Everything Alabama RB Jase McClellan said on Thursday
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — On Thursday, Alabama running back Jase McClellan met with the media for the first time during fall camp. The junior has been recovering from an ACL injury that ended his 2021 season prematurely, but according to coach Nick Saban, he’s running well and making an impact for the Crimson Tide.
Below, you can check out everything McClellan said during his media availability.
Not a member of BamaInsider? Join today and get one year of premium access for just $1!
Click here to join the thousands of Alabama fans on the Talk of Champions message boards
On what the recovery has been like from his knee injury…
“It’s been a rough process, just going in the training every day, working on things. Working on my balance and my strength, getting my strength back. But it’s been good coming back on the field, getting back used to everything.”
On if there was a moment when he felt like he was back…
“When we started fall camp, getting back into pads, just feeling my movement, seeing that I can still balance and run the same I felt like I was back. Recently after Scrimmage 2, just seeing myself pretty good, I felt great.”
On what the rehab process was like with new technology…
“Coming in every day, working and getting my inflections in, the guys downstairs, using the great technology they have, working with them every day, seeing what I can do at home to get better.”
On how his game complements Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs…
“I see ourselves as both great receiving backs. We can run through the holes. He’s got speed, and as they say we got power. We both work together. It’s a good combination of backs.”
On what he learned watching from Alabama’s sidelines…
“Watching on the sideline, you can see everything that the offense has to go through and what the defense calls, and I learned how to really process everything and just take it step by step.”
On how he and Roydell Williams leaned on each other after injuries…
“You know me and Roydell actually had the same injury, so we leaned on each other, talked to each other, talking about how we felt each day, how we were going to get better. Sometimes we would work out together.”
On if he was tenative after his ACL injury…
“I wasn’t very much tentative. I was ready to come back. I was working hard every day. You know, once I got back into pads, I was just telling myself that I’m still the same, and I can still play.”
On if the current Alabama running back group has power…
“Yeah we all carry that attribute. That’s something our coach talks to us about, being big backs. Even though our size doesn’t say it for ourselves, we play like it.”
On what it’s like being part of a deep running back group at Alabama…
“It’s a competition every day. We’re all the same being a great running back room, and we all gotta work together every day in practice. That’s what we do.”
On how the team welcomed Gibbs…
“We just welcomed him in like a brother. He wanted to come join us, so we welcomed. We’re thankful for him, happy he wanted to come here. He adds something special to the group.”
On being a pass-catching running back…
“It’s just something I bring to the table that the coaches ask me to do. When I don’t have anything protection-wise, I can get out in the flat. And if there isn’t anything out in the field, he can check it down to me.”
On what he did to improve during the offseason…
“As much as I could do with the injury, working on my speed, my contact balance and just getting details into playing the game.”
Other related Alabama stories
Jimmy Stein on Alabama’s ILB Room (Part V)
Alabama has three guys it can “definitely count on” at ILB
What we’ve learned about Alabama’s defense after two scrimmages
