Players who began Alabama careers as national champs try to help their coach do the same

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Malachi Moore watched Alabama’s last national championship triumph from the sidelines as a freshman standout with an injury.

It was way back in January 2021, and now the fifth-year safety is one of only a handful of Crimson Tide players still around from the title team that beat Ohio State 52-24 in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Moore, Tim Smith, Jah-Marien Latham and Quindarrius “Que” Robinson are trying to bookend their careers with a second title during coach Kalen DeBoer’s own debut season.

“After we won the first one, I’m thinking, I know I’m going to win two or three more before I leave,” Moore said. “We came up short for a couple of years, but it makes me hungry again to have that feeling of being the best team in the nation at the end of it all.”

That’s why exhausted players motivate each other at the end of those August practices by saying things like: “This is the last play in the natty.”

No. 5 Alabama hasn’t had that top-of-the-world feeling since then but starts this and every season expecting no less. DeBoer can only hope to start his Tide career — which opens Saturday night against Western Kentucky — with the kind of outcome Moore and three of his players had in their first seasons.

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DeBoer replaced Nick Saban, who brought six more national titles to Tuscaloosa during a 17-year run. But even Saban’s last three teams fell short.

The Tide have made the College Football Playoffs eight times, more than any other team. They won titles in 2015, 2017 and the Covid-shortened 2020 season.

Most of the four holdovers’ recruiting class has moved elsewhere, including NFL players like Bryce Young and Will Anderson Jr.

The remnants of that class have taken differing paths but hope to get back to where their first season ended: the top.

The team captain

Moore made an instant impact as a freshman, starting the first 11 games and earning second-team All-Southeastern Conference honors. But a stress fracture in his back sidelined him from the playoffs.

He has played in 52 games and was voted a captain by his teammates.

“I never won a championship or even came close,” Moore said. “So to come in freshman year and go undefeated and then win a national championship, it was amazing.”

Hoping to finish strong

Latham and Robinson have both worked their way into potential starting jobs finally as seniors. Latham only played in one game on that 2020 title team, and Robinson didn’t see action. They’ve both seen gradually increased playing time and seem in line for their biggest roles yet.

Latham has been competing for the starting job with Texas A&M transfer LT Overton. Robinson could start on the edge.

Both watched the title game at Hard Rock Stadium from the sidelines.

“Witnessing that was like crazy,” Robinson said. “I hope we can get back there this season. We definitely will. Oh man, I just want to be out there myself.”

He raves about the stadium and can still recite key plays from the game. The results backed up one of the Tide’s big recruiting pitches about a championship program.

“Just coming right out of high school and coming into a national championship like that. That’s something you dream about,” Latham said. “Even as a recruit they talked about like how many national championships here.”

Smith’s first experience

On Smith’s first snap of the national championship game, he hit Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields “hard as heck,” planting him on the ground.

“I get up, the tight end catches the ball down the field over our Mike (linebacker),” Smith recalled. “That was probably one of my first big get back up and play moments for me. Even though we’re here in the natty it was like you thought you got a sack. But you’ve got to stay on your horse and get down there and make the next play.”

Smith has started 19 games since that season and is in the mix again.

DeBoer’s Turn

Now, it’s DeBoer approaching his first season. And Moore and the players are convinced his aspirations are just as high. Alabama high.

“He’s about winning,” Moore said. “When we are not executing at a high level, he’s upset as any coach would be. He’s hard on us just like Coach Saban was and he’s very demanding of us to be at our best each and every day.”

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