ARLINGTON, TEXAS | Ryan Kelly knows to expect them. After a physical game, when he's out relaxing with his friends and enjoying a college-town Saturday night, he knows what's coming.

Sometimes it's at midnight, other times it pops in in the middle of the night, but whatever the time, Kelly prepares for them.

The key to offensive line coach Mario Cristobal's relationship with his players, who will tell you their coach is as intense on the field as he is caring off it, is through his text messages.

Yep. Text messages.

Cristobal is 45 years old, but he'll tell you he thinks he's a lot younger, which is probably why he can fire off text messages at a rate that rivals any millennial.

"He texts us all the time, 2 in the morning, it don't matter," Kelly said. "He's up there all hours of the night working. After the games, he'll be watching the film and you're out with your buddies or something and you get a text message 'What were you thinking on this play?' Sometimes it's like 'Play No. 14 you derailed this dude. It was awesome.'"

It's just one way Cristobal shows his affection and appreciation for his players.

Before the season he hosts an offensive linemen dinner, and, yes, there's lots of red meat served. He also opens up his home for Thanksgiving.

But it's in the small acts, the little personal touches that he shows a player they're valued.

"When it's my birthday or it's Christmas or Thanksgiving, he'll always shoot a text. 'How are you'd doing? Merry Christmas. Happy birthday. Hope your family is doing well,'" freshman offensive lineman Richie Petitbon said. " Whenever you see him he's always asking about your family. It means a lot."

Remember these are 300-plus-pound men who spend most afternoons slamming into other 300-plus-pound men. And when they mess up, which is bound to happen when it takes five linemen working as one to make a successful play, Cristobal is all over them.

He's easily one of the loudest during daily practices. He coaches like he played as an offensive lineman at the University of Miami - with intensity.

It's in his facial expressions and it's in the volume of his voice. He's always there pushing them to be better.

"He's really hard on us and he works us to the bone, but you can honestly tell that he cares about us," Bradley Bozeman said. "He's always on you. I've always been taught that if someone is not talking to you they don't care about you. He's constantly trying to push you.

"And he's always texting us."

It's reached the point where it's a running joke with some of the guys. The text message - they know it's coming - is a constant reminder of the bond they share with their coach.

"I'm surprised if I don't get a text at least once a night," starting left guard Ross Pierschbacher said. "If I don't get it that night, I'll probably get it the next morning."

So what do those text messages say? What is so important that it can't wait until the next day's meeting?

Anything and everything.

"Sometimes I send a text message at 4:45 in the morning about getting their second step in the ground or how to cross," Cristobal said.

It's that constant connection, that's not always about football, that ties the unit to its coach. It's a bond perhaps no other position group on the field has because of the collaboration needed to be successful.

"Yeah he's a good coach, but he's a great mentor," left tackle Cam Robinson said. "We know that life is bigger than football. Anytime you can find someone who is able to help guide you through life and help give you pointers and great things that will help you be successful as a man and not just as a football player, I think that's big."

Cristobal's name seems to always surface for various head coaching jobs around this time of year. But this time of year he's usually still working, as he is now preparing Alabama for its College Football Playoff semifinal against Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl.

He's such a valuable commodity because of the kind of coach he is and the way he recruits, which gets back to how he treats people, how he cares for them. He shows it best to his players.

"The whole thing is built on trust," Cristobal said. "They know that I'm going to get there early to try to find ways to provide them the very best information, the very best training techniques, the best practice plan, tip sheets to help them be successful. That creates the right kind of trust.

"There is work being done behind the scenes day in and day out that is living, breathing, sweating, bleeding with these guys every single day. I'm 45 now, I like to think i'm younger, but I like to think I still see it as a player. Before every decision, before every meeting, before every night I go to bed, I always put myself back in the locker room and say, 'Hmm, how do they see this? What's the best way to approach and communicate this?'

"I guess it all comes down to just being real with them. It's a privilege to be here. I love it every second of it. I mean it's incredible being part of this organization. I can't imagine waking up and not being fired up beyond belief about that stuff. You get to pass that on to them. They feel it.

"Just very real. If you're real, you can push and you can do anything with no limitation and no sensitivity. With those guys, they're awesome. There's been some great moments and there's many more to build and work to."

Reach Aaron Suttles at aaron@tidesports.com or at 205-722-0229.