Bryce Young addresses offseason work, viral basketball video
Bryce Young took over as the Alabama Crimson Tide starter in 2021 and immediately validated the 5-star hype surrounding him, putting together a prolific campaign that will go down in the record books. To cap it off, he finished his first season as QB1 as the runaway winner of the Heisman Trophy.
Now, the 20-year-old is preparing for the 2022 campaign coming off an offseason where he made a few headlines for all the right reasons.
“I guess first things first, how was your spring break?” a reporter asked to open the recent press conference that focused on the start of spring practice. “It looks like you played some basketball but were you also able to get some work in?”
Bryce Young cracked a knowing smile but didn’t directly respond to the reporter’s reference to multiple videos of the Crimson Tide signal caller casually flaunting his skills on the hardwood.
Heading into his second season as Alabama’s unquestioned starter, there’s only one focus for Young.
“Yeah, spring break was great, I went back home to California,” Young said. “The people I work with, I’ve been throwing with them for a while, they are back there so I got to get some work in with them and they are some great people to train with. So it was good to get in some work, recharge, and now we are back to work. “
The hoops video (posted below) is just another reminder of the athleticism Young has, making difficult tasks appear simple. And while that was a fun storyline for fans, it’s obvious the Alabama QB may have caught up with family and friends on his week-long trip home, but workouts with his longtime trainers were a part of his daily regiment — even on vacation.
Bryce Young has eyes focused on one goal for 2022
In his first year as a collegiate quarterback, the most decorated high school quarterback to come out of California in 25 years wasn’t fazed by the pressure of playing on the biggest stage, in the biggest moments against the best competition college football has to offer.
His list of accolades, highlighted by the Heisman Trophy to conclude an outstanding 2021 outing from an individual perspective, would take up an entire page.
In the end, Young’s Heisman credentials included a sterling 43 passing touchdowns and only four interceptions. A gifted, albeit reticent runner, he also rushed for three scores. Shockingly, a recent poll of some of the top college football reporters pick for the 2022 Heisman favorite didn’t favor Young as a repeat candidate, despite all signs pointing to another stunning season ahead.
While Alabama fans may cause a stir about that sort of snub, it’s not the kind of thing Young even considers.
Sure, the Alabama quarterback may have accomplished everything he set out to do in terms of individual accolades last season, but he’s always made it clear the team comes before anything and he’s relentlessly determined to prove to the world, himself, his coaches and his teammates he’s the quarterback ready to lead the team to secure another national title to bring home to Tuscaloosa.
“The national championship, that’s something you dream of,” Bryce Young said. “Anytime something that big doesn’t go your way, it hurts. It hurts a lot. For me, you transition from the emotions of the game and you look back and are hard on yourself. You wish you could have had plays back, moments back. You kind of have to snap out of that. That’s exactly what spring practice is for and that’s what everyone is focused on. We are laying the foundation and preparing now so we are ready when it matters.”
While he didn’t come out and say it, it’s clear despite such a great inaugural season as the Alabama starting QB, Young puts the loss to Georgia on himself. He appears hungrier than ever and exudes a calm, humble confidence that wasn’t on display in his early press conferences last season. He’s now the clear leader of the 2022 Crimson Tide and it’s safe to assume the rest of the SEC is on notice.