Despite Alabama's new morning start time for practice, the early August heat still beats down on the players as they continue the grind of fall camp before the 2024 season.
Fortunately, Alabama players (and coaches) still adjusting to the southern heat and humidity got some reprieve Wednesday. The Crimson Tide spent a portion of its sixth fall camp practice in its air-conditioned indoor facility. After some more drills outside, players were greeted with the pleasant surprise of an ice cream truck to offer a refreshing snack after a hard morning’s work.
The truck pulled up to Alabama's facility after practice and was a new sight for those who have been at Alabama under Nick Saban. Tight end CJ Dippre, who played under Saban last season, said the legendary coach never sent for an ice cream truck.
However, a new coaching regime brings with it some new traditions and post-practice ice cream looks like a tradition that’s here to stay with Kalen DeBoer now at the helm.
Alabama players who served under the old guard aren’t complaining.
“Right after this I’m about to go get an ice cream,” Dippre told reporters after practice. “I’m anything with peanut butter. Peanut butter ripple, peanut butter crunch, peanut butter whatever. I’m a big peanut butter guy so if they have anything peanut butter that’ll be me. I’ll probably get two of them.”
DeBoer has made it clear that he wants to keep some traditions that have helped set Alabama apart within college football. However, DeBoer also has his own tried and true methods that have helped his teams succeed in the past and has already begun weaving those into the Alabama program.
Whether it's switching to morning practices or offering a sweet treat as a reward after those long sessions, DeBoer has a coaching style and strategies that work for him and he's already integrating those strategies in his new role.
"We used to bring ice cream trucks, food trucks, all types of different trucks when we were there back at Washington," Huskies transfer wide receiver Germie Bernard said. "So he's bringing some of that over to here.”
Bernard added that DeBoer’s post-practice rewards serve as an acknowledgment of the hard work he and his teammates put in as they prepare for the upcoming season.
"It's just great,” Bernard said. “You see how much that they pour into us, how much they care for us and making sure that our bodies are good for off the field, and just rewarding us for working hard on the field.”
While many players were excited to rush over to the ice cream truck like they did as kids growing up, a post-practice treat isn’t for everyone.
“I don't really do sweets like that," junior running back Jam Miller said... "Around football time, I don't really eat sweets."
Offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan also told reporters that he doesn’t indulge in any post-practice treats. But having worked with DeBoer at his previous stops, Sheridan isn’t surprised to see the ice cream truck tradition continue at Alabama.
"I couldn't say I paid a ton of attention to the post-practice snack,” Sheridan said. “I'm sure it's not the first time coach has given the guys ice cream.”
As Alabama’s players continue to grind out practices in the late summer heat, they’ll have something to look forward to as those sessions get more intense with Aug. 31 and the Tide’s matchup against Western Kentucky fast approaching. The players’ energy at practice has been high so far and will perhaps be further fueled by the thought of starting their afternoons with a cold snack courtesy of their new head coach.
