Everything Alabama Crimson Tide Players Said After Winning the National Championship Game

Was this the best team in college football history? The Crimson Tide made its case after thumping Ohio State

Alabama Athletics

Here's everything the Alabama Crimson Tide players said after the 52-24 victory against Ohio State in the National Championship Game. 

Offensive MVP DeVonta Smith 

Just blessed to be in this situation.

Just wondering what happened with the hand injury. How did it happen? What was going on in the locker room when you were trying to get it fixed?

Just dislocated my finger. Just tried to put it back in place.

Watching your teammate, Jaylen Waddle get back on that field tonight, talk about his toughness in wanting to be out there with you guys.

Just shows the commitment, how much he love his team. Him just wanting to be out there, just doing what he can, give us everything he got. That was just the message, give us what you got, we'll take anything.

From a year ago to now, what is the biggest difference in Mac Jones that enabled him to have a performance like this on this stage?

Just his commitment, his dedication to everything. Him just getting in the film room, getting prepared for moments like this.

I don't think nobody prepared as hard as him on this team just with everything that he's done.

Now that the game is over, what is your reaction to Shaun Wade saying he wanted to cover you, how you think that matchup went?

Well, I mean, I just practiced hard all week, just worked, came to do my job. It just worked out well for me and the team.

I wanted to ask you about you and your classmates, how you approached going into this season. After the Orange Bowl last year -- the Citrus Bowl, sorry, maybe wasn't quite the end of the season that you wanted. To come back and commit to this season, not knowing it was going to be as crazy as it was during a pandemic, what was that like? What were the conversations like between you and your teammates when you decided to go all in on this season?

Well, we had a mission. Everybody wanted to end things the right way. We just all came to work every day and just put in the work. We got the result that we wanted.

To have over 600 yards, you, Jaylen, Landon, what do you think that says about this offense, having that many injured guys play through it and put on the performance that you did?

Just the love for the team. Just everybody want to do what they can. Just have young guys there just ready if anything happen, their dedication. Just the love that this team has for each other.

Your last game with Sark. What kind of job did he do? Every defense is trying to focus in on you every game, yet you're still getting open, getting mismatches. What kind of job did he do helping that happen?

He just called the game the way he's been calling all year. Just putting in the right position to make plays, just trusting in us. That comes with us coming to practice every day, getting in the film room, doing the things we need to do.

If you had to convince anybody to come back this year with the pandemic and everything? Also why was this the ultimate team? Nick Saban called this the ultimate team.

No, I didn't pressure anybody to come back, just let everybody make their own decisions because you don't know what they're going through or what their family situations are like. I just kind of let everybody just do what they wanted to do. The guys that did came back, I'm glad they came back. The guys that left, I'm proud of them. I'm happy they made the decision that was best for them.

With everything this team has been through with the pandemic, everybody staying as one, coming closer as a family.

What do you feel is your legacy? You won all the awards this year, a championship as a freshman with the winning touchdown, a championship this year, came back for your senior season, set all the records at Alabama receiving-wise. What do you think your legacy would be?

I wouldn't be able to do none of this without my teammates or without God. Just come here, I just put in the work every day no matter what the situation was, just believing in my coaches and them putting me in the right situations just to make plays.

What makes Christian Barmore special? What is that switch he flips on? He plays with such an edge to him.

He's just got a high motor, a guy that's going to give it 100% every time. He puts the work in. He just love the game. He just loves being out there. He's just an unbelievable player.

Quarterback Mac Jones 

Yeah, I'm just really proud of this team, from everybody, top down, the coaches, players obviously, and the fans for sticking with us all year. We set this as a goal, to potentially be the greatest team to ever play. I think we made a valid statement in winning the national championship tonight.Who would have thought we would have won every game, all SEC schedule with everything going on. Then to finish off the last couple games the way we did, I'm just so proud of my teammates, the coaches, and everyone that supported us.

Mac, the guy calling a lot of those plays, Sarkisian, what kind of job has he done to put all of you in position to make plays?

Coach Sark, all year long he's called great plays. We really just think alike. I know exactly what he's looking for. We had that communication that every quarterback and offensive coordinator wants. He put our best players in position to make plays. My job was always to get them the ball.Beyond football, Coach Sark means so much to me. He made me such a better player and person. I love Coach Sark. For him to deal with all the stuff he was dealing with with the Texas stuff, just locked in and gave us the best chance to win.So that just shows the type of person he is. I know he's going to do great things in the future, and we just all love Coach Sark.

