What Kalen DeBoer Said to Kick off Western Kentucky Week

Everything that Alabama football head coach said in his opening press conference for Week 1 of the 2024 season.

Kalen DeBoer's press conference- August 26, 2024 /

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Kalen DeBoer will take the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium this Saturday for his first official game as the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

DeBoer and the team's coordinator spoke to the media Monday morning. Here's everything DeBoer had to say:

Full Transcript- August 26, 2024

Opening Statement

"All right. Good morning. Finally game week, so I'm sure just like everyone across the country and our fan base, our players are excited. They've put a lot of work in. The thing I guess I'm most impressed with is just how they've sustained a high level of energy, not just the first week or the first two weeks. They've really sustained a high level of energy, focus all the way through camp.

"Saturday, I think, was a great example for us. Had a great practice, just a lot of just get to work, the same thing I would expect tomorrow. But you kinda get that week out and things like that. I was just really impressed with our guys' mind-set.

"Yesterday again, just getting the guys together and getting their workouts and just the film sessions and just the level of attention to detail. They're excited to play and excited to hit someone else. Really looking forward to this Saturday against a Western Kentucky team coached by Coach Helton. A lot of respect. I know our staff has a lot of respect, both sides of the ball, myself included.

"We know Coach Helton's done a great job there at Western Kentucky, as well as the rest of his career. It's gonna be a great football game. Got a coach with an offensive mind-set. Defensively, I think we've got to make sure we're aware of what we're going to do to attack us. There's a lot of questions on both sides of the ball, all phases, especially the first game. Depth charts and things like that. You're just pretty much looking at a roster and trying to place all the transfers and all the guys that are returning, especially on their team, trying to place those into spots you might expect and figuring out the numbers the best you can.

"Looking forward to another great week here going into the game and excited about where we're at."

Playing to your personnel, to what extent have you had to adjust what you did at Washington?

"I think every year. It isn't just about one school to another. I think it's the roster you have each year that gets tweaked a little bit. You might be a running back with a little more depth or tight ends is one of your key areas. I think we're very balanced across all of the skill positions. 

"And then of course you look at your quarterback. You look at what you can do offensive line-wise. It's never exactly from one year to the next even if there's a lot of continuity, cause you're going to lose someone. There's certainly some adjustments that Coach Sheridan and our staff has done in really working with the personnel. That will continue to evolve as the season goes along. You have guys that continue to improve, especially younger guys or guys that are taking those next steps. They'll make those big steps and you'll really incorporate them.

"It might be a package at some point that they're incorporated in and then all of a sudden it's something where they're a regular player or maybe even a starter.

On what he gets first-game jitters about...

"Well, I talked to the team and I think what it really comes down to... Are you asking specifically about me?

"I don't know if I get jitters, but I think it's good to have butterflies. It's good to have like an excitement, just excited for the week. We talk to our guys about whether it's nervousness or anxiety. Butterflies, that's not a bad thing, because it means it's really important. It means that they've put a lot into it and they want to perform well.

"It always comes down to your preparation and you've prepared the best you can, and you know you're ready more than your opponent and have done everything possible all week long as well as your teammates. When you're prepared well, you're going to be confident. That's the whole key and it just doesn't start this week. It's something that's been ongoing since the staff got here, since the first day of workouts in the winter.

"There's just a mind-set that's been happening. We talk about creating an attitude, not installing special plays that help your attitude. You create your attitude all year long. If you're anxious and things like that, it means you're a little bit unsure. I'm excited about the way we've prepared. It's going to be important to these guys.

"As for me, I think it's just a matter of making sure I'm prepared with all the things, whether it's the schedule leading up to kick off and how we want that to flow, that our guys understand all the little details, especially the first game. We've gone through that over the last couple of weeks with little mock games and mock Saturdays and talked about the hotel on Friday and Saturday, what that's all going to look like.

"We kind of wrapped that up on Saturday with some final things in the stadium, just on even which sideline and where the benches are and who's sitting where. We've talked about the tablets and all that kind of stuff and the coach-to-player communication. There's a lot of new things even this year that are specific to college football. But obviously there's even more with a new staff and just everyone being on the same page."

On pregame traditions…

"There’s not a lot. [I’m] probably pretty boring that way. Not a lot of things that I feel like I have to… It’s all about the schedule. And the schedule would probably be the thing I feel the most strong about— that you’re eating within a certain time frame before the game. What that morning walkthrough looks like and kind of roughly when that is. It changes if it’s a morning game, afternoon game, evening game. But I also want to hear what our players have done. So there’s a couple of things on Friday that we’ll tweak maybe from what I’ve done. I’ve been OK with it at other places. It’s just a matter of those teams didn’t want to do some of those things. Might be when you do your chapel. Maybe the other team activities. Do teams like going to the movies, and things like that on Friday. A lot of those things I think from team to team, it’s always different."

