The starting offensive linemen were the first players to emerge from the visitors' tunnel. The group walked around the field at Tiger Stadium just as they have at every game this season. They were greeted with a chorus of boos when they passed by the LSU student section.

All that did was give them energy.

The Crimson Tide’s offensive line proceeded to pummel the Tigers’ defense in Alabama’s 42-14 win. Alabama didn’t give up a sack, helped Jalen Milroe rack up 185 yards and four touchdowns on the ground and won the battle in the trenches over LSU’s defensive front.

What started with a walk around a packed Tiger Stadium turned into a celebration in a mostly empty venue, save for a coalition of Tide fans that made the trip. But ask Alabama left guard Tyler Booker about the win and he’ll tell you the job’s not finished. Booker’s unrelenting dedication to improvement for himself and his teammates has helped the junior lineman stand out as one of Alabama’s most important players on the field and one of the team’s most impactful leaders.

“It was a great feeling and I just reiterated to the guys like why can’t we do this every week?” Booker said after the game. “It’s the same guys every week, same gameplan every week. So why are we not capable of doing this every week? The way we practice, we just have to carry that over. But again, so many things that we can still get better at. That’s what I love about this team. That’s why I’m so excited to get back to work tomorrow.”

Alabama needed leaders after an offseason full of changes. Thankfully for first-year coach Kalen DeBoer, he had one of the best authority figures to lean on when he first took the Alabama job. Booker’s inherent leadership traits have been manifested by a strong support system that helped shape the player and person he’s become. As he’s continued to star for Alabama, his influence has been a vital part of the Tide’s success.

William Booker still remembers the chant his 9-year-old son started at midfield after a game during his first year of junior pee-wee football. He had just watched Tyler, who was playing against 10 and 11-year-olds, dominate on defense. After the game, Tyler gathered his teammates at midfield.

“He’s got his helmet in the air, ‘Who’s house? Our house! Who’s house? Our House!’” William recalled with a laugh. “Like this kid’s only 9 years old, man. I couldn’t believe it.”

The moment was the first of many occasions where Tyler led with his voice while setting an example on the field for his teammates. Growing up, Tyler played for the New Haven Steelers in his native New Haven, Connecticut — a place that greatly influenced his growth.

One of Tyler's first coaches with the Steelers was Michael Fox. The man Tyler affectionately refers to as “Uncle” (Fox is actually William’s cousin) has coached pee-wee football for “not quite 30 years but close to 30.”

Working with Fox at an early age was Tyler’s first exposure to hard coaching. Fox recognized Tyler’s talent and natural drive for the game and wanted to reinforce that drive and hold Tyler to a higher standard.

“I know he was only 9 or 10 years old, but Tyler understood the game of football as far as his effort he had to put in and being coachable at that age,” Fox said. “He never talked back to a coach. You know how the young kids are. They’ll pout or just walk away mad. Only time Tyler got really mad is when he didn't make the play. If he didn't make the play, the kids had to watch out for the next play because he's coming.”

Tyler’s dedication to football set him apart on the field, while his maturity helped him stand out as a leader among his teammates. He credits his upbringing in New Haven and the lessons he learned from the people closest to him growing up. Tyler’s mother Tashona taught him to give everything his all no matter what because “Someone is always watching.” William, who also briefly coached Tyler, would give him advice during car rides to games. He encouraged his son to set a positive example whenever he could.

“I said, ‘Listen if there's a crack in the door for you to be a leader, kick the door down,’” William said. “Kick it down, man, because you'll realize that if nobody else is saying anything, you'll realize that it's needed.’”

Tyler continued to set an example for his teammates even after leaving Connecticut to attend IMG Academy in Florida. Starting at right tackle, Tyler helped lead IMG to a national championship as a sophomore. He made the permanent switch to offense that offseason and though the position changed, the hard work stayed the same. Tyler would take his fellow offensive linemen — including fellow Alabama product JC Latham — and even some defensive linemen to do extra work on Saturdays before the season.

“He was a leader there,” William said. “Guys just gravitate to him because Tyler is committed to this game, committed to winning. And whatever it takes, he's going to be a leader to make sure everybody's doing what they’re supposed to be doing to achieve greatness.”

After changing positions and becoming a leader for one of high school football’s premier programs, Booker signed with Alabama to play for a man famous for his leadership and coaching — Nick Saban.

Booker found immediate success, earning Freshman All-SEC Team honors in 2022, before locking down the starting left guard spot last season, culminating in a second-team All-SEC recognition. His former high school and college teammate Latham was selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft and Booker was on the road to follow suit as the outstanding member of Saban’s offensive line in his third season.

