Development of New Players
DeBoer also touched on the development of new players and the integration of freshmen into the team dynamics. "The freshmen are really stepping up," he said. "It's a big adjustment coming from high school to the college level, especially at a program like Alabama where the expectations are high. But these guys have shown great maturity and work ethic. They're learning from the upperclassmen, and we're seeing them make strides every day."
Emphasis on Leadership
Leadership is a recurring theme in DeBoer's coaching philosophy. "We have a strong group of leaders on this team," he remarked. "Guys like Jalen Milroe and our senior defenders are setting the tone in practice and in the locker room. Leadership isn't just about being vocal; it's about actions, consistency, and setting a standard for others to follow. I’m proud of how our leaders are embracing their roles and bringing the team together."
Special Teams Focus
Special teams were another area DeBoer highlighted. "Special teams are crucial to our success. We've got some talented guys competing for spots, and the emphasis is on execution and discipline. Coach Banks is doing a fantastic job with them. Whether it's punt return, kickoff coverage, or field goals, every play matters, and we need to be sharp."
Final Thoughts
In his closing remarks, DeBoer reiterated his optimism and confidence in the team. "We're just getting started, but I like where we are heading. The energy, the effort, and the commitment to getting better each day are all there. It’s a journey, and we're focused on taking it one day at a time, getting better with each practice, each rep. I’m excited to see how we progress as we move closer to the season."
Looking Ahead
As Alabama continues its preseason preparations, the focus will remain on refining skills, building chemistry, and ensuring that every player is ready for the challenges ahead. With a blend of experienced leaders and promising newcomers, the Crimson Tide are poised to make a strong impact this season under DeBoer's guidance. The next few weeks will be critical in setting the foundation for a successful campaign, and the anticipation is building for what lies ahead.
The Interview:
Kalen DeBoer on Alabama's First Preseason Practice
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The atmosphere was electric as Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer addressed the media following the Crimson Tide's initial preseason practice. Here's a detailed recap of his insights from Wednesday morning.
Opening Statement
"Like most first practices, good energy. Guys were excited to get out there. I can’t remember many, if any, times where you had to coach up the excitement and passion. That was all there. These guys have worked hard. We’re excited about Practice 1.
"Always gonna be far from perfect, but each side had its moments and made plays and that’s what you want. I love being the head coach in those times, right, because the assistants, they want every play to be perfect. And so they win half, they lose half the time, and I get to win all the time because I just choose the side that wins on that play. But no, it’s good having that give and take, and I felt that’s what we had.
"Welcome to the South, right, for me in particular. Just practice and a little bit warmer than the rest of the summer. It hit us here with Practice 1. Guys grinded through it. I thought, actually, they kept getting stronger as the day went on, which is what you wanna see, and they kept their spirits high through the very last rep."
On Ryan Williams
DeBoer emphasized the importance of steady progress for Ryan Williams: “Consistently just on this trajectory on up. I don’t need him Day 1 – I mean, you want every play to be amazing, explosive, but you just want him lining up right, doing the fundamental things, making the easy plays, and then because of his ability, the big ones will come. So when your routes on air, run a good route, catch the ball, accelerate out with good ball security. You find those consistent fundamentals and you stack days and those plays we know he is capable of making will happen.”
On Kadyn Proctor
On Kadyn Proctor's progress, DeBoer noted: “I don’t have a huge understanding of what he was a year ago other than watching on film, but it feels like he’s in really good shape and lean. When you ask people who would have an understanding, Coach Ballou and so forth, it’d be nothing but positive about the progress he’s made. Strength and explosive numbers, I know, are up, that’s facts, that’s real. And then also just the way his body looks, leaner. He’s just so dense and has got so much mass, he’s gonna be big no matter what. Love his demeanor out there. It’s good to have him back. Good to have him here.”
Team Conditioning and Sweatshirt Choice
Addressing the team's conditioning and his personal attire choices, DeBoer said, “No, you won’t see me like that (laughs). That’s his thing. I’ll just let him do that."
“The strength staff, Coach Ballou, he’s been doing this here now. He knows what it takes, what that looks like throughout the summer, even going back in the winter. To me, it’s now getting into football shape. You try to replicate that as best you can, and I know he’s all over it. But there’s still something about putting pads on, having that helmet on, some guys wear a mask and just breathing through that even, having a mouthpiece in, all that good stuff. These guys had a good day out there today.”
