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al.com

Auburn rookies working with former Alabama coach in NFL

Updated: May. 06, 2024, 8:11 a.m.|Published: May. 06, 2024, 8:00 a.m.

4–5 minutes

Seattle Seahawks cornerbacks DJ James (29) and Nehemiah Pritchett leave the field after practice at rookie minicamp on Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Renton, Wash.(AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

By

Mark Inabinett | minabinett@al.com

Cornerbacks DJ James and Nehemiah Pritchett got to work as NFL players at the Seattle Seahawks’ rookie minicamp Friday through Sunday. Guiding the draft picks from Auburn was Seattle defensive-backs coach Karl Scott.

From 2018 through 2020, Scott held that position at Alabama.

“He’s very competitive on that end,” James said about having a coach on the other side of the Iron Bowl rivalry, “but we enjoy it. He makes little jokes about it. But we enjoy it, and we just keep it going every day with him.”

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The Seahawks picked Pritchett in the fifth round and James in the sixth round of the NFL Draft on April 27.

“It’s great just having a former teammate with me,” James said on Saturday. “Us living our dream of playing in the NFL. It’s fun. We having fun. Karl Scott’s pushing us. He’s really pushing us to the limits, but it’s fun. We’re enjoying it a lot.”

James said he and Pritchett talked shortly after he was drafted.

“We both were excited, both felt more comfortable about coming far away from home, but with each other,” James said. “… We actually played in an all-star game in high school together, so we been having just a connection, been having that bond, that friendship with each other. Knew him for a long time, played with him in high school in an all-star game, played with him in college for two years and now here in the NFL.”

The cornerbacks are former Alabama high school standouts – James at Spanish Fort and Pritchett at Jackson.

“I was super excited,” Pritchett said about continuing as teammates with James. “Me and DJ been friends for a really long time, since high school. We grew up 45 minutes from each other. We played in an all-star game together in high school. I tried to get him to come to Auburn when he was coming out of high school, but he decided to go to Oregon. But me and him been having a good time so far.”

After three seasons at Oregon, James transferred to Auburn, and Pritchett said not much has changed in the transition to the NFL.

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“We’re just trying to make each other better,” Pritchett said. “Me and him used to pair and try to get the best out of each other.”

On Sunday, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said he had liked what he’d seen so far from the rookie cornerbacks.

“It’s hard to tell with the tempo, but mentally, not a lot of mistakes,” Macdonald said. “I thought they moved well. It’s a good start, but they only know Cover 3 and Cover 4 right now. There’s just a lot of things we’re going to be working on, but obviously a good start.

“Trying to get them to talk a little bit more and open up. I’m sure that’ll happen pretty soon.”

Pritchett said he thought he and James had been well-prepared for the NFL.

“It’s been pretty good just getting back on the grass with some of my teammates, some of the new people that’s coming in, getting to grind with the new coaches and bond with the new coaching staff, so it’s been great,” Pritchett said. “… I think we had really good coaches at Auburn that got us prepared to learn new defenses and learn new techniques and things. Just having good coaches at Auburn got us prepared for this moment.”

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

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