TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama is looking for inspiration after a rough three-game stretch. The Crimson Tide has lost two of its last three with an uninspiring 2-point win over South Carolina sandwiched in between.
After falling to Tennessee, Alabama is looking to prevent a rough patch of form from spirling into a nightmare finish in 2024. To rebound requires players to take a hard look in the mirror and for Alabama’s on-field leaders to step up and take the group forward.
One of the Crimson Tide’s captains has done just that as No. 15 Alabama (5-2, 2-2 SEC) prepares to face No. 21 Missouri (6-1, 2-1) on Saturday. Offensive lineman Tyler Booker has been a loud voice in his teammates' ears this week. The Alabama captain hasn’t been holding anything back.
“Booker had a fire in him this week,” Alabama wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard said Wednesday. “He is all over every single player on this team’s rear end every single play. I mean, getting in their face. Pushing the tempo, the envelope with each one of them and telling them, ‘Hey this is the expectation.’ I’m not gonna tell you this over and over again. You’re gonna do it the right way or get out,’ and I love that about our left guard.”
Shepherd’s high praise for Booker isn’t surprising but does show the attitude the Crimson Tide is hoping to have with little room for error left this season. Booker has put in the kind of work that Alabama as a whole needs to put in with four regular season games remaining. Booker went from a reserve to the Tide’s starting left tackle last season and is now a captain in 2024.
Booker has gone on to the tone in Alabama’s offensive line room this season. He won the team’s knockdown blocks competition in the first three weeks and showed off his versitltiy when he started at left tackle when Alabama was banged up against South Florida.
Now, Booker is looking to re-set the tone for the entire team as the Tide tries to navigate through its recent rough patch. His attitude and approach over the last few weeks of practice have rubbed off on the rest of the team, as Alabama looks internally to fix the issues it has run into in its last three games.
“These guys are on fire,” Shephard said. “They are freaking flying around. They’re taking to the hard coaching. That’s how we always are but they’re taking to it.”
Alabama will find out if Booker’s leadership helps make the difference this week when faces Missouri at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. The game will be televised on ABC.
