Minimal evidence remained of what had happened.
No jaws dropped. No faces gaping. Not much was left by 6:48 p.m. on November 25, 2023, in the left corner of the endzone at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Not much but a small cleat mark, about where former Alabama receiver Isaiah Bond tapped his feet and scored. An imprint on the grass and into Iron Bowl lore. The final element necessary to complete fourth-and-31 and dig Auburn’s grave.
After postgame interviews wrapped up outside the visiting locker room, I made a brief pit stop on my way back to the press box. I wanted to check out the spot where Bond secured the victory. Just to take it in for a second and see if anything stood out. To, after the chaos of the last hour, soak up the still.
There’s no lack of colossal or grandiose moments on the Alabama beat. National championships, Rose Bowls, a Final Four, the Women’s College World Series. On and on. The Crimson Tide competes in the biggest of events, and I’ve enjoyed covering it all.
The small moments stick with me the most, though. I revel in them. They provide the bedrock of storytelling.
I aim to bring you with me into these moments. Why not share in the fun? That’s been my goal throughout my career, including the past three years at the Tuscaloosa News, and it will be no different in my new job as Alabama beat writer for AL.com.
I think about the walk in Los Angeles with Nate Oats. Deep in the bowels of Crypto.com Arena, he and I strolled to the Alabama basketball bus hours after he beat Clemson. The coach wore a Final Four hat on his head and an Elite Eight net on his neck, no longer carrying the weight of trying to reach basketball’s biggest stage. He spoke with introspection about his journey from a high school math teacher to the Final Four.
I think about the December night Bryce Young won the Heisman Trophy. As he talked, he leaned against the wall on the steps that led to the stage in New York City. The quarterback smiled as he told me about meeting Robert Griffin III, Young’s phone going crazy and his car ride through Times Square with Nick Saban.
I’ll never forget visiting Saban’s office in 2023. Fresh off meeting with a basketball recruit and his family, Saban greeted me near the door. We shook hands then sat down for the interview. The gravity of his success hit from all over the room. One example — His ring table. There was barely enough room on it for my voice recorder. The other thing I remember: His reaction to a photo of late trustee Jim Wilson III lifting Saban off the ground; Saban grinned big.
Plenty on the Alabama beat has given me reason to smile, too. At the Regions Tradition Pro-Am in Hoover, Kalen DeBoer walked over and cracked a joke, emphasizing that I needed to capture his next swing on video. Also, I remain grateful for the time that Alabama basketball assistant Ryan Pannone showed me film in his office. I received a masterclass in basketball that day. There’s also the time Will Anderson Jr. told his handlers he couldn’t leave the NFL Draft in Kansas City just yet; he wanted to talk with a reporter he knew. A menace on the football field, Anderson couldn’t have been friendlier off it.
I’m grateful for every moment on this beat, and I look forward to all that’s to come in my new role. Covering Alabama can be a wild ride, but it’s a fun one. I plan to bring you along the best I can. My car only seats five, but the webpages of AL.com have plenty of space.
Join me, won’t you?
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