Alabama is no stranger to celebrity speeches. Kobe Bryant was in town recently to speak to the team, Herm Edwards has spoken to the team about what it means to be a champion, Mark Zuckerberg has come to speak to the players and Nick Saban has brought it many motivational speakers and coaches to motivate the players. However, Alabama brought in another motivational speaker who is also a champion and hails from Tuscaloosa.
Deontay Wilder is an undefeated heavyweight boxing champion from Tuscaloosa, AL. In 40 fights he has won by knockout 39 times. Before he was a heavyweight champion he was participating in his amateur career where he accumulated a record of 30-5 and also went on to win bronze in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Wilder is ranked as the second highest heavyweight int he world as of March 2018. Having a champion come to speak to Alabama is a helpful motivation tactic but it is better when the champion is from the same college town and is an avid supporter of the Crimson Tide.
In his speech, Wilder stated the importance of teamwork and strength. In football, there are eleven players playing on one and they all need to work together to execute a specific goal whether it is applying pressure to the quarterback or blowing up a specific play. Wilder also examines how the team is stronger when working together. In heavyweight is WIlder fighting alone and he has stated how he is cheering for Alabama to dominate as a team.
“If you look to your left and look to your right, that’s your teammate — that’s your source, that’s your strength, that’s your backbone,” Wilder said. “Y’all got each other, and it’s a beautiful thing to have each other. Because with each other, with numbers, you’re stronger. You combine yourself, you put your minds together, you think like y’all supposed to think on the team, nobody will stop you. I’m rooting for y’all. … So when y’all knocking people out, I’m knocking them out, too.”
Having the support of someone like Deontay Wilder is huge because he is not only a champion but a huge supporter of the Tide. He delivered some great motivation to the team and that can go a long way.
