Coach for a day was a great experience

TUSCALOOSA — I am undefeated. I am 1-0. I am retiring.

I am an Alabama football coach. OK, I was an Alabama football coach. For a day.

Last week, I was one of six media representatives asked to be a “coach” at A-Day on Saturday.

Right, like I’m going to turn that down?

Full access. In the locker room before the game, at halftime and, yep, after the game, too.

I want you to know something: It was just as cool as you think it would be.

Best part? Coming out of the tunnel and running to the sidelines. You don’t feel your feet hit the ground. What you feel, instead, is adrenaline. From the crowd.
From the players. From yourself. You can’t not be affected, at least a little, coming out of that tunnel.

Here’s something else: The Crimson team, which won 14-7, was there to win. The first team offense against the first team defense had been a one-sided battle
this spring. It’s been a tough one on the offense.

Nick Saban noted after the game the Crimson team brought more energy to the fight Saturday.

“I was really pleased with the first-team offense,” Saban said. “I think they were really on kind of a mission today, to prove that they could go out there today
and move the ball and play.”

He doesn’t know the half of it. A locker room is an emotionally charged place — and it was particularly intense on the Crimson side.

It would take lots of #&%s and other characters to print a word-for-word transcript of offensive coordinator Jim McElwain’s pregame talk. But that’s the emotion
of college football.

It would also take a translator. “We’re gonna start in Silver and go Act 4 or Act 5 with a dancer,” he told the offense.

Special team and tight ends coach Bobby Williams nodded his approval and smiled. He leaned over, “They’re going deep early,” he said.

Just to make sure, I asked McElwain on the field, “You going deep right away?”

“Yeah, get it out of their system,” he said.

The play broke down on the first series, but on the second series they came back to it. Greg McElroy to Julio Jones for 52 yards and a TD.

“We’re gonna go Y-Stick Hero 2,” McElwain says later.

I’m still waiting for the translation.

On a team that has talent, it must replace three tremendous leaders in its captains from a year ago. Any leadership vacuum in football must be filled by the
quarterback.

Greg McElroy took more steps toward filling that part of the job Saturday — and not just on the field. As the Crimson team assembled to return to the field for
the second half, he pulled the entire team together for a quick word.

“We got 30 minutes, then we got four months before we put these pads on again,” McElroy shouted. “Let’s leave it out there, kick their %&&$@ and eat steak
instead of beans!”

Maybe it wasn’t Rockne, but his teammates heard him.

As for my day, I refer you to the movie Arthur — one of my favorites.

“Ever been on a yacht?” Arthur asks his girlfriend.

“No, was it wonderful?” she replies.

His answer is mine: “It doesn’t suck.”