Everything Alabama QB Bryce Young had to say in his Sugar Bowl press conference
Alabama’s Bryce Young is perhaps college football’s most popular player and although his junior campaign did not turn out the way he had probably hoped, Young still proved to be among the nation’s elite.
Young and his Alabama teammates are in New Orleans preparing for their Saturday matchup with Kansas State in the Allstate Sugar Bowl in what is likely his last game wearing the Crimson and White.
On Wednesday, the former Heisman Trophy winner would step behind the microphone to speak to members of the media.
Here is everything the projected top-five pick had to say during his Sugar Bowl press conference.
On if he and his teammates have been able to enjoy the city of New Orleans
“Yeah. It’s a really fun city. We’re seeing the French Quarter. So a lot of history. And we’ve had some stuff as a team that we’ve done. So it’s an honor to be in such a prestigious bowl, such a great city. We’re having fun.”
On what Alabama means to him
On how much the fans impacted his decision to play in the bowl game
“Yeah, that was a part too. We’re so grateful for the support that we have, for our entire fan base, the whole community at the University of Alabama. It’s a big family there. And that means a lot too. I always want to do my best, put my best foot forward, of course, for my brothers and for the team, but again, for those who support us. Again, we have the best fan base in the country. People who ride and die for us and support us through ups and downs. Always there for us. I know how much it means to us, to the community, to the State, so I always want to do my best to make all the supporters proud.”
On navigating NIL deals
“Yeah. Like you said, with NIL, college football is a different landscape. There’s a lot of moving parts, a lot of things that are changing. College football has been the same for so long, and now there’s so much change.
“For me, I look at it as everything has been — it’s been a blessing for all the student athletes. All the sports have been able to be compensated, rightfully, to be able to provide for their family, put themselves, put others in better situations and to do whatever they need to do with NIL. But for me, I’ve been blessed with having opportunities, but it hasn’t been too hard to navigate for me because of just making sure that I have priorities. I made sure that was the main thing for me. That was a big thing for me and a big thing for this team. We all support each other in our endeavors outside the field. But making sure, when it comes to athletics, making sure that the product, making sure that I’m working, making sure I’m doing what I have to do to put my best foot forward for the team. That’s always been most important for me. Always will be most important.
“I’m grateful for the opportunities with NIL that have come for people across the country in all sports. But at the end of the day, the most important thing for me is to be the best version of myself as a person, as a player. That’s not going to change.”
On when he shoots his commercials and how all that works
“Yeah. I mean, really, it’s just working them into the schedule, into the off-season sometimes where I don’t have any football engagements. They give us that. We all have a month off, around a month off that we all get to go back home and do stuff. So it was making sure that it was times that I didn’t have obligations with the team, times in that month that I wasn’t already working out and doing what I had to do.
“So luckily, I have a good team and a good group of people that I work with, a lot of great brands I work with. And I was able to make sure that I was able to work around my schedule. But it was just in times where I was free, I didn’t have any other things I had to do with the team.”
On why he decided to play in the bowl game
“Yeah. How I looked at it was it was just another opportunity to play with my brothers. And I love the guys on my team. I love this team. I love this program. Going to work with the group of guys that I’m privileged to go to work with every single day, I see how hard we work as a group, how much we pour into this, and how much this means to us, how much it means to me. And it was easy for me because I just feel grateful that I get to go out and play with these guys, to compete and practice, to share that field. And for me, looking at it, I looked at it as another opportunity. And for me, as a leader of this team, it’s something I pride myself in, there’s a lot that I think it’s most important to lead by example, to make sure that anytime that I’m leading and telling other people to do things, I have to do that first. I have to make sure I’m doing the right things. And I have to be comfortable with being held accountable. For me, another opportunity to lead the team in every way that I can, be out there and around there with my teammate, it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I’m just honored to be a part of this team. As a leader, I feel like it was important to me to make sure that we finish this year.”
On where the offense has grown the most throughout the season
“Yeah, I think there’s been a lot of growth. I think there’s been so many people that were younger and had to step up to different roles. There are a lot of true freshmen that have been playing and doing a lot, having a lot of production. I think just the comfortability level, it’s a feeling-out process at first.
“Of course, a lot of people stepping into new roles, roles they weren’t used to before. And week one, there were people who came in and were able to contribute. But, really, you see how much they’ve grown, just being comfortable, getting better, making sure that they were — all the little details. So I think just having time with us being on the field, us growing in our confidence, trusting each other, I think that’s probably it.”
Clarifying that he was not at this year's Heisman ceremony
“Right.”
On who he voted for to win the Heisman and why he did not attend
“They tell us we’re not allowed to disclose who we voted for. They don’t let us say. But it was just there was some stuff that I wanted to get done to make sure that I was good for this game. I wanted to make sure that my body was –“
On if he is disappointed that he did not repeat as the Heisman Trophy winner
“No. My goal has never been to win individual awards. I’ve been blessed in the individual awards that I have won. I have a team. I’m forever grateful, though. That’s never been a goal of mine. My goal lies with the team. I want us to have the most success we’ve had. My goal was never to do anything individually. So, because of that, that was really nothing I aimed for.”
