Kalen DeBoer saw something from Alabama’s leaders at halftime that helped change the game against Kentucky.
The Alabama Crimson Tide did not exactly have a clean first half against Kentucky.
While Alabama ultimately pulled away for the victory, the Crimson Tide faced some adversity early and needed its leaders to respond. According to head coach Kalen DeBoer, several Alabama players stepped up in the locker room and on the field when the team needed them most.
Zabien Brown, Other Leaders Step Up
One of those players was defensive back Zabien Brown, who DeBoer noticed providing a calming presence for his teammates.
“I felt like they’re, man, I saw Zabien Brown going around,” DeBoer said. “I’d expect that. I felt like Ryan Coleman-Williams was calm with his side of the ball, and ZB came over.”
DeBoer emphasized that leadership does not always mean delivering an emotional speech or getting teammates fired up.
“It’s not always just cranking it up and screaming and hollering,” DeBoer said. “Sometimes it’s just like calm, cool and collected.”
That appeared to be especially important for Alabama as the Crimson Tide worked through some of the mistakes that put them in a difficult position during the opening half.
DeBoer also pointed to defensive back Bray Hubbard, who he saw supporting the offense during the game.
“He was over there doing it the right way with the offense, too,” DeBoer said. “Just got their back.”
Perhaps the most encouraging example, however, came from Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell.
After making some mistakes in the first half, Russell did not shy away from them. Instead, DeBoer said the young quarterback took ownership of what he needed to improve.
“Keelon went over to the other side and just owning some of the things that he fell short on in the first half that put us in a tough spot,” DeBoer said.
For DeBoer, that type of response was exactly what Alabama needed.
The Crimson Tide needed its players to understand that the game was far from over at halftime. Rather than allowing mistakes to snowball, Alabama’s leaders helped settle the team down and prepare for the second half.
“I think there was more guys than that, too, that just caught their wind and getting ready to go out there and knowing it’s not just a two-quarter game; it’s a four-quarter game,” DeBoer said.
That may ultimately prove to be one of the more important takeaways from Alabama’s win over Kentucky.
The Crimson Tide will face adversity throughout the season. How Alabama responds when things do not go according to plan could be just as important as how it performs when everything is clicking.
Against Kentucky, DeBoer saw his players begin to show that response.
Kalen DeBoer Reveals What Alabama Needed Most at Halftime Against Kentucky