You played for a legendary coach in high school, obviously now played for Nick Saban. He now has seven national championships. Is he the G.O.A.T.? Is he the greatest college football coach of all time?

C'mon, man. Of course he is (laughter). How could he not be? He does it the right way. He recruits well, but more importantly develops great players and young men. I'm just so blessed that he gave me a chance to come here along with all my teammates. I wouldn't trade it for anything. He's the greatest to ever do it. He'll be the greatest for a long time.

You made a statement about what you thought this team did. Would you say you guys made a case to be the greatest college football offense, given all the awards, accolades, points, what you did tonight? Was there an extra sense of motivation, it's Ohio State, but just the history with these two programs? Was there some extra motivation around the building over the last week or so?

Yeah, I mean, in the first question, I mean, I think we're the best team to ever play. There's no team that will ever play an SEC schedule like that again. At the same time we're just so happy to have won this game and kind of put the icing on the cake.There was not a lot of pressure. We just wanted to go out there and play the game we've been playing since we were all five years old. We did that really well.I think you just have to give credit where credit's due with everybody. So yeah.

What does it say about Jaylen Waddle and Landon Dickerson that they were even able to play in this game? How special a moment was that at the end of the game to see Landon go in there and take that snap?

It was awesome. Waddle, to go through what he had to, rehabbed his butt off. Fought to just get in there and help the team. Smitty kind of went down, he was in there. It wasn't like one or two plays, he was in for the drives. I was super happy for him, man.That shows what type of person he is, to put literally his career and body on the line to help us out and help us to win a game. That means so much to everybody. I'm so proud of Waddle.With Landon, I don't know if I can disclose his full injury, but the guy, most people can't even walk after the time period where he's at. He's worked his butt off, too, in the last couple weeks to get back on the field. He kind of joked with me, he's like, I'm playing. He texts me every morning, 7:00 in the morning, I'm playing, Mac, I'm playing. Just to see him go in there and do that.After the game, just being with him, us getting a little emotional, means a lot. Landon has been through a lot. Transferred schools, took a risk to come to Alabama. A lot of people said that Landon was going to be done with the injuries that he HAD but he just keeps fighting. And I love Landon Dickerson.

464 yards, a hell of a way to go out on. Have you thought about this being your last game? What has been your career like, reflect back on that?

Yeah, there's a lot of distractions and stuff. My family has kind of handled all that. I'm just really happy to have won this game. Even for us to focus with coaches leaving. We just locked in, gave everything we could to win this game. Obviously there's decisions to be made. I'm going to make the best decision for me and my family. I put myself, I'm blessed to put myself in a position to do either one, come back or hopefully go to the NFL. We'll discuss that this week and see what my plan is.In terms of legacy, I mean, I just think it's cool. Just the class that we had coming in, the four teams that I played on throughout my career here, I just am so blessed to be on each team. Two national championships, one kind of watching from the sideline, one getting a chance to play. It just goes to show that anything is possible. When you put your mind to something, believe in your teammates and coaches, you can get things done.

Are you okay? You hobbled around a little bit in the fourth quarter. Did you take a shot?

I had a really bad bone bruise, which I don't know, they thought maybe something worse had happened. We did the x-rays and stuff and everything is good. I'll probably be really sore, black and blue, but just happy to be able to finish out the game. I mean, a lot of guys out there were kind of limping around. That just shows we wanted to finish strong for Alabama.

Tackle Alex Leatherwood

There was a lot of talk about what you guys wanted to do. You wanted to come back and you really wanted to make this year about winning. Talk about the discipline it took the entire year and with the distractions, and just what it meant for you to come back and have this opportunity?

I mean, just like you said, there were a lot of distractions: COVID, the off-season workouts, the whole nine yards. It was an unprecedented year with a lot of adversity.

But we just stayed the course, you know what I mean. Tried to stay focused and took everything day-by-day and really got everybody bought in and locked into what we wanted to achieve and we came out victorious.

It meant a lot for you to come back and get this done. Reflect on your years at Alabama and what has the coaching staff meant to you and what do you take away from your career here?

I mean, looking back on it, it's some of the best years of my life. I feel like I learned a lot throughout the years about myself as a player and about people and just a lot of things, how to handle adversity, how to work hard, how to do a lot of things, you know what I mean, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

I don't regret coming back, and I love everybody on this team and all of my past teams because you just don't get the opportunity to have a family like this, you know what I mean. College football is special and I'm glad I got to be a part of it.

Wide receiver John Metchie III 

What was the most exciting moment of the game for you?

