Alabama offensive line looking to 'keep proving people wrong'
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama’s offensive line spent part of Monday’s full-pad practice without helmets. But it wasn’t a new development for the Crimson Tide ahead of the SEC Championship Game against Georgia. Position coach Eric Wolford uses it to instill proper technique.
“Coach Wolf has us not wear helmets during some drills so we don’t lean,” said left guard Tyler Booker. “Just like if you don’t have a helmet on and a guy runs at you full speed, you’re not going to throw your head in there as if you did. So it’s just conditioning us to keep extension and make sure that we’re not leaning because once you lean, that’s when you get thrown by.”
The Alabama offensive line has steadily improved over the course of the season. The Tide is up to 45th nationally in rushing offense (177.56 ypg) and has only given up four sacks in the month of November – after allowing 35 in the first eight games of the season. Head coach Nick Saban praised the group as a whole, as well as the work of Wolford in his second year.
“He’s done a fantastic job, and I think the players have responded well to him,” Saban said. “Our technique has gotten better. Our communication has gotten better. The continuity of playing together has gotten better. And I think the results that we’re getting are showing that.
“But I also think this is probably the best front they’re going to go against all year to this point, so it’ll be interesting to see how that matchup sort of transpires.”
While Georgia’s defense hasn’t generated a ton of negative plays this fall (25 sacks, 60 TFLs), the Bulldogs’ pass rush does present a challenge to the Crimson Tide’s offensive linemen.
“What they do that’s unique to other teams in college football, they bring third-down pressures on early downs,” Booker said. “Like it’ll be the first play of the drive and they’re running a third-down pressure. They’re running what we like to call their ‘needed’ pressures, they need a sack. That’s just keep us on our toes and make sure that we’re being very communicative through the whole offense, not just the offensive line.”
Communication is one of the areas that has improved for this offensive line unit this season.
“We’ve grown and evolved as an offensive line so much and in so many ways, but I’d like to point out how we’ve kind of gelled a lot better,” Booker said. “We’re getting a better feel for everyone on the offensive line. Our technique has gotten a lot better, as well. It just took a little bit of time, you know? Every week, every day in practice, we’re getting better.
“We find something else to get better at, and that’s just due to us really wanting it and Coach Wolf driving us.”
Alabama’s offensive linemen – with Booker being one of the loudest – talked a big game during the offseason but got off to a slow start. Now, the group is playing up to the level many expected entering the 2023 campaign, and at an ideal time. But it wants to continue improving.
“What I am reiterating to our offensive line is let’s keep getting better,” Booker said. “Week by week, we’ve been getting better. And I’m just making sure everybody remembers what people were saying about us in the beginning of the year, you know what I mean.
“JC (Latham) and I came out and piled a lot of big expectations for us. We didn’t meet them at first, but we’re meeting them now. Let’s keep proving people wrong. Let’s keep changing their mind. Let’s keep playing Alabama football.”
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