Alex Rodriguez Alabama visit: MLB All-Star shares key message with football team
Alex Rodriguez and Alabama football feel like they fit well together — a dominant MLB player and a dominant college football program. It’s a well-known secret in Tuscaloosa that A-rod is actually a die-hard Crimson Tide fan; so it’s no secret that head coach Nick Saban chose the 14-time All-Star as a guest speaker following the team’s practice on Friday.
Rodriguez shared a powerful, yet important message about staying humble and hungry, avoiding complacency and dealing with success. Alabama is coming off yet another College Football Playoff title; so it’s clear Saban hand-picked the first message his team would hear as they prepare for the season kickoff in less than a month.
“I’m here to share some of my experiences,” Rodriguez said to begin his speech to the 2021 Crimson Tide team. “The ups, the downs, the good, the bad and the ugly. We won the world championship in 2009, and I’m going to talk about why we didn’t win in 2010. Great players and great teams are always anticipating what’s next and always putting yourself in a position to win. Positioning in football, in business, in parenting, in everything…is everything.
Alex Rodriguez on Alabama dealing with success
“You guys have a ginormous target you. In 2009, we won the world championship. In 2010, I thought we were going to repeat. We were a little comfortable. We couldn’t control the disease of me, the ego. In 2009, everybody checked their ego at the door. Everyone showed up on time, enthused, hungry, humble, ready, gritty. In 2010, we were not paying attention anymore. The small things did not mean as much. We were not obsessed, and we were no longer the predators, we were the prey.”
Alex Rodriguez on Alabama football complacency
“It is so easy to get complacent. It is so easy to get cynical. Either you want to be an Instagram star, or you want to be a real star. And stars look like Jerry Rice, they look like Ray Lewis, they look like Derek Jeter. Maniacal about the process. Which team do you want to be this year?
“Most people are thinking that you’re not as hungry. Most people think that you’re going to come out flat. Outside of Alabama, everybody hopes you come out flat.
A-Rod on the honor of playing for Alabama
Coach liked to say, ‘not everybody can be a Yankee.’ Not everybody can play here. Time, feeling and focus. You got to put in the time, you got to care and you have to be focused. The more responsible you are the more power you have.