Why Alabama Players and Coaches View 2021 as Rebuilding Year

The Crimson Tide holds itself to a different standard, and the program is not content with how things ended last season.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The 2021 Alabama football team won 13 games, including the SEC championship, had the Heisman trophy winner and made it to the College Football Playoff for the seventh time in eight seasons before losing to Georgia in the championship game. 

For the majority of teams in college football, that type of season would be considered a massive success. But in Tuscaloosa, the team is held to a different standard by head coach Nick Saban and the expectations created by the fans based on its own success.

"That’s the point that I was trying to make," Saban said. "So when you have a lot of young players playing, I don’t think our standard is like everybody else’s standard, but when you have a lot of young players playing, you’re actually trying to rebuild so those guys get the kind of experience you need so they can play at the level you need them to play at, so you can play to the standard you want to play to."

Saban made a comment earlier in the week during a radio appearance about 2021 being a rebuilding year for the Crimson Tide. He clarified what he meant by the remark at Thursday's media availability. Alabama lost 10 players to the NFL after the 2020 championship season, including six first round draft picks. The Crimson Tide had to replace talent and leadership on both sides of the ball in 2021. 

Redshirt senior offensive lineman Emil Ekiyor agrees with his head coach's assessment while acknowledging that the expectations are different for this season. 

"It was a rebuilding season in our eyes," Ekiyor said. "Here at Alabama, we have a standard, and that standard may be higher than other people’s, but that's our standard. Coming out of 2020, we lost a ton of production on offense, key leaders on defense, so in a sense, it was a rebuilding year. 

"We had so many young guys playing and starting for the first time. There was a lot of inexperienced guys out there, so now these guys have got a lot of game experience and looking forward to how everybody's gonna perform this ear with the added experience going into the season."

One of those players who brings the experience into this season is Henry To'oTo'o. The senior linebacker is entering his second year with the program after spending two seasons at Tennessee. To'oTo'o said he now feels fully acclimated with the team and is taking the time to mentor new transfers, but did have to adjust to the Alabama standard last year. 

"Nobody works as hard as we do, and that's something that you have to embrace," To'oTo'o said. "That's something that Coach Saban has built here that we're going to work every single day, we're going to outwork our opponent no matter if it’s watching film, Fourth Quarter, spring ball or fall camp."

Just two days into fall camp and less than a month away from the season opener against Utah State, the leaders on this team are locked in on what they need to do to improve this season. 

"We’re definitely looking forward to this next year," To'oTo'o said. "But there’s definitely an Alabama standard that you have to live up to, and that’s competing every single day, giving championship effort every single day. And just coming in here and working your tails off. And that's kind of one thing that we took from last year and focus on this year. I’m super excited about this year. We’ve got a lot of players that will play a key part, and I think that we’re just gonna keep rolling."