That road hit a bump on Jan. 10, 2024, when Saban retired, leaving Booker and his Alabama teammates with unprecedented and important decisions to make. The coach who recruited them and just led them to the College Football Playoff was out the door, and uncertainty loomed.

Booker texted his father the day Saban retired. He was headed into a meeting. William and the rest of the Booker family waited, speculating about whether Tyler might be on his way out of Tuscaloosa.

“The meeting’s all done so I was like ‘Son, where you going?’” William said. “And he says, ‘What do you mean? I'm not going nowhere. I put my blood, sweat and tears into this. This is my legacy. I'm not leaving this. I'm staying right here.’”

William knew from that moment that Tyler was going to do what he had always done growing up — lead. Tyler took it upon himself to be the voice of reason for his teammates who were all making career-altering choices. He encouraged players to stay through the spring and at least see what DeBoer had to offer.

“I don't think anybody in particular that I know of tried to get him to do anything,” William said. “It was just Tyler taking it upon himself, right along with some of the other leaders on the team, and he just did it.”

As DeBoer got settled, he quickly recognized Booker’s value on and off the field. Booker was named a captain this season along with Milroe, Malachi Moore and Deontae Lawson. He represented Alabama at SEC Media Days and brought his offensive line teammates to Dallas ahead of the new season to work with Duke Merryweather, a renowned offensive line trainer.

“He might be one of the best leaders I’ve ever been around,” DeBoer said. “I know that’s saying a lot because I’ve been around a lot of really good ones. When you put the guys in that category, he’s really special and it’s because he takes care of his business 100% of the time and he’s pushing others to make sure that they’re at their best too and I think that’s what great leaders do is they bring the best out of everyone else around them.”

DeBoer isn’t the only person Booker has impacted in his time at Alabama. He helped left tackle Kadyn Proctor work through tough mental stretches during a difficult true freshman season. Proctor credits Booker for helping him grow and teaching him some of the lessons about being more vocal during an improved sophomore campaign.

DeBoer’s arrival also meant a new position coach for Alabama’s offensive line. Some players might have to learn how to play for a coach with a different style and approach to the position. That wasn’t the case for Booker. Instead of staying in the background when Chirs Kapilovic took over, the vocal junior was heavily relied on by the first-year OL coach to help get the unit going.

“Some teams I’ve been on I have guys that talk and sometimes it’s been too much and guys start to drain it out a little bit,” Kapiloivc said. “That’s not the case with him at all. He’s always on point. He challenges his teammates when it needs to happen. Everybody in this building respects the heck out of him because of what he does and who he is.”

Fox answers the phone. He first tells Booker to take a deep breath to clear his mind. Then he listens.

“I want him to get it out and talk,” Fox said. “Then once we figure that out, then we just go from different point A to B, trying to figure out the situation or what he needs to look for, what he needs to do or things of that nature.”

Fox is Booker’s first call when he needs someone to keep it real with him as he navigates the chaotic world of being one of the most important players for one of the best teams in college football. Fox cherishes the conversations, while Booker has used them to grow as a player throughout his career. Booker’s upbringing and support system allows him to carry the pressure that good leadership often brings.

That growth is reflected by how Booker's leadership has developed this season. Booker spent his first two years learning from veteran offensive linemen, including Darrian Dalcourt, Javion Cohen and Latham. Booker soaked up the experiences of the older players around him during his first two seasons and now looks to be the best example he can be for Alabama’s younger offensive lineman. He's taken players like Proctor under his wing and continues to use his voice to help himself and his teammates grow.

“I think he's become more and more comfortable holding people accountable, challenging people,” Alabama offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan said. “We've made a concerted effort to let him know we have his back in that way. Everybody in the program respects Tyler Booker. So when he sees something that's not up to par, he has the authority to make sure he holds people accountable. I think that's what great leaders do. He is that. There's no doubt about it.”

Just as he’s done all season, Booker will lead Alabama’s offensive linemen for a few final laps around Bryant-Denny Stadium before he likely sets off for the NFL after a strong junior season. During those walks, Booker’s mind won’t be on his future pro prospects. It won’t be reflecting on his legacy at Alabama or looking ahead to some hypothetical bowl game or College Football Playoff matchup.

Instead, Booker will be focused on the same thing he’s always been focused on for every walk around every stadium in his Alabama career — positively leading his teammates who have followed Booker’s example every step of the way.