The season hinges on ‘why.’
Renowned motivational speaker Eric Thomas visited Alabama on Friday with what coach Nick Saban called a ?simple message.
“Do you have a why? Do you have a reason why you’re doing what you do? Everybody wants to be the beast. Everybody wants to be number one, but until they gotta do what the beast gotta do to be a beast, then it all changes,” Saban said. “So that’s going to be the difference in this team. You know, I’m sure they all want to be good, but are they going to do what they have to do to be good? That will be the test.”
That means the team brings its A-game, plays to a high standard and is able to do both of these on a consistent basis.
This edition of the Crimson Tide comes into the season with much to replace. The team lost more than its seniors. The team lost its identity, something Saban wants his players to reestablish.
“I think you basically need to check your ego at the door, all of us in our organization: players, coaches, everybody in our ?organization,” Saban said. “You know, really trust and believe in the things that have helped us be successful, have enough humility to understand our role, what we need to do to help the team be successful, and certainly have the willingness as a family and a group to serve each other and help each other so that we have the best opportunity to accomplish this.”
Alabama is ranked No. 2 in the AP Preseason Poll after finishing No. 7 following a 45-31 loss in the Allstate Sugar Bowl to Oklahoma, handing Alabama its worst record since 2010 when it went 10-3.
“As a team we wouldn’t say redemption, we just say it’s a new season,” junior defensive back Landon Collins said. “It’s a reckoning for us. It’s to build on what we didn’t have last year and to be better with what we are this year.”
Alabama was picked by the media at SEC Media Days to win the West and the overall conference. The Crimson Tide had 10 players on the preseason All-SEC team, eight of which were on the first team.
The hype surrounding the team is a distraction the players want to tune out.
“You gotta stay humble. You don’t wanna get over yourself,” sophomore running back Derrick Henry said. “Last year, it humbled me a lot. It gave me the fuel to go into this season and this fall camp. I just tune it out and come in here and work and get the job done.”
