I wish him the very, very best in his career. Hopefully he’ll do well in Dallas for Jason Garrett and the Cowboys. We’ll be excited to watch him play.”

Alabama players in the pros (updated Sept. 4)

Javier Arenas, Atlanta Falcons, CB

Mark Barron, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, S

James Carpenter, Seattle Seahawks, G

Josh Chapman, Indianapolis Colts, NT

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Green Bay Packers, S

Marcell Dareus, Buffalo Bills, DT

Brandon Deaderick, New Orleans Saints, DE

Quinton Dial, San Francisco 49ers, DT

D.J. Fluker, San Diego Chargers, T

Wallace Gilberry, Cincinnati Bengals, DE

Roman Harper, Carolina Panthers, S

Dont’a Hightower, New England Patriots, LB

Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints, RB

Kareem Jackson, Houston Texans, CB

Jarret Johnson, San Diego Chargers, LB

Rashad Johnson, Arizona Cardinals, S

Barrett Jones, St. Louis Rams, OL

Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons, WR

Dre Kirkpatrick, Cincinnati Bengals, CB

Cyrus Kouandjio, Buffalo Bills, OL

Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers, RB

Evan Mathis, Philadelphia Eagles, G

Rolando McClain, Dallas Cowboys, LB

Dee Milliner, New York Jets, CB

C.J. Mosley, Baltimore Ravens, LB

Kevin Norwood, Seattle Seahawks, WR

Jeoffrey Pagan, Houston Texans, DL

Trent Richardson, Indianapolis Colts, RB

DeMeco Ryans, Philadelphia Eagles, LB

Andre Smith, Cincinnati Bengals, T

Damion Square, Kansas City Chiefs, DL

Ed Stinson, Arizona Cardinals, DE

Vinnie Sunseri, New Orleans Saints, S

Carson Tinker, Jacksonville Jaguars, LS

Courtney Upshaw, Baltimore Ravens, LB

Chance Warmack, Tennessee Titans, G

Reserve lists

Terrence Cody, Baltimore Ravens, DT (on physically unable to perform list)

A.J. McCarron, Cincinnati Bengals, QB (non-football injury list)

Injured reserve

Deion Belue, Jacksonville Jaguars, CB

Mike Johnson, Atlanta Falcons, G

Jesse Williams, Seattle Seahawks, DT

Practice squads

Adrian Hubbard, Green Bay Packers, LB

Nico Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs, LB

Robert Lester, Carolina Panthers, S

Brad Smelley, St. Louis Rams, TE

Anthony Steen, Arizona Cardinals, OL

Michael Williams, Detroit Lions, T

Team-by-team list with jersey numbers

Arizona Cardinals: Rashad Johnson, 26, S; G; Ed Stinson, 72, DE

Atlanta Falcons: Javier Arenas, 28, CB; Mike Johnson, 79, G; Julio Jones, 11, WR

Baltimore Ravens: Terrence Cody, 62, DT; C.J Mosley, 57, LB; Courtney Upshaw, 91, LB

Buffalo Bills: Marcell Dareus, 99, DT; Cyrus Kouandjio, 71, T

Carolina Panthers: Roman Harper, 41, S; Robert Lester, 38, S

Chicago Bears: None

Cincinnati Bengals: Wallace Gilberry, 95, DL; Dre Kirkpatrick, 27, CB; A.J. McCarron, 5, QB; Andre Smith, 71, T

Cleveland Browns: None

Dallas Cowboys: Rolando McClain, 55, LB

Denver Broncos: None

Detroit Lions: Michael Williams, 73, OT

Green Bay Packers: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, 21, S; Adrian Hubbard, 49, LB; Eddie Lacy, 27, RB

Houston Texans: Kareem Jackson, 25, CB; Jeoffrey Pagan, 97, DL

Indianapolis Colts: Josh Chapman, 96, DT; Trent Richardson, 34, RB

Jacksonville Jaguars: Deion Belue, 43, CB; Carson Tinker, 46, LS

Kansas City Chiefs: Nico Johnson, 57, LB; Damion Square, 98, DL

Miami Dolphins: None

Minnesota Vikings: None

New England Patriots: Dont’a Hightower, 54, LB

New Orleans: Brandon Deaderick, 67, DL; Mark Ingram, 22, RB; Vinnie Sunseri, 43, S

New York Giants: None

New York Jets: Dee Milliner, 27, CB

Oakland Raiders: None

Philadelphia Eagles: Evan Mathis, 69, G; DeMeco Ryans, 59, LB

Pittsburgh Steelers: None

St. Louis Rams: Barrett Jones, 67, OL; Brad Smelley, NA, TE

San Diego Chargers: D.J. Fluker, 76, T; Jarret Johnson, 96, LB

San Francisco 49ers: Quinton Dial, 92, DL

Seattle Seahawks: James Carpenter, 77, T; Kevin Norwood, 81, WR; Jesse Williams, 90, DT

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mark Barron, 23, S

Tennessee Titans: Chance Warmack, 70, G

Washington Redskins: None

CFL

Calgary Stampeders: Juwan Simpson, 12, LB

(Montreal Alouettes: Duron Carter, 89, WR)