Most exciting moment of the game, it was definitely the end. Definitely the confetti coming up. Just finally being able to say that we're National Champs and that we went undefeated. It had been a long road, so I think that was the best moment of the game for me.

Nick Saban said this was the ultimate team. Can you just elaborate on just the season that you had and just how the preparation this week led you to play your best football this week?

Yeah, I think all around, this is an amazing team. Just our ability to fight through adversity, personal adversity, team adversity, able to come together, able to get down to the nitty-gritty of football and just persevere, really. I love this team and I really think that this is really a a really great team.

And how do you use the performance that you had tonight going forward in your football career at Alabama?

Just continue to work and continue to hold ourselves and continue to hold myself to a high standards. We set really high standards for us, so we have to reach it or exceed it. Going forward, it's continuing to build up what this program means and what this program does, and just be able to get back to this point. This is what we do it for, for the game like this, and to be able to continue and keep it going.

Can you tell us what it feels like for a Canadian kid to play on a stage like this and such a big game?

It feels great. I do it for all my people back home who continue to support me. I remember watching these National Championship games when I was a kid in Canada and dreaming of playing in it. So being able to finally play in one and win one, as a matter of fact, is surreal. It's something that's kind of hard to put words to describe.

Nick Saban talks about how Alabama is a next-man-up type of team. When you saw Devonta go down, how did you know that you have to be next man up then?

It's just how the team is. We practice this way and play this way. It's always been next-man-up mentality. Make sure when the next man steps up that there's no drop-off; and it's just part of holding ourselves to that standard and when we set a standard for ourselves, making sure everyone reaches that standard, so that when one person goes down, there's no dropoff and we're able to continue playing good football.

Linebacker Dylan Moses

Dylan, with Christian playing in front of you, how have you seen him progress as the season's gone on? He was the defensive MVP tonight. How has he gotten better as the year's gone on?

He's progressed a lot. I'm so proud of him, me and him being close and growing up together and knowing him since we was kids. Like I said, it's a blessing to be in this position and I was, and I'm proud to be able to play beside him and I'm sure he's feels the same way with me.

Coach Saban now has seven national championships, more than any other coach in history. What has he meant to you, as a player?

He's meant everything to me. Like he changed my life. I don't know if you guys remember, but he offered me a scholarship out of the 8th grade. I've been knowing him since I was 14 years old, personally. So the relationship everyone else has with him and the relationship I have with him is completely different.

So for him to be the greatest of all time and to surpass seven titles, to make seven titles and surpass all the other coaches, I congratulate him for that and I'm proud of him. I'm sure he's proud of his team for accomplishing his great task.

But as far as Coach Saban, man, he will always be the great coach, the greatest coach I've ever played for.

How rewarding is this victory after such a challenging season?

It's like a weight off our backs after going through all the adversity we went through, not knowing whether or not we would play. And as far as like my personal things that I've went through just as far as life and all that, it's definitely a weight off our shoulders and this was our main goal. This is what we wanted to do. This is what I came back for, and I kept my word and we won the title. So I'm happy.

For someone who's been through a knee injury, what was it like to watch Landon come in for the final snap there and be able to be on the field for this game?

It was motivating, it reminded me of what I did last year whenever we played LSU, back in 2019, whenever I dressed full pads and all that. So that gave a lot of motivation to a lot of guys, along with seeing Jalen playing after getting hurt against Tennessee a couple, well, yeah, several weeks ago. So we just wanted to play for our guys, play for our team and that's how we came out on top.

Cornerback Patrick Surtain II 

I think you held Justin Fields to about 50 percent passing, under 200 yards. And after the big game that he had against Clemson, what was the plan coming in and how were you able to kind of slow him down a little bit?

The plan coming in was focus on our keys, communicating out there, and flying around to the ball. We knew what type of offense we was going against and our plan was to manage the game where it would eliminate those explosive plays that they had been consistently getting. So that was our main focus.

This is the 18th National Championship for Alabama. What does it mean to you to be a part of those championships?

It means a lot. We're another team in the history books. This team accomplished a lot and it's no better feeling to end this way. So I'm proud of this whole team.

How rewarding is this season after such a challenging year with everything going with COVID?

It's even more special. This team has been through a lot in the off-season, going into the season. But the main thing was we focused on one goal and that was to win the National Championship. We finished it. I'm proud of this team and what we have accomplished knowing what was going on before the season and I just say that we did it.

What does it mean to you to win a National Championship in a stadium that your dad played in professionally?

