Kalen DeBoer opens up on the emotions inside Alabama program after Florida State loss

Kalen DeBoer recognizes Alabama’s Week 1 loss to Florida State sent a shockwave through Tuscaloosa. However, the Crimson Tide have bounced back in a big way over their last four games, winning some huge showdowns against SEC rivals.

During an appearance on Bussin’ with the Boys, the Alabama leader opened up about what went through his mind after the Crimson Tide fell to the Seminoles in Tallahassee, and how they’ve been able to right the ship ever since.

“All offseason, going back to January, so much was made about the chemistry of this team — the character, the culture, the way guys connected. And it wasn’t like our guys were out there beating their chests about it. A lot of it was really heartfelt. People recognized what was happening with the continuity of our staff, the continuity of our players. We were proud of that,” DeBoer explained.

“We’d talk about the work ethic of individuals, and then those individuals would talk about each other. There came a point, as you mentioned, where after Week 1, we were in a room asking ourselves, ‘Okay, is this real? Do we really care about each other? Can we count on each other?’ And I think the answer has been clear — yes, it’s real.

“We haven’t been afraid to call each other out. Every single day in practice there’s been real accountability. As much as it might have just looked like talk early in the season, it’s happened. We went back to the basics, kept it simple, and that helped create an edge for our team — one that punched people in the face, figuratively speaking. We’ve talked about that a lot: ‘What are you going to do? Are you just going to take it, or are you going to punch back harder?’

“I’m proud of the way the guys have taken all that energy — and honestly, most of it being negative, about 99.9% of it coming from outside. They’ve focused it into what they can control.”

All told, DeBoer realizes what he signed up for at Alabama, and his players do, as well. They’re not shying away from the immense pressure, especially after setbacks like they suffered in Week 1.

“We know what we signed up for here at Alabama,” DeBoer added. “That comes with the territory. I reminded the guys of that right away — I signed up for it, they signed up for it. I told recruits the same thing: Don’t come here if you can’t handle it.

“And again, I’m just proud of how the team has responded these last four weeks. They’ve embraced it, leaned into it, and earned everything that’s come their way.”

Now, as Alabama continues to climb back into playoff contention, DeBoer’s message remains the same — stay grounded, accountable and keep swinging. The Tide may have been punched early, but under DeBoer, they’re beginning to punch back even harder. Missouri is up next.