Terrion Arnold explains why he commends Kalen DeBoer so much
Former Alabama Crimson Tide defender Terrion Arnold may have moved on from Tuscaloosa, but it’s evident he has a lot of love for Kalen DeBoer.
He’ll never get to play for DeBoer, as Arnold spent his time with the Crimson Tide before the NFL with Nick Saban, but Arnold joined The Paul Finebaum Show earlier last month to explain why he believes DeBoer will do a commendable job with Alabama, after Saban’s retirement.
“Coach DeBoer, I commend the man because he has a strong sense of will,” Arnold told Finebaum. “And anybody who takes that job after Coach Saban, man, as they will say, that guy has — man, he’s special because that’s a hard job to take. That’s all you got to say. But with Coach DeBoer, I got a chance to really talk to him. I addressed the team a couple of times and talked to them, and I just told the team to just love and appreciate the situation that they’re in because it goes fast and I was just in in their shoes, man, literally two, three months ago. So with that new coach, I think is going to be exciting.
“I mean, you know, coming from where you came from with the Pac-12, he’s used to scoring a lot of points. Jalen Milroe, that’s my best friend. Him at quarterback. He has the right guy to do it. So I think they’re going to be an exciting team to watch. Obviously defensive players and defensive backs, guys like Malachi Moore, Deontae Lawson. I mean, they’re going to be exciting to watch too.”
So far, so good for DeBoer. He hasn’t coached Alabama is an actual game yet, but the former Washington Huskies coach has received rave reviews from current and former Crimson Tide players alike. Nevertheless, it’ll all come down to the wins and losses, as it always does.
As for Arnold, he’s moving on to the NFL, selected with the No. 24 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. The Lions traded up for the selection with the Dallas Cowboys, believing in Arnold’s abilities.
After redshirting in his freshman season, Arnold was named a Freshman All-American and to the Freshman All-SEC Team in 2022 followed by a First-Team All-American selection and a First-Team All-SEC nod this past season.
He ended the 2022 season with 45 tackles, nine defended passes, one tackle for loss, a fumble recovery, and one interception, but took his game to another level in 2023. Leading the SEC with five interceptions and 17 pass breakups along with 63 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and a sack.
He played under Nick Saban, but Terrion Arnold obviously has a ton of respect for Kalen DeBoer and the entire Crimson Tide program. He’ll be keeping an eye on Alabama, all the way from Detroit, throughout his rookie season in the NFL.