It means a lot, just playing a game that you seen your dad playing it for years and just to win it here, the big National Championship, it's a special moment and it's just a blessing to be here.

Coach Saban preached discipline, that's what he's preached all year and I think especially in this year it's really important. Talk about how you guys stayed disciplined and stayed true to the goal. This is, you wanted to come back and you had a lots of seniors that wanted to come back to win this National Championship, talk about that what means to you just seeing what you set out in August to do with all the uncertainty right now culminating in this moment?

Coach Saban always talk about being prepared, being focused and locked in, no matter which part of the season we're in, we can't be too complacent. But all those things he said, you know, it means something leading up to this point. And just winning it, especially during this season, finishing a goal, finishing a mission, there's nothing more things you can say, you know, we did it and like I said before, I'm proud of this team and what we have accomplished and we just, another team in the history books.

Defensive MVP Christian Barmore

Christian, Mac talked about it, Nick talked about this team's place in history, all the adversity you had to overcome. Was there a sense of this team playing for history coming in tonight?

They a real good defense, real good defensive team. I had to play a really good game. Mac did a really good job. We all played really well today. Doesn't really matter about the hurdles, but he played how he wanted to play. I'm glad he did.

The defense was really good from Ohio State. They was a really good team.

What did you love about this team?

My team? Well, we all brothers. We all fight together. We practice hard together. Like, we just do everything together. It's just like nobody have a strong relationship like we have for our whole team.

Like, we just compete every day to become the best player we can be. We strive to be the best. That's what just happened. We won because we all really good brothers and we worked hard together.

You've always had a high motor. This game you were particularly on point. What was the motivation for you to really get after that quarterback?

Well, really D-line, the whole team really because we worked hard. This game right here was like the last game of all here.

Me and my brothers, we was all fighting. We told each other like we going to be the best that we can be. Like, I did this for my coaches, my D-line and my whole team.

Mac said he thinks this is the best college football team that ever played. Do you agree? What is your argument for this being the best team, if so?

Well, to me, I agree with him. Yes, we really is the best team because we worked hard. We didn't hear the outside noise. We ignored the COVID stuff. We just worked hard together. We just really grinded out for this camp, scrimmages, everything. Even the first game, we were just grinding.

Yeah, I believe we is the best team, yes, sir.

How much of this do you contribute to Coach Gor back home?

That's really my father. He's just like a father to me. Every day he always tells me, Let's keep working, work on stuff, like playing the run better, doing stuff better. Literally he motivates me every day to work hard. I worked the whole time. That guy right there is like a father to me. Like, he's just my mentor.

Running back Najee Harris

Obviously an amazing performance tonight from the whole offense. I know as a running back, you want to give a lot of props to the offensive line. There's been a lot of talk all been about the big three, Mac, Devonta and Najee. Talk about what the offensive line has done for you guys. They have opened up holes that when you hit the hole, your eyes are wide open. Talk about what this line has done for you guys.

Well, that where it starts, the whole offense all season, it starts with the line. The line, for them to overcome everything this off-season and perform the way they did, that's where it starts. That's why we came out here victorious because the O-Line was able to stop the fronts and do what they do, create moment to create holes for me. They hold it long enough for us to get the shot plays down there, the RPOs, all that.

So the line is obviously is the heart of the team. We're just like -- what the media will put out there, but the heart of the team, what makes a team go, is the O-Line.

Coach Saban talked about discipline and how it was really big this year. Talk about what you guys did to stay disciplined and stay focused on the goal which is obviously winning, and that's why a lot of you guys came back. Talk about that and how important it was to you.

Yeah, so we had to be really disciplined this year, like I said, all the outside stuff that's happened and especially this is a different year with coronavirus and stuff. We have to be really disciplined in how we approach games, especially because it's an SEC schedule. Every game is going to be a tough battle when you're playing all SEC teams.

The discipline and commitment of learning, what you have to do every day in practice, from the small stuff, from obviously like me personally, pass protection-wise, different ways that linebackers or corners will blitz, if they are bull rushers, they are going to move, stuff like that. You have to be really disciplined for stuff in the game that I guess other people don't see.

But discipline all year, that's one of the things that's that Saban always harp on because like you said, discipline will get you far and stuff like that because without discipline, you know, just a talented team with no discipline don't get you nowhere. But a disciplined and talented team get you here, right now.

Ohio state has a really good front. How were you able to expose those holes so effortlessly?

