Former Alabama offensive lineman Barrett Jones just finished his first season in the NFL with the St. Louis Rams. The Crimson White caught up with Jones to see how his first year in St. Louis went and to get his thoughts on what’s currently going on around the Crimson Tide football team.
Q: How was your first year with the Rams?
A: It was great. The NFL is a very different than college, but it’s different in a good way in some ways. It was a good experience. I felt like I was pretty well-prepared because of Coach [Nick] Saban and all the things he does organizationally. I felt like I was ready for the mental load of it. It’s definitely a lot mentally to take in where you do, obviously, a lot of football in college, but it’s a job, it’s really a full-time job once you get to the NFL. It’s a lot mentally. You sit in a lot of meetings and a lot of really having to focus and lock in on what you’re doing. It was a good year, a learning year for me. I didn’t play a whole lot, but I feel like I got some good experience and improved a lot.
Q: Is there one thing in particular you learned this season that you didn’t expect coming out of college?
A: One of the biggest differences, obviously, is the money. For example, at Alabama if you miss a meeting or you were late to something you did running as punishment or something like that. In the NFL, if you’re late to something they don’t really yell at you or run you. They just fine you, so that’s a big change. You’re going to take a $5,000 fine if you’re late to a meeting, so you definitely don’t want to be late to too many of those.
Q: What were your thoughts on the way Alabama’s season ended?
A: It was obviously frustrating. We felt like we could have easily made it to the national championship. I think that’s kind of become the standard at Alabama is getting to a national championship, so that was disappointing. And obviously the way that Auburn game went down was something that I don’t think anyone will forget for a long time. Hopefully it will leave a bad taste in their mouths and keep us motivated for years to come.
Q: What are you looking for out of the Crimson Tide this spring?
A: I think spring is always a great time to kind of see what you have and for the younger guys to really develop. It’s a big benefit, and it’s where you first find out what kind of team you’re going to have for next year. I just look for guys to be hungry and to come in with an attitude this year that we’ve got a lot to prove.
Q: What were your thoughts when Saban hired Lane Kiffin?
A: Honestly, I didn’t really see that coming. That was obviously a big-name hire that he got. But I think it’s important to remember the kind of things he has done. Coach Kiffin, the last time he was an offensive coordinator, you look at those USC teams in 2005 and 2004 and so on, some of the best offensive college football teams of all-time. I’m excited to see what kind of changes he can bring and what kind of wrinkles he can add to our offense. It should be fun to watch.
