Alabama assistant references 'rat poison' when asked about Oklahoma

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Oklahoma will face Alabama after a bye week. The Sooners enter the conference matchup with a 5-5 record, needing one more win to become bowl-eligible. With it being the last home game, OU will also honor its seniors before facing the Tide.

But “that stuff doesn’t matter,” Alabama wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard said.

The Crimson Tide’s assistant head coach and co-offensive coordinator then took a page out of Nick Saban’s book. Even though Saban retired 10 months ago, some of his messages endure, even for the coaches who weren’t on his staff. Shephard stated that the No. 7-ranked Crimson Tide is focused more on itself than Oklahoma’s motivation or outside noise.

“The guy who used to be in this spot all the time used to say that’s rat poison,” Shephard said. “That’s the stuff you guys are trying to put into the heads of our kids and putting it online because you know they’re going to read it. You’ve got them worried about the wrong things. 

“Even in a time right now where we are pushing forward to try to complete this season in an excellent fashion, I don’t care about those things. I care about you doing your job exactly how it’s supposed to be done the way we are asking you to do it.”

What’s on the line for Oklahoma will have zero implications on the matchup on Saturday, Nov. 23 (6:30 p.m. on ABC). Instead, Shephard wants players to focus on their responsibility.

“What will have an impact on the result of this game – did you get the proper depth on your block?” Shephard said. “Did you get the proper depth on your route? Did you pull for the right person? Did you read everything the right way?

“Senior Day has nothing to do with the game.”

Alabama (8-2, 4-2 SEC) must win on Saturday night at Oklahoma (5-5, 1-5) in order to keep its SEC Championship Game and College Football Playoff hopes alive. With two regular-season games left, the Tide continues to trend up, and coaches like Shephard want that to keep being the case. Avoiding rat poison, in any form, is key to the players’ approach.

But Shephard likes what he’s seen from how the team has handled the outside noise so far.

“Great,” Shephard said. “I think it’s a testament to the culture that Coach DeBoer has built here. They’ve handled it extremely gracefully.”

One of the players making sure his teammates are on the same page and aren’t satisfied with the success they’ve had this season is linebacker Jihaad Campbell. Outside linebackers coach Christian Robinson revealed Campbell’s message to the team before Alabama’s game against Mercer. Campbell shared that, and more, following Wednesday’s practice.

“We’re here, and we’re here for a reason,” Campbell said. “You see on the walls, national championship numbers and conference numbers, and when you just think about it, we’re here for a reason. Everybody has the same ultimate goal. 

“If you’re with us, you’re with us. And if you’re not, then you can excuse yourself out and you can get out and we don’t even have to worry about you. Everybody here is worried about what’s Alabama gonna do to keep getting better each and every day.”

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