Effortlessly? You didn't see what they was doing? They was blowing my [expletive] up, what you talking about? It wasn't effortlessly, I tell you what. They did their bring, Bro, to be honest with you. It was just, you know, what they did is every time we did a playaction, they just shot the gaps, shot the gaps. The linebackers, we got a couple of them to play a lot of fakes, that's why we're able to throw so much bubbles and slants and all that. But Bro, they was blowing my [expletive] out, you trippin', it was not easy. I am hurting.

What does this win mean to you and to your family?

I mean, we won the National Championship. I think that should be a pretty good feeling. My family's always supported me back home. But I guess this is a good feeling, excited. Long season. Long, long season, so for it to come to the end the way it did, it's good for not only the program and us, but there's other people to say what discipline does. Like I said, it was a really disciplined team, so it was good, exciting, I guess.

How is this group, I guess we've named "The Triplets," going to be remembered after tonight, all three of you guys?

You talking about -- who is The Triplets again?

You, Mac and Devonta?

Oh, how will we be remembered? Shoot. You tell me. I don't know.

I'm only watching.

You only watch what?

I'm only watching. I'm asking you.

Oh, I mean, shoot, there's a lot of good teams that came across here. For us three, it's hard for this offensive team to just say us three. I mean, there were so many people that played a role in this season and like what y'all saying, the O-Line, what they have done for us, it's hard to just say three people brought us here. Like there's no way you could do it, especially in this sport when it's 11-on-11. It's the ultimate team sport. There's no way you can say three people did it.

Like I said, it starts with the O-Line. Y'all should really be thinking about how the O-Line should be remembered, not us. I mean, we just put up the numbers following what they did for us.

So I don't know how we'll be remembered. You tell me, though, after this call. Let me know. (Laughs).

In terms of the first receiving touchdown of the game that you had, what did you diagnose pre-snap that put you in the perfect position to catch that pass from Mac Jones?

The sideline from the left to the end zone, that one? Oh, man, so -- there was another one?

It was the one where the blitz came and then you kind of got on the side and caught it.

And I scored, right? Yeah, so those were in the blitz off the edge. I didn't really get to see. I feel -- what type of blitz it was. I don't know if it was --

Your receiver came over there and then the linebacker came to try to cover on you but then he blitzed instead. So then you got an opening on the edge.

He didn't try to cover me. He was on a design blitz, so I knew I was hot right there. I knew Mac was going to have to throw hot. That's why the pass was kind of right behind me because I knew Baron -- that's his name, Baron, No. 5, he was blitzing, I knew he was coming obviously to blitz Mac so I knew that was hot so I have to look fast. I got an open space, man. As much as I'm in open space, I try to take advantage of me being in open space, you know, so shoot, I was in open space right there and I made the most of it.

Your career, just look back, this is the storied history of Alabama players and running backs, you come in as a freshman with an absolute loaded group in front of you. What does it mean to you to end your career here with a National Championship on top, and whatever happens next happens next, that's in the Lord's hands, but when you look at this, just reflect what has it meant to you to be an Alabama football player and just live out your dream here at Alabama?

Yeah, like you said, I came here with a loaded backfield. But I didn't really see it as like -- I didn't really see it as a loaded backfield, though. I seen it as like, okay, it's opportunity for me to compete. I love competition, man. Any shape or -- any shape way or fashion, I live competition. I think that's what -- that's what separates me is the way I compete and I thrive off competition.

So when I saw the competition here, I got frustrated because I didn't have the opportunities to show people what I could do when I'm in the game. I felt like I could make a difference. So I didn't have those opportunities until freshman year when they threw me in the Natty -- national championships, and I made the best of my opportunities.

Fast-forward it to sophomore year, I was playing behind two guys and whenever I have opportunities, I made the most of it every time I had the ball.

And then fast-forward to last year, my role on the team started increasing more. And I started getting more game reps, and the more game reps I get, the more experienced I am and the more fast I can play and the more comfortable I can be.

So junior year, I got more comfortable with the scheme and stuff like that. And I didn't like the season I had, truthfully, because a lot of things I lacked. Just looking at my game. So the decision to come back was improving the things that I lacked, and try to show, I guess, other people that, you know, I can play three downs, three-down back. I feel like -- I mean, I don't know, I'm not going drafting, but I feel like I showed people I'm a three-down back: Blocking, passing, running between tackles, running outside zone, all that stuff.

So it's been a long journey. I appreciate all the coaches for helping me along the way. I appreciate Saban, of course. And I appreciate just the 'Bama Nation really for believing in me and cheering me on. It's been a great career here. We done a lot of things outside of football. I've done a lot of things outside of football. And I guess I'll always be a Crimson Tide.