Terrion Arnold explains ‘LANK’ origins involving Jalen Milroe, if Nick Saban knows the meaning

Alabama football is trying to LANK this season: Let All the Naysayers Know — a credo that was documented heading into the season. And one of the creators of the motto, defensive back Terrion Arnold, explained the origins.

It first came about in 2022, when Arnold and then-backup quarterback Jalen Milroe came up with the notion. Arnold explained the ins and outs with On3’s Andy Staples on Wednesday.

“Came up with it last year in the locker room. We were just sitting around, we were talking. And he was like, ‘Man we need something that’s going to get us going. That’ll just keep us going.’ Obviously Bryce [Young] was the quarterback then. And Bryce, very, very humble. Nonchalant and just as far, never too high, never too low. J-Mil, total opposite. J-Mil, in the locker room, center of attention in there. In player meetings, he’s going to get up, he gone talk, say what’s on his mind,” Arnold said. “So just as far that being, we came up with ‘LANK.’ He was like, ‘Man we gotta really go out here and let these naysayers know because they doubting us.'”

The need and desire to LANK picked up when Alabama was left out of the 2022 College Football Playoff.

“And then it really came into play, obviously, when we didn’t make the national championship last year and just hearing all the outside noise going into this year, we really started to put it together. And started to really embrace,” Arnold said.

Staples followed on that point, noting that heading into 2023, there were some real and legitimate doubters and naysayers of Alabama football — in ways that didn’t task the players with drumming up motivation.

Arnold concurred, before getting into an all-important subject: Does head coach Nick Saban know what LANK means?

He does not, yet, per Arnold. The day will come, but he doesn’t expect Saban to be fired up about an acronym.

“No, I haven’t got a chance to explain it to him yet. But as far as like, we’ll be doing — we could be doing a drill, I could get an interception or something, ‘LANK, Coach. LANK.’ And he’d just look at me like, ‘Huh?’ I haven’t gotten a chance to actually explain it to him. Obviously I’m waiting. That day’s going to come and when I explain it to him he’ll probably be like, ‘Mmm. OK, three,'” Arnold said, mimicking Saban’s mannerisms rather deftly.