We live in an impatient world with everything from news to entertainment at our literal fingertips whenever we want it. That whenever-you-want-it world especially applies to young people. It’s how they grew up. So the last few days have been heavy for the members of the Alabama football team as they’ve been asked repeatedly to show restraint during an emotional period of their lives.
But more than one of the leaders on the team are imploring their teammates to exercise patience with new head coach Kalen DeBoer. More than that, they’ve already bought in and are excited about a new era of Crimson Tide football.
"I feel like the best way to go about this is to embrace the change,” offensive lineman Tyler Booker said.
That change began in earnest Friday evening during a late-night meeting, the team’s first with the new coach. In truth it started Wednesday when Nick Saban retired, officially opening a 30-day window when Alabama players could enter the transfer portal.
Some players have chosen to do that already, but Booker said that might not be the best decision.
“Coach DeBoer has already made a great first impression,” Booker said. “The people who have entered the portal really didn't give him a shot. They probably already had their mind made up that they were going to leave. In my mind you've got to give it until the spring. You gotta give the guy a shot. I feel like (Director of Athletics Greg) Byrne made the right hire. I'm very excited to see how successful we are with him.”
DeBoer has been a winner everywhere he’s been, including at his last stop in Washington, where in a two-year run with the Huskies he compiled a record of 25-3 with a conference championship in 2023. His team finished runner up in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game to Michigan.
He had three top-10 wins in 2023, including two over Oregon and one over Texas.
“He's won everywhere that he's been, and so we already know that that's his mindset and he won't take anything less,” defensive back Malachi Moore said. “So that just says a lot about his values and his vision for this program.
“Coach DeBoer, he's come in and he's brought a lot of new energy, a lot of young energy and I think he's gonna do a great job with the program. He’s definitely a player's coach. He listens to our opinions and what we have to say and what we think on certain aspects of the team. For him just coming in and allowing us to voice our opinion, allowing us to have input on certain things and allowing us to tell him the traditions that we like, and the traditions of Alabama, since he essentially doesn't know anything about the university. Coach Saban had his way of doing things that worked for 17 years. So yeah, it’s great to have a coach like DeBoer where you can build a relationship with him, and we’re definitely off on the right foot.”
There has already been and will continue to be a lot of getting to know each other going on inside the Mal Moore Athletic Facility. That requires a lot of asking questions and listening. So far DeBoer has been anxious to get his players’ input.
“As people get to know Coach DeBoer, they're gonna realize that he's very different than Coach Saban,” Booker said. “But that's a good thing. It wouldn't be helpful to him or us if he came in here trying to be Coach Saban. What we told him is, ‘Coach, just be you.’ He's been nothing but that since he's been here, and it's very different. So we're all just embracing it. From the moment I met Coach DeBoer you can just feel the energy and excitement that he has. You can see how great of a leader of men he is. I can see that in just the few hours I've known him. He said he's big on relationships and that he wants to have a relationship with us.”
He’s already met with the leadership council. In that meeting it was clear that DeBoer is open to a melding of what’s special at Alabama and what he’s done for years in his experience as a head coach.
“What I took away is that he's very receptive to change,” Booker said. “He's very open to it, but at the same time he's gonna stay true to himself. Like he's going to adapt and adopt some of the traditions and cultures that we have here, but he's also going to bring his own that made Washington successful, that's made him successful to this point that allowed him to be so successful to be offered his job. He's very open to change and I feel like if other people are as well we can have a great thing going on here. That's why I'm so excited to stay and give it my all.”
To the players entering the portal or thinking about entering the portal, Booker has an appeal to them. It’s a simple one and one that he hopes resonates around the building.
“Give it to the spring and think about your legacy,” Booker said. “Me being here so far, I have a great legacy. I've been blessed enough to be playing since my freshman year, started last year, and now to be considered a leader on the team in a time of transition like this, that's my legacy. And I don't think a dollar amount could buy my legacy away from here.”
