ALABAMA: (THECOUNT) — Via theplayerstribune:
Commitment. Discipline. Effort. Toughness. Pride.
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Those are the five commandments of Alabama football. Those are the five commandments that have been instilled in me, and that have defined me, for the past three years. And as I write this letter, I find myself drawing on those commandments one more time.
It’s been almost four years, now, since the day I got the phone call that changed my life. A coach by the name of Nick Saban was on the line, wanting to ask about the chances of a Texas boy like me packing up for Tuscaloosa, and coming to play football at the University of Alabama.
I took my recruiting visit — and then never took another. It was just love at first sight between me and this program.
And it’s crazy to think about the journeys we’ve both been on since then.
As a competitor, I wanted badly to be a part of the dynasty that Coach Saban was building. I wanted to make my mark. I wanted to leave a LEGACY.
Was what happened in the 2018 National Championship Game bittersweet? Of course it was — it was a humbling experience. It was tough, man.
But I am even tougher for it. I AM BUILT FOR THIS.
I understand that God put those obstacles and challenges in my life for a reason. He wanted me to feel the pain I felt for a reason. He wanted me to understand the importance of never losing faith — and of always staying true to myself. He had NOT brought me this far just to leave me there.
“This isn’t something you’re stuck in,” I’d tell myself. “This is something you’re going through.” And one thing I can promise you is that I’m better off for having gone through it. Everything I dealt with at Bama: I’m stronger for it. I’m wiser. I’m a better man.
And for that I have so many people to thank. People who’ve made a deep and lasting impact on my life, just from their paths crossing with mine. People who have helped me, trained me, or flat-out raised me. Or even just believed in me.
Thank you, truly.