Ty Simpson, the No. 30 overall player in the Rivals100 from Westview High School in Martin, Tennessee, welcomed Alabama head coach Nick Saban and offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien in his home on Wednesday evening. Coach Saban has traveled from coast-to-coast this week visiting several of the nation's top recruits. He made sure to stop by to see the future quarterback and his family.
"It was great," UT-Martin head football coach and Ty's father said. "Ty has been down to Tuscaloosa a lot. He's been going down there for several years. It meant a lot to him for Coach Saban to come in to our home. It was great having Coach Saban in our home especially after knowing all the places he has been this week.
"You see his competitiveness in recruiting. It's very important to him to get good players and to go out and recruit. You see how driven he is. I know the grind from being a coach of what it takes to go out on the road or being on a plane to go recruit kids. It's cool to see his drive. I have heard about it for years, but to see it in person is special.”
The Simpsons enjoyed the fellowship with Coach Saban and Coach O'Brien. Alabama doesn't need to recruit Simpson like Coach Saban is doing in other homes this week. Ty has been a solid commitment since his decision.
"We really just hung out at the house," Coach Simpson said. "There wasn't any recruiting pitch. They asked if there were any questions. They asked Ty about the state championship game and congratulating him on that.
"We talked about the the day he will report (January 10). It was cool to talk about their game against Georgia and what's going on with the program right now. They talked about their practice schedule for the playoffs and how proud they were in last week's win (against Georgia).
"Ty asked (Coach Saban) if he enjoyed it and reversing the rat poison. Alabama has only been underdogs three times in the last 92 games. You had the proverbial coach talk like why does it take you to be the underdog to play at your best?
So what did the Simpson family think of the Tide's SEC Championship win against the Bulldogs?
"I saw the updated score when my game was over," Coach Simpson said. "It was really exciting. Alabama was up big, and I knew it was important to Ty even though he is not in the program yet. It was another validating game. Alabama won 12 games and the SEC Championship after losing all those players from last year's team."
Alabama offensive coordinator helped engineer the Tide's offense this fall after Steve Sarkisan departed Tuscaloosa to become the head coach in Austin. It is hopeful, from the Tide’s standpoint, another Heisman Trophy winner is named on Saturday night in quarterback, Bryce Young.
Many thought Coach Sark's departure would hurt Alabama's chances in landing the elite quarterback. Coach O'Brien quickly developed a strong connection with Simpson, and Alabama earned his commitment in late February. Coach O'Brien has been linked with a few head coaching vacancies this week, but it's not an issue for Simpson.
"They have a really good relationship, and Ty is very comfortable with him," his father said. "As a coach's son you understand the business. He understands the timing. They have been upfront from the get-go about everything.
"Coach O'Brien has been a pleasure to be around. He got here yesterday about an hour before Coach Saban arrived. He came by my office and watched ball. We watched the Alabama/Georgia game. He went over what they did in certain situations. I appreciated that. He's just a regular guy and someone you want to be around."
Alabama has recruited Simpson for the last couple of years, and Coach Simpson can remember Coach Saban telling his son after a disappointing 2-8 season to go out there and win some games next year. Simpson, who won Mr. Football in Class 2A on Wednesday, helped lead his team to a first-ever state title this past weekend.
He was named MVP of the state championship game after accounting for five total touchdowns. Simpson ended his senior season with 2,921 yards passing with 44 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also rushed for 1,206 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Coach Simpson helped lead UT-Martin to a 10-3 record (most in school history) and the Ohio Valley Conference title. The Skyhawks fell in the second round of the FCS playoffs with a 26-7 loss to Montana State. The playoff game was the same time as Ty's state championship. Coach Simpson received updates and was aware of his son's victory at halftime.
It was tough for the father not to see his son win a state championship, but something that was completely understandable. It's something Coach Simpson will adjust to with his son playing on Saturdays for the Crimson Tide while he continues to lead his football program.
The Simpsons will spend quality time together during this final month before Ty enrolls at Alabama. He will complete his school work next week. The Simpsons may travel to Tuscaloosa to watch practice before Alabama heads to the College Football Playoff.
Coach Simpson learned plenty about the recruiting process from a parent's perspective throughout Ty’s journey and also learned more about his son. He can't wait to watch how he performs even if it's a score update on his phone or a FaceTime call from Ty after a big win.
"There are still things you learn that were new to me even though I am in this profession," he said. "You learn about the timing of when to commit from the quarterback spot. Does it work for yourself and the other school?
"You learn a lot about your son and what's important to him. This is their decision, and they are choosing their dream that is going to impact them for the next 40 years. It's weird to say that I really enjoyed it because it's not about me. I really valued the entire process and the relationships that were built throughout the process."
Order Andrew Bone's new book: ‘The Road to Bama’
