Kalen DeBoer endured plenty of hate during his first season at Alabama, from his own fanbase and others. That's what happens when you go 9-4 at Alabama.
But the majority of the vitriol thrown his direction from opposing fanbases and media has been wishful thinking. Fans of other schools and the national media have been praying for the Crimson Tide's downfall for a long time after enduring a long run of Nick Saban-led dominance. They hoped that Saban's retirement would lead to the Tide falling back, wishcasting DeBoer was the second coming of Mike DuBose.
But assuming Alabama won't be the same without Saban is ignorance of the history of the program. The Crimson Tide won before Saban arrived, and they will win after him.
It's no secret that DeBoer's first Alabama team wasn't fully bought into him and the new staff. That's been discussed ad nauseam. He was looked at as the substitute teacher and had to endure players pushing the limits to see what they could get away with. Now, he's fully entrenched as the head coach, and he has the full buy-in of his second team.
DeBoer is no longer trying to coach a Saban roster. It's his team now.
And, according to star LB and permanent team captain Deontae Lawson, everyone knows it.
Deontae Lawson raved about Kalen DeBoer at SEC Media Days
"The connection is probably the best since I've been here, to be hoenst," Lawson said.
"It's just hard for him to try to imply his way of doing things or his standard to us so early on year one. But now year two, I mean, we're all for DeBoer, and we're all into what he has to say or what he wants to do for the program. I think he definitely feels that, and the players feel that as well."
Lawson was named a permanent team captain last season. He will almost certainly be named a permanent team captain again this season as he embarks on an unexpected fifth season in the program.
Lawson considered turning pro after the 2023 season, but chose to return to Tuscaloosa last year to help in the transition from Saban to DeBoer. A devastating knee injury in a November loss to Oklahoma prevented him from entering the 2025 NFL Draft as expected. He's back for a fifth year and should be the leader of what could be the best defense in college football.
Lawson publicly throwing his support behind his head coach is another indication of the buy-in and togetherness of this team. They may not win a championship, that remains to be seen and will be decided on the field, but they have a championship mentality.
"I think Coach DeBoer is a great fit for new era of college football," Lawson added. "He's just a players coach."