Third in a series previewing SEC football teams.

HOOVER, Ala. — Bobby Petrino doesn’t hate the media.

For instance, the first-year Arkansas football coach actually saved a couple of cameramen Friday from backing smack into a pillar in the upstairs lobby at SEC media days.

Petrino said he doesn’t even hate his media obligations.

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Asked where the SEC media days experience rates on his list of job responsibilities, Petrino laughed.

“Right at the top,” Petrino said, motioning up high with his hands. “It’s my favorite thing.”

Petrino, chosen as the least media savvy and least-accessible coach in the SEC in a Mobile (Ala. ) Press-Register media poll released this week, was certainly under the microscope Friday in his first bout at the SEC’s annual media extravaganza.

The general consensus among the media: Petrino navigated the scene with aplomb and no major glitches. He wasn’t completely comfortable in the setting, like Steve Spurrier or Tommy Tuberville appeared. But he wasn’t a deer in headlights, either, as former Alabama Coach Mike Shula was in 2003.

“This is part of the job,” Petrino said.

Petrino knew he’d have to confront issues at this venue. He knew his messy departure from the Atlanta Falcons last December and his flirtation with Auburn officials behind the back of Auburn’s Tuberville would be among them.

The flight from the Falcons was a topic of great interest Friday.

“The whole situation, the timing was bad,” Petrino said. “There’s no question about that.... I would have loved to see it play out a different way.”

“You know, it was a difficult season,” Petrino said. “You always look back and really try to reflect on what I could have done better here, what we could have done better there. Certainly, we’ll try to do a better job in our communication with our players, you know, really understanding what it takes week in and week out to be consistent.”

Petrino joins a small contingent of SEC coaches who gave the NFL a try and then jumped back into college football’s most challenging conference.

“Yeah, I told Bobby [on Friday ] that when he took the [ Falcons ] job, I told some people I’d give you two years before you came back to college,” said South Carolina Coach Steve Spurrier, who also gave the NFL a shot as the Washington Redskins’ coach before returning to the college ranks. “Some things happened that sort of turned it into a [bad ] situation.

“ His lifestyle, I guess, is a bit like mine in that he enjoys a little bit of an off-season.”

Alabama Coach Nick Saban was roasted, much like Petrino, when he bolted the Miami Dolphins after the 2006 season.

“You know, Bobby’s an outstanding coach,” Saban said Thursday. “He has a great record as a college coach. I’m sure he would have done a great job in the NFL as well.”

Arkansas players supported their coach in front of the league media.

“We know Coach Petrino is a strong man,” senior linebacker Elston Forte said. “He stresses to us about being a man. He’s being a man about all these situations, so we let him handle his grownman coaching stuff and we take care of the player stuff. We stay in our place.”

Senior center Jonathan Luigs said he understands where the media criticism emanates.

“I think it’s going to come with the way he left the Falcons and the way everything went down,” Luigs said. “But, at the same time, you’ve got to realize he had to take advantage of the opportunity he was given.

“ The NFL season goes longer than the college season, and we had to fill that position. We had to fill that need. I think it’s sad he had to take the rap he got for going somewhere he needed to go.”

As for the incident known as Jetgate in Alabama, when Petrino allowed Auburn officials to fly into Louisville to discuss the Tigers’ head coaching position with him in November 2003, Petrino has consistently explained that as a poor decision made by a young head coach.

Both men said at the SEC meetings in May they had buried the hatchet, which Tuberville reiterated Friday.

“This is a business; I understand that,” Tuberville said. “We all get caught up in certain scenarios. That’s just part of it.

“ Bobby and I have talked many times since then. Since he’s been head coach [at Arkansas ] we’ve talked several times at meetings. It will be a lot of good talk between fans and media, but when it comes to the football teams that really matter in terms of winning or losing, there just won’t be any effect.”

The Razorbacks’ appearance on the final day of SEC media days allowed them to fly back to Fayetteville knowing they had been picked to finish last in the six-team SEC West.

“It’s not a good feeling,” Luigs said. “Whether you’re picked last in a little kickball game or in your conference, it’s not fun to be the last one to get chosen.

“ At the same time, it’s not how you start. It’s how you finish.”