Bryce Young explains why he made decision to commit to Alabama

Bryce Young has been nothing but successful ever since he stepped foot on Alabama’s campus. Although he was just a backup quarterback to Mac Jones last season, Young was still a part of a national championship team, and that success led him to creating much of his own in 2021.

A former On3 Consensus five-star quarterback, Young has racked up numerous awards this season – Associated Press Player of the Year, SEC Offensive Player of the Year, a First Team All-SEC selection, the Crimson Tide’s team Most Valuable Player and permanent team captain and, most notably, the Heisman Trophy winner.

In addition to his personal accolades this season, Young – who’s thrown for 4,322 yards and 43 touchdowns compared to just four interceptions this year – has guided Alabama to a 12-1 overall mark and the No. 1 ranking in the College Football Playoff. He and his Tide squad will face off against No. 4 Cincinnati on Dec. 31 in the Cotton Bowl semifinal at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

During an interview on The Paul Finebaum Show earlier this week, Finebaum asked Young what led him to commit to Alabama – a school very far away from his hometown of Pasadena, California.

“It was the challenge of it, to be honest with you,” Young said. “Obviously, knowing the culture, knowing that there was a standard and expectation to live up to – that was something that was really challenging for me, and I knew it was going to push me to be the best me that I could be. Being around the best coaching staff in the country, playing the best schedule in the country, being able to have opportunities to play in big games and to push myself on and off the field.

“It was really what attracted me, and I when I was making my decision I didn’t want to limit it by proximity or whatever coach I knew the longest. … I wanted to find what would make me the best player and best person. It was definitely the best decision I could’ve possibly made.”

Young reveals who inspired him to love football

During Young’s weekend in New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony, the Tide’s signal-caller was asked who inspired him to love football – and he didn’t have to take any time answering it.

“Yeah, I’d definitely say my dad,” Young said. “He had played and then he was always – obviously always a big football fan. We were always watching games and watching football together. He was always super passionate about it, and he was always super supportive. Yeah, I’d definitely say my dad is my biggest inspiration.”