Why Kalen DeBoer has not named a leadership group for Alabama

Photo comes via Tuscaloosa News/USA Today Sports

He allowed Ryan Grubb to let people in on one of Alabama’s starting offensive tackles, yet Kalen DeBoer has started to pick up things from Nick Saban.

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The Alabama head football coach is keeping some things close to the vest entering his third season with the program. He is not at a point to reveal the Crimson Tide’s starting quarterback between Austin Mack and Keelon Russell, and he has not chosen a leadership council yet.

In his first two seasons, DeBoer named a leadership group before fall camp started.

Now, he wants to see the guys that prove to be real leaders. The 51-year-old recently sat down with Josh Pate for an interview, discussing his new process in picking out the right athletes to police the team.

“Yeah, we have really left it much more open this year,” DeBoer said of Alabama deciding on a leadership group on offense.

“A lot of times in the past, I would have had some type of leadership group that the team would have chosen. I just took a different take on it this year because I don’t know if it had been a popularity contest or just kind of based on who people know. We had so many new faces that came in, and I just left it open.”

DeBoer said this method allows for players to own their leadership consistently.

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Competition is back in the program, and it breeds for optimal leadership.

We should see the right guys emerge to guide this team to success.

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Stephen M. Smith is a team writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine.  You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.