Bryce Young opens up about the Heisman Trophy race

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young’s name has become a steady for in the Heisman Trophy race this season. Despite underwhelming results, the sophomore signal caller continues to impress with his leadership on and off the field. As the regular season winds down, Young and the remaining candidates have one more chance to impress the voters.

Bryce Young discussed his approach to the Heisman Trophy race Monday on the SEC Championship teleconference.

“For me, any individual accolades or anything like that is all external factors, something I don’t have control over,” Young told reporters. “All I’m concerned about and all we’re concerned about as a team is this Saturday, the SEC Championship. That’s all that’s on my mind.”

Many believe Young’s “Heisman moment” came on Saturday night, when Alabama marched 97 yards in 1:11 to tie the Iron Bowl and extend Alabama’s playoff hopes. He followed that drive with a touchdown and pair of two-point conversions to win the game.

This season, Young has thrown for 3,901 yards, 40 touchdowns and four interceptions. He completes 69 percent of his passes and adds two rushing touchdowns.

SEC Championship coaches on Bryce Young

Following the overtime Iron Bowl win, Nick Saban came to his quarterback’s defense, brushing away a slow start. After all, it is about how you finish.

“It wasn’t Bryce’s fault that he was struggling in the first half,” Saban said. “We weren’t giving him much of a chance. But I think he’s got a lot of mental toughness. He’s got a lot of grit about him. He’s kind of quiet in his demeanor, in the way he goes about things. But he’s always kept telling the offense ‘We’re going to get this right. We’re going to be alright.’”

“I think the players really believe in him,” Saban added. “When we started making a couple plays and moving the ball we got a little confidence. And I think that helped not only him but the players around him play better, which enabled him to make a lot of plays that we needed him to make. He was pretty outstanding in the second half.”

During his pre-SEC Championship teleconference, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart also raved about the opposing quarterback’s skills.

“The quarterback — his ability to get them (the receivers) the ball,” Smart said, when asked what makes Bryce Young an elite signal caller. “They’re really elite wideouts, but what puts them over the top is the distributor. I mean, he is an incredible athlete, player, decision-maker. What he doesn’t get enough credit for is when the play breaks down, his skill set to deliver the ball, make people miss, set up rushers.”