On his early thoughts of Eli Holstein and Ty Simpson
“Like you said, we have some early enrollees that were able to come and join us for the bowl practices and are with us now. They bring some juice, that new energy, guys going out there trying to get their foot in. It’s kind of interesting because we’re not installing. We’re so deep into the season, and they kind of just have to try to get in where they fit in and do the best they can to contribute and learn on the fly. And I think the whole group that have come in has done a really good job of that.
“Eli, him being around, you can tell he’s trying to learn everything as quickly as he can. Again, like I said, we’re so deep into the game-planning and stuff, it can be hard when you’re just now trying to learn the offense. But he’s done a good job of understanding stuff. He’s been very attentive in the meetings, soaking everything in. And the reps he gets, obviously, when you first get here, you’re on scout team and you’re doing your best to try to figure everything out there. But from the things I’ve seen, all the individual drills and everything, he’s done a really good job of how he carries himself and how he can throw the ball. So I’m excited to continue to watch more.
“And then Ty, Ty’s grown a lot tremendously. Obviously, he’s super talented, super gifted. And really just seeing him step up on and off the field, him just being more comfortable, him settling down. As a quarterback, the more you can understand the offense, the ins and outs, once you start to get that knowledge, everything becomes easier, the pictures start to clear up. And you can see that growth. He’s gotten so much more comfortable with the playbook from when he first got here. And that definitely shows up on the field.”
On how he has seen the young receivers progress throughout the season
“It’s an interesting year. Came in, especially freshman, played a lot and made really big plays, stepped up. That’s something that’s really rare. Especially here. And to do it at such a high level. To come in with the professionalism that the young receivers have, I always respect him for that. At first, it’s just trying to come in and know the plays and know the plays and not mess up and make sure we’re doing things right. You can see now, with all the experience they’ve gotten throughout this year, they’re so much more comfortable. They know where they’re supposed to be. They can have that much more creativity with their routes. They know where they need to be. They’ve grown a lot. I think it’s just that consistency and the experience they’ve had, at least all the growth that we’ve seen this year.”
On his confidence in the receivers moving forward with or without him
“I’m extremely confident. I drop back and look for the guys open. They get open regardless of what’s going on. I haven’t had anything to do with that all year long. They’ve been doing that all year. So those guys are extremely talented. Great group of receivers. And for them to be so great at this stage, it’s going to be really, really fun just to watch them grow and watch them progress. So again, just see all they’ve done, so many as young guys, as true freshman, it’s only up from here for those guys.”
On neither team having opt-outs and what that says about each program
“Yeah, that’s something we take a lot of pride in. And for them too. I think it speaks for both of our programs, just the culture that’s been built.
“Obviously, I can only speak for us, and obviously, I only know us, but I’d imagine there’s similarities with that stat being the same. We take a lot of pride in who we are. We have a lot of pride in winning games. And you know, for us, we have a standard. And that’s something that we live by. Something that we make sure that we really believe in.
“As leaders, with myself being a leader and our leadership, making sure that we lead and making sure that we live up to that standard. We take a lot of pride in this. It means a lot. It means a lot to everyone on the roster. That’s something that was really important for us. And obviously, I can only speak for our team, but with there being no opt-outs on both of the teams, I think that speaks to both of the programs and how much pride and just the programs themselves.”
On the criticism of Alabama OC Bill O'Brien
“To be honest, I’m not huge on social media. But I can just speak from my perspective. You know, I’ve learned a tremendous amount from OB [Bill O’Brien]. Coach has taught me so much. I’ve grown so much as a player under him. And getting to have the experience of him coaching the greatest, some of the best players to play the game, him having so much knowledge, and me as a younger quarterback, getting able to gain that, to learn the ins and outs of the system, and see all that he’s brought, it’s been an honor for me to play with him for these past couple years. I’ve grown tremendously. And a lot of the success I’ve had, a lot of the success we’ve had as an offense, that’s credited to OB (Bill O’Brien). All the stuff that he brings. How he carries himself day-to-day. Someone who comes in, and he’s always teaching. He’s intense; he’ll get after it. But he’s always teaching. There’s no time where he’s not pushing us to be better. There’s so much that I’ve learned from him. And that’s someone that I’m super close with. I have a great relationship with. So I’m forever grateful and super blessed to have had him as my coach.”
On his initial reaction to playing Kansas State and what sticks out about the Wildcats
“Following that, me individually and us as a team, we have a tremendous amount of respect for Kansas State. Makes so much sense why they’ve had so much success when you turn on the film and watch it for the first time and getting ready to play them. It made so much sense to see why they’ve been so successful. Why they’ve had all the success, it made sense. That tenacity. Just watching defense, but the tenacity that they play with. Very well coached. Very well disciplined. From top to down, really good defensively. And you can tell, they play for each other. Play really hard. Play fast. It makes a lot of sense. Very tough, physical team. Just being able to watch that and seeing all the things and getting the study it now, it makes so much sense why they’ve had so much success. And me personally and everyone the team has a tremendous amount of respect for them.”
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