Why Kalen DeBoer kept Alabama's Fourth Quarter Program around

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Kalen DeBoer is keeping an Alabama offseason staple the same.

The Crimson Tide hit the field for its first spring practice of DeBoer’s tenure as head coach on Monday, but the team had been preparing the prior month inside the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility. Not in helmets or by learning plays but by conditioning their bodies for the spring.

Alabama’s Fourth Quarter Program, while similar to a lot of offseason workouts, is no joke and was a fixture on the Crimson Tide’s calendar throughout the Nick Saban era. From eye-opening moments – or even doubt – for freshmen to a bloody nose for quarterback Mac Jones, those in, around and outside the program knew how challenging but necessary it was.

Now with DeBoer at the helm, the players’ intense February training remains a top priority.

“We kept it pretty consistent with what it’s been,” said DeBoer after Monday’s practice. “The guys, you can tell it’s something that they feel really strong about. The energy just is there, from the beginning to the end.”

Over the last month, UA has shared photos and videos from its Fourth Quarterback Program. Led by Crimson Tide director of sports performance David Ballou, who was retained by DeBoer, the workouts have included various conditioning drills with players participating in short and long sprints and even pushing sleds across the turf of their practice facility.

Alabama’s coaches have been involved, with the Tide releasing videos of JaMarcus Shephard and Kane Wommack motivating the team and DeBoer addressing the group afterward.

Coming to Tuscaloosa from Seattle, DeBoer has focused on bringing his system and culture to the Alabama program while also upholding the tradition and maintaining what made the Tide successful over the last 17 years. The Fourth Quarter Program was a huge part of that, and the new head coach said it meshed perfectly with something he does in practice.

“I think the key is taking that in the workouts when we’re in these early winter months here and transferring that over to football,” DeBoer said. “That was the challenge today. We have a period at the end where we gather. We refer to it – I’ve done this many years now – we refer to it also as the finish or fourth-quarter period.

“Being able to connect to what they just did the last few weeks with the Fourth Quarter Program, it’s transferring it from the indoor and the workouts that they’re doing onto the football. I think that excites them.”

Alabama’s players might not enjoy the Fourth Quarter Program, but with the benefit of hindsight, they all appreciate how it impacts the fall months rather than the challenges it presents ahead of spring practice. Used throughout Saban’s time, it led to unparalleled success on the field with nine championship game appearances and six national titles.

DeBoer chose wisely in not only keeping it around but also not tweaking it much, if at all.

“There’s been a lot of football games won because of the work that’s been put in because of that program, and they believe in it,” DeBoer said. “It’s going to be important for us this fall, for sure.”

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