BAMANEWSBOT
Staff
Even Alabama coach Nick Saban, creator of âThe Process,â occasionally needs signs his methods of coaching works.
In fifth-year senior Jalston Fowler, Saban sees a player who reaffirms Sabanâs beliefs in his teaching techniques.
âWhen I see guys like Jalston Fowler who have matured and progressed here from sort of being a young guy coming in that had a lot of ability but now has matured into a fine young man who has graduated, has goals and aspirations for himself, does things the right way, affects other people in the right way, thatâs what makes me believe the process works,â Saban said.
Saban said Fowler has always done things the right way.
âWhen you have guys that havenât been in the program that makes some mistakes, do the wrong thing, you get frustrated,â Saban said. âBut when you see the guys that have been here and gone through it, you see how theyâve matured through the years and what theyâve become, it really makes me feel like, âHey, the process works.â What we try to do here for our players in their personal development, with academic support, how we develop them as players; when you look at a guy like Jalston Fowler, thatâs what makes me say, âIt works.ââ
Fowler said that while growing up, his motivation came from making it out of his hometown of Mobile and going to college. Now, itâs his son, Jalston Fowler, Jr., who keeps him on track.
âThat little guy right there, he makes a big difference in my life,â Fowler said. âI wonât say I struggled, but I donât want to see him mess up where I messed up. I just want him to be better than me.â
Fowlerâs story began back in Mobile, the place he said helped him grow into a man. Fowler acknowledged that he often hung with the âwrong crowdâ and wasnât always the most focused when it came to school work.
But as Alabama enters the new season, Fowler is one of 15 players on the team who already have graduated. In December, Fowler will receive his masterâs degree in Sports Management.
âIâve come a long way. Going through what I went through, coming from Mobile, youâve got to grow up,â Fowler said. âYou see a lot of different things growing up in Mobile. And you know youâve got to make a change. You just canât be like any ordinary guy coming from Mobile. Youâve got to stand out, doing stuff like this.â
Standing out helped Fowler earn an offer from Alabama. He committed to the Tide in February 2009 and enrolled in January 2010.
Fowler, a four-star prospect out of Vigor High, arrived at Alabama as a bruising back and eventually earned the nickname âThe Nudie Busâ for his ability to deliver punishment to defenders.
Fowler waited his turn behind the likes of Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy during his first two seasons, posting 385 rushing yards and four touchdowns as a sophomore in 2011.
Heading into 2012, Fowler appeared to be heading toward a breakout season after racking up 67 yards on just eight carries in the opener against Michigan.
But a knee injury against Western Kentucky derailed his season and forced him to redshirt.
Last season, Fowler dealt with the mental hurdle of regaining trust in his knee, but still finished second on the team with five touchdown receptions.
This season, Fowler is one of the leaders on the offensive side and in the running back meeting room. As one of the Tideâs most versatile players, look for Fowler to be moved all over the field under new offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin.
âI love it,â Fowler said of Kiffinâs offense. âI get to move around a lot, I get to catch the ball out of the backfield, and I even line up as a receiver now, so itâs very big for me. And hopefully Iâll get the opportunity to run it sometimes, too, so itâs big for me.â
Anniston Star
In fifth-year senior Jalston Fowler, Saban sees a player who reaffirms Sabanâs beliefs in his teaching techniques.
âWhen I see guys like Jalston Fowler who have matured and progressed here from sort of being a young guy coming in that had a lot of ability but now has matured into a fine young man who has graduated, has goals and aspirations for himself, does things the right way, affects other people in the right way, thatâs what makes me believe the process works,â Saban said.
Saban said Fowler has always done things the right way.
âWhen you have guys that havenât been in the program that makes some mistakes, do the wrong thing, you get frustrated,â Saban said. âBut when you see the guys that have been here and gone through it, you see how theyâve matured through the years and what theyâve become, it really makes me feel like, âHey, the process works.â What we try to do here for our players in their personal development, with academic support, how we develop them as players; when you look at a guy like Jalston Fowler, thatâs what makes me say, âIt works.ââ
Fowler said that while growing up, his motivation came from making it out of his hometown of Mobile and going to college. Now, itâs his son, Jalston Fowler, Jr., who keeps him on track.
âThat little guy right there, he makes a big difference in my life,â Fowler said. âI wonât say I struggled, but I donât want to see him mess up where I messed up. I just want him to be better than me.â
Fowlerâs story began back in Mobile, the place he said helped him grow into a man. Fowler acknowledged that he often hung with the âwrong crowdâ and wasnât always the most focused when it came to school work.
But as Alabama enters the new season, Fowler is one of 15 players on the team who already have graduated. In December, Fowler will receive his masterâs degree in Sports Management.
âIâve come a long way. Going through what I went through, coming from Mobile, youâve got to grow up,â Fowler said. âYou see a lot of different things growing up in Mobile. And you know youâve got to make a change. You just canât be like any ordinary guy coming from Mobile. Youâve got to stand out, doing stuff like this.â
Standing out helped Fowler earn an offer from Alabama. He committed to the Tide in February 2009 and enrolled in January 2010.
Fowler, a four-star prospect out of Vigor High, arrived at Alabama as a bruising back and eventually earned the nickname âThe Nudie Busâ for his ability to deliver punishment to defenders.
Fowler waited his turn behind the likes of Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy during his first two seasons, posting 385 rushing yards and four touchdowns as a sophomore in 2011.
Heading into 2012, Fowler appeared to be heading toward a breakout season after racking up 67 yards on just eight carries in the opener against Michigan.
But a knee injury against Western Kentucky derailed his season and forced him to redshirt.
Last season, Fowler dealt with the mental hurdle of regaining trust in his knee, but still finished second on the team with five touchdown receptions.
This season, Fowler is one of the leaders on the offensive side and in the running back meeting room. As one of the Tideâs most versatile players, look for Fowler to be moved all over the field under new offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin.
âI love it,â Fowler said of Kiffinâs offense. âI get to move around a lot, I get to catch the ball out of the backfield, and I even line up as a receiver now, so itâs very big for me. And hopefully Iâll get the opportunity to run it sometimes, too, so itâs big for me.â
Anniston Star
