Will Anderson explains his approach to deciding whether to play or sit out bowl game

It has become fairly standard for players who are sure going into the NFL Draft to skip a bowl game. This is unless it’s the College Football Playoff. For many players, the risk of injury isn’t worth it. After all, that injury could cost them their draft position, and potentially millions of dollars. This is especially true for players who are sure of their draft stock going forward, like Alabama’s Will Anderson.

While speaking to the media, Will Anderson was asked if the Iron Bowl would be his last game in an Alabama uniform, or if he had at least given it any thought.

“You know, I haven’t made any decisions, yet,” Will Anderson said.

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“I’ve just been real focused on this season and continuing to be a good leader, and making sure that I’m showing guys the right way of how to do things around here,” Will Anderson continued. “But, it’s been a great time here, playing in Bryant-Denny has been fun, so many memories, and you know I just want to keep those memories going. So, it’s been fun and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.”

With two losses this season, Alabama isn’t going to make it to the College Football Playoff. This means the incentive likely won’t be there for some players to play in the game.

Will Anderson isn’t the only notable player who may be skipping the team’s bowl game to prepare for the NFL Draft. Quarterback Bryce Young could very well make the decision for himself too. For now, though, Young says that he’s taking things one day at a time.

There are a lot of fans who get frustrated by players skipping bowl games. However, when you consider an injury like that of Notre Dame’s Jaylon Smith in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl, it’s easy to see why players make that choice.

Nick Saban wants to define this Alabama team’s legacy

Alabama head coach Nick Saban still wants to define this team’s legacy. He thinks that the Crimson Tide can do that in the Iron Bowl.

“This is one of the greatest rivalry games in college football. Most every team in rivalry games, it’s part of their legacy in terms of how did they do in the rivalry game,” Nick Saban said.

“And this is one of the biggest ones, and it means a lot to a lot of people in our state. It means a lot to us, our players and our fans, and we’re going to do the best job we can to get ready for this game.”