At the end of the day it’s all about, ‘how did you score?’ It’s like in golf. There was a big golf tournament the other day – how did you score – that’s what it’s all about. In football the thing that’s different is ‘how did I play’ and ‘how is the guy beside you playing.’ It’s hard to have success if everybody doesn’t do their job correctly. That’s something we have to prove as a team.
— Alabama coach Nick Saban
In the spring (2018) I dealt with my hand and toward the end of the season I dealt with my leg. It gets hard, especially at the end of the season because you are already mentally beat up and mentally drained. I wasn’t able to do much last year in the weight room, only because of my hands. I’ve had an opportunity to get better with that.
— Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on mental toll an injury can have
I’m glad to have those guys back, they are a huge part of our defense. They are going to play a huge role for the defense this year. Just to have them back out makes me more comfortable and makes everyone else feel more comfortable on the defense.
— Defensive back Xavier McKinney on the return of linebacker Terrell Lewis and cornerback Trevon Diggs, who were injured last season
We are hyped but at the same time it’s more of a calm type thing going on because we are focused. We have a deal going where we want to focus on one game at a time, one practice at a time – get better and fix mistakes. We don’t want to put too much on our plate that we can’t handle.
— Linebacker Dylan Moses on the team’s approach to the Duke game
Compiled by Edwin Stanton