Injury updates on Jam Miller, Jaeden Roberts and Jeremiah Alexander… 

"Yup. Jaeden and Jam I would expect to practice and be ready to go. Jeremiah would not probably expect him. You guys have seen him and just know the timeline. It’ll be close. He’ll be close.”

On what’s the most important thing he’s learned about himself in the past year…

 “I think you just always are confirming the things that you believe in, whether it’s football-related or just staff-related, how you bring a team together. You just always try to adjust and evolve, but also confirm the things that are your real deep beliefs. A year ago, a lot of those things continue to just be verified. And as we bring it together, you kind of look to those things and are counting on those things to help build this team and what we’re trying to accomplish here at Alabama.”

On Jalen Milroe’s growth through preseason.. “

"He’s been consistent. And that’s what I think one of the biggest qualities you can have is consistent. Obviously you want to consistently be at the highest level that you possibly can. You want to walk on the field, and this is for any player, but I think this is something Jalen has done a better and better job of since we’ve gotten here, and it’s you know what you’re going to get when you get out there— whether it’s the attitude and the effort, the play on the field. There really haven’t been some crazy highs or crazy lows. I think he's just continuing to build, continuing to work with his guys. Whether it’s the offensive line and the communication and making sure he’s on the same page with protections, run checks or whatever it might be. The receiving corps with the timing of routes. A lot of communication. I think he continued to grow and evolve as well. 

“So the consistency, I really have an appreciation for what he's done. He’s been really patient, going way back to the spring, on letting us just put the offense in and the progression that we’re used to and the things that we see. You always see the things that you want to get in, and these are the things that you did really well. And we get to those. But there’s a progression with the teaching that’s happened, and I just appreciate the patience he's had from the very beginning when we got here. Getting through all of it and now being ready to play Week 1.”

On Caleb Odom… 

“Caleb is a young guy coming in. He really turned our heads in the spring just because it felt like he was always lined up in the right spot, and he never did seem overwhelmed. Physically with his height, there were times where he actually stood out and made some really big plays and has continued to do that, going over the top of guys. Seeing that he’s going to be a great value to our football team not just this year, but in years to come. He’s just been steady. That’s a great quality. And I think he’s just someone who looks at things and really learns from his mistakes, obviously, but also learns from others. And so, got a great want-to about him. He really wants to do big things, and each and every day puts in the work. So I'm proud of what he's done to this point. You put him out on the football field, and you’re not really looking at him worried about, ‘Does he know what he’s doing?’ That’s not the case with him."

On what will be going through his mind in tunnel...

"When it gets to this now, you’re in game mode and as much as this is a different setting for me this is another football game and every game is really big and important and so you’re in game mode making sure, again all the things we talked about earlier, the communication’s all in order. The teams, uh, what’s the coin toss and how are we operating there, just all those little steps that you take. I can’t say it’s going to be that much different. I think the spring game for me, probably is one of those moments where you have some perspective on how far you’ve come, as a team and where we’re at, but this is about playing our game and doing what we need to do and making sure we’re at the highest level possible.

On helmet communications, how to balance communication levels...

 "I thought they’ve done a really good job the last couple weeks, really the scrimmages we really tried to lock in on the times where just what’s this going to feel like. And there’s two major scrimmages, but we scrimmage and move the ball a lot against each other offensively and defensively all through fall camp and just trying to hone in on that one thing that might be something you say or nothing at all. Trying to learn also, when you talk to, especially your quarterback, what’s he remembering. Is it worth saying at all? I think a lot of times, probably it’s going to be worth coming on the sideline, but there are some key things where you can get something to him right after a play about the situation that you might be going into, or something that maybe just happened that as there’s a delay in the game with the officials or something like that to where you may be able to get some comments or thoughts in, so I think our staff, especially, obviously, we’re talking about Nick Sheridan and Kane Wommack, I think they’ve done a great job really trying to refine how they want that communication to happen and working closely with those players and where the communication, the devices in the helmets, what did you like? What don’t you like? So, the game happens fast. We want to make sure these guys are able to play fast. The preparation throughout the week, the preparation we’ve had all fall camp, that’s what these guys got to really rely on for most of what they’re going to get. In between series? Hey, we’ll talk all we want. The tablets, all that kind of stuff comes into play and we’ll be ready to go out for the next series."

On Nick Saban's comments about keeping the same culture...

"I think Coach certainly pushed that standard each and every day and fortunately we have a lot of guys who understand what that’s supposed to look like. It’s great that we have those leaders, our players, we have some staff, a few coaches that were here with Coach and they just continue to be front and center in leading the rest of the guys that are new to the program or new players that have come in. It’s something we care for a lot with the culture of our program. It’s important to me. There’s a style of play that wins football games and that’s really what we’re focused on, but there’s a lot of details and a lot of things off the field that are really important to playing at the highest level and being this program that’s been at that level for so many years and so many decades. So, but yeah, I appreciate those comments from Coach and that perspective."