Defensive Back Transfers
Commenting on the new defensive back transfers, DeBoer said, “I always like to see the film before I make too many comments on missed assignments or anything like that. One or two plays, I think, might have happened because of maybe those guys being in there and just not in sync completely, but that’s expected Practice 1 with new faces out there on the field. But I love their energy. I love their attitude. They give great effort. They’ve really meshed with the whole team. I think there’s a ton of respect by their teammates, and that’s what you want. A lot of that starts with their character and the work ethic that follows along. They’ve got ability. Now, it’s just a matter of getting those reps so they can be confident in themselves and others can be confident and knowing and believing that they are gonna be in the right spot, and that’s the direction I think they are headed.”
Reflecting on Day 1 and Handling Practice
“You’ve gotta be real, and that’s what I tell our guys. I’m gonna tell our team on a Sunday after a game what it was. It’s tell the truth Sunday, and we’ve gotta be real. When it comes to games, everyone will see it. If you’ve gotta be better or if it was a great day, I think it’s usually pretty obvious. And when it comes to practice, yeah, we can’t just gloss over things. We’ve gotta understand where we’re at, and we have relationships with each other, so we keep it real and hold each other accountable. Today, I thought it was a great practice. Any time and every day, there’s things to learn from. You learn from the good, you learn from the bad. You learn from others’ mistakes and your own. A lot of that happened today, the good and the bad, the mistakes, and we get to go watch film, we get to talk about it here in a team meeting and we’ve gotta work. But it was a positive day. I really feel like we’ve made the most of every practice since we’ve been here, going back to the spring. Some are obviously gonna be better than others.”
Offense vs. Defense and His Leg Injury
“Our custodians do a really good job mopping the floors, and I didn’t realize it. But that’s not on them. That’s on me."
“As far as who won or who’s ahead, I guess, I don’t really feel like there’s one side of the ball. I think there’s position groups within that are continuing to rise up. I think it’s pretty balanced across the board with the whole team.”
Communication with Jalen Milroe
“I just try the most racks. When I talk about a rack, it’s whatever, a four- or five-play sequence or a drive. In practice, I just love following up with him. He just takes all the coaching, and he knows we’re gonna coach him up. That’s my job. You talk about teaching and critiquing and demanding excellence and the best, and he takes that. Every play, looking for it and working to be better. I thought he had a really solid day all around, and I know he’s far from reaching what he will be come next week, much less the first game.”
Morning Practice Adjustments
“I think certainly. I think that a few guys, even though we really pushed it hard, I think they underestimate just the fuel they’ve gotta get in their bodies, which leads to cramping and things like that. So they’ll learn from it. That’s part of this process. That’s part of we talk about them grinding every day, refining everything, whether it’s note-taking in the meetings to their craft and the technique they have to, ‘Man, I’ve gotta eat more. I’ve gotta get more sleep. I’ve gotta drink more, hydrate and all that.’ So I think there’s a couple guys, when you go really follow up on the cramping, it’s like, ‘What did you eat?’ They didn’t eat enough. That will become a positive. We test throughout the week. We don’t want that cumulative fatigue that can happen, and by practicing and the schedule that we’ll be on, I just feel like we’ve got it down to where these guys will understand it and be able to adjust accordingly and take advantage of it, not fall fatigue to it.”
DaShawn Jones at Cornerback
“He’s taken some snaps at the college football level. So we need him out there. I think there’s a confidence about him just because of that that, yeah, we need in our program always but also in that position room. All of those guys, the cool thing is, I think, they all respect each other and just pushing each other, learning every single day. Coach Mo is doing an awesome job.”
Importance of Offensive Line Chemistry
“It’s huge, it’s huge. I mean, that’s where it all starts. I think your team is always gonna be maximized based on what your offensive line can do because it sets the tempo and it forces the defensive line and linebackers to really do a good job of fitting their gaps in the run. And you can protect the quarterback to where he can go through his reads and receivers having time to go through their routes, defensive backs now having to make plays because the protection is there. So these guys up front, really a couple of them haven’t been there throughout the spring, but like you said, Parker now back in there. Kadyn here. Pritchett took a lot of reps. He had a nice day. I thought Wilkin did a nice job. So a lot of mixing and matching, especially at the tackle position, I guess. The interior three was pretty consistent. But their reps are gonna be really critical for our success and them gelling.”
Status of Jeheim Oatis
“He was almost ready right at the end of spring ball. And so he’s had a good summer and excited about what he’ll bring to the table for us. So he was right on the verge. If we had one more week of spring ball, we would probably made sure he was out there at that time.”
Guest Speakers During Fall Camp
“The guests are actually people I want to help our guys understand what it’s gonna take, and the message is consistent. I want them hearing some of the same things that I’m saying, maybe with different words. I want them hearing that from other successful people. We’ve had a lot of guests. We had a couple already this week, and it’s people from all different backgrounds and different ways, shapes and forms and their message is that of what it’s gonna take for us to reach our dreams and goals and get the most out of every single day.”
Komentarze