Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Could the last few months (the last few weeks, for that matter) have been any more harried for Alabama's football team?

It's been one thing after another.

But the best news Tuesday afternoon for the Crimson Tide players and coaches was seeing senior defensive end Brandon Deaderick back around the practice field. He was released from the hospital after being shot in the forearm Monday night during a robbery attempt and watched part of practice.

It's unclear if Deaderick will be able to play in Saturday night's opener against Virginia Tech, but his teammates were just relieved that he was OK.

Deaderick's shooting was just the latest distraction to hit the radar for Alabama's football team.

Consider:

• Alabama officials are still waiting to hear something from the NCAA and/or SEC on Julio Jones and Mark Ingram and their well-chronicled fishing trip this past spring. Alabama spent the whole summer investigating and had hoped to hear something back by now.
• A flu bug has swept across Alabama's campus in the last week, and at least three players -- Terrence Cody, Marquis Maze and Cory Reamer -- have missed practice time with flu-like symptoms.
• Two weeks ago, reserve linebacker Courtney Upshaw was arrested on a charge of domestic violence after a university police officer witnessed an altercation between Upshaw and his girlfriend, who was also arrested.
• Just as preseason practice began, the brother of freshman defensive tackle Kerry Murphy was shot and killed in what police called a homicide.
• And in June, Alabama was placed on three years of NCAA probation and forced to vacate 21 victories from the 2005-07 seasons as a result of the textbook scandal. Alabama has since appealed, hoping to get back the vacated wins.

Who knows how Alabama will perform Saturday with everything that's swirling? It's certainly not the way you'd draw it up as a coach.

What's more, nobody at the Capstone needs to be reminded how poorly the Crimson Tide responded a year ago when Andre Smith was suspended for the Sugar Bowl.

It's true that every team in the country is antsy at this point just to play a game.

But this weekend can't get here soon enough for the Crimson Tide.