The two most decorated players in college football – a fierce pass rusher and a poised-beyond-his-years passer – took different approaches to the No. 1 Crimson Tide’s team photo.
They’re on the same page when it comes to one pursuit: A national title.
Having arguably the best offensive and defensive player both back for their third (and final?) season in Tuscaloosa is an embarrassment of riches, even for coach Nick Saban and Alabama.
”To have two players that make such a significant impact on our team as those two guys, I don’t recall ever having a circumstance like that,” Saban said.
Alabama is banking on Anderson and Young to lead the team back to a national championship after a tantalizingly close call last season. Both are high on the lists of preseason Heisman Trophy candidates and potential No. 1 NFL draft picks.
Despite all that, and lucrative celebrity endorsement deals, Saban and their teammates say Anderson and Young just aren’t the types to get complacent.
”That’s why me and Bryce work so well together, because we are kind of wired the same,” Anderson said. ”We both want to be great and want to improve every day, and we’re always looking for some way to get better.”
Last season would be hard to top statistically for the two.
Young set Alabama single-season passing marks with 4,872 yards and 47 touchdowns in his first season as starter. He was intercepted just seven times on his way to becoming the Tide’s second straight Heisman winner.
But instead of heading to Hawaii with his family, Young worked out twice a day with his trainer and threw most days during the semester break before returning to Tuscaloosa for the summer.
”He was ultimately, utterly committed to the season,” Young’s father, Craig, said.
Anderson led the nation with 17.5 sacks and 34.5 tackles for loss. He won the Bronco Nagurski Trophy as the nation’s top defensive player. Anderson finished fifth in the Heisman balloting, just missing out on finalist status and an invitation to the New York with his teammate.
Afterward, sister Shanice encouraged him to use that near-miss as motivation. ”For him, I feel like as he gets more successful, it’s just fueling him to set new goals, reach new heights,” Shanice Anderson said.
The omission bothered him enough that the Heisman is now on the annual goal sheet Anderson keeps on the back of his phone. It’s a new addition to a list that he’s been compiling with Tide staffer Sal Sunseri before each season.
But Anderson says what…