Tyler Booker's leadership essential in Alabama's rebound win

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — At the tail end of warmups, after Alabama was getting ready to go back into the locker room for the final time before facing No. 21 Missouri, every player in crimson stood in a massive huddle, eyes locked on one man.

At the center was Tyler Booker, starting left guard and team captain, giving a fiery speech to his team that desperately needed a win.

Booker had already received praise for his leadership throughout the week. On Wednesday, wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard said he ‘had a fire in him’ in practice while preparing for the Tigers. That fire showed in the huddle before the game, and it showed on the field, as Alabama dominated Missouri 34-0 in a must-win game.

The Crimson Tide entered Saturday in a precarious spot, having already lost two games this season, there were no more mulligans left. A loss would undoubtedly eliminate Alabama from any hopes of a College Football Playoff berth, while a win would get the team back on track towards trying to accomplish its ultimate goals.

Alabama got that win, and did so emphatically, thanks in large part to Booker’s messages all week.

“[I was] really just pushing guys,” Booker said with a smile after the game. “I can’t say what I said during the week because I wouldn’t be able to talk to y’all anymore. Really just pushing guys, holding guys accountable, making sure people match me. I feel like the thing about me, a key factor that make me a great football player, is the energy I bring to the game. I feel like if my teammates continue to match me we’ll continue to be great like we were today.”

Booker’s energy and passion were infectious. He was a leader not only of the team, but specifically his offensive line unit, which played one of their best games of the season from a run-blocking perspective. Alabama ran for 271 yards in the game, and were the aggressors physically throughout the entire game, which head coach Kalen DeBoer noted during his postgame press conference.

That physical mindset was one that Booker stressed while helping his teammates prepare.

“Book preached all week on that offensive line, ‘It starts with us. We’ve got to be physical. We’ve got to start this,'” Alabama running back Justice Haynes said. “Book did a great job of it, and I know he’s going to continue to do a great job of it. Staying on them boys, staying on us as a whole team. Whether it was someone on the defense, he saw someone slacking, he said to pick it up. Book’s a great leader, a tremendous guy, a guy I look up to, a guy I’m glad God put in my life and I’m able to be around.”

Booker’s leadership was even noticed by his fellow captains as well. Unprompted during his postgame press conference, quarterback Jalen Milroe made a point to give Booker a shoutout for the way he led during the week.

“I got to credit Tyler Booker,” Milroe said. “He stepped up as a leader this week. It was great to see him lead this week, it was great to see how much he cares about Alabama football. How much he cares about this football team. When you have a guy like that, that’s going to push our group to be our best us. That was my firsthand experience just seeing him grow tremendously and push our guys.”

Defensive captain Malachi Moore noted Booker’s role as well.

“Oh yeah, T-Book did a great job this week of being on guys. Just really being that leader that we need on that side of the ball and as a team. T-Book’s one of those guys that we look to every week and every day to bring that energy. He does a great job of leading by example every day and also challenging the guys around him to step up. That’s what great leaders do, make the guys around him better, and he’s a great leader for us.”

Alabama still has everything in front of it this season, with some huge games coming up that will decide the course of the season. If the Crimson Tide is going to accomplish what it hopes to, Booker and his leadership will be at the center of it.