This season wasn’t supposed to end this way. Not for these seniors that have accomplished so much during that time in Tuscaloosa. My father taught me an important lesson before he passed away. He told many times that things are not always going to go like you want them and even if they do go wrong, there is always a reason. This class of seniors and of course the ones that may declare for the NFL Draft have accomplished more during the time with the Tide than most student athletes have accomplished in their time at their own colleges. This could be seen as a sign for the team that will take the field next year. A message to show them that things can go wrong and you must do all the little things that prevent that from happening. Departing senior AJ McCarron even had a message for the returning players. Aaron Suttles reported tonight that McCarron pulled Jonathan Allen in close and whispered in his ear “Just get everyone to buy in and y’all will be alright”. To borrow a phrase from one of our board’s owners; it was a last parting gift from their leader. McCarron’s own leadership was tested in one of the first few practices with Saban. After the practice, McCarron headed to Coach Saban’s office and aired out his frustrations that he was practicing with the walk on crew and didn’t understand how he could be graded on his performance from practicing with that group. Young McCarron was about to get his first lesson. Saban told him, ” Well you see AJ, we are grading you on leadership today and you failed that test”.
All of us know about their on the field accomplishments but in my opinion what is more important is what these guys did off the field. There were trips to Children’s Hospitals. Some were planned and some were not. Many of them participated in the tornado relief in Tuscaloosa. I am sure there are stories from the guys that will never see the light of the day. They did those not for the publicity but just because they wanted to give back and if it involved some children, to hopefully give them at least a little smile and happiness in whatever tough time they may be going through at the time.
These seniors have given great examples to the underclassmen on how to carry yourself and what exactly it means to put on that crimson or white jersey. From some of the tweets I read tonight from players, it’s obvious that some of that has rubbed off on the younger guys. If they buy in, there is nothing those guys won’t be able to do. Stay humble, work hard, take it one game at a time, and if everything works out, in the end you will be rewarded. If they do all of those things, not only will they be rewarded in the sport but also in life. Some of the departing seniors may never put on a football jersey again and perhaps will use their degrees after they graduate and move on. If they put to use what they learned, they will be successful and whatever they do. We all enjoy those BCS titles and bowl wins but it’s not everything. These guys arrived at the Capstone as young men and seeking what they wanted to do in life. You can they will leave Alabama a better man that what they all were when they arrived.
We lost two games this year. It’s not a big deal. I assure you that no one feels as bad about coming up short than those players in that locker room. It all starts over again in Spring Practice in a few months and we all need to continue to support all of them no matter what. An 11-2 season is a lot better than what we were accustomed to just a few seasons ago. We will win some and lose some but we never should waver our support for the Crimson Tide. Cheer them on loudly during their time on the field and cheer even louder when you see the men that they have become.
If you made it this far, congratulations. Sometimes this old country boy just decides to blog a bit and put down exactly what he is thinking. Let’s support the new team and the incoming freshman. The Road to 16 starts today. “Every Bama Fan’s Behind You, Hit Your Stride”. Roll Tide and thank you seniors!