'Trench King' JC Latham Tired of Alabama Being Disrespected

Latham doesn't think there should be any changes in the expectations for the Crimson Tide.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — When Alabama offensive lineman JC Latham walks into a room, everybody notices. 

The 6-foot-6, 325-pound mammoth of a football player is impossible to miss, but at SEC Media Days, he added a little extra flare to his appearance. A diamond chain dangled from Latham's neck as he sat down to address reporters, bearing the letters "TK".

The letters stand for Latham's nickname, "Trench King," one that originated in high school and that has become part of his identity. He even features the letters in his social media handles. 

"[The] guy I look up to was Deion [Sanders], 'Prime Time,'" Latham said. "I knew, like, that name came with a standard. You can't be called 'Prime Time' if you're not making plays, so I wanted to have my own."

Heading into his junior season, Latham is the leader on an Alabama offensive line that is getting plenty of preseason hype. Latham is one of just two returning starters from a season ago, but the expected new faces are extremely talented and were highly-rated high school prospects. 

Latham has embraced his leadership responsibilities, creating group chats with the young players on his position group to let them know he's there if they need him, and helping bring the entire unit together.

"It wasn't really hard to do," Latham said. "We're really taking it as a group. The o-line isn't made around one person, it's five guys understand that that's the mentality we have to have."

There's been some change on the offense staff, with Tommy Rees coming over from Notre Dame to take over as the offensive coordinator, and the belief is that with Rees comes an identity of toughness that the Crimson Tide was once feared for. 

"[Rees understands] that we're going to be physical up front," Latham said. "Bringing that physicality as well, because a lot of people say we aren't who we once were. We take that as disrespectful as a group."

The talk about the physicality of the team isn't the only thing that Latham has found disrespectful this offseason. Georgia has won consecutive national championships, the first team to do so since Alabama in 2011 and 2012, and the talk around college football has been about whether or not the Bulldogs are the new standard in in the sport.

"I respect the fact that they have won back-to-back, I know that's not easy at all. I see the work that they put in," Latham said. "But at the same time, I don't think that their standard is above our standard."

Latham played as a freshman in the 2021 national championship, Georgia's first of their consecutive titles, and he admitted he rewatches that game often as motivation.

Alabama has been picked by the media to win the SEC every year since 2015, and the prospect of that not being the case this year and potentially lower expectations for the team is yet another source of motivation for Latham and the Crimson Tide.

"[It's] fuel to the fire. I know we're going to go out there, compete, and dominate, and do what we have to do to win," Latham said. 

"It's disrespectful. I don't appreciate that at all."

Latham didn't shy away when discussing what he believes the 2023 iteration of Alabama football can accomplish. 

"I know this group, we're going to win it all: a national championship, undefeated, the Joe Moore [Award], and I want that Outland [Trophy]," Latham said. "We got leaders, a player-led team, we got a great spirit to the team. We know we are capable of doing it and we know we are capable are being great."

Alabama head coach Nick Saban opened the day by describing his team as "hungry" and "motivated," and Latham's enthusiasm and confidence exude Saban's exact sentiment. 

See also:

Nick Saban in No Rush to Name Starting QB

Everything Said by Nick Saban at the Podium at 2023 SEC Media Days

What Alabama Tackle JC Latham Said at 2023 SEC Media Days