planomateo
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http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/56729/alabamas-seniors-share-unbreakable-bond
Interesting fact about ND in red below.
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Mention the possibility of repeating as national champions to members of Alabamaâs senior class, and you get a customary shrug of the shoulders.
But mention the possibility of carving out the kind of legacy that most senior classes can only dream about, and youâre on to something.
When youâre playing for Nick Saban, the future consists of the next play, the next practice, the next game. And basking in anything youâve done previously is as foreign to him as snow plows are to the Florida Keys.
That said, the nine scholarship seniors on this Alabama football team understand unequivocally whatâs at stake this Saturday against Georgia in the SEC championship game.
Yes, it would be the Crimson Tideâs first SEC title since 2009 if they can win, but the real prize would come a little more than a month later -- a shot at their third national championship in the past four years.
âOur goal was to accomplish something legendary that nobody else has, and we still have a chance to do that,â said senior center Barrett Jones, whose versatility and team-first attitude has epitomized this senior class.
Jones was a right guard on the 2009 national championship team and a left tackle on last seasonâs national championship team. He shifted to center this season after All-SEC performer William Vlachos graduated.
âThatâs what weâre all about, everybody doing their job and sacrificing for the good of the team,â senior linebacker Nico Johnson said. âThatâs not just a bunch of talk with us. We believe in it and live by it and hold each other accountable.â
During the preseason, Johnson said a member of the U.S. Marines came to speak to the team and delivered a powerful message that has endured.
âHe talked about how they would practice over and over again before they went out on their mission and made an oath with each other not to be that person that gets everybody killed,â Johnson recounted. âWeâve looked at it from a football perspective and remind each other not to be that one person to cause us to lose a football game.â
Not since Notre Dame in 1946, 1947 and 1949 has a school won three outright national championships over a four-year period.
But the Alabama seniors insist they are not chasing history as much as they are perfection and being the most dominant team every time they step onto the field.
Itâs a mindset that has become a way of life for everybody associated with the program. Itâs also a mindset that has evolved.
âWhen we came here, it wasnât the Alabama people know now,â said Jones, who was part of that celebrated 2008 signing class and redshirted his first season. âWe were coming off a 7-6 season, and it wasnât like it is now around here. "
âThose of us who were here havenât forgotten what it took to get to this point. Weâve seen the worst of it, and thatâs only created a stronger bond because weâve been through so much together.â
Jones is one of four fifth-year seniors along with safety Robert Lester, tight end Michael Williams and defensive end Damion Square.
Along with Johnson, the other four scholarship seniors are offensive guard Chance Warmack, deep snapper Carson Tinker, nose guard Jesse Williams and defensive end Quinton Dial.
âItâs a special group, and so many people have played vital roles,â Jones said. âItâs not just the guys who are going to be first-rounders, either.â
One of the things that has separated this group is that it learned the hard way in 2010 how not to manage success. That team was probably the most talented that Saban has had at Alabama, but lost three games.
âThe guys in this senior class that went through that in 2010 have helped the younger guys understand what failure feels like without actually experiencing it,â Jones said. âThe other thing is that Coach Saban does a great job of keeping us hungry, and then itâs on us as the players to train leaders who train other leaders.
âThat standard will never change.â
As bitter as the Texas A&M loss was, Johnson said it was a sobering reminder of what happens in the SEC when youâre not on top of your game.
âWe know how small the window for error is,â Johnson said. âI think we thought that Texas A&M was new to the conference and weâd be able to do enough to get by, and they beat us. Weâve got a new life now and have to take advantage of this opportunity."
âThere is no room for complacency on this team. We went through that in 2010 and donât want to ever have that feeling again. The way we look at it is that if youâre being complacent around here, youâre pretty much being a traitor.
âWeâre not going to let each other down.â
Interesting fact about ND in red below.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mention the possibility of repeating as national champions to members of Alabamaâs senior class, and you get a customary shrug of the shoulders.
But mention the possibility of carving out the kind of legacy that most senior classes can only dream about, and youâre on to something.
When youâre playing for Nick Saban, the future consists of the next play, the next practice, the next game. And basking in anything youâve done previously is as foreign to him as snow plows are to the Florida Keys.
That said, the nine scholarship seniors on this Alabama football team understand unequivocally whatâs at stake this Saturday against Georgia in the SEC championship game.
Yes, it would be the Crimson Tideâs first SEC title since 2009 if they can win, but the real prize would come a little more than a month later -- a shot at their third national championship in the past four years.
âOur goal was to accomplish something legendary that nobody else has, and we still have a chance to do that,â said senior center Barrett Jones, whose versatility and team-first attitude has epitomized this senior class.
Jones was a right guard on the 2009 national championship team and a left tackle on last seasonâs national championship team. He shifted to center this season after All-SEC performer William Vlachos graduated.
âThatâs what weâre all about, everybody doing their job and sacrificing for the good of the team,â senior linebacker Nico Johnson said. âThatâs not just a bunch of talk with us. We believe in it and live by it and hold each other accountable.â
During the preseason, Johnson said a member of the U.S. Marines came to speak to the team and delivered a powerful message that has endured.
âHe talked about how they would practice over and over again before they went out on their mission and made an oath with each other not to be that person that gets everybody killed,â Johnson recounted. âWeâve looked at it from a football perspective and remind each other not to be that one person to cause us to lose a football game.â
Not since Notre Dame in 1946, 1947 and 1949 has a school won three outright national championships over a four-year period.
But the Alabama seniors insist they are not chasing history as much as they are perfection and being the most dominant team every time they step onto the field.
Itâs a mindset that has become a way of life for everybody associated with the program. Itâs also a mindset that has evolved.
âWhen we came here, it wasnât the Alabama people know now,â said Jones, who was part of that celebrated 2008 signing class and redshirted his first season. âWe were coming off a 7-6 season, and it wasnât like it is now around here. "
âThose of us who were here havenât forgotten what it took to get to this point. Weâve seen the worst of it, and thatâs only created a stronger bond because weâve been through so much together.â
Jones is one of four fifth-year seniors along with safety Robert Lester, tight end Michael Williams and defensive end Damion Square.
Along with Johnson, the other four scholarship seniors are offensive guard Chance Warmack, deep snapper Carson Tinker, nose guard Jesse Williams and defensive end Quinton Dial.
âItâs a special group, and so many people have played vital roles,â Jones said. âItâs not just the guys who are going to be first-rounders, either.â
One of the things that has separated this group is that it learned the hard way in 2010 how not to manage success. That team was probably the most talented that Saban has had at Alabama, but lost three games.
âThe guys in this senior class that went through that in 2010 have helped the younger guys understand what failure feels like without actually experiencing it,â Jones said. âThe other thing is that Coach Saban does a great job of keeping us hungry, and then itâs on us as the players to train leaders who train other leaders.
âThat standard will never change.â
As bitter as the Texas A&M loss was, Johnson said it was a sobering reminder of what happens in the SEC when youâre not on top of your game.
âWe know how small the window for error is,â Johnson said. âI think we thought that Texas A&M was new to the conference and weâd be able to do enough to get by, and they beat us. Weâve got a new life now and have to take advantage of this opportunity."
âThere is no room for complacency on this team. We went through that in 2010 and donât want to ever have that feeling again. The way we look at it is that if youâre being complacent around here, youâre pretty much being a traitor.
âWeâre not going to